Robert Morris10 @FINAL 45Akron , Week 2, Sep 12, 2026

In Week 1, Robert Morris allowed over 200 rushing yards and multiple long touchdown drives to an opponent that finished below .500 in FCS play. The defensive line was consistently pushed off the ball, and missed tackles in the second level turned short gains into explosive plays. Akron, despite its 0-1 start, features a power running game that will test the same front seven. If Robert Morris cannot shore up its run fits, Akron will control the clock and keep the ball away from any chance of an upset.

The Colonials managed only one touchdown through the air in their opener, with the quarterback completing under half of his attempts and throwing two interceptions. The offensive line gave up consistent pressure, forcing hurried throws. Akron's defense, while not elite, held its FBS opponent to a modest passing day in Week 1 and will bring more athleticism than Robert Morris saw last week. This mismatch suggests Robert Morris will need to rely on short, quick passes and screen plays to move the chains, a style that limits big-play potential.

Robert Morris's power rating sits far below Akron's, and the Colonials lost their only game against a lower-tier FCS opponent, while Akron competed respectably in a loss to a mid-tier FBS team. The prediction market gives Robert Morris a very small chance to win, and nothing in the season dossier suggests that is an overreaction. Robert Morris has no proven playmakers at the FBS level, and its travel to Akron is short but does not offset the fundamental talent deficit. The market's confidence in Akron is well-founded.

In the opener, Robert Morris forced two turnovers and returned a kickoff into opponent territory, but failed to convert those opportunities into points. Against Akron, a team that turned the ball over twice in its own loss, Robert Morris will need to win the turnover battle decisively and hope for a special teams touchdown or short-field drive. Even then, the offense's inability to sustain drives makes it unlikely that such breaks translate into a win, but they could keep the final margin respectable.

Reese Poffenbarger, the transfer expected to start, did not open the Wake Forest game; instead redshirt freshman Cibastian Broughton started and threw for 111 yards and ran for 82, while backup Brayden Roggow threw two late touchdowns. The offense managed only 305 total yards, much of it in garbage time. Against a Robert Morris defense that is far below Power Four level, Moorhead must decide whether to go back to Poffenbarger, stick with Broughton, or use both. The uncertainty in the quarterback room is a real variable for how smoothly the offense can operate in a game Akron is heavily favored to win.

The preseason scouting report flagged holes up front on both sides of the ball, and Wake Forest's defensive front exploited them, holding Akron to 305 total yards and forcing the offense to rely on late scores. Robert Morris is not Wake Forest, but the Zips' line is still breaking in new starters and will need to show real improvement to establish the run with Jordan Gant and protect whichever quarterback is under center. If the line cannot create push against a lower-tier opponent, it signals deeper problems for MAC play.

Wake Forest's Gio Lopez threw for 350 yards and three touchdowns by halftime, and the Demon Deacons totaled 559 yards, with big plays of 72, 78, and 34 yards. The Zips' secondary, billed as the defense's strength, was beaten deep repeatedly. Robert Morris will not have that caliber of playmaker, but the defensive line, with the Frazier twins and Cyrus Durham, generated little pressure, allowing Wake Forest's quarterback to sit in the pocket. If Akron cannot generate a pass rush against an FCS-level opponent, the secondary will remain exposed.

After a 348-mile road trip to Wake Forest, Akron returns home for its first game at InfoCision Stadium, with a full week plus an extra day to prepare. Robert Morris, an FCS program, is a significant step down in competition, and the Zips are heavy favorites. However, Akron has not posted a winning record under Moorhead and just lost by 22 to a Power Four team, so the psychological challenge is avoiding a letdown and playing with consistency against a lesser opponent. The rest and home field should help, but this is a game Akron must win convincingly to build any momentum.

The prediction market gives Akron a very high win probability, reflecting Robert Morris's status as an FCS program with a much lower power rating. That confidence is reasonable given the level of opponent, but Akron's performance against Wake Forest, particularly on offense and in the secondary, was not encouraging. The Zips are expected to win comfortably, and they should, but the margin of victory may be tighter than the market implies if the offensive line and quarterback issues persist. The market is not wrong on the direction, but the strength of its confidence may be slightly overdone.