Akron and Syracuse will meet for the first time in the programs’ history this Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at the Carrier Dome.

Here’s a quick introduction to the Orange’s Mid-American Conference opponents:

They have an experienced quarterback

Chris Jacquemain is the Zips starter for the second consecutive season. Jacquemain completed 22-for-36 over 227 yards against Wisconsin. Last season, Jacquemain led the team by throwing 154-for-275 over 1623 yards.

‘We’re really excited about him,’ said assistant head coach Bill Bleil. ‘Hopefully, his experience will pay off for us this season.’

Jacquemain beat out teammate Carlton Jackson last season for the starting position, but the two shared the spotlight throughout the season. Jacquemain ended the year with a 111.50 efficiency compared to Jackson’s 106.50.

Get ready for another no-huddle attack

Akron plays a no-huddle offense, trying to get in as many plays as possible. The plays will all be called from the sideline in the attempt to keep the opponent constantly moving.

‘Our team is very well conditioned,’ Bleil said. ‘We try to run down the other team by keeping the offensive moving.’

Expect to see the same type of offense that Northwestern featured against Syracuse last week. The Wildcats attack appeared to wear the Orange down in the second half, though the SU players and coaches maintain fatigue didn’t play any part as the game went on.

They have an inexperienced wide receiver corps

Deryn Bowser and Alphonso Owen led the Zips in receiving during the Wisconsin game. Bowser, a junior, missed all of training camp, but led the team with five catches and 76 receiving yards.

‘I was very impressed with the eight catches our wide receivers had between them,’ Bleil said. ‘They’re getting better and better and can be dangerous for us.’

Last season, Owen had 14 catches and 159 receiving yards. This is Bowser’s first seasons of eligibility with the Zips. He transferred from Los Angeles Harbor College, after playing two seasons with the Seahawks. Bowser has two seasons of eligibility with the Zips including this season.

A green tandem of safeties

Tyler Campbell, a sophomore walk-on, led the Zips against Wisconsin in defense, last weekend. Campbell had a career-high 18 tackles, eight of them were solo. As a freshman Campbell played in 12 games, but did not see enough time to record any stats.

‘I thought our defense was strong,’ Bleli said. ‘We had a strong secondary team, everyone came together pretty well for our first game.’

Campbell’s partner, strong safety Bryan Williams, was Akron’s leading rusher last year but was shifted to safety in the offseason.

mkgalant@syr.edu

Published on September 4, 2008 at 12:00 pm