[Blue & Gold]

AkronSportsNow.com

[zipseuph]

3. Do you feel that your style as a Quarterback will fit into the new offensive system that Terry Bowden will employ here at Akron?

Absolutely. I have won three state championships in the spread offenses. It is where I feel most comfortable.

[GP1]

Rags to Riches could be playing for the Zips next year.

I'm not ready to give up on this kid yet and it doesn't appear as if the coaching staff is either. There was no scramble to bring in a QB to challenge for the starting position. Who knows? Maybe they couldn't find one. We know two things about him for sure:

1. He was terrible in a pro offense.
2. He has done extremely well in the past in spread offenses.

TB is bringing in a spread offense.

At one time, he was a Hell of a good QB in high school and in junior college. Then, Coach I happened and sucked the life out of everything around him..including this kid. Our waterboys probably couldn't properly fill up a glass of water by the time Coach I was done.

The spread offense does not take a QB with a booming arm, which he doesn't have. It takes a QB who can move and find open guys in an offense that floods the field with lots of WRs, which he has shown some ability to do in the past. Even if he is in place for only one season, I believe he will be better next year. In fact, I think many of our players will be better next year.

[Dr Z]

Have you had the chance to meet your new head football coach Terry Bowden?
LR8 "I have not met with him..."

If I wanted to be the starting QB of the Akron Zips next year, I'm pretty sure
I would find coach Bowden and have his playbook the second day he was on campus.
I might sleep by the door of his office the first night.

[Big Zip]

Dr. Z I found that quite interesting as well. I think the interviewer missed a great follow-up question though that might have provided more information....have you met with any of the coaches? Have you met the QB coach or the offensive coordinator....have you been given a playbook.

[NY Football]

Tyrell Goodman- Taking classes at Akron as we speak, will take part in Spring ball & be a freshman in Sept. NY State Player of year in 2010.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFCHLyZZ4Qo

[InTheZone]

Dr. Z I found that quite interesting as well. I think the interviewer missed a great follow-up question though that might have provided more information....have you met with any of the coaches? Have you met the QB coach or the offensive coordinator....have you been given a playbook.

There is no playbook. That's part of bringing in a new coaching staff, an entirely new playbook must be put together and will be installed in pieces in the spring. The players will get the playbook in portions as it's installed, and won't have the complete playbook until the end of spring practice, with likely revisions over the summer and a final copy of the playbook in fall camp.

It is odd however that Clayton hasn't met with Bowden. I remember there was some tension when Brookhart was hired between him and Charlie Frye, as Charlie expected Brookhart to reach out to him and when that didn't happen, he strongly considered entering the NFL draft a year early. Clayton's position is obviously quite different than Charlie's however. Charlie was coming off one of the best statistical seasons in the nation, and was a projected 2nd-4th round draft pick if he came out. Clayton is coming off one of the worst statistical seasons in the nation, and has no assurances of even a top 2 spot on the depth chart. Maybe he should get his ass over to the office.

[InTheZone]

Tyrell Goodman- Taking classes at Akron as we speak, will take part in Spring ball & be a freshman in Sept. NY State Player of year in 2010.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFCHLyZZ4Qo

Goodman looks like a man amongst boys there. Good Lord is NY high school football bad, but Goodman looks like the real deal. We have a strong class of QB's coming in, I'm pretty confident we'll find at least one gem amongst them.

[johnnyzip84]

Goodman looks like a man amongst boys there. Good Lord is NY high school football bad, but Goodman looks like the real deal. We have a strong class of QB's coming in, I'm pretty confident we'll find at least one gem amongst them.

I had a most fortunate opportunity to speak with Coach Bowden recently and I specifically asked him about the QB situation. He said ideally he’d like to see one of the top 3 from last year’s depth chart (PN7, CM8, ZD11) claim this year’s starting spot (although he admitted ZD11 could very well end up on the other side of the ball). But I also got the clear indication that if none of them perform well enough, any of the newcomers will have a shot. He mentioned that he’s bringing in a player from Texas who knows how to run the system he’s installing at UA, and he could be a “safety net” if all else fails. The system, by the way (to which NZF has alluded), will look a lot like the offenses of WVU/Houston/Oklahoma St (all three schools have been visited by Coach and portions of his UA/UNA staff over recent years.

[Dr Z]

Won't the Zips be running the same offense as Northern Alabama did last season per Coach Bowden? Didn't they have a playbook?

[hiroad1]

Interesting insight from ITZ, and he should know given that he played.

I would imagine that any of the guys (QB or otherwise) who hope to play this season are very eager to interact with the coaches, and to learn where they stand for 2012. It seems certain that Clayton and everyone else are probably very anxious not knowing how the new staff regards them.

Frankly, that is probably exactly what the new coaching staff wants. They want the players to be nervous enough that they have no choice but to feel like they have to work as if they are walk-on freshmen.

I have no experience inside a D1 football program, but this is a pretty common management practice in the business world when new executive management comes in. By keeping people nervous it helps the new management to establish authority, it gives them time to make assessments of the existing environment, and it makes subordinates so nervous that they really focus and perform to their max ability to be sure they get to keep their jobs.

I don't take Clayton not having met one-on-one with TB as problem with Clayton. If TB was ready to meet him, they would have already met. Clayton's probably a lot more nervous than he let on in the interview, and he and the rest of the players are probably extremely anxious for some feedback. They'll get it soon, but until then they can only earn attention by busting their tails in everything they do.

It's going to be interesting to watch how an experienced coach like TB molds the program.

[Captain Kangaroo]

I think 20 questions with Clayton Moore was slightly more than 19 too many.

[zippy_ua_00]

Im just happy that we are getting some insight from the head coach instead of just the ppl on zno. Its refreshing and gives me even more confidence in this program and the direction coach bowden is going. Bobby raised him right

[GP1]

Frankly, that is probably exactly what the new coaching staff wants. They want the players to be nervous enough that they have no choice but to feel like they have to work as if they are walk-on freshmen.

I would agree. Not to mention, it was balls out recruiting during this period and to spend time with current players was not a good use of time short staffed during recruiting season. The players get to see the coaches soon enough.

[GP1]

I would find coach Bowden and have his playbook the second day he was on campus.

A coach isn't going to give a full playbook to a kid he isn't even sure he wants on the team or not next year.