“Brion Stokes led the Zips Blue Swarm defense Saturday and became the third Zip to earn the Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Week award after recording 10 tackles and recovering a fumble in last weeks win over rival Kent State. It was a big win for us, Stokes said.”
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Brion Stokes led the Zips Blue Swarm defense Saturday and became the third Zip to earn the Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Week award after recording 10 tackles and recovering a fumble in last weeks win over rival Kent State.

It was a big win for us, Stokes said. Kent and Ohio were the favorites to win the MAC East, and knocking them off was a big step to winning our goal.

Coach JD Brookhart agrees.

We have got to clean a lot up. We have to play a better brand of football but we are 1-0 in the East, and in the end that’s what it’s about.

Stokes, who has been honored as player of the week in two consecutive seasons, had nine solo stops against the Golden Flashes. Stokes had one stop for a loss when he foiled a fake field goal attempt by Kent State midway through the second quarter.

We were ready for it in the fact that they were taking a long time snapping the ball and calling out other signals no one had really heard all game, so we knew it was a fake, Stokes said.

Later in the second quarter, Stokes picked up a fumble deep in Kent territory that eventually led to a Zips touchdown.

Although Stokes is honored to have received the award, he feels there are others that were worthy as well.

Defensively, we had a lot of people that could have got it; me, Reggie Corner, Almondo Sewell. There were a lot of us that could have got it.

The Akron defense leads the MAC in scoring defense and pass efficiency defense. The Zips also lead the MAC in turnover margin and also rank sixth in the NCAA with a +1.75 turnover margin.

If they do, I feel sorry for them. We’re a good, veteran defense. We’ve played a lot of football with each other. We’re experienced and we play hard.

Again, Brookhart agrees.

We are accomplishing a lot of goals that we think wins football games. We are certainly creating a lot of opportunities for the offense with field position.

Reggie Corner and John Mackey were also named MAC defensive Player of the Week this season.

The Zips (2-2) will travel to East Hartford this weekend to play the 4-0 Connecticut Huskies.

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” #1.1361766:3541119876.jpg:stokes_bw.jpg:Stokes had 10 tackles and a recovered fumble vs. Kent St.:Jeff Harwell / Zips Sports Photography”