Better Know a College Football Blogger: Akron vs. Ball State

(Welcome to this week's installment of Better Know A College Football Blogger. This week's guest is Mike Rasor, who is all things Akron sports. He blogs about the Zips on "Rasor on the Zips" and the budding lawyer took some time to answer a few questions in our little niche in the blogosphere.)

THE SIXTH BALL BROTHER: The one person who scares me is quarterback Chris Jacquemain. What makes him such a threat, and is there anyone else who should concern Ball State as well?

RASOR ON THE ZIPS: Chris Jacquemain shouldn't be scaring anyone until he puts together a few good games in a row. Most Zips fans still know him as the guy who was a focal part of the team's greatest weakness in 2007: the passing game. Can he be a good MAC quarterback? Absolutely. Is he the "scary" part of Akron's offense now? No.

TSBB: Alright, maybe I was wrong about Jacquemain. He lit me up in NCAA Football 09 so maybe my opinion came from there. Who should the Ball State defense be most concerned about?

ROTZ: Haha. NCAA Football's rankings are a little out of whack. I would be concerned about the running game. It should definitely be an entertaining offensive shootout.

TSBB: The Zips are coming off a huge BCS win over Syracuse. Ball State has never beaten a BCS opponent. Tell us what it's like.

ROTZ: Great question. The best part, for me, is watching the reaction from the opposition. N.C. State's coach berated Akron's recruiting tactics in 2006. Beating Syracuse was like delivering a death blow to a suffering animal on the side of the road. Fun, but not quite an upset. With Nate Davis, you guys will feel the exhilaration against Indiana next week.

TSBB: I remember the Chuck Amato outburst. Wasn't he saying something like you guys can take anyone and they cannot? That's not right but I can't remember. I just remember his point being completely ridiculous. No question there, I guess. Just a comment.

ROTZ: MAC teams are allowed to take non-qualifiers (guys who couldn't play NCAA football after their senior year of high school). ACC schools are not. It's a lame excuse, because with taking these risky players comes pitfalls as well as benefits. Amato was on his way out, and didn't feel like being classy as he left.

TSBB: How good is Akron's running game? You mentioned on your blog that there is a lot of talent at the running back position. Who's your pick for a breakout game?

ROTZ: Akron is super-deep at running back. You have an Ohio State transfer (Dennis Kennedy), a University of Miami transfer (Andrew Johnson), and a guy who just scampered for more than 100 yards last week (Alex Allen). The Zips are almost guaranteed to have one guy who's hot each week. I think Johnson is due for a big game.

TSBB: The Cardinals are seven-point favorites as they march into the Rubber Bowl. Fair or unfair?

ROTZ: Quite fair. Ball State looked fantastic against Navy. Davis is a big-league passer, and the Zips' secondary is questionable. I think Akron will cover, but the spread is certainly a fair representation of the teams' accomplishments so far.

TSBB: What kind of environment can Ball State expect on Saturday?

ROTZ: The Rubber Bowl is entering its final year of existence. The atmosphere is probably similar to most MAC stadiums. The fans are friendly and respectful (as long as you aren't from Kent State). Ball State fans should definitely tailgate and feel free to visit some Zips tailgates, too.

TSBB: After our big, nationally televised victory over Navy and with Indiana looming the following week, this Akron game has "letdown" written all over it. I'm not concerned about that (Kellen Lewis' running concerns me more), but what will Akron have to do to pull off this "upset?"

ROTZ: The Zips' offense does not concern me. It's the defense that could give up 500 passing yards or 300 rushing yards on any day. Akron needs to get a couple turnovers and hope to lock down in the red zone. Giving up three points instead of seven will win the game for either team.

(You can read my answers to his questions here.)