catdaddyp

Hate to hear that. Happen to notice Cooper or Blanchard?

Another tough one… - I cannot wrap my mind around why Lingard is not utilized more in the run game. He’s a threat every time he touches the ball and we only gave him 8 rushing attempts. I know Irons chose to pull several times instead of give, so that is part of the issue. In any case, Lingard may be the offense’s best weapon and we hardly use him outside of a few pass targets and to block. - Heavy emphasis on running Irons this game, which is somewhat understandable after last week, but he can’t be the only running option. - If Undercuffler is next in line and he’s expected to be successful without a run game, it isn’t going to happen. He actually did give to Lingard one (maybe two?) time on the read. - I thought Buffalo’s receivers made Snyder look much better than he was last year. This year, he is playing on another level. Impressive job by the defense holding the MAC’s leading passer to 142 yards. - Special teams were solid all game except for the blocked OT FG. - That’s already 3 losses by a combined 8 points. Defense has done more than their fair share and it’s past time this program turned the corner. There is not a talent deficiency on this year’s roster and the offense must figure it out. Coach Moorhead is a brilliant offensive mind, yet the offense has been incredibly inefficient scoring. This year’s offense (at least with the 3 QBs we’ve seen) needs to be more run heavy and the staff has to realize it. - Notable DNPs were Adams, Cooper, Bullock, Blanchard, K. Thomas, Behm. - Sophomores Kiawan Murphy and Jaharon Griffin saw their first significant action on defense. - KJ Martin played every snap on defense, while Bryan McCoy only missed one. The starting OL went the distance with the exception of Georges subbing in for Tyler Williams a few times. - Defense was credited with only 5 missed tackles for the game. QB - Irons (Undercuffler) RB - Lingard (D. Anderson) WR - George (Norton) WR- Gathings (C. Anderson) WR - Walker (Golden) TE - Banks (Newell) LT - Chambers LG - Frank C - T. Williams (Georges) RG - Davis RT - N. Williams DE - Adler (A. Smith) DT - Lavea (Murphy) DT - Jones (Robinson) DE - Nunnally (Jackson) LB - Fish (Griffin) LB - McCoy (Harris) NB - Lewis CB - Durant (Hunter) S - C. Thomas (N. Thompson) S - KJ Martin CB - Tallandier (Golden-Nelson)

Some team stats heading into today’s game. MAC standings in each category in parentheses. Scoring Offense Akron = 18.8 (8) Buffalo = 29.8 (3) Scoring Defense Akron = 27.3 (5) Buffalo = 44.5 (Last) Yards Per Game Offense Akron = 315.5 (7) Buffalo = 353.5 (4) Yards Per Game Defense Akron = 329 (4) Buffalo = 512.3 (Last) Rushing Yards Per Game Offense Akron = 97.5 (Last) Buffalo = 121.0 (8) Rushing Yards Per Game Defense Akron = 91.8 (2) Buffalo = 239.5 (Last) Passing Yards Per Game Offense Akron = 218.0 (4) Buffalo = 232.5 (1) Passing Yards Per Game Defense Akron = 237.3 (8) Buffalo = 272.8 (11) The rushing stat is a little misleading as we could be much higher if we ran the ball more. We are next to last in rush attempts.

Bump for updates. Several offers out to OL and DBs over the past week or so.

- Original HS/JUCO rating was used if no transfer rating exists. QB: DJ Irons = 3 star Cole Snyder = 3 star RB: Lorenzo Lingard = 3 star Mike Washington = 2 star WR: Alex Adams = 3 star Marlyn Johnson = 2 star WR: Daniel George = 4 star Boogie Curry = 4 star WR: Josiah Gathings = 2 star Cole Harrity = 2 star TE: TJ Banks = 4 star Jake Orlando = 2 star OL: Ronan Chambers = 2 star Ben Frank = NR Tyhler Williams = 2 star Keylen Davis = 3 star Nate Williams = 2 star Isaiah Wright = 3 star Gabe Wallace = 2 star Sidney Walker = 2 star Tyler Doty = 2 star Caelan Shepard = 2 star DL: CJ Nunnally = 2 star Terray Jones = 3 star Lama Lavea = 2 star Antonio Smith = NR CJ Bazile = 2 star Jaylon Bass = 2 star Daymond Williams = NR LB: Antavious Fish = NR Bryan McCoy = 2 star Max Michel = NR Shaun Dolac = NR Joe Andreessen = 2 star DB: Judson Tallandier = 2 star Joey Hunter = 2 star Darrian Lewis = 2 star KJ Martin = 3 star Nate Thompson 3 star Charles McCartherens = 2 star Caleb Offord = 3 star Solomon Brown = 3 star Marcus Fuqua = 2 star Devin Grant = 2 star K: Dante Jackson = NR Alex McNulty = NR P: Donte Jackson = NR Jackson Baltar

Ryan Johnson officially removed now too. Antonio Smith and LaJoshua Jackson have received the most snaps behind Johnson at DE.

I’m not sure how accurate this is, but it’s interesting. South Carolina tracks all their players’ speeds in practices and games. Shane Beamer said they actually didn’t have Legette running as fast as the internet analytics claimed, but Legette routinely hits between 20-21 MPH. Btw, Legette also currently leads the nation in receiving yards. Hopefully, we see more opportunities for Lingard to keep making this list in the coming weeks.

Didn’t see that coming. Feel like there’s more to the story here. Hence was a core special teams guy and Woods only saw significant time on defense in the first game. He was mostly special teams besides that. Ryan Johnson led the team in pressures despite not collecting a sack. I see Hence and Woods have already been removed from the roster. Johnson is still currently listed.

Busy weekend, so just some notes off the top of my head. - This team talks way too much to the opposing team and to opposing fans. It’s a sign of being undisciplined and it came back to bite us in crucial situations. That needs to be cleaned up. - Outside of the two interceptions, Irons was the best he’s looked this season. He moved around well in the pocket, was able to push the ball downfield, and his scrambling ability was a difference maker. - Most of the pressure came from the right side of the OL between K. Davis and N. Williams. Williams struggled mightily against the speed of Indiana’s edge rushers. - The DTs did a great job all game keeping the OL off the linebackers. McCoy, Fish, and Cooper were routinely running free to the ball. - There were several option plays Indiana ran that would have gashed us last year, but the athleticism and discipline of our DEs and LBs stood out. - Speaking of the LBs, McCoy had a standout performance with 12 total tackles and seemed to always be around the ball. - The red zone and goal line stands by the defense were incredibly impressive. DT Kyle Thomas was stout in that area again. - Good for Andrew Behm. I’ve been critical of his play and it was nice to see him snag the interception. - KJ Martin had one of his best games as a Zip. Too bad he dropped an interception that could have iced the game. - Special Teams once again created another turnover. Unfortunately, once again missed at least one field goal, which was another missed opportunity for this team. - The identity of this offense has to be to run the football first. Lingard saw his most touches with 14 attempts and produced 113 yards and a touchdown. He was close to breaking a few other runs. I’ll continue to say it, give him the ball. Between the running ability of Irons/Bullock and Lingard/Anderson, is what will keep the offense on the field and eventually open up more one on one deep ball opportunities. It will also limit turnovers. - Total Yardage: Akron = 474 Indiana = 282 - Time of Possession: Akron = 34:24 Indiana = 25:36 This team could be 3-1 or 0-4. Instead, we’re 1-3 heading into MAC play. I thought the team would have turned the corner by now, but we are still fighting some of the same issues of finishing games with 2 losses of a combined 5 points. Sooner or later this group will put it all together. Side note: Blanchard went out with what looked like a knee injury and did not return. QB - Irons (Bullock) (Undercuffler) RB - Lingard (Anderson) WR - Gathings (Walker) WR - Adams (Golden) WR - George (Norton) TE - Banks (Newell) LT - Blanchard (Chambers) LG - Frank (Kilbane) C - T. Williams RG - K. Davis (Kilbane) RT - Chambers (N. Williams) DE - R. Johnson (Adler) DT - Lavea (K. Thomas) DT - T. Jones (Robinson) DE - Nunnally (A. Smith) (L. Jackson) LB - Fish (Behm) LB - Cooper (McCoy) NB - C. Thomas (Lewis) CB - Hunter (Durant) CB - Tallandier (Golden-Nelson) S - KJ Martin (C.Thomas) S - N. Thompson (C. Thomas)

A few columns and views from the Indiana side: Keys to the Game: Indiana vs Akron Game Preview: Indiana vs Akron Behind Enemy Lines: Akron Staff Picks: Indiana vs Akron

No, but I’ll see what I can find out. Been swamped lately and haven’t had a chance to speak with many recruits since the season started.

Pretty good listen this week. - 14-3 score late into the 3rd quarter. Not the same situation in the two P5 games last year. - Knows the team has to push the ball downfield, but OL needs to block better and receivers have to get open. (I’d add the QB has to throw the deep ball accurately). - Not enough explosive plays on offense. - Still trying to find the right combination along the OL, but helps having K. Davis and N. Williams back. - Too many penalties and coach takes the blame for that. - Gathings had his best game. - Wants to get Golden and Walker involved more on offense. - Defense is playing physically and has a lot of depth on that side of the ball. - Nunnally has been the biggest surprise on defense. - Outside of the obvious performances, K. Thomas, McCoy, and Cooper had solid games. - Knows the team is outalented against a team like UK. Wanted to see the team compete and give themselves a chance. - Freshman Adrian Norton is going to be really good. - Some talented OL are being redshirted and some really good ones committed for next year. - Local guys Lewis and Durant played well. Wants as many local players as possible but they have to be able to play at this level and want to come here (he’s said this before).

https://youtu.be/xxi_bu4TivQ?si=jXU6ETuTaiNzQKr8

Yes. As @LZIp mentioned both N. Williams and Keylen Davis were back this week. Others that were credited with snaps: WR - Adrian Norton OT - Jayvin James DT - Andre Profitt LB - Jaharon Griffin S - DiMarco Johnson Pretty much same cast of characters and subbing patterns outside of that.

Where to start? Going to do a little different format this week. Offense: - From what I could see on tv, it looked like UK was not going to let us beat them over the top and were willing to give up some underneath options. That being said, the few deep shots we took were poorly thrown. UK also got plenty of pressure on DJI by bringing just 4 rushers most of the time. DJI actually did a nice job maneuvering in the pocket considering all the pressure he was under. More on that below… - The OL had their worst game of the season. The OTs struggled all night. The interior of the OL was better than the OTs in pass pro but struggled with UK’s blitzes, which usually coincided with a 3rd down. Of the 34 pass attempts, DJI was pressured for 25+. - If we’re going to take all of the underneath throws, the ball placement has to be accurate enough to allow the receivers to catch, turn, and potentially create yards after catch. Basically, no deep ball = no explosive pass plays, unless they are created by YAC. Too often the ball was catchable but not thrown where the receiver had a chance to make further advancement. To compound the issues, perimeter blocking was as bad as I’ve seen under this staff. - This offense is not good enough (at this time) to overcome penalties. Once we get into 3 and 9 or longer, it’s basically a dead drive. - I sound like a broken record but Lingard and D. Anderson need the ball more. Whether that’s in the run game or passing game, they need the ball. Defense: - The defense did enough to keep it a game. Unfortunately, the sack that turned into a touchdown was a backbreaker and the offense did little to help the D throughout the contest. - Consistent play came from Nunnally, T. Jones, KJ Martin, Tallandier, and Lewis. Although, Lewis did get beat on one TD. - Our DL held their own against UK’s OL. As far as pressure goes, Zips had nearly as much on UK as against Morgan State. - It may have seemed like there were a lot of missed tackles, but that’s misleading as they came in bunches. We had 13 for the game, which is what we average on the season. Really not much else to say here. It was a wasted effort that ended up with a lopsided score. Special Teams: - The punt muff can’t happen. - The missed FGs are disappointing, but heck of a job by the holder getting the high snap down on the made FG. - Jackson was fine (not great) punting the ball. - Nice job by the punt team recovering UK’s muffed punt. - Kick off coverage was solid. Defense and special teams forced a combined 3 turnovers which should have been enough to keep us in the game. Until the offense gets on track, it’ll be more of the same. UK’s talent level helped exploit some of the same issues we had last week.

UK relentlessly going after Thompson.

I think so, but I’ll try to verify.

Follow up on Seymore. He’s enrolled, but won’t play until next year.

Outlook from the Kentucky insiders.

While the offense does run a number of RPOs, not every play is an RPO. If it was, you would see some type of mesh between the QB and RB every play. To say the defense dictates the calls is somewhat true. Anytime the numbers are even, 5 vs 5 (it’s usually 5 vs 6) or 6 vs 6, a run is always an option. They just haven’t been called as much as they could (and probably should) have been. Lingard even had a 5+ yard run last game when the numbers weren’t in our favor. Coach has said himself that they need to run more, get the running backs more touches, and have the OL run block more efficiently. No one is saying run the ball against a stacked box. Although, RBs should be expected to make one person miss, especially when running inside/outside zone. Also keep in mind most of the sports media is filled with people that never played or coached football, so how they present the information is in a view with limited background.

- Coach knows he needs to get the running backs more touches. - Wants to see better run blocking by the OL. Some guys have been shuffled and are playing out of their natural position. Hopes to have Keylen Davis and Nate Williams back from injury soon. - Trying to figure out the quarterback situation. - Again said WR is the strength of the team and the playmakers are there. - Spoke highly of the defense and gameplan the DC put together. - Mentions the 3 freshmen wide receivers as young guys progressing on offense. Kam Cheatom at DE, Melvin Spriggs at LB, and some DBs on defense.

Agreed. Nunnally made most of the plays from DE Saturday night, but Ryan Johnson has also been solid. One source has Johnson credited with 6 pressures which is twice as much as any other defender on the roster. He just needs to finish. Needless to say, the DL and LBs have been pleasant surprises. It’s too bad we didn’t get more pressure on Temple. Games like that can be exhausting. Looked like JoeMo was battling a bit of an illness as well. I’m curious to see where this team goes from here. I’ve seen it time and time again when a team is counted out and they come out with an explosion no one saw coming. When that will happen, I don’t know, but there is too much talent on the roster and too good of a staff in place to not get it right. Good example is South Carolina last year beating Tennessee and Clemson back to back to close out the season or Illinois going on a 6 game win streak after losing to a terrible Indiana team. The offense is still trying to find some sort of “identity” without the level of play we had last year from DJI. The defense seems to be legitimate and improving. Special Teams also seems not far off from being really good. Unfortunately, poor QB play is masking everything.