University of Akron Football Coach Killed in Crash

This is a very sad Christmas week for the University of Akron community.

Assistant head football coach Alan "Tank" Arrington died Monday in a Mississippi car accident.

Details of the accident were not released, but Arrington was an Oxford, Mississppi native who had been on the Akron staff the past two seasons as Terry Bowden's offensive line coach and assistant head coach.

Previous to the Akron job, Arrington had been with Bowden at North Alabama.

"I can't put into words how tragic this is," Akron head coach Terry Bowden said in a school release. "We have lost someone who was truly special and had dedicated his life to guiding young men. Tank was a very good friend and a great person. My thoughts are with his family and those who had the chance to know him and play for him. In all my years of coaching I have never known someone who loved and cared for his players more than Tank. I have lost a best friend and I'm heartbroken."

"The Zips family has suffered a great loss," Akron director of athletics Tom Wistrcill said. "Tank was a wonderful representative of the University and our team, and our thoughts are with his family and friends in this difficult time. We will do all that we can to help support them, our student-athletes and staff."

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Zips program and family during the holiday season.

Michigan Almost Gets Zipped By Akron.

Terry Bowden almost, almost got his first signature win as the head coach of Akron.

Heck the Zips almost pulled off one of the biggest upsets ever in college football.

Michigan fans were having Appalachian State flashbacks.

Akron was leading Michigan 24-21 very late in the fourth quarter until Fitzgerald Toussaint scored the go-ahead touchdown with 2:49 left in the game.


 The Zips were not done though. Akron quarterback Kyle Pohl drove the Zips inside the Michigan five yard line with 3 chances to win the game. On their third chance Pohl was hurried by Michigan linebacker Brennen Beyer and the pass fell incomplete.

 

And Michigan survived at the Big House 28-24.

"That's a tough one." Pohl said. That happened fast. It was a good call by Coach. We had what we wanted. If it was a half-second more, maybe I could squeeze it and make a better throw."

"This is embarrassing for the University of Michigan football team." Michigan Senior offensive lineman Taylor Lewan said.  "Yeah, we won the game. We're 3-0. That's great. It was embarrassing. It was embarrassing"

"We almost lost to Akron, no disrespect to Akron, but we almost lost after coming out and having a great win last week in front of the whole world, and we come out and almost blow it"  Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner said.

Akron almost pulled it off but calling it a moral victory won't console head coach Terry Bowden.

"It was a wonderful game to watch. I am sick for my players, for how long they played and how hard they played and how well they played, to not come away with a victory." Bowden said. " I have been fortunate in my lifetime to be a part of some big wins and that would have been the biggest. I am sorry for our players because they have worked so hard and been through so much. But I told them they had a chance to play the game of a lifetime and they tried."

TWTW Thursday: South Carolina, Vandy, UConn, UMass

Here's your Thursday recap...

South Carolina just got out of Vanderbilt alive 17-13
Here's the OBC talking about survival and Connor Shaw got out alive- although he gets a lot of bonus points for being a tough SOB...
((HT: ABCColumbia))
UConn welcomed UMass to Division I with a 37-0 shutout at Renschler Field. It was the first time the two schools played each other since 1999, when both schools were Division I-AA... it wasn't even close... ((HT: WTNH-TV))

UConn beats UMass 37-0 in renewal of rivalry

UNLV lost to Minnesota in three overtimes 30-27, the highlights are here fron 13 Action News/KTNV-TV
Other winners include Central Michigan (sorry, Wilkie), UCLA, and Utah
More fun tonight...

DEVELOPING: Tressel To Akron...

And he'll be with Terry Bowden and the new football coaching staff...

But not work with athletics...
Right... the HQ holds its breath on that one...

Tressel was announced as Akron's VP of some department called "school engagement"- whatever in the blue hell that means...

Akron says he will work with alumni, community organizations and friends of the school "to develop strategies and efforts to help students succeed."

He was a grad assistant there in a past life and earned a master's degree from the school.

"That Akron experience is something I look forward to sinking my teeth into," Tressel said.

More when we know more...

Terry Bowden Heads To Akron... Wait, What...???

((HT: ZipsAthletics))

It was, somewhat, inevitable...

But AKRON...???

Okay, the HQ will bite...

The program has been a joke for a while...
So, now Bowden, who was supposed to lead the University of North Alabama into their transition into Division I-AA is now trying to resurrect a bad Mid-American Conference program.

Makes sense... and leaves UNA in a bit of a leadership lurch...

Here's Terry a little-too-close to the camera addressing his new peeps...