Never mind Eastern Michigan just yet.

The question that will occupy the minds of University of Akron football fans for much of the week is whether quarterback Kato Nelson will play against the Eagles.

Nelson went down after completing a 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Kwadarrius Smith with 4:19 left in the third quarter and the Zips looking to seize momentum in their loss to Northern Illinois. He was in the midst of having his best game as a starter.

At that point, he’d completed 18-of-26 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns. On the touchdown, it appeared that a teammate rolled up on his leg, resulting in an injury. Backup Alex Ramart finished the game.

"He’s day-to-day. Thank goodness all the MRIs and stuff were negative,” UA coach Terry Bowden said in his Tuesday news conference. “He’s moving around better [Tuesday], we just have to play it by ear and see where he is so we are not ruling him out. He’s a tough kid, but he’s making much improvement.”

As for how he’s handling the situation psychologically, Bowden said Nelson is relying on that toughness.

“If he can [play], he will, so I don’t know if there’s any time to sit there and think about something like that,” he said. “That would come later if that were to be the decision later on. He’s worked through it, so I don’t think it has an effect right now.”

Ramart, 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, will be ready for the opportunity he’s given if it arrives, Bowden said.

“He’s getting some reps this week as we still try to rehabilitate Kato and get him ready to go,” he said. “[Alex] is getting a lot of work. You’ll do some things with him that you might not do with Kato. He’ll be ready to step in if he’s called upon.”

Makeup time

There are pragmatic reasons for why the Zips elected to schedule a makeup game to replace the game against Nebraska lost to cancellation, Bowden said. UA will play South Carolina on Dec. 1 at noon at William-Brice Stadium.

“There were just not that many opportunities left,” Bowden said. “Then, two, I think the opportunity to play a game like the Nebraska game that the players really looked forward to playing — with a big venue and the opportunity to play a Power 5 squad.”

He said the move was a logical one given that both teams are looking to be bowl eligible at the end of the season. UA players responded favorably.

“Both of us want a 12th game and both of us may need a 12th game, so they were excited to hear the news and they will be excited to go down to South Carolina to play,” Bowden said.

The Zips lost more than $1 million when the Nebraska game was canceled, a payday that’s still the subject of negotiation. For the South Carolina game, they’re guaranteed a $1.3 million payday, according to university officials.

“I think along with the fact that it’s a high visibility game, the choices became less and less toward the end,” Bowden said. “I’m sure the guarantee didn’t hurt either. You know that has to be a factor always in the Mid-American Conference.”

As he does almost everywhere in college football, Bowden has a professional tie to South Carolina. The team’s coach, Will Muschamp, once worked for Bowden as a graduate assistant while at Auburn.

George M. Thomas can be reached at gmthomas@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ByGeorgeThomas.