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Akron Zips football laments self-inflicted mistakes in MAC loss to Miami RedHawks
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- Akron Zips football laments self-inflicted mistakes in MAC loss to Miami RedHawks
Joe Moorhead wasn't just frustrated. The University of Akron football coach admitted he was "livid" after the Zips lost 20-7 to the Miami RedHawks in a Mid-American Conference game on Oct. 11 at InfoCision Stadium.
"We had an opportunity to win a football game against one of the top teams in the MAC , and all week we talked about a lack of precision being dangerous when the margin of error's small. And we pissed it away," Moorhead said.
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If Moorhead were to take a polygraph test during his postgame news conference, he would have passed. Self-inflicted mistakes crushed the Zips (2-5, 1-2) against the RedHawks (3-3, 2-0) — no lies detected.
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Akron Zips football coach Joe Moorhead leads the team through warmups before the season opener against Wyoming pm Aug. 28, 2025, at InfoCision Stadium in Akron.
Akron Zips squandered chances to score and were shut out for the first three quarters vs. the Miami RedHawks
The first half told the story. Two of Akron 's first three possessions should have ended with points. Instead, the Zips didn't score until there was 6:54 left in the game, when quarterback Ben Finley and wide receiver Israel Polk connected for a 5-yard touchdown.
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During the game's opening drive, Akron marched to the Miami 4-yard line. An incomplete pass, a false start penalty and a 2-yard loss on a rushing attempt set up third-and-goal at the 11.
Then Finley's pass over the middle intended for tight end Conner Cravaack was deflected by safety Eli Blakey near the goal line and intercepted by defensive end Adam Trick. With 9:14 left in the first quarter, Trick returned it to the Miami 10. Akron's 13-play, 64-yard drive proved to be a waste.
"Quarterback thought process in the red zone: Avoid the sack [and] preserve the field goal. We didn't preserve the field goal there," Moorhead said. "So, the message there is if [the touchdown is] not there, throw it through the goalpost and save the three points, and make sure we're on the same page with the route so that we're open and we're not covered."
University of Akron tight end Max Whisner (87) watches with kicker Owen Wiley (99) as his field goal attempt is good during the first half against Duquesne at InfoCision Stadium in Akron on Sept. 20, 2025.
The Akron Zips football team trailed Miami RedHawks 3-0 at halftime after wasting scoring opportunities
Later, the Zips summoned kicker Owen Wiley at the end of a 14-play, 67-yard drive. But Wiley missed a 38-yard field goal wide left with 10:21 remaining in the second quarter.
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Akron should have been ahead 10-0 — 6-0 at minimum — but instead found itself in a scoreless tie and then trailed Miami 3-0 at halftime after RedHawks kicker Dom Dzioban made a 41-yard field goal with 1:33 left in the second quarter.
"I wouldn't say that killed anything in our spirit or anything like that," said Polk, who caught five passes for 28 yards and a touchdown. "We just know these next opportunities we get, we've got to take advantage of them. We didn't capitalize before, but now we've got to do it. We've got to start here. We have to get better and make sure we're finishing those long drives."
Although the Akron defense nearly pitched a shutout in the first half, it surrendered touchdowns on each of Miami's first two possessions of the second half.
"I think we had a little lack of discipline at certain points, maybe with our eyes, but I think defensively we were, for the most part, disciplined," said Akron cornerback Elijah Reed, who registered an interception with 21 seconds left in the second quarter.
University of Akron defensive back Elijah Reed leaps for an interception against Duquesne during the first half at InfoCision Stadium in Akron on Sept. 20, 2025.
Akron Zips quarterback Ben Finley stats
Miami had complete control with a 20-0 lead before Akron avoided a shutout with Finley's TD pass to Polk in the fourth quarter. UA's ensuing onside kick went out of bounds at the Akron 42, and Miami chewed up the final 6:54 on the clock to seal its victory.
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Finley finished 21-of-39 passing (53.9%) for 211 yards and a TD with an interception. He took three sacks. Akron converted one of its three trips into the red zone, with a devastating interception, a missed field goal and a too-little-too-late touchdown in the mix.
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The Zips also committed 10 penalties for 60 yards. They were flagged seven times for a false start.
"We have one cadence," Moorhead said as if he were exasperated. "I'm not quite sure how you go offside when you have one cadence."
Akron Zips football coach Joe Moorhead leads the team through warmups before the season-opening game against Wyoming, Aug. 28, 2025, at InfoCision Stadium in Akron, Ohio.
Akron's next game is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Oct. 18 at Ball State (2-4, 1-1).
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What is Moorhead's message to his players about how they must respond to a brutally disappointing performance against Miami?
"You have one choice of how you react or you could go play somewhere else," Moorhead said.
Yes, Moorhead was justifiably "livid."
Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com . On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron Zips football coach Joe Moorhead 'livid' after MAC loss to Miami
