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Critiquing Coach Bowden


Zipgrad01

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Though we won the MAC East, I think everyone knows we're really not that good of a team.  But coming into this year, I just wanted to survive this year, as I think we're going to be substantially better next year.  The recruiting really picked up last year... I should say the recruiting REALLY picked up last year... and has continued into this year.  In my lifetime I've never seen a Zips' recruiting class fill so early in the season with such quality verbals as this year's recruiting class did.  We have such a strong list of verbals ready to sign that for the first time I can ever remember I couldn't have cared less about what recruits were in attendance at last night's game.  Recruiting is a program's lifeblood.  I think the future looks really bright.

Edited by Blue & Gold
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15 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

Though we won the MAC East, I think everyone knows we're really not that good of a team.  

I think this is the truly amazing part, honestly.

 

We have been able to minimize offensive mistakes by gaining a lead, and let our defense step up to win games while we played conservative second half offense and milked the clock. There have been a lot of complaints about this gameplan and I understand because it is not a lot of fun to watch, but Bowden found a way to win and hat's off to he and Amato.

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47 minutes ago, ZippyRulz said:

Didn't his daddy coach until about age 85? Let's wait and see which AAC jobs come open. UCF will for sure and Cinci too soon enough.

 

A 62 year old coach going 7-5 playing in the MAC isn't going to be a hot commodity. Even Les Miles, whose accomplished more longer, is having issues finding a position because of his age. If any MAC coach leaves for greener pastures this year my guess would be Jason Candle.

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1 hour ago, zipsoutsider said:

We have been able to minimize offensive mistakes by gaining a lead, and let our defense step up to win games while we played conservative second half offense and milked the clock. 

 

Or, have we just been ineffective offensively in the 2nd half of many games?

 

I sure hope we haven't come out of the locker room at halftime in all of these games just trying to hold onto a lead (some of them very small) for another 30 min.   It's certainly understandable when it gets later into the 4th quarter.  

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32 minutes ago, skip-zip said:

 

Or, have we just been ineffective offensively in the 2nd half of many games?

 

I sure hope we haven't come out of the locker room at halftime in all of these games just trying to hold onto a lead (some of them very small) for another 30 min.   It's certainly understandable when it gets later into the 4th quarter.  

No, it is completely the strategy, IMHO. 

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2 hours ago, zippy5 said:

Yesterday it was pretty evident the plan was to play it safe, protect the ball and make Kent beat our defense. The football equivalent to watching sausage being made, but the end result was fantastic.

If that was the case why didn't Akron run more? Or at the very least work in more bubble screens? They made no adjustment against press man coverage.  Rvr'd the game and the commentators were also suprised. 

Playing it safe is not chucking low percentage bombs most possessions.  

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46 minutes ago, gozips19 said:

Playing it safe is not chucking low percentage bombs most possessions.  

 

Exactly.  We were trying to hit those plays all game long.  I didn't see us go to a ball-control, run the clock offense until we got the ball with about 5 min. to go.  Heck, we don't even have the personnel to do that.  

 

And let me add this:  Surprisingly, Kent's corners defended our long routes really, really well.  

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 10 months later...

"Larry Williams has to make a move. Insist Bowden make a move at OC. If not, I suppose we’ve gotta clean house (which I don’t really want to do).  This product is not worth spending $$ to watch."

"This is a ridiculous comment."

 

Why is it ridiculous to state the obvious? We do not play good football! This team has no discipline. Look at the penalties especially the player control ones. Kato is stupid and runs to the other team's sideline so he negates their unsportsmanlike penalty. Brady bumps a ref and is tossed. Petersen is good for penalties every game. The OLine sucks and has done so for years. Council being out is no excuse. We are always bad on the line. The coaching is pathetic. Milwee is in over his head and Bowden won't make a change. We do not play well yet alone win against the better teams in the MAC. Our record is horrible against MAC teams with winning records. 

 

I totally reject the philosophy that says if you win you are doing OK. You can not build a program, nor a following, on that because the better teams will beat you when you have been used to winning ugly, like today. Remember Toledo and FAU at the end of last season. We should, and must, expect more than winning ugly and our program should be better.

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27 minutes ago, 72 Roo said:

"Larry Williams has to make a move. Insist Bowden make a move at OC. If not, I suppose we’ve gotta clean house (which I don’t really want to do).  This product is not worth spending $$ to watch."

"This is a ridiculous comment."

 

Why is it ridiculous to state the obvious? We do not play good football! This team has no discipline. Look at the penalties especially the player control ones. Kato is stupid and runs to the other team's sideline so he negates their unsportsmanlike penalty. Brady bumps a ref and is tossed. Petersen is good for penalties every game. The OLine sucks and has done so for years. Council being out is no excuse. We are always bad on the line. The coaching is pathetic. Milwee is in over his head and Bowden won't make a change. We do not play well yet alone win against the better teams in the MAC. Our record is horrible against MAC teams with winning records. 

 

I totally reject the philosophy that says if you win you are doing OK. You can not build a program, nor a following, on that because the better teams will beat you when you have been used to winning ugly, like today. Remember Toledo and FAU at the end of last season. We should, and must, expect more than winning ugly and our program should be better.

Kato runs to the other sideline...to get his shoe. Quite forgivable. Strangest thing I have ever seen.

 

Brady does not even know he bumped into an official .....what a lack of discipline.

 

I get that some of you cannot get over your hate of Milwee and that you have to have someone to blame when kids make mistakes, but seriously, are you not able to look at the the bigger picture, ever?

 

Edited by zipsoutsider
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8 hours ago, zipsoutsider said:

 

 

I get that some of you cannot get over your hate of Milwee and that you have to have someone to blame when kids make mistakes, but seriously, are you not able to look at the the bigger picture, ever?

 

I'm curious as to what the bigger picture is?  One bowl win in the Potato Bowl?

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3 hours ago, NWAkron said:

I'm curious as to what the bigger picture is?  One bowl win in the Potato Bowl?

Gone from an 1-11 team to winning the Wagon Wheel 4 years in a row, a MAC East title with a team that shouldn't have made it in the midst of a QB controversy, and 3 bowl appearances, including a bowl win, best record since moving to Div 1A, and  beating aquality B10 team for the first time, ever...

 

The people who think Bowden's job is on the line are simply out of touch with reality.

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2 minutes ago, zipsoutsider said:

Gone from an 1-11 team to winning the Wagon Wheel 4 years in a row, a MAC East title with a team that shouldn't have made it in the midst of a QB controversy, and 3 bowl appearances, including a bowl win, best record since moving to Div 1A, and  beating aquality B10 team for the first time, ever...

 

The people who think Bowden's job is on the line are simply out of touch with reality.

There is truth to your statement, but having to hold on to beat two MAC teams that are terrible (no wins against FBS teams) does not inspire confidence.  That 2nd half yesterday was brutal and common for this program.  Bowden did take over the worst program in the country and he has dramatically improved it.  My issue is that we routinely have games where we have no chance of competing with the opponent.  Getting housed by a one win Miami team and being totally out classed by Buffalo point out why ZipsNation is getting upset.  I am not saying fire Bowden, but some changes have to be made or we are always going to be in the 5-7 win area.  Be honest, if Kent and CMU were not two of the WORST teams in NCAA football where would we be today?  I am glad we are winning the Wagon Wheel year after year, but do you know how many DI wins Kent has in the past 4 seasons?  Five.  It is clear that Milwee needs to go.  Also, if anyone can explain why a school in NEO with the best facilities in the MAC cannot recruit enough solid o-linemen so that we can have a running game, please do so?  Go Zips!

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24 minutes ago, zipsoutsider said:

Gone from an 1-11 team to winning the Wagon Wheel 4 years in a row, a MAC East title with a team that shouldn't have made it in the midst of a QB controversy, and 3 bowl appearances, including a bowl win, best record since moving to Div 1A, and  beating aquality B10 team for the first time, ever...

 

The people who think Bowden's job is on the line are simply out of touch with reality.

1. I love having the wagon wheel, but four straight wins over one of the worst teams in Div 1 would mean nothing if it wasn't Kent, we have just been extremely lucky that our rival has been abysmal for a while now. 

2. Like you said, our team last year had no business being in the MAC title, I still don't understand how it happened.  

3. That best record in our history is still only 7 regular season wins, that is a let down year for many programs.

4. As for the bowl win and BIG win, I am not a believer that a single victory should factor into a coaches resume too much. I can point out just as many losses in Bowden's regime that shouldn't have happened. 

 

I have seen many people here post their appreciation for Bowden bringing our program out of the gutter, but doubt that he can lead us to the next level. That is exactly where I am. I do not understand how you could possibly look at the Zips offense this season and think they are even adequately coached. If you want to say that the failures are due to youth and inexperience, then that is the coaching staffs fault as well. It is their responsibility to make sure that they have players that are ready to play.

 

I was not happy with three straight 1-11 seasons, but that does not mean that I should now be happy with constant 5-7 win seasons. The problem with increasing the quality of a program is that expectations rise right along with it.

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Try to look at the glass half full. We forgot about Zips beating Northwestern who beat Wisconsin yesterday. Bowden is a pretty loyal guy. I don't see him getting rid of Milwee. The MAC is a pretty good conference this year. E .Michigan and Miami are both decent programs now. E Michigan beat Purdue earlier in the season and Purdue taking out the OSU a weeks ago.

Edited by footballzip
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18 hours ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

Imagine how good we would be with an actual offense... This defense is fantastic. 

 

They have to go away from Kato. I have no idea what the justification is behind playing him over Ramart. On top of that, Milwee does a great job of magnifying Kato's flaws with atrocious play calls, including down-the-sideline throws that require pinpoint accuracy, which Kato doesn't have. Why we don't throw over the middle more is beyond me. 

 

I'm with a previous poster - Bowden either gets rid of Milwee, or they go together. 

Its odd to me that two of the most wide open routes of the day were to an 'alleged' tight end/H-back type in the middle of the field. The first one he just completely muffed. The 'hands of stone' syndrome. Luckily he more or less surrounded the second one for a TD. Point is not to demean that player. It is not his fault he is being used incorrectly. Point is why doesn't the Bowden/Milwee gang get a tight end on the field who can catch? Then use him. For a guy like Nelson who is not accurate, a TE in the middle of the field can be a real weapon. Start throwing some 10-20 yarders behind the LB's and in front of the safeties you loosen up the line of scrimmage a little and get the safeties into coverage in the middle of the field. More options running and passing. Come on, this is not rocket science! Or,is it?

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On 10/27/2018 at 10:12 PM, 72 Roo said:

"Larry Williams has to make a move. Insist Bowden make a move at OC. If not, I suppose we’ve gotta clean house (which I don’t really want to do).  This product is not worth spending $$ to watch."

"This is a ridiculous comment."

 

Why is it ridiculous to state the obvious? We do not play good football! This team has no discipline. Look at the penalties especially the player control ones. Kato is stupid and runs to the other team's sideline so he negates their unsportsmanlike penalty. Brady bumps a ref and is tossed. Petersen is good for penalties every game. The OLine sucks and has done so for years. Council being out is no excuse. We are always bad on the line. The coaching is pathetic. Milwee is in over his head and Bowden won't make a change. We do not play well yet alone win against the better teams in the MAC. Our record is horrible against MAC teams with winning records. 

 

I totally reject the philosophy that says if you win you are doing OK. You can not build a program, nor a following, on that because the better teams will beat you when you have been used to winning ugly, like today. Remember Toledo and FAU at the end of last season. We should, and must, expect more than winning ugly and our program should be better.

If changes were made; you would just find something else to whine about.

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22 hours ago, zipsoutsider said:

Gone from an 1-11 team to winning the Wagon Wheel 4 years in a row, a MAC East title with a team that shouldn't have made it in the midst of a QB controversy, and 3 bowl appearances, including a bowl win, best record since moving to Div 1A, and  beating aquality B10 team for the first time, ever...

 

The people who think Bowden's job is on the line are simply out of touch with reality.

Word it however you want, but we've only had 1 winning season in Bowden's 1st 6 years. You find that acceptable?

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16 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

Word it however you want, but we've only had 1 winning season in Bowden's 1st 6 years. You find that acceptable?

I am not going to play this game with you. It is actually pretty pathetic. When the Zips win to the liking of some, crickets. When they don't win by the margin some deem worthy, whining and complaining. It really boils down to your failure to see that there is not as much of a gap from the top to the bottom of the conference as some like to believe there is and that different teams match up, differently.

 

If you want to complain about how bad a football team is, and a coach and an OC worthy of firing, you always have the Hue, Haley, and the Browns, lol. 

 

 

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18 minutes ago, zipsoutsider said:

I am not going to play this game with you. It is actually pretty pathetic. When the Zips win to the liking of some, crickets. When they don't win by the margin some deem worthy, whining and complaining. It really boils down to your failure to see that there is not as much of a gap from the top to the bottom of the conference as some like to believe there is and that different teams match up, differently.

 

If you want to complain about how bad a football team is, and a coach and an OC worthy of firing, you always have the Hue, Haley, and the Browns, lol. 

What's pathetic is being content with a program that consistently finishes ~.500 with no signs of ever improving. We lost to Toledo twice last year by a combined 44 points and you're trying to say the talent gap between us and the top of the MAC isn't much? NIU, BGSU, and WMU all had runs of being a top tier G5 program. We have the best facilities in the entire MAC and are located in a recruiting hot bed. Why can't that be us?

 

I'm not here complaining about the win. I'm glad to see the win regardless of score. My complaint is with his full body of work (35-47 overall, 23-29 in MAC). He's the second longest tenured coach in the MAC and every player on the roster he played a part in recruiting. Him inheriting a 1-11 program can no longer be an excuse.

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