Terry Bowden knows Akron will have to play its best against Penn State
Terry Bowden acknowledges that Penn State's 11 will be better than Akron's 11 at any time on the field, but says that zero turnovers and playing at its best will give his team a chance.
Akron coach Terry Bowden is a realist. He knows there will be a talent disparity on the field Saturday at Beaver Stadium when the Zips come in to take on sixth-ranked Penn State in the 2017 season opener for both teams.
"Penn State has the ability to go out there and put 11 guys on the field better than our 11," Bowden said Monday in a conference call with writers who cover the Nittany Lions. "Then we have to play our very best and try not to put the ball on the ground and turn it over."
But don't expect Akron to come into Penn State's house waving a white flag. The Zips return 17 starters from last year's 5-7 team that was beset with injuries late in the season. They have played in front of huge crowds – at Wisconsin last year, at Michigan in 2015.
And, as Bowden pointed out, there have been times when Mid-American Conference teams upset Big Ten opponents. It happened twice last season, to Northwestern and Illinois, although it was the same MAC team – Western Michigan, a Cotton Bowl participant last year – that turned the trick both times.
"Somebody in the Big Ten is going to lose to somebody in the MAC Saturday," Bowden said. "It might not be Penn State but every year somebody does. There will be some team upsetting some team that they're not supposed to beat, and that's why football exciting."
Bowden said his players will be motivated for the game.
"It's so exciting for our players because most of our players probably wanted to get recruited by the SEC or Big Ten and did not get to," he said. "So it's a great motivator for our players. In football, you've got to go out and play the game."
That being said, the Zips, who have been picked to finish fourth in the MAC Eastern Division in separate preseason coaches and media polls, have a tall task in front of them. Bowden admires the overall talent and team speed of the Nittany Lions, which will compel his team to "have to play your best at a lot of positions."
In particular, Akron must contend with Penn State's prolific offense headed by quarterback Trace McSorley and running back Saquon Barkley.
"You have to talk about them first because they have the ball in their hands," Bowden said. "If the best player on Penn State's team is the offensive guard, he may kill our defensive lineman. But when your quarterback and your tailback are Heisman candidates, and the ball is going to be in their hands a lot, they can beat you themselves because of their ability to make big plays.
"I think those two, because they're going to touch the ball, because they had great years last year, are the ones that worry you the most."
The Zips return senior quarterback Thomas Woodson, who passed for 2,079 yards and 18 touchdowns last year, and junior linebacker Ulysses Gilbert, who racked up 122 tackles and 11 ½ tackles for loss in 2016.
