MIAMI (1-4, 1-1 MAC EAST DIVISION) AT AKRON (2-1, 0-0 MAC EAST).

■ When: Today, 3:30 p.m., 980, 1450

■ Where: InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field (30,000), Akron

■ Coaches: Miami Chuck Martin, fifth season, 17-37 at Miami, 91-44 overall; Akron Terry Bowden, seventh season, 33-45 at Akron, 173-107-3 overall.

■ Last time: Running back Kenny Young gained 109 yards on the ground and 89 through the air with a touchdown to lead Miami to a 24-14 win over the Zips at Yager Stadium in Oxford. The RedHawks defense piled up six sacks and limited Akron to 273 yards of total offense.

■ Series notes: Miami leads the series 17-9-1, including 6-6 at Akron. Last season’s win snapped the RedHawks’ four-game losing streak in the series.

■ Stat pack: Miami RB Alonzo Smith 52 carries, 240 yards, 546 avg., 1 TD; QB Gus Ragland 90-of-154 passing, 1,017 yards, 8 TDs, 2 int.; WR Jack Sorenson 22 catches, 360 yards, 2 TDs; S De’Andre Montgomery 44 tackles, 23 solo. … Akron RB Van Edwards 43 carries, 185 yards, 4.3 average, 2 TDs; QB Kato Nelson 45-of-82 passing, 662 yards, 6 TDs, 2 ints; WR Jonah Morris 10 catches, 182 yards, 1 TD; LB John Lako 28 tackles, 16 solo.

■ Local flavor: FR. LB Jake Bracher, Mason; Sr. PK/P Nick Gasser, Lakota East;

■ Worth noting: Despite being the defending MAC East champion, Akron was picked to finish fourth behind thirdplace Miami in the preseason MAC media poll . ... The Zips will celebrate homecoming today. They romped to a 35-13 win over Miami on homecoming in 2016, the RedHawks’ most recent visit to Akron . ... Akron’s opener at Nebraska on Sept. 1 was canceled after a lengthy delay caused by a storm . ... The Zips had last Saturday off and are playing their conference opener . ... They rank 11th in the nation in rushing defense and 33rdin total defense . ... Among their wins is a 39-34 victory at Northwestern of the Big Ten on Sept. 15. They returned two interceptions for touchdowns and recovered a Wildcats’ fumble in the end zone for a third defensive score.

... Gasser was the MAC East Special Teams Player of the Week after tying his career best with a 45-yard field and then setting a new best with a 49-yard boot in Akron’s 26-13 loss at Iowa State on Sept. 22.

■ Quotable: Bowden, at his weekly media session, on his team finally starting MAC play: “It’s different. It feels different. When you go into games against Power Five conferences, you can say what you want to, but there’s less stress there, because you go in and people think you can’t win. You’re a little bit more relaxed.”