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Akron Zips coach Joe Moorhead brutally honest with players in college football's new era
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- Akron Zips coach Joe Moorhead brutally honest with players in college football's new era
University of Akron football coach Joe Moorhead is being brutally honest with the hope of motivating his players.
UA (1-2) will be a massive underdog when it faces South Carolina (2-1) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium.
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The Zips have already traveled to Big Ten blowout city this season, losing 52-6 at Ohio State on Aug. 31 and 49-17 at Rutgers on Sept. 7 in Weeks 1 and 2.
And after Akron beat Colgate 31-20 on Saturday in UA's home opener , the Zips are expected to revert back to being routed, this time against the Southeastern Conference's South Carolina.
How can Moorhead possibly coax the best effort out of his players when realistic reasons to believe they can pull off an upset are close to nonexistent?
Like in most cases, the answer is money.
Moorhead has always been able to dangle the carrot of NFL paydays potentially materializing down the road as the result of excellent individual performances.
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However, in college football's new era dominated by the transfer portal and name, image and likeness deals, Moorhead's message to players has become increasingly layered and interesting.
For example, an Akron player could position himself to make money with another college program in the near future by excelling against big-time teams like Ohio State , Rutgers and South Carolina.
Coaches, scouts and talent evaluators discover players on game tape all the time, and there are naturally more eyes on film involving major programs.
Akron Zips football coach Joe Moorhead reacts to a play during the second half, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024.
It's a reality Moorhead utters aloud.
"When you're a team that's playing up, so to speak, whether it's an FCS versus an FBS or a Group of Five versus a Power Five, any player that's got a competitive bone in his body should be playing with a chip on his shoulder to prove either they belong at that level or they belong at the next level," Moorhead told the Beacon Journal in a recent interview on UA's campus. "So motivation's a funny thing, and I think that type of challenge is something that guys can relate to.
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"The other part of that, not just the NFL, is in this portal era of football, you're not just playing for Sundays. You're potentially playing for a payday on Saturdays at a bigger level, too. So when you say, 'Well, yes, you're doing this to put good tape out for the NFL,' I mean, the reality of it is when we don't have a penny of NIL here, a lot of these guys are playing for a payday potentially the following season, too.
"That's unfortunate you have to say it, but it's the reality of it. So, yeah, I think it's twofold. They're playing up and want to play well to try to get to play on Sundays, but also trying to maybe make some more money on Saturdays."
August 31, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs (2) celebrates after sacking Akron Zips quarterback Ben Finley (10) during the first half of Saturday’s NCAA Division I football game at Ohio Stadium.
How much is the University of Akron being paid to play Ohio State football , Rutgers and South Carolina?
Money, of course, is Akron's motive for playing Ohio State, Rutgers and South Carolina. For those three games, the combined payout to UA is $3.1 million , including $1.5 million courtesy of the South Carolina matchup, the Beacon Journal's George M. Thomas reported earlier this month.
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Coming off back-to-back 2-10 seasons, Akron isn't well-placed to shock the world the way fellow Mid-American Conference program Northern Illinois did Sept. 7 by upsetting then No. 5-ranked Notre Dame 16-14 in South Bend, Indiana.
"You know what you're getting into when you play those games," Moorhead said in a recent news conference when asked about South Carolina. "I've been on both sides of them, so I know how that goes. You never say those games don't matter, but you understand the difficulty of competing. They're 18- to 21-year-old kids, and as much as you say, 'All right, we're just going to go in and compete and fight our butts off,' at the end of the day, two losses is two losses, no matter whether it's against the No. 2 team in the country or whomever it's against.
"So I don't think you can underestimate for a team that hasn't won — and you're trying to build a culture of belief — the mental and physical toll that is created upon your guys having to go into a game where the ESPN predictor is like 99.9 to 0.01. It's not great, but, like I said, we're not going to back down. We're going to keep swinging. But, yeah, you can't underestimate the toll that takes on your team when we're trying to get this program built and turned around."
Carolina Gamecocks wide receiver Deebo Samuel (1) pulls away the ball from Akron Zips punter Nick Gasser (48) in the end zone for a touchdown after the snap got away from Gasser in the first half at Williams-Brice Stadium.
What is the history between Akron Zips football and South Carolina?
Akron has played South Carolina just once before. The Zips fell 28-3 on the road in their 2018 season finale. The meeting only occurred because each team had a game canceled due to weather earlier in the same season.
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To Moorhead's point, South Carolina has a 94.3% chance of victory Saturday night, according to ESPN's College Football Power Index.
Akron Zips football news: Ranking the top 3 UA players and moments in its home opener vs. Colgate
Akron Zips football coach Joe Moorhead, left, argues a penalty during the first half against Colgate, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024.
How to watch Akron Zips at South Carolina Gamecocks football on TV, streaming. How to listed on the radio
The game will be televised on ESPNU with Clay Matvick as the play-by-play announcer and Steve Addazio as the analyst.
It will be broadcast locally on the radio via WHLO 640-AM (flagship), WHK 1420-AM and 102.5 FM with David Skoczen as the play-by-play announcer and Joe Dunn as the analyst.
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It will also be broadcast on SiriusXM channel 374.
More Zips football: Akron rallies for win vs. Colgate. Here are highlights from UA's home opener
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron Zips football coach Joe Moorhead cites NIL to motivate players
