uafan

The defense gets worn out almo0st every game, and today was no exception. Too many 3 and outs followed by a poor punt that gives the opposition good field position. Letting the opponent start from the 40 instead of the 20 makes a huge difference.Add this to the fact that we are constantly outcoached at halftime, makes a bad situation worse! We have now been outscored 51 to 3 in the third quarter. That is not the players.And the special teams took a beating today. I go back to my earlier call for a special teams coach!

IMO, I think Brion Stokes might be a good one to put in this position. He is one of the fastest guys on the team, he is smart and athletic enough to do it. On the minus side, we would lose a hell of a linebacker!

I said this on another topic....it had to be ESPN, because they did it to us also!

The switch to the OSU game must have been done by ESPN. I was watching in another city, and I was PO'd when they switched with about 1:30 left in the game. Guess we know who pays the bills!Great job by the D, especially picking it up after Mackey went down. Not only his D play, but he is also the holder on placekicks.Offense took a while to warm up, but the coaches also took a while to loosen up and open the game plan a little. Again, we were lucky the punting didn't cost us. That roll out punt is awful! And, the last few punts did not cross midfield. You can't give a good team a short field like that as much as we did.

John Mackey is a stud! If I was GM of a pro team, I want him on my team, if nothing else, to bolster my special teams!

skip-zip, I don't think anyone said we have the best D in the MAC, but after Saturday, I'd like to see who is better! And speaking of the MAC as a conference, it used to be that Miami would beat Northwestern occasionally and it was expected that everyone else would lose. But look at this weekend, I think the MAC presented itself pretty damn well!

OK everyone, better sit down! You know how I have complained about special teams, especially punting. But my hat is off to Stec. He did a great job! Only wish he didn't have to do it so often! He was tired. You could see his punts gettiung flatter and shorter as the game went on.The players were upset after the game. They feel they could have won, and I agree. Better play calling would have given the defense time to catch their breath. 3 and out should not be a mantra! OSU is a big time team. Maybe try a few misdirections, some trick plays...we did try a halfback pass that, if it was on line, would have been a score. A little imagination, please!The players did not lose this game. IMO, the coaches did not give them a chance to win!

Here's something not commonly known...we have a former D-1 all-Ohio punter on the roster. Andy Hildreth was second team all state his senior year! For perspective, AJ Trepasso was second team D-2.

I know I'll get blasted for saying this, but our punting game sucked last year and it sucked against Army! Is it time for a change? I think so, but obviously many of you are waiting for "potential" to come through. How long will we wait? We have another guy on scholarship, why not give him a try? Rasor said he has a longer kick! Hey, can't hurt!

GP1...Yes, there were many positive things on which to build, but if you are willing to settle for mediocrity, that's what we should expect. Yes, I'm blaming JD, not taking cheap shots, that is how I see it. These are his players, so if they don't perform, was there a problem with recruiting? I'm sorry, but I don't see him as a good coach yet. He should let his coaches coach, and get a special teams coach who concentrates on special teams only, not the rest of the team. I am tired of lousy kicking, and I can see where we might lose a game or two because of them. Can I write back when we do and say I told you so? Or will you be defending JD then? I say we fix it before it costs us a game!BTW, Michigan used that rugby punt a couple of years ago, admitting they did not trust their punter. Maybe it's time to try the other guy?

Here goes my special teans rant! A 40 yard FG is difficult, but you read the papers every week where a few HS kids make them that long. A good D-1 kicker should make these. And missing an extra point...inexcusable! Our punting game is again on the junior high level. Under 30 yards per punt...inexcusable! We will probably lose a couple of games this year because of special teams. Maybe we should think about a new special teams coach. Oh, wait a minute...that's JD!

Build it (a consistently good team) and they will come!

zip8....I am in total agreement with you. Having the job last year is no reason they should keep it this year, especially with the year they had last year! I am worried that JD is the "special teams" coach. He has too much to worry about. I am willing to bet that he might be the only head coach in D1 to do this.I say that everyone should get their chances, and let the best man play. How good is Campbell? How good is Hildreth? According to Rasor, Hildreth has a better punt, but Stec gets it off faster. If Stec screws up, will Hildreth be given a chance?I am concerned because I have always believed that special teams should be given as much attention as offense and defense. Ask Jim Tressel how important special teams are to him. OSU even has special team scrimmages, and they are intense.

Reply to zip8...I saw the last scrimmage over the weekend. The kickers were underwhelming. HS and college are very different when the kids don't get to use the block anymore. Mental? Yes, I think so. On the punting side, Stec was inconsistent, looked like he was trying too hard. Hildreth looked comfortable, dropping most of his punts inside the 20. I would rather have a smaller average than someone booming them into the end zone.

Not related, just concerned. Aren't you?

I just saw on Rasor's blog that Andy Hildreth is out-punting John Stec. JD says the job is somewhat open, but Hildreth has to flat out beat Stec. What if he only beats him out a little? Does this mean that JD will not put out the best players? After last year, I would hope he takes a good, long look at our punting game!

I certainly hope there is no truth to this. I heard it from what I consider a good source.

A scholarship is given on a year to year basis. This gives a coach an out if someone were to accept one and decide not to play. Unscrupulous coaches could use it as a threat. I certainly hope JD does not do this. It was mentioned, "How could he get this far?" How far is this? It's his first head coaching job.

Hi all; glad to join this chat room! What I heard about Hakes is that JD threatened him, and a few others, that if they don't impress, he will take away their scholarships! This can start a bad precedent! Can you imagine high schoo; coaches counseling their players, saying that Akron will take away your scholarship if you don't start? Wonder how many kids will sign? Also, rival coaches telling a kid that? Wonder how many top recruiting classes we will get that way!