The bar is high. That’s where J.D. Brookhart placed it when he took this program to its first MAC title in 2005. His wide-open, spread offense creates an exciting product, but new pieces must fall into place quickly for the Zips to return to the contender’s role. High-profile games abound, with a gala against Army at Cleveland Browns Stadium, and a visit to Ohio State as one of three games against BCS conference teams.

The key for those games and the ones on the MAC ledger will be defense. The Zips expect to force the issue by creating turnovers and putting opposing offenses in difficult situations. If that unit turns into a catalyst for momentum swings, Akron’s fortunes improve significantly.

Quarterbacks
This is the biggest hole on offense, where the savvy Luke Getsy rewrote the record book during the last two seasons. The relief must come from a duo of third-year sophomores — Carlton Jackson and Chris Jacquemain. Jackson saw very limited duty last fall, completing his only pass attempt for a grand total of two yards. Jacquemain has yet to throw a pass in a game. With the demands of the spread, Brookhart hopes one of his two sophomores emerges quickly as his starter. This offense works best when it moves at a brisk clip, and that creates additional challenges for the young quarterbacks trying to soak up the complex system.

Running Backs
The Zips need more production from their running game after ranking last in the MAC in rushing a year ago with at 83.8 yards per game. In Dennis Kennedy (914 yards rushing in 2006) the Zips have a workhorse-quality ball-carrier, and they’ll be counting primarily on him to get the ground game going at a faster rate. But with a young quarterback and a quick offensive style, the need for fresh legs in the backfield arises. Thus, a couple of steady backups need to emerge in order for this offense to click. Andrew Walker will once again serve as the primary backup. Last year, he carried the ball 65 times for 245 yards on  a respectable 3.8-yard average.

Receivers
Sophomore David Harvey would give the Zips a game-breaker who attracted some All-America attention last year after he led the nation’s first-year players with 914 receiving yards. Harvey averaged 21.3 yards per catch on his 43 receptions. There’s a problem, however: Harvey was excused from spring drills in order to attend to personal matters. It is not known when — or if — he will return. Even without Harvey, the Zips have some options at the position. Jabari Arthur led the team in receptions in 2006, catching 45 balls for 730 yards and four touchdowns. Senior Kris Kasparek (12 catches, 152 yards) leads a deep group at tight end.

2007 Schedule
S. 1	#Army	*
S. 8	at Ohio State	L
S. 15	at Indiana	L
S. 22	Kent State	L
S. 29	at Connecticut	L
O. 6	at Western Michigan	L
O. 13	Temple	W
O. 27	at Buffalo	W
N. 2	at Bowling Green	*
N. 7	Ohio	L
N. 14	at Miami (Ohio)	*
N. 23	Central Michigan	L
	#Cleveland, OH
Games in bold represent swing games. W or L indicates a projected win or loss.

Offensive Linemen
With four new starters, this group has less experience but more athleticism than last year. Therefore, the Zips are crossing their fingers that development is swift. Junior tackle Chris Kemme is the veteran of the group, with senior Mike Schepp experienced as a backup at both center and tackle. With a renewed emphasis on running the football, a lot of work has gone into fine-tuning this unit.

Defensive Linemen
Two of the three starters are new, and after last season’s struggles to mount a functional pass rush, there are more than a few concerns. Senior tackle Jared Cecchetti is the only proven commodity. He can also play end. Junior Eric Lively moves into a starting role at end after backing up at nose tackle last season. Sophomore Wallace Pendleton emerged from spring No. 1 at nose.

Linebackers
The strength on the defensive side is here, led by senior Brion Stokes, who recorded 5.5 sacks last year. Junior Doug Williams is also experienced and has the ability to be a playmaker. Junior Kevin Grant, also a returning starter, will be the middle linebacker.

Defensive Backs
Former NFL defensive back Emmanuel McDaniel signed on to coach this group, which features Andre Jones and Brandon Anderson at safety and Reggie Corner and Davanzo Tate on the outside. With depth in the rotation, Akron has the luxury of moving some players around to create different packages and put more speed on the field when needed. Senior Yamari Dixon should play his way into the safety rotation.

Specialists
The kickoff game has been an area of emphasis since the rule change puts the kicker at the 30 and opens up the return options. Harvey averaged 30 yards per return last season, after taking the first return of his career back 78 yards. His return would be a boost to the special teams units. Punter John Stec averaged 38.6 yards per kick last season, while Matt Domonkos has the inside track on the placekicking job.

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