Akron Zips fumble in the Sept. 12, 2026 football game against the Robert Morris Colonials.
A few months ago, Marty Whims II never would’ve thought he’d have the chance to be the offensive coordinator for his beloved Akron Zips.
After all, Whims had never coached FBS college football. In fact, he wasn’t a football coach at all. Instead, Whims won a creative raffle run by the Zips that gave one lucky season ticket holder the chance to call plays on the opening drive of Akron’s home opener against Robert Morris.
The drive started well for Whims, aided by head coach Joe Moorhead. His first three plays netted 21 yards and a first down. But that’s when things came unglued.
Akron’s fan OC drive ends in a fumble only 4 plays in 🥀
(Via @RMU_Football)pic.twitter.com/bolViDLHR2
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 12, 2026
After a false start penalty that put the Zips behind the sticks at third-and-6, Whims dialed up a nice pass from quarterback Cibastian Broughton to wideout Marcel Williams for a would-be first down.
There was just one major problem.
Williams fumbled the ball on the way to the ground, and the Colonials recovered.
Just like that, what could’ve been a storybook drive for Whims and Akron was over. Clearly, Whims should’ve talked to his unit about ball security before the game.
In all seriousness, it’s a shame to see a drive that was rolling right along end in that fashion. But perhaps the Zips might want to think about inviting Whims back for another try, given how well things were going before the miscue?