The Akron Zips are a sick football team.

The school’s weak 3-6 record and ailing defense, which is giving up an average of 389.1 yards per game, seems to have affected the players.

Truth is, many of the Zips might be feeling out of sorts for Saturday’s 1:05 p.m. game at Huskie Stadium due to an attack of a common virus.

“We got hit pretty hard by the flu,” Akron coach Gerry Faust said. “We didn’t practice much last week.”

That is good news for NIU coach Jerry Pettibone, whose team is 4-4-1. Pettibone had feared Akron’s extra week of preparation—the Zips last game was a 23-17 win over Nicholls State Oct. 31—might allow Faust’s defense ample time to ready itself for the Huskie wishbone offense. Faust said his team has not played against a wishbone offense in his two years at Akron.

“It’s good that they haven’t seen one (wishbone), but they’ve had two weeks,” Pettibone said. “They’re likely to try something we haven’t seen.”

NIU offensive coordinator Pat Ruel recalled a similar situation earlier this year when the Huskies faced a rested opponent.

“Southwest Missouri State had time to practice against the wishbone,” Ruel said, “and they gave us trouble.” The Huskies gained just 226 net yards of total offense that day in a closely fought 27-21 win.

Despite the concern of playing a team with an extra week to prepare, Ruel said his offense will be ready.

“Our offense is at the point where if we play with intensity we can move the ball on anybody,” he said.

The Huskies rank eighth in the NCAA in team rushing (284.9 yards per game) and 27th in team scoring (27.7 points per game).

The Akron offense is led by 5-foot-11 sophomore quarterback Andy Kubik, who has completed just over 40 pecent of his passes this season.

“Throwing the ball, we’re just an average team,” Faust said. “We’ve had some big plays, but we haven’t been consistent. We’re not a ball-control team.”

The brunt of the Akron offensive load is carried by sophomore running backs Derek Alston (629 yards rushing, 1 TD) and John Motton (427 yards rushing, 2 TDs). Alston is also the Zips’ second-leading receiver (19 catches, 2 TDs).

In contrast to Akron’s young team, the focus of Saturday’s game will be on the NIU upperclassmen as it is Senior Recognition Day. Making their final appearances on the Huskie Stadium turf will be 16 Huskie seniors.

“Senior Recognition Day means a lot to us as a program,” Pettibone said. “I’d like to ask the student body to show the seniors the support they deserve.”

Among the NIU seniors is All-America candidate Ted Karamanos, whose injured right shoulder has left some question as to whether he will play in the Akron game. Pettibone said his star offensive guard is a “long-shot” to play on Saturday, while Karamanos said he would be ready for the Zips.

“I’ve been getting stimulus treatment on it all week,” Karamanos said of his slightly separated shoulder. “It feels good.”

ealthy or not, Karamanos was confident of Saturday’s outcome.

“We’re going to knock them into submission,” he said in reference to the Huskies’ game plan for the Zips.

Pettibone was more reluctant to make a forecast.

“No predictions,” he said with a grin.

Other ailing Huskies include split end Mark Clancy with a leg strain (questionable) and cornerback Rufus Taylor with a bad knee (doubtful). Taylor is second on the team with four interceptions.