Zips football coach Joe Moorhead feels Akron's support after back-to-back 2-win seasons

Joe Moorhead realizes he has landed in an awkward spot in a bottom-line business.

Although Moorhead said he believes the University of Akron football team improved from his first season as Zips head coach to the second, the final record doesn't reflect a change.

With Akron falling 25-14 to Ohio University in UA's season finale Friday afternoon at InfoCision Stadium, the Zips finished 2-10, including 1-7 in the Mid-American Conference.

Those are the same overall and conference records they posted in 2022, Moorhead's first season at the helm of UA.

“We didn't improve from last year from a wins-and-losses standpoint,” Moorhead said. “I think we improved as a football team, but at the end of the day, we've got to find a way to win.”

Moorhead said he “absolutely” thinks he still has the support of UA's administration.

“They knew how difficult this job was going to be when we took it over and have even talked to our guys about Miami of Ohio, who's playing [Toledo] in the MAC Championship game [Dec. 2],” Moorhead said.

Moorhead pointed out coach Chuck Martin began his Miami tenure 2-10 and 3-9 in 2014 and 2015 before going 0-6 to start his third season.

Then Miami reversed its fortunes, albeit before the transfer portal increased player movement in recent years.

“That's why I think the challenge for us heading into year three is going to be equally as difficult because none of the teams in our conference are getting any worse and you lose half your roster and you're replacing them with guys who are going to come in for one or two years and the recruitment and the development makes it very challenging,” Moorhead said.

By the same token, UA ought to benefit from adding certain players — and no position needs solved more than quarterback.

“Usually, teams who win this league or have a ton of success have a difference maker at quarterback, or they've got an elite level defense or a little bit of both,” Moorhead said.

Dynamic dual-threat quarterback DJ Irons suffered a season-ending torn anterior cruciate ligament on Sept. 30 in a 13-10 overtime loss to Buffalo a week after he had nearly led the Zips to an upset over Indiana.

Traditional pocket passer Jeff Undercuffler Jr. guided UA to a thrilling 31-27 comeback win over rival Kent State on Nov. 1. The Zips proceeded to lose their final three games with him starting.

The collegiate careers of Irons and Undercuffler have ended, but redshirt sophomore quarterback Tahj Bullock also took snaps for UA in 2023 and is set to return next season. Undercuffler and Bullock shared playing time in the finale against Ohio (9-3, 6-2).

“You're always going to look for the answer if it becomes available certainly through the portal, but I think Tahj has got a lot of skills that you look for in a quarterback — size, arm strength, athletic ability,” Moorhead said. “He just really lacked a lot of practical experience.”

A transfer from Virginia Tech who had appeared in just one collegiate game prior to this season, Bullock went 33-of-66 passing for 271 yards and three touchdowns with three interceptions this year. He also rushed 62 times for 165 yards and four touchdowns.

In the finale, Bullock's 43-yard TD pass to senior running back Lorenzo Lingard and 5-yard rushing TD helped UA capture a 14-3 halftime lead before Ohio dominated the second half.

“Tahj, for next year, he's going to be like another DJ, but he might be better,” said UA junior wide receiver Alex Adams, a first-team All-MAC selection in 2022 who dealt with injuries throughout the 2023 season and missed five games, including the final three.

“[Bullock has] got the [ability to] run. He's got the throwing, too. Everybody just ain't seen that yet. But I ain't going to say too much. They've just got to come to the game and see.”

A Zips captain who's aiming for a shot in the NFL, Irons said Bullock has “a great, great future.”

Irons said he's also convinced the UA program is in good hands with Moorhead, though everyone involved must “buy in” to capitalize.

“There's definitely progress being made,” Irons said. “It's just I feel we have to learn how to finish together by playing complementary football. One time, it'd be the defense doing great and the offense wouldn't be, or special teams doing great and the offense and defense wouldn't be or vice versa. I feel like it's just that one little hump we've just got to get over, but once that happens, Akron, it'll be turned around.”

Before Irons' season ended with a torn ACL, he went 22-of-35 passing for 194 yards with two interceptions and rushed 18 times for 141 yards and two TDs on Sept. 23 in a 29-27 road loss in quadruple overtime to Indiana. UA's Dante Jackson missed a 32-yard field goal on the last play of regulation.

Not only did the Zips use three quarterbacks in 2023, but they also used three placekickers.

“You make the field goal against Indiana, and you've just beaten a Big Ten team on the road,” Moorhead said. “So I think, as we look back and reflect now that it's over, there's probably 10, 12 plays throughout the course of the season where they go in a different direction, and we're sitting here with a bunch more wins and a lot more at stake.”

The next time Akron plays will be Aug. 31 against Ohio State to open the 2024 season in Columbus.

Akron lost three overtime games this year. It also fell to Temple by three points in the Sept. 2 season opener before securing one of its two wins — a 24-21 victory over Morgan State on Sept. 9.

In 2022, Akron won its lone overtime game 30-23 to Saint Francis. It was Moorhead's debut as the head coach of the Zips, who had gone 0-12 (2019), 1-5 (2020) and 2-10 (2021) the previous three seasons.

“The point of talking about close games and being competitive and getting to a point where we can win a game in the fourth quarter has got to turn into us winning them,” Moorhead said.

In 2023, the Zips were outscored a combined 336-195. In 2022, they were outscored 402-261.

It's hard to believe, but in each of Moorhead's two seasons in charge, UA was outscored by exactly 141 points.

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As Moorhead seeks solutions, he said he will evaluate every part of the program, including his coaching staff.

Meanwhile, Zips players who plan to return next season are optimistic.

“Our culture has completely changed since Moorhead got here,” UA junior outside linebacker Corey Thomas Jr. said. “I believe that's the start of it.

“We're a really talented team, and I understand everybody may not see that at times. But we have the guys that are capable of making the plays. We've just got to believe in ourselves and then go do it a couple times.”

So far, the intangibles members of UA's program cite have translated to four wins in the Moorhead era.

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Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron football's Joe Moorhead sees progress after another 2-win season