catdaddyp

I agree the program is in trouble without any NIL resources. If nothing changes, we’re basically going to turn into a developmental team for programs that do have them. We were tied for the most MAC players lost to Power programs this past offseason, and on top of that we lost highly productive guys like Norton, T. Williams, and G. Smith to other G5 schools. The staff has done an excellent job identifying talent, bringing those kids in, and developing a large portion of them, but the reality is we won’t be able to keep them for long with the way the current landscape is moving. On top of that, I don’t think our win total has matched the talent level we’ve built over the last few years. I was staunchly against the idea of moving to FCS. While that might solve a monetary deficit — and I can’t really speak to the numbers there — it’s certainly not guaranteed to field a more competitive product. Outside of Nebraska and Toledo, this team has been competitive, they just haven’t won, and that should rightfully sit uneasy with fans and stakeholders. My biggest issue with this year’s team has been quarterback play. Our starter hasn’t played up to his potential, and we don’t have a backup capable of keeping us in a game. How that’s the case in year four is beyond me. The defense had a terrible day as well, which just made things look that much worse. Back to the FCS conversation — I believe a split is coming with the haves and have-nots anyway, so we’ll end up being forced into a different division organically. Who knows what that will look like, but the SEC and Big Ten are in the driver’s seat while the NCAA loses more control by the day. I certainly don’t mean to turn this thread into one we basically already have going elsewhere, since none of us truly know what’s going to happen in the coming years and can only guess. That said, I thought I’d chime in because it does relate to our results this season and where the program is headed if nothing changes. Even so, I still believe we have enough talent to hang with every team left on our schedule, and I’m not giving this staff a free pass. We need to see better performances and results.

There’s not a whole lot to be said about this one. As we’ve discussed before, this year’s offense goes as Finley goes. No Finley means no offense. Add in Patrick being out and our chances of competing dropped even more. I’m not sure why Finley didn’t play, but Johnson seemed like he was running a limited package in the first half. Toledo caught on quickly to what we were trying to do, and Johnson’s accuracy issues showed up again. Roggow throws it much better than Johnson, but he seems a ways off in terms of reading college defenses. The defense doesn’t get a pass either. There were way too many busts and missed tackles, even from guys who’ve been steady all year. Just one of those bad days at the office. We needed to be at our best to have a shot today, and that didn’t come close to happening. Now it’s about turning the page and gearing up for a physical — and potentially winnable — matchup with CMU next week. QB: Johnson Roggow HB: Gant M. Williams Macon Reed WR: Walker Mason WR: Polk Grear WR: Mar. Williams Monteiron TE: Newell Cravaack LT: D. Johnson Morley-Simmons LG: McManus Archer C Lyons Morris RG: K. Davis Archer RT: A. Jones King DE: Durham J. Frazier Brown DE: Dall D. Frazier DT: Hull Murphy Musika DT: Laventure Mixon Madden LB: Cooper Spriggs Benenge LB: Boswell Hocker NB: AL. Branch AA. Branch CB: DeWalt Kamara CB: Reed T. Thomas S: Flowers Hunter S: DI. Johnson Stepney Wondolowski Top Offense (20 snap minimum): RT - King OG - Archer RB - Gant WR - Polk WR - Monteiro Top Defense (20 snap minimum): DT - Hull LB - Spriggs S - Flowers DT - Laventure CB - T. Thomas

Game Day Notes: TOLEDO: Quarterback Tucker Gleason has been steady or better in every outing this year except for the WMU game, where he just wasn’t very good. As you’d expect, plenty of Rocket fans were calling for their backup, “JAR,” to ride in and save the day, but that moment never came. Kentucky transfer Chip Trayanum has been a force in the backfield, piling up 401 yards and 5 touchdowns already. Toledo probably boasts the most talented wide receiver group in the MAC, but the offense has leaned heavily on the ground game—even with a difference-maker like Junior Vandeross split out wide. A big piece of that is the offensive line, which has had its fair share of struggles protecting the passer. The Rockets currently sport the best defense in the conference and have only given up 14.8 points per game. Linebacker K’Von Sherman (former JUCO) leads the Rockets in tackles with 30 total. I thought Sherman was the best linebacker recruit in the 2024 MAC class when it came to Rivals’ HS/JUCO classification. At this point, everyone knows who’s been playing well and who hasn’t for Akron, so I won’t harp on that going into this matchup. What I’ll be watching for is pretty straightforward: Can we move the ball with any kind of efficiency against what looks like the best defense we’ll face outside of Nebraska? Can we slow down the run, force the Rockets to throw, and generate pressure against a line that’s been shaky in pass protection? And lastly, field position feels like it’s going to be huge—where drives start could end up being the difference in whether we have a shot at pulling this one off.

Bump

QB: Most of the criticism I have from yesterday’s game could be viewed as nitpicking, but there are still a few concerns. Finley played fine overall, but he wasn’t as consistently accurate as I expected given that he faced no real pressure and a secondary that’s struggled this year. Maybe he’s still working on timing with some of the receivers, but we’re four games in now and they’ve had all summer and fall camp to get on the same page. The interception he threw was eerily similar to one earlier in the season where he also failed to recognize a linebacker sitting underneath. Johnson was used in nearly every short-yardage situation and, from what I recall, converted at a 100% rate. He also got several series as the true backup quarterback. His throwing motion is noticeably different than Bullock’s, but his accuracy looks to be about the same. That said, the playbook seemed a bit restricted during his time on the field. Roggow got a series with the starting offensive line and did some nice things for a redshirt freshman. I was hoping we’d see Broughton as well, but he didn’t get any snaps. RB: Gant looks fully healthy now and more like the player he was at Tennessee State. He’s a patient runner who gets downhill in a hurry once he picks his spot, and we’ve seen it two weeks in a row now. Against UAB it showed, and this week he finished with 161 yards and 3 touchdowns, with 69 of those yards coming after contact. He averaged an eye-popping 12.4 yards per carry. Patrick had a few moments where it felt like he was close to breaking a big one, but similar to last week, he was kept from many explosive plays. Even so, he still averaged 4.7 yards per carry and added two catches for 34 yards. M. Williams got a few carries in mop-up duty, as did some walk-ons. I also noticed Colgate transfer Chris Gee was still not dressed out. Not sure what his status is for the year, but if he can get healthy, he could provide a nice power element to the backfield. WR: The receivers created separation all game, but the frustrating part is they still had three drops. I still believe this is the most talented group of receivers since Moorhead’s arrival, and hopefully they start living up to that assessment soon. Through four games the corps has already been credited with 14 drops. The drops were manageable against a team like Duquesne, but won’t cut it once conference play begins. Adams saw the field in a backup role but didn’t have a ball come his way. TE: Newell and Cravaack mostly had their way up front against the Dukes. Duquesne clearly made it a priority to take the tight ends out of the passing game, with Cravaack getting the only reception of the night. OL: The offensive line dominated what was supposed to be a strong FCS defensive front. They opened up plenty of room for the run game and didn’t allow a single sack. In fact, they surrendered only five pressures all night, even with the backups in. That hasn’t always been the case against FCS opponents during Moorhead’s tenure. DL: The defense completely dominated outside of two busted runs that went for 74 and 34 yards. Dall was nearly unblockable, piling up a sack, six hurries, and another pass defensed. At some point, opposing offenses are going to realize Dall and Laventure are the only two linemen consistently winning their one-on-ones in the passing game and start adjusting their protection to deal with it. LB: Cooper and Boswell got the start, while Summers wasn’t dressed—I’m not sure if that was injury-related or a disciplinary matter. I thought Cooper, Boswell, and Spriggs formed a solid trio. Hocker and Benenge got some run late in the game. DB: Cornerback play was excellent, but safety play left something to be desired. I’m pretty sure it was Hunter who flat out missed two tackles in the open field. He’ll bounce back, but it’s worth noting he had some struggles against UAB too. What really stood out, though, was how physical our secondary was against Duquesne’s receivers. Reed, DeWalt, and Kamara definitely looked the part. ST: Special teams were excellent in every phase. Not much else to say here. Final Thoughts: Akron actually looked the part of an FBS team against an FCS opponent, with just about everything clicking on offense and the defense having its way. That hasn’t always been the case, so it was good to see the Zips handle a game I thought would be a little more competitive. Both lines of scrimmage were controlled, and this should serve as a confidence boost heading into conference play. QB: Finley Johnson Roggow Brookhart HB: Patrick Gant M. Williams Reed Macon WR: Walker Mason Louis WR: M. Williams Grear Monteiron Witherspoon Hazuda WR: Polk Adams Hills TE: Newell Cravaack Whisner LT: Motley-Simmons D. Johnson Mann LG: Archer McManus Fox George C Lyons Morris Mobley RG: K. Davis Archer RT: A. Jones King Ndaiga DE: Dall J. Frazier DE: Durham D. Frazier Murphy DT: Hull Murphy Musika DT: Laventure Mixon LB: Cooper Spriggs LB: Boswell Benenge Hocker NB: Al. Branch AA. Branch Wondolowski CB: Reed Kamara K. Johnson CB: DeWalt T. Thomas S: Hunter Somerville Stepney S: Di. Johnson Flowers T. Davis Top Rated Offense (20 snap minimum) HB - Gant RT - A. Jones LT - Morley-Simmons WR - Walker LT - D. Johnson Top Rated Defense (20 snap minimum) CB - DeWalt CB - Kamara LB - Cooper DE - Dall CB - T. Thomas

GAME DAY NOTES: Duquesne Offense: Tyler Riddell is the starting quarterback after previous stops at East Tennessee State and Gardner-Webb. He’s thrown for 604 yards with eight touchdowns against just one interception. The run game has been more of an afterthought, as the top two backs have combined for only 42 carries through three games. Barring injury, Joey Isabella looks like a lock for another all-conference season, already putting up 319 yards and three touchdowns on 22 receptions. No other receiver has more than seven catches. Up front, the offensive line has surrendered six sacks, though four of those came in one game against Pittsburgh. Left tackle Brian Beidatsch has stood out. Defense: Jack Dunkley has been a force off the edge, while Maine transfer linebacker Jabari Odoemenem has been one of the Dukes’ best players, leading the team with 20 tackles. The secondary hasn’t lived up to expectations so far, struggling at times both in coverage and in tackling. ST: Duquesne has rotated three different punters with mixed results. Kicker Matt Marcinko is 1-for-1 on field goals, with a long of 35 yards. Akron Notes: Through three games, right guard K. Davis and right tackle King have graded out as the top performers on offense, while linebacker Cooper holds the highest mark on defense. Cooper also leads the team in tackles. Defensive end Dall and defensive tackle Laventure have been credited with six pressures a piece. No one else has more than three. Dall also has three passes defended which is as much as anyone in the secondary. On Zips Weekly, Moorhead attributed the missed field goals to protection issues. My view on this game hasn’t really shifted since the preseason. Duquesne isn’t the same team they were a year ago, but we’ll still need to play well to win.

Bump.

QB: Finley had his best game of the season, though that might not be saying a whole lot after the first two. He avoided turnovers and made a handful of really nice throws. There were a few sacks I thought he could’ve steered clear of, but beyond that, if he can consistently play at this level, the offense has a chance to keep moving forward. I’m still scratching my head over why Johnson didn’t get any looks in short-yardage situations. RB: I kept waiting for Patrick to bust a big one, but it just never came. Still, he and Gant ran hard, combining for 148 yards on 20 carries. I’ll take that any day of the week. WR: Similar to Finley, this was the wide receiver corps’ best outing too. Even with three drops, they got open, put in effort blocking, and for the most part, hauled in the catches. TE: Newell didn’t do much with his two catches, but he was solid as a blocker, especially in pass protection. Cravaack saw less than 10 snaps. OL: I thought Lyons and K. Davis played well. There were a few times we were close to breaking a big run, but things like letting a combo block go too early and both guys releasing to the second level ended up giving the defender a free shot at the back. I can’t help but wonder if all the subbing we’re doing is causing some of those mistakes. The OL definitely could’ve been better at times, but overall they opened some holes and gave Finley a pocket to work with. DL: The defense as a whole did a really nice job against the run. That said, our four-man pass rush was anemic…again. We had a hard time getting pressure in the first half, though things looked a little better after the break. Both of our sacks came on five-man pressures if I’m not mistaken. I’m not sure what’s going on with Cheatom, he hasn’t played lately, and we’re getting next to nothing from the backup DEs. LB: I thought Cooper, Spriggs, and Boswell all played well. The more I watch Boswell, the more I like him—kid’s going to be a player and just has a knack for making things happen. DB: All things considered, I thought Reed and DeWalt held their own. Our safeties, on the other hand, got absolutely roasted when they were stuck in man during the first half. The good news is we probably won’t see a better passing attack the rest of the way. UAB may not be a great team overall, but they’ve got some legitimate threats at receiver. ST: The kickoff return for a touchdown and the penalty that set up another score were absolute back breakers and, in my opinion, the difference in the game. Punting and placekicking were solid otherwise, with the only miss coming on a long field goal attempt. Coaching: That was the most animated I’ve seen Moorhead since he’s been at Akron. I think he knew this was a game we had every chance to win, and maybe he’s feeling a little pressure too. I did like the commitment to the run game, and the offense putting up 441 yards without a turnover is nothing to scoff at. Sure, it came against a bad defense, but the offense still played well. I’m not sure what adjustments were made defensively at halftime since I couldn’t see much of what was happening in the backend, but it was night and day when it came to points allowed. We still gave up yards, but that’s fine because at the end of the day the defense threw a second-half shutout. In the end, it’s another disappointing close loss in the Moorhead era. The game was there for the taking, and we couldn’t do it. We’re likely going to be 1-3 heading into conference play, which is the exact same as last year’s payday schedule. Of course, that’s assuming we take care of Duquesne this weekend, who will surely be pining for an upset. QB: Finley Johnson RB: Patrick Gant WR: Walker Mason WR: M. Williams Monteiro WR: Polk Grear TE: Newell Cravaack LT: Motley-Simmons D. Johnson LG: Archer McManus C Lyons Morris RG: K. Davis RT: A. Jones King DE: Durham D. Frazier DE: Dall J. Frazier DT: Laventure Mixon DT: Hull Murphy Musika LB: Cooper Spriggs LB: Summers Boswell NB: AL. Branch AI. Branch CB: Reed CB: DeWalt T. Thomas S: J. Anderson Hunter S: D. Johnson Flowers KO: Wiley B. Johnson K: Wiley P: Castle Top Rated Offense (20 snap minimum) QB - Finley WR - Grear RG - K. Davis WR - Polk RT - King Top Rated Defense (20 snap minimum) DT - Murphy NB - AL. Branch LB - Spriggs DE -Dall DT - Laventure

Don’t turn it over, actually win the turnover battle, rack up 441 yards of offense, and still find a way to lose. Rough.

Shocked UAB didn’t run another screen there.

Please do not throw the ball here….

I’m being a little facetious. It’s been called inconsistently ever since it was implemented.

Vandy player got ejected tonight for less of a hit than that and had helmet up. I’m at a loss.

Not sure how that wasn’t flagged for targeting. Guess I just don’t understand the rule anymore.

Going to need to score just about every drive and hope UAB goofs up somewhere.

Our safeties can’t hold up in man against these receivers, and we can’t generate pressure without bringing extra bodies. That’s a tough spot to be in.

Is Johnson not available? 3rd and goal and we run Finley up the gut?

Defender trying to imitate the snap count.

What a dumb penalty. Our defense is going to be gassed by the 4th quarter at this rate.

Here are some Game Day notes. I’ve also added them to the bottom of the original post. Kitna has already thrown for 551 yards while completing 72% of his passes. However, he’s shown to be mistake-prone under pressure, tossing two interceptions so far. The Blazers will rotate at running back with UTEP transfer Jackson and top backup Beebe handling most of the workload. Jackson is a dangerous runner who can break one at any time, while Beebe is just as likely to catch a pass as he is to carry the ball. Milliner is UAB’s most explosive wideout, and Hooks has been Kitna’s second-favorite target. UAB has stuck with the same five starters through both games, not rotating a single lineman. It’s a rebuilt OL and they’ve surprisingly been a strong unit so far—giving up only one sack and 6 pressures. Going left to right: Sneh - 6’5”315 (Kansas State) Perez - 6’5” 315 (Duke) Lepkowski - 6’3” 300 Morgan - 6’4”320 (South Carolina) Moore - 6’8” 290 The Blazers’ defense has struggled to stop anyone this season, but a few players have stood out with consistent play. Interestingly, both starting defensive tackles—Smalls and Sam Houston transfer Warren—have been really good. At linebacker, Rhode Island transfer Hightower has been effective, while in the secondary Boston College transfer safety Cheek and Pittsburgh transfer cornerback Crumpley have been the top performers. UAB has only punted once this season—a 39-yarder downed inside the twenty. All extra points have been converted, and field goals are 2-for-3, with the lone miss coming from the 30–39 yard range. The two makes, however, have both been from beyond 40 yards. During Dilfer’s press conference, a reporter referred to this as a “get right game” for UAB. Dilfer laughed and said the Blazers are usually the get right game for their opponents, adding that he hopes Akron’s offense doesn’t get going this weekend. Some notes about the Zips: JUCO transfer right tackle Maasai King has graded out really well through the first two games, especially in pass protection according to PFF. Next is right guard Keylen Davis, who has been solid but noticeably stronger in run blocking. Keep an eye on JUCO transfer defensive tackle Nehemiah Musika in goal line situations. He was also mentioned on the Zips Weekly show. Musika was a commitment I really liked, though I wasn’t quite sure how we managed to land him. He supposedly isn’t as tall as listed and is still working into shape after being a late arrival due to coursework. Once Musika is able to play more regularly, he should give us a strong rotation with Laventure and Hull at DT—barring injury. Former Illinois transfer Shammond Cooper has been playing at a high level and also leads the team in tackles with 19 total. I’ve mentioned this a few times already, but DeWalt and Reed have really stepped up at cornerback. Reed in particular has been impressive—allowing just 19 yards on four receptions while being targeted 10 times. They’ll need another strong outing today if we’re going to have a chance at slowing down UAB’s offense.

I made a mistake on defense. J.Frazier should have been yellow.