Akron will end its three-game road swing at Northern Illinois this Saturday (Oct. 31). Kickoff is set for 11 am (CT)/Noon (ET) and the game will be telecast on the MAC Network (see link above; locally on Cleveland's ABC affiliate WEWS) as well as on the ESPN Plus/Game Plan package. The game can also be heard on the Akron/ISP Sports Network on 1350 AM, 106.9 FM and GoZips.com.

Akron vs. Northern Illinois
Akron and Northern Illinois have met on nine previous occasions with the Huskies holding a 5-4 advantage in the series which dates back to 1966. Of the nine previous occasions, six have been played in DeKalb with another being played at a neutral site. In all, Northern Illinois has only come to Akron twice in the series history (1990 and 2005).

In 2005, which was the last year Akron and Northern Illinois met, the teams squared off for two exciting contests. The first meeting came in week three when the Zips held off a late Huskies' charge to win 48-42 in overtime. NIU scored 21 fourth-quarter points to force overtime. The Huskies had the ball first but UA's Dionte Henry picked off a pass. Luke Getsy hit Brett Biggs on a pass and Biggs scored from one-yard out on the next play for the win.

The teams met again on Dec. 1, 2005 in the MAC Championship game, played at Ford Field. This back and forth game saw NIU score 24 unanswered over the second and third quarters before the Zips scored three TDs, compared to two Huskie field goals in the fourth quarter. Also, Akron had to overcome 270 rushing yards by NIU's Garrett Wolfe.

The Zips were down 10, 27-17, after a 52-yard Chris Nendick field goal with just under 11 minutes to play. Getsy, who threw for 413 yards, led Akron to a 76-yard drive, capped with a seven-yard run to make it a three-point game. The Huskie answered back with a 46-yard field goal and a six-point lead with 3:28 to go. Getsy threw an interception on the ensuing drive but the UA defense forced a punt, leaving Akron just 1:41 to cover the necessary 81 yards  in hopes of the win. An injured Domenik Hixon came off the bench with approximately 17 seconds left and Getsy found him in the endzone for a 36-yard TD with 10 ticks remaining. Jason Swiger added the PAT, which proved to be the game winner and NIU's last second pass fell incomplete.


Dashan Miller Honored by MAC
Senior Dashan Miller was named the Mid-American Conference East Division Special Teams Player of the Week for his record-setting performance at Syracuse.

Miller set a single-game, school record with his 191 yards in kickoff returns, doing so in just four attempts for an average of 47.8 yards per attempt. The previous record was 180 yards (on eight attempts) by Matt Carter versus Marshall in 2001. It is also the second-best in the MAC this season, as Ohio's Chris Garrett had 221 on six attempts this season at Tennessee, and the seventh-best, single-game effort in MAC history. Miller's 191 yards is ninth-best effort in the nation this season and his 189 yards on seven returns at Central Michigan ranks 11th.

Down 14-7 to start the second half, Miller took the opening kickoff and returned it 98 yards for a touchdown, marking the longest return in the MAC this season. The return for a TD was the first by a Zip since Bryan Williams had a 95-yard return versus Ohio on Nov. 7, 2007. (Williams was additionally named MAC East Special Teams Player of the Week for his effort.) Miller additionally had a 53-yard return in the contest.

Miller moved from 82nd in the NCAA and sixth in the MAC with an average of 22.0 yards per return to 28th and second, respectively, with his performance at Syracuse for a current average of 26.68 yards per kick return. This season, he now has six returns over 22 yards. In addition to his two long returns at Syracuse, Miller had returns of 67, 29 and 22 at Central Michigan and one for 31 yards versus Ohio.

Andre Jones in Select Company
Senior Andre Jones, who played wide receiver exclusively at Buffalo, started at the position at Syracuse making he and Oklahoma's Body Eldridge the only two players in the nation to have started at three different positions this season. Jones has also started at safety and corner back this season, while Eldridge has started at center, tight end and left guard.

Jones is now just the fourth player in the nation to start on both sides of the ball. Vanderbilt's Jamie Graham and Cincinnati's Marcus Barnett each have started at least one game at both wide receiver and corner back, while San Jose State lineman Steve Lightsy has started games at offensive guard and defensive tackle.

Jones has played in 44 games and started 38 in his career. The first two years of his career, Jones started 20 games at free safety and he ranked among the UA top four in tackles each year. As a junior in 2008, he started 10 games at wide receiver, earning All-MAC honors with a team-high seven TDs.

This season, Jones started the first three games at safety, one game at corner (CMU) and while still seeing action at wideout. He is 12th on the team with 21 tackles and he caught four passes for 53 yards in his first full game at wideout last week at Buffalo. At Syracuse, he caught his first TD of the season while hauling in three passes for 90 yards, including an impressive 46 yarder.

Andre Jones Goes Above and Beyond
While Andre Jones started his third position of the year at Syracuse, his contributions went well beyond scoring the Zips' lone offense TD, giving Akron an early 7-0 lead. (Jones also scored two TDs at Syracuse last season, meaning three of his eight career scores have come in the Carrier Dome.) Jones played two series at corner giving Miguel Graham a break. Jones was forced to play due to an injury to starting corner Manley Waller at Buffalo that kept him off the field at Syracuse.

Jones also took snaps at quarterback at Syracuse in a "wildcat" formation, rushing two times for eight yards.
Then due to other injuries during the Syracuse game, Jones filled in a several spots on special teams.

Campbell Boots 76-Yard Punt at Syracuse; 2nd Longest in NCAA
Zack Campbell, who has shared the punting duties over the past four games as well as werving as the team's holder on PAT/field goals, hit an impressive 76-yard punt in the third quarter -his first punt of the contest. The boot marked the third-longest in school history behind Jim Heyworth (81 yards vs. Northern Michigan in 1974) and Frank Zazula (77 yards vs Toledo in 1937).

In addition, the punt is the longest in the Mid-American Conference this season and ties for second-longest in the NCAA behind an 81-yarder by Jeff Locke (UCLA). Also hitting a 76-yarder this season is Colorado State's Pete Kontodiakos and Nebraska's Alex Henry.
Campbell has punted eight times this season with a 46.4 season average.