Central Michigan Chippewas vs. Akron Zips football: How to watch, listen, stream, and more

The BYE week is usually good for teams when it comes in the middle of the season so players can rest up and get ready for the final push. It comes at a great time for the Akron Zips (3-4, 1-2 MAC) with five games remaining in the regular season. Last time on the field, the Zips were blown out at Bowling Green by a 59-10 final. Quarterback Thomas Woodson is beginning to solidify himself as the dual threat quarterback that Akron needs. He's shown a lot of improvement from last year, but he is still learning how to be a leader for the offense.

The Central Michigan Chippewas (4-4, 3-1 MAC) have looked great during MAC play under first year head coach John Bonamego. The lone MAC loss for the Chips came to arch rival Western Michigan by a 41-39 final in Kalamazoo. There are a number of good quarterbacks in the MAC, and Central Michigan's Cooper Rush. Rush has 2,400 passing yards on the season as well as 12 touchdown passes during conference play. He's also thrown one pick in each MAC game, so there is certainly room for improvement.

Players to watch

Akron QB Thomas Woodson- Woodson struggled mightily at Bowling Green a couple of weeks ago, and it won't be much easier this week against one of the MAC's  best secondaries. He may be running the ball a bit more with linemen Quaison Osborne and Isaiah Williams back in the rotation.

Akron WR Jerome Lane- Lane makes this list for me quite often because he can really change the game for the Zips. He's beginning to develop a nice set of hands and uses his 6-foot-4, 230lb. frame to go up and get the ball. He'll probably be a primary target for Woodson in the red zone.

Central Michigan QB Cooper Rush- He's an obvious choice for a number of reasons. He's been deadly during MAC play and Akron has had some trouble stopping the pass. If Rush gets going early, it could be a long day for the Zip defense.

Central Michigan offensive line- It's not a single player, but its a really important group for this game. Akron's front seven can really stuff the run, and it will be hard for Central to win only by passing. They're near the bottom of the nation in rushing, and could have a hard time spreading out the defense if the run game struggles.

Quick game info

Game time, date: Saturday October 31 at 2:00 p.m. EST

Location: InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field (capacity 30,000) in Akron, Ohio

Streaming: The game will be streamed on ESPN3 with commentators Michael Reghi and Jerod Cherry.

Radio: The game can be heard in Akron on Fox Sports 1350 AM, which is available on iHeartRadio. A list of Chippewa Sports Network radio network affiliates is available here.

Odds: Central Michigan -3. More college football odds can be found here.