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FACTS & STATS: Site: InfoCision Stadium (30,000) -- Akron, Ohio. Television: ESPNU. Home Record: Indiana 2-0, Akron 1-0. Away Record: Indiana 0-0, Akron 0-1. Neutral Record: Indiana 0-0, Akron 0-0. Conference Record: Indiana 0-0, Akron 0-0. Series Record: Indiana leads, 1-0.

GAME NOTES: Opening 2-0 for the sixth straight season, the Indiana Hoosiers travel to Akron for Saturday's non-conference clash with the Zips at brand new InfoCision Stadium.

Indiana is facing its second straight Mid-American Conference opponent following last week's 23-19 win over visiting Western Michigan, improving to 33-6-1 all-time against teams from the MAC. The Hoosiers took care of FCS foe Eastern Kentucky in the opener, 19-13.

The Zips come into the contest with a 1-1 record following an impressive 41-0 rout of Morgan State in the InfoCision Stadium debut last Saturday. They were manhandled in their opener at Penn State, falling to the Nittany Lions in a 31-7 final. The shutout of Morgan State was Akron's first since 1992 and extended the Zips' scoreless quarter streak to six.

Indiana and Akron are meeting for just the second time, with the Hoosiers owning a 1-0 advantage following a 41-24 triumph over the Zips on September 15th, 2007.

Senior Demetrius McCray won Indiana's starting running back job out of camp and has proven why in the first two weeks of the season. McCray rushed for a career-high 134 yards in the win over Western Michigan last Saturday, breaking off a 59-yard touchdown run in the process. McCray leads the Hoosiers with 183 yards on 30 carries thus far. IU signal-caller Ben Chappell has completed 45- of-64 pass attempts for 511 yards and a score, while the receiving tandem of Tandon Doss and Demario Belcher have amassed 210 and 134 yards on 14 and 11 catches, respectively. The Hoosier offense is averaging 21.0 ppg, racking up 385.5 ypg to go with a 6-for-8 conversion rate when inside the red zone. Chappell finished 18-of-28 for 185 yards without a touchdown a week ago, but the IU run game, led by McCray, made a huge leap as the team rushed 33 times for 187 yards and a pair of scores.

It was a crucial play on the other side of the ball, however, that preserved a victory for the Hoosiers last weekend, as senior defensive end Greg Middleton forced a fumble at the Hoosier eight-yard line with just 1:20 remaining. The loose ball was collected by linebacker Justin Carrington and it marked the second straight week that IU forced a critical fumble inside the 10-yard line late in the game. The Hoosier defense as a whole has been particularly stingy to start the new campaign, limiting opponents to just 16.0 ppg. IU has been especially stout against the run, permitting a mere 61.0 rushing ypg for an average of 2.0 yards per carry. There is room for slight improvement in pass defense though, as Indiana has allowed 544 yards through the air in its first two games. The Hoosiers have, however, notched six sacks and have held the opposition to just one red-zone touchdown in six tries.

Senior quarterback Chris Jacquemain is back under center again this year to lead the Akron offense, which features nine returning starters from 2008. Jacquemain has thrown for 320 yards with four touchdowns and one interception thus far. His featured target, Deryn Bowser, was a Third Team All-MAC selection last year, and he leads the squad with 11 catches for 149 yards through the first two bouts. Bowser has also been responsible for all of Akron's scores through the air thus far, while senior Jeremy Bruce has seven catches for 72 yards. The Zips currently average 172 passing ypg, and have amassed another 139 ypg on the ground. Sophomore Dale Martin leads all Akron backs with 64 yards on just six carries, while Alex Allen checks in with 52 yards on 18 attempts and owns the club's lone rushing score. The offense was clicking on all cylinders in last Saturday's 41-0 win over Morgan State, as Jacquemain and Bowser hooked up for three times for a touchdown Allen hit paydirt on a one-yard plunge as part of a 17-point second quarter. The Zips amassed 250 yards on the ground, and Jacquemain went 13-of-22 for 162 yards. Bowser grabbed eight balls for 86 yards, and Dale Martin led the rushing attack with 64 yards on six totes.

As mentioned, the Akron defense has now held opponents scoreless in six straight quarters, beginning with the final two periods of the loss at Penn State and culminating with last Saturday's whitewashing of Morgan State. The 41-0 victory featured the squad's first interception returned for a touchdown since 2007, as linebacker Brian Wagner took a pick 32 yards early in the fourth quarter, accounting for the game's final score. Wagner earned MAC East Defensive Player of the Week honors for his effort, which also featured nine tackles and two forced fumbles. The Zips held MSU to a paltry 127 total yards on the day, which included just 41 on the ground and 86 through the air. Through two games this season, Wagner ranks 12th in the MAC and 61st in the nation with 18 tackles. As a team, the Zips rank first in the MAC in scoring defense (15.0 ppg) while sitting second in both rushing defense (88.5 ypg) and total defense (321.0 ypg).

All signs point to a low-scoring defensive battle, as neither squad has been allowed their opponents to light up the scoreboard so far. The Zips have the home field advantage, although if Indiana manages to force some more late turnovers, it could pull out the road win.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Akron 20, Indiana 17