2026 MAC Football Week 2 Game Preview: Akron Zips vs. Robert Morris Colonials

After much social media ballyhoo, the Akron Zips (0-1) are finally set to take on the Robert Morris Colonials (2-0, 1-0 NEC) for a Week 2 contest which will get a lot more outside intrigue than typical FBS/FCS "buy games."

All eyes will be on the first Akron offensive series of the game, which will be orchestrated by Marty Whims II, a long-time season-ticket holder and alum who won a contest to call plays. Under guidance of head coach Joe Moorhead, Whims will script a series of plays with the aim of aiding the Zips effort.

After that, it's game on as normal, with the Zips aiming to get back on the right side of the win column, while RMU tries to spoil the party in order to prove themselves to their FCS peers.

Game Notes

• Date and Time: Saturday, Sept. 13th, 2026 at 3:30 p.m. Eastern time
• Location: Summa Field at InfoCision Stadium in Akron, Ohio
• Television Network: The game will be aired exclusively on ESPN+. A valid subscription is required for viewing.
• Akron Radio: Dave Skoczen (play-by-play) and Joe Dunn (color) will provide the Akron call for WHLO-AM 640.
• Gambling Considerations: Akron is a -29.5 point home favorite, with an over/under set between 42.5 and 44.5 by various books, per Covers.
• All-Time Series: This will be the first matchup between these two teams.

Robert Morris outlook

The Colonials come into the game with national eyes on them after picking up votes in the FCS Top 25 poll.

The Colonials started the season in Week 0 with a conference win over Wagner by a final score of 28-7, then repeated the feat against D-II West Virginia State, taking them down 29-9.

It's the program's first 2-0 start since 2004, and a win over Akron would not only help their Top 25 case but also match their number of wins for the entire 2025 slate. It's safe to say RMU has seen the discussion around their game with Akron, and could be looking to cause a ruckus.

The Colonials have been convincing in both their victories, sitting atop the NEC in offensive yards per game (356.0), scoring offense (28.5), yards allowed per game (203.5) and scoring defense (8.0).

Key to their attack has been the emergence of QB Carson Haggard. The Abilene Christian transfer has 430 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions to date on 56 percent completion rate. He's established great rapport with Charleston transfer Galen Combs, who has scored two touchdowns in each game on top of hauling in 188 yards and averaged an incredible 31 yards per reception. Jacqi Carter is also one to watch for, averaging 45 yards so far. Swiss national Noah Schaerli made his first catches as a Colonial last week, with four hauls for 58 yards.

Keino Fitzpatrick, Breyon Williams and J'Kharri Thomas split the rushing duties and average 127 yards per contest.

Defensively, RMU has positively stifled opponents, allowing 90 rushing yards and 111 passing yards on average. Four defenders are at 10+ tackles on the season, with Chattanooga transfer linebacker Amanuel Dickson (15 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, 2 PBUs) atop the charts. Fellow transfer 'backer Khalil Hunter (Florida A&M) has found success as a backfield penetrator, leading the Colonials in TFLs (3.5) and sacks (2). Ronnie Woods (3 PBUs) and Mehki Blackburn (2 PBUs) are the primary cover corners.

Akron Outlook

The Zips got a stomach punch to their future outlook when projected starting quarterback Reese Poffenbarger was held back by the NCAA due to questions surrounding his eligibility.

His absence didn't likely mean a lot towards their chances against Wake Forest, but some veteran leadership could have steadied an offense which struggled to gain ground. QB Cibastian Broughton led the team with 82 rushing yards in his debut as a Zip, but only had 111 pass yards. Jordan Gant, who had over 1,000 scrimmage yards in 2025, was held to 25 yards. Broughton could see competition this week for the starting job on Brayden Roggow, who had two touchdowns and 45 yards in garbage time.

The defense, which is piecing itself back together after a good majority of starters transferred out, was absolutely shredded to the tune of 559 yards and four touchdowns against Wake Forest– including two receptions of 70+ yards.

Going against Robert Morris, then, is a great opportunity for the Zips to establish some fundamentals and find what works for them in the long run.

There's a lot of talent on the Zips to take advantage of; they have one of the MAC's best receiving duos in Kyan Mason and '25 second-team all-MAC receiver Marcel Williams, who both topped Akron's receiving charts in 2025.

They also have an experienced defensive backfield, with Aamii Branch, Alex Branch and Mehki Flowers, all of whom have been steady tacklers. Kennesaw State transfer linebacker Donelius Jackson got off to a quick start in his first game as a Zip, leading the team with 11 tackles.

Game Outlook 

Given the games both these teams have played so far this season, it's hard to say we know the true nature of both sides.

RMU impressed a lot of onlookers with a dominant win over a Wagner team which is expected to compete for the NEC title in Week 0, shedding a three-game losing streak from last season in the process. A game against a Division II foe the next week does not help in the projection of how they could do against Akron, but at the least, proved the first game wasn't a fluke.

Akron, meanwhile, got an entire preseason of prep tossed into a blender and suffered for it against a much more resourced program in Wake Forest. It's hard to really take meaningful lessons from a performance like that.

We saw a handful of FCS/FBS games last week where a team projected to win by three-plus possessions found themselves in trouble late, and this game could prove to be one of them if this RMU team continues to maintain their current form and not fall into their bad habits from 2025.

Ultimately, NEC teams have historically struggled against MAC teams– but in turn, Akron has generally underperformed against FCS teams. A week of practices should be enough to for the Zips to get their feet back under them, but the consequences for a loss here would be steep.

Even with the gimmicky promo set to be seen in the first quarter, the Zips absolutely cannot afford to take this game lightly. A loss here would jeopardize the coaching staff's job security and put the program back into joke territory after doing an impressive job crawling into respectability despite program sanctions in the 2025 campaign.

Akron should win out in the end, but whether it's by the spread is a risk.