Five things to know about Akron-Kent State football rivalry game

The University of Akron and Kent State University football teams will play for the wooden Wagon Wheel at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 24, at Dix Stadium.

Here are five things to know about Akron (1-6, 0-3) and Kent State (2-5, 1-2) heading into a Mid-American Conference game.

Akron and Kent State football results in 2025

Akron has lost five games in a row — to Minnesota (41-7), UNLV (38-10), Central Michgan (41-17), Eastern Michigan (25-23) and Miami of Ohio (34-14). The Zips opened the season with a 38-16 loss to Wake Forest and a 45-10 win over Robert Morris.

Kent State has lost three games in a row — to Ohio (13-10), Western Michigan (38-7) and South Florida (29-2). The Flashes opened the season with a 57-0 loss to South Carolina, a 36-15 win over Wofford and a 59-3 loss to Ohio State.

Akron leads football series with Kent State

Akron leads 37-29-2 in the all-time series with Kent. The teams first played in football in 1923, with the Zips winning 32-0. The Wagon Wheel trophy was introduced in 1946. The teams have played each other every year since 1983 with the exception of one year.

Joe Moorhead is 2-2 against KSU as Akron's coach, with the Zips prevailing 31-27at InfoCision Stadiumin 2023 and 38-17 at Dix Stadium in 2024.

Mark Carney is 1-0 against UA as Kent State's coach, with a 42-35 win in overtimeat InfoCision Stadium in 2025.

KSU won four in a row in the series from 2019-2022 under former coach Sean Lewis. Akron won four in a row in the series from 2015-2018 during the Terry Bowden era.

Who led Kent to a football win over Akron last season?

Golden Flashes quarterback Dru DeShields completed 17 of 25 passes and set personal single-game highs in yards (317) and passing touchdowns (five) in last season's 42-35 win in overtime over Akron. Da'Realyst Clark, Cade Wolford, Terik Mulder, Da'Shawn Martin and Ardell Banks each caught a TD pass. Gavin Garcia ran for a TD and Will Hryszko made all six of his PAT kicks.

Mason Woods, CJ Young and Derrick Jackson III made key defensive plays to prevent Akron from scoring in overtime. Terrell Miller recorded an interception for KSU. Jamond Mathis had 1½ sacks, Young, Woods and Darian Blachewicz had one sack apiece, and Canaan Williams, Mattheus Carroll and Thomas Aden each had a half sack.

Akron finished with an edge in first downs (32-14), rushing yards (106-57), passing yards (424-317), total offensive yards (530-374) and kickoff return yards (103-20).

Kent State had six sacks to Akron's one, and turned two Akron turnovers into 14 points.

Players to watch for Akron

Akron's offense features QB Brayden Roggow, RBs Jordan Gant and Sean Patrick, WRs Marcel Williams, Kyan Mason and Miles Burris and TE Elijah Alexander.

• Passing: Roggow is 92 of 157 for 1,068 yards with seven touchdowns and nine interceptions in seven games. This will be Roggow's fifth start after Cibastian Broughton was injured on Sept. 19 at Minnesota.
• Rushing: Gant has 456 yards and four TDs on 99 carries. Patrick has 41 carries for 221 yards. Roggow and Marquese Williams each have one rushing TD.
• Receiving: Wiliams has 31 catches for 332 yards and three TDs. Alexander has 15 catches for 132 yards and three TDs. Burris, Patrick, Williams, Titus Myers and Brandon Hills each have one receiving TD.

Akron's defense is led by Donelius Johnson, Dwight Nunoo, Tairan Davis, Rodrick Hunter, Mehki Flowers, Cyrus Durham, Dahvon Frazier, Vann Kavals and Omari Abor.

Johnson has 67 tackles (31 solos), Nunoo has 40 tackles (13 solos) and Davis has 35 tackles (22 solos). Akron's leaders in tackles for loss are Kavals (4½), Durham (4) and Nunoo (3½). Durham has 2½ sacks. Abor, Davis and Hunter each have an interception. Abor has forced two fumbles and Frazier has recovered two fumbles.

Punter Joseph Castle is averaging 41.6 yards. Kicker Matthew Schramm is 12 of 12 on PATs and 5 of 9 on field goals with a long of 40 yards.

Players to watch for Kent State

Kent's offense features QB Dru DeShields, RBs Mason King and Brandon White, WRs Wayne Harris, Da'Realyst Clark and Ardell Banks and TE Hunter Hopperton.

• Passing: DeShields is 106 of 185 for 1,145 yards with four touchdowns and six interceptions in seven games.
• Rushing: King has run for 202 yards and a TD on 52 carries. White has run for 191 yards on 57 carries and DeShields has run for 189 yards and three TDs on 58 carries. Jakorion Caffey has a rushing TD.
• Receiving: Harris has 31 catches for 396 yards and a TD. Clark has 22 catches for 273 yards and a TD. Brendyn Smith and White each have a receiving TD.

Kent's leaders on defense are Hayden Dawahare, Joel Cordoba, Rocco Nicholl, A'tiq Muhammad, Derrick Jackson III, Martell Buchanan, Norey Johnson, Jaihien Roy, Rafael Terrero Jr. and Tanner Mintz.

Dawahare has 35 tackles (18 solos), Cordoba has 33 tackles (17 solos) and Nicholl has 33 tackles (19 solos). Kent's leaders in tackles for loss are Dawahare (5), Nicholl (5) and Jackson (3½). Nicholl and Roy both have three sacks. Johnson, Roy, Terrero and Mintz each have an interception. Dawahare, Cordoba and Terrero have both forced a fumble.

Punter Jake Stoeckel is averaging 42.8 yards. Kicker Sean Leonard is 9 of 9 on PATs and 3 of 8 on field goals with a long of 53 yards.

Akron Beacon Journal sports writer Michael Beaven can be reached at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Five things to know about Akron-Kent State football rivalry game