The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
South grad headed to the MAC title game
Offensive lineman Kyle Ritz wanted to become more of a leader this season. “People want winners, and we want to change people’s views of Akron football.” The Zips face Toledo at noon Dec. 2.
For most of the Mid-American Conference season, it appeared Toledo and Ohio were on a collision course to meet in the conference championship game.
Then, on Nov. 14, Akron hosted the Bobcats, and secured a 37-34 upset win. When the Zips followed that with a week later with a 24-14 win over crosstown rival Kent State, their spot in the MAC championship game was secured.
Oddsmakers don’t have faith in Akron, however. The Zips are 21-point underdogs to the Rockets, who lost at Toledo on Oct. 21, 48-21.
All of that talk is fine with Kyle Ritz, Akron’s most experienced offensive lineman.
The Willoughby South graduate started all 12 games last season as a redshirt sophomore, and was the only Zips offensive lineman to do so.
That was enough to win the Harry “Doc” Smith Award, which goes to the best Zips player in his class.
The 2016 season produced a 5-7 mark, and when Ritz became an upperclassmen he vowed to help make Akron a winner.
A few months later, he was named the Unsung Hero offensive player and Offensive Weight Room MVP following spring drills
“That meant a lot,” Ritz said. “I wanted to be more of a leader this season, and it was more about showing the younger guys hard work is the only way to get better and improve.”
The first step was a MAC East crown, but Ritz said there’s more to do, and the target is Dec. 2 in Detroit.
“When I committed, I came here not wanting to lose to Kent,” said Ritz, who’s grown into a 6-foot-5, 305-pound frame. “I also wanted to win a MAC title. To finish that, it would be huge. People want winners, and we want to change people’s views of Akron football.” The season started at 1-3 for the Zips with losses to Penn State, Iowa State and Troy, but they rallied to start 3-0 in the MAC until the loss to Toledo.
A 24-14 loss at Miami on Nov. 4 made the final two games at Ohio and Kent State must-win. Ritz and his teammates delivered. Now they get a chance at a rematch and redemption in Detroit.
“Sitting at 1-3, we pulled this team together,” Ritz said. “We saw we had the talent and ability to win some games. I believe it’s a new culture here.”
In the win over the Bobcats, the Zips put up 443 yards of total offense to show the offensive potential is there. They will likely need to tap into that production to hang with the Rockets, who are averaging 38.7 points and 505.7 yards.
Toledo quarterback Logan Woodside has thrown for 3,451 yards and 24 touchdowns. Running back Terry Swanson, who replaced the graduated Kareem Hunt this season, responded well with 1,139 yards and 12 TDs.
Meanwhile, the Zips don’t have the star power of the Rockets, and come in under the radar, which is fine with Ritz.
“We’re playing with a chip,” he said. “We were picked pretty low (the MAC East) in the preseason, but we didn’t believe that, and we want to keep defying the odds. We believe we’re a different team since the last time we played (Toledo).”