Lee Adams

I agree, and I'm as big of a PN fan as anyone but Moore is a playmaker and that's something we desperately need. Playmaker? What games are you guys watching? What plays is LR8 making? So he gets a couple 1st downs on broken play scrambles...he is doing a lousy job as a QB. He had 11 completions on Saturday?! ELEVEN!? He's completing 48% of his passes on the season. He had a chance to win at EMU last week and disappeared. Because of a bungling, inept penalty-riddled FIU effort LR8 again had a chance to lead the Zips to victory this Saturday and failed (overthrown pass to a wide open WR, and then his red zone fumble). Our quarterback play has been terrible this season. There's no lipstick anyone can slather on that pig to make a sane person think otherwise. Man this won't go away! To repeat so you know where I am coming from, I thought Nicely or PN7 deserved a shot at starting at the beginning of the season. Again,he had a year in Ianello's system. He played pretty well as a frosh under JD. I wanted to see if he had improved with that year of experience. Then,if not bring in Moore. Didn't happen. COACH'S decision. The coach is living with it. With that said,after watching Moore against good teams,bad teams and in between now it doesn't appear that he is the type of QB thats going to be real successful as stictly a drop back,pocket passer in a pro system. And,if you watched Saturday you saw some things that MIGHT indicate Ianello is having to make some changes to accomodate the skills Moore does have. Batted balls were a problem. They seem to be throwing fewer patterns over the middle. The two best pass plays took spectacular catches buy wide receivers down field. Moore can elevate the ball on deep throws. He still has problems with shorter balls. His arm strength is limited. They actually TRIED to run the option at least 2-3 times to get Moore out on the edge and get his feet moving. They didn't do it very well because the O-line probably hasn't practiced it that much. They overcommitted to the run. They playcalling appeared frankly extremely basic most of the time. FIU had at least 8 in the box most of the time because they had no respect for the passing game. Ianello continued to run into that even after FIU had pretty much shut down the run game. Problem there was he hung the defense out to dry too many times . They were on the field way too long. Check the number of plays Akron ran vs what FIU ran. Check the time of posession. Check the yardage. Not pretty. Akron was fortunate that FIU didn't really appear all that interested in the 1st half. Three of the best plays Akron 'ran' were busted plays when Moore scrambled. He either held the ball too long(which he does at times),receivers weren't getting separation or both. It was exciting but you won't make a living doing it. That said,I don't think there will be any changes this season. Nicely does deserve some credit for sticking around. Has to be tough for him to watch at this point in his career.

We have been and will continue to hear from Ianello and Wistrcill that in spite of having only 2 wins in the last 17 games they are making progress with the football program. How do they and anyone else for that matter measure the 'progress' of the program? There has to be a baseline to start from. What was the baseline to begin measuring progress when Ianello took over. The simple answer his record,wins and loses. Obviously if that was the baseline Ianello is not making much progress. Even JD had 3 wins his final season. And, during JD's first 2 years he was .500 or better and won a MAC Championship. So he came in and won immediately albeit with a lot of Lee Owen's players.But the record is probably only part of the equation in measuring progress. So what else? Recruiting? It is probably too early to judge whether Ianello's recruits will be able to raise the level of play in the program. There are still a lot of JD's recruits on the team. Competetiveness? In 17 games has what Ianello has done made the team more competetive where it counts,in the MAC? So far that hasn't really shown up but there are some tough MAC games coming up. There are things that coaches see in practice and in games that most fans can not see or do not notice. If the coach says there is progress there how do we really know? Thus far I have seen a team that is not able to do too many things consistently well. I see a defense that continues to give up lots of yards,especially on the ground. I see an offense that consistentl can not stay on the field. I see an offensive line that continues to be porous. I see a QB whohas real problems operating in this offensive system,who has problems throwing short and intermediate balls and who holds the ball too long. I do see a running game that has some promise. I see a couple of wide receivers who appear to be developing. But, I still also see a coaching staff that has as of yet been unable to consistently put players in positions to succeed. So,please help me understand what else to look for as far as progress.

They lose nothing now if no one goes to the games. As long as they can average 14.5K in paid attendance now the problem will be in the future. Are they allegedly averaging 14.5K now?

Hope you guys who p... away your money betting have fun. Who cares about the spread!? Does that get considered when a coach is hired or fired? If Akron loses by 1 point less than the spread does that mean there is progress? No, it means you won some money. Unless FIU totally forgets to show up they win by 2 TD's.

My wife and I took a cruise out of Miami a few years ago. When we arrived back in port the temps were around 65*. It was February and most of the locals working the docks were wearing parkas and complaining about the "bitter cold". I lived in Boca Raton for 13 years and was stunned when all the department stores sold winter coats and corduroy pants during the fall and winter. It seldom went below 70 in the winter. That is when I would put the top down on my Mustang I believe it was/is inevitable that the Sun Belt conference would move up. That is where the people are migrating. And they don't always mind stepping over the line down there....you won't see much criticism of Miami for breaking the rules down there. Check the new census and the change in # Congressman. The south picked up 8 in the last 10 years. Can we move Akron to the south?? They don't want it.

Actually Cap'n, some of the best baseball quotes come from politics! Can you believe, she wasn't talking about his son? Wow. Ann Richards. One of the original Lee sisters. This seems to tell another story about the quote. I lived in Texas when she was elected. I think she beat a guy by the name of Clayton Williams,'Claytie'.. Good 'Ole boy from west Texas. He had a few screwy ideas about how women should behave.

Given the pathetic attendance and the noticeable lack of interest on this board, where does the football program go from here? The historical low attendance has only been magnified by the pathetic performance of the program over the last 4-5 years. Compounding the problem is the impression that the AD and Head Coach are only minimally involved with the local football community. Unless something miraculous happens,this season is another washout. The Wagon Wheel probably stays in Can't also. The coach's decisions regarding personnel are not improving the team at this point. Assuming Ianello has at least one more year,which he does,what are the options? It is unlikely he will be able to recruit players who will make a significant difference in the program until he shows he can actually win. That looks like it is at least another year away. How many of you are going to renew season tickets next year?

Sorry folks Ianello and his team failed the second big test of the year. They lost to a team that has perenially been the worst if not one of the worst teams in DI. The mistakes indicate a team that is not prepared by the coaching staff. The fact that the defense gave up 200+ on the ground against a team that is 1 dimensional in that regard means there has been no progress there. The Zips got 100+ yards on the ground but were still woeful in the passing game. Ianello keeps talking about play action. His QB can't run play action because teams know he can't throw the ball consistently down field. Moore's best play was when HE caught a TD pass. Thats pathetic. Ianello can't get him in a situation to succeed. Moore can not play effectively in this offense they way the coaching staff has it configured. Better hope FIU is uninterested next week. Otherwise its a blowout at home.

Obviously there is still not a lot of confidence in this team. It appears that both EMU and the Zips are viewing this game as a test to gauge how good or bad they really are. The fear here is that Akron gets behind early because of a long return or interception. EMU is going to force Moore to throw because they can see his limitations. The more he has to throw the more that get knocked down or picked. Stop Chisholm and take your chances. Unless the coaches get Moore a moving pocket or some opportunities to throw on the move we are going to see more of what we have seen. Only other chance is that the defense finally steps up and actually controls a game for a change against a legit opponent. Thats a stretch. Sorry EMU by more than a TD! Hope not.

the game winning fieldgoal against Marshall was a great experience as well. Sad truth is, I believe next year will be just as bad if not worse than this year. Gotta admit I enjoyed the Blizzard Bowl against Can't in '05 too. That was the best stretch of Akron football since the DII playoffs in '76.

Thats a little bogus. Didn't North Texas beat Indiana last week? Not that Indy is that good,but we can't beat 'em. New Mexico was dumb to get rid of the previous coach. At least he had some winning seasons. They seem to have the same disease Akron has. The folks in ABQ think the football program can consistently play at a higher level. ABQ is a nice place,just not for football. Great palce for B.ball though. Pretty good soccer team too.

If I'm recalling didn't he have a previous ALLEGATION of sexual misconduct of some sort down in Stark? He was never convicted,but a guy I used to work with who is very involved in sports in Stark Co. knew about this guy when he was in high school. Apparently he was a 'bad actor' back then. He was getting bailed it because of his athletic abilities,ALLEGEDLY. I don't know if he was originally from the North Canton area. Wasn't he living with someone else in that district? Guess that prep school thing didn't work ou too well. Akron was very fortunate at what did not happen. Don't need that type of problem on top of what else is going on.

Here we go with the Ianello won't last stuff,again. Ianello will be here AT LEAST through next season! If that doesn't work, would it be worth ASKING Winters if he would come here? Of, course it would be worth it. He has a D-II program that Akron used to play,winning. He could put points on the board. Would the current AD go there? Somebody in that office tell us,please!

I was listening to Chris Childers on Rivals Radio this morning and he made the comment that he looks for Leach to take over at FAU next year. Maybe it's not too late. He is a polarizing character, but he would create a lot of excitement and the offense would be fun to watch. I know. I'm dreaming. Leach may become a Lobo. It makes sense. He knows the area. Do you think he could step in and turn them around in year one? The Lobos are a dumpster fire. If I was a fan of that program, I would be on my knees nightly praying for Leach come to town. I am guessing there is probably a pretty sizable Mormon population in NM as well, which would be another possible draw. I would love to see him back on the sidelines. Leach would not come to this part of the country unless a real program wnated him. No folks not Akron. He is oriented to Florida or the Southwest. UNM. Locksley is gone. I watched his weekly radio show from a restaurant in ABQ. Nobody was interested. Kinda like....

I was listening to Chris Childers on Rivals Radio this morning and he made the comment that he looks for Leach to take over at FAU next year. Maybe it's not too late. He is a polarizing character, but he would create a lot of excitement and the offense would be fun to watch. I know. I'm dreaming. Leach may become a Lobo. It makes sense. He knows the area. Do you think he could step in and turn them around in year one? The Lobos are a dumpster fire. If I was a fan of that program, I would be on my knees nightly praying for Leach come to town. I am guessing there is probably a pretty sizable Mormon population in NM as well, which would be another possible draw. I would love to see him back on the sidelines. Knowing the area a little, I don't know that there are a lot of Mormons in ABQ. I do know that Mike Leach would play VERY WELL there. That area of the country is a great place to watch football. Lots of local rivalries.

The point spread aside,this is the second part of the 'test' for the Zips this season. They flunked the first against Temple. Now they are playing another 'bottom feeder' in the MAC. EMU is a team that is playing at the same level as Akron. Everybodies 'excuse' for losing the first 3 games was that they were playing superior teams. Can't use that excuse this week. It ain't about covering the spread. If you can't beat a team like EMU then your program hasn't made much progress. There may only be 1 or 2 'possible wins' on the schedule after this week. Better win. I hope I am just reading this wrong. Are you saying that Temple is a bottom feeder? You were reading it wrong. I said the first 3 games of the season where supposedly against superior teams. Temple was one of those 3. Akron couldn't compete with a good MAC team. EMU is a bottom feeder. If you don't win this one where is the progress?

The point spread aside,this is the second part of the 'test' for the Zips this season. They flunked the first against Temple. Now they are playing another 'bottom feeder' in the MAC. EMU is a team that is playing at the same level as Akron. Everybodies 'excuse' for losing the first 3 games was that they were playing superior teams. Can't use that excuse this week. It ain't about covering the spread. If you can't beat a team like EMU then your program hasn't made much progress. There may only be 1 or 2 'possible wins' on the schedule after this week. Better win.

Was at the game. No,there were not anywhere close t0 14,000 in the place. Assuming they counted the high school bands and the no shows I doubt they could come up with 14,000. Our season tickets are in 212. It was REALLY sparse up there. Has been for both games. There were maybe 9,000 actually there. I also noticed the student section was practically empty. The grass was not crowded either. I am still not surprised at attendance. Even when the program was winning and going to playoffs in the 60's and 70's it was like this. I have season tickets in 212. Row 1, seats 3 & 4. Stop by and say hello. Will do. To illustrate the problems Akron has with the fan base, a guy I know and his wife sit behind us. At halftime I see them leaving. He said they were going to watch the Ohio State game. Nuf said.

Was a beautiful day. Zips did what they were supposed to do. They beat a terribly overmatched lower division team. It was a good game to watch individual players and units to see if the same things were happening as during the first 3 games. The two skill guys Chisholm and Sconiers contiune to develop. The offensive line was able to push around a smaller d-line and make some room for the QB and RB's. The coaches finally worked Ty Williams into the O at least a little. The Wildcat isn't much of a threat unless Chisholm or whomever shows as a threat to throw occasionally. Moore was able to hit a few more receivers mainly because he wasn't under as much pressure. He still can't throw the short ball from the pocket. How many more did he have batted down yesterday 5-6? We have also seen the limits of his deep ball. There were 2-3 occasions when a receiver had separation but the ball was underthrown just enough to allow the DB to break it up. No turnovers on his part I don't believe. Still not convinced he fits this system. Would like to see them move the pocket for him against better teams. The D-line is still shaky against the run. Radio said VMI had a hundred on the ground. Kick coverage is still awful into the 4th game of the season. Against a decent team that costs the game. Still some coaching screw ups which shouldn't be happening in the 4th game. Example. VMI had the ball around the Akron 20 maybe closer. With about 10-15 seconds on the play clock the D-coordinator decides to make a wholesale change. No way all those guys run that far and get positioned before the clock runs out. They had to burn a time out. I watched Ianello. He was practically running down the sideline yelling at the coach. Noticed they had Wagner trying to blitz a lot. That was a little different. VMI seemed to pick him up most of the time though. Seemed like Griggs had a pretty decent game against an undersized O-line. Wagner had a lot of tackles. Somebody mentioned earlier that any win with this team is good. But,they have a game with an Eastern Michigan team that should be winnable. Even though its on the road,if the Zips can't beat a team that basically plays at their level then you have to wonder how much progress they have actually made. There are only 2-3 more realistically 'winnable' games on the schedule after EMU. The players know what time it is. They know they need a win against a MAC opponent. It would be a huge confidence boost.

Was at the game. No,there were not anywhere close t0 14,000 in the place. Assuming they counted the high school bands and the no shows I doubt they could come up with 14,000. Our season tickets are in 212. It was REALLY sparse up there. Has been for both games. There were maybe 9,000 actually there. I also noticed the student section was practically empty. The grass was not crowded either. I am still not surprised at attendance. Even when the program was winning and going to playoffs in the 60's and 70's it was like this.

PN7 has appeared in all three games this year. Here are his stats. 6 completions on 17 attempts for 43 yards. That's a 35% completion for 2.5 yards per catch. No TDs with 1 interception and 3 sacks. You can add 7 drops that makes him 13 for 17 and the interception was from a hit from behind Why do WR's only drop balls for Nicely? They don't. They 'drop them' for both QB's.That ain't the biggest problem.

Trying to translate from business to sports, I'd look at the style of offense as a tactic -- a strategy planned to achieve a specific goal. If the tactic is an important element of a cohesive system, then you wouldn't want to give up on it too quickly if you thought it would negatively impact other elements of the total system. If the tactic isn't working due to inadequate execution, you'd want to continue working on the execution as long as you believed the personnel could in time get it right and run it effectively. Ianello appears to be committed to the pro set as an integral component of his total system. But the pro set is not as confining as some may think. There are variations avalable out of the pro set that can add flexibility and unpredictability. But no offensive system is going to be effective if it's not properly executed. If you can't properly execute the basics, adding more complicated wrinkles may only produce less effective execution. So as long as Ianello believes his players can be successful if they properly execute, it's understandable why he'd want to continue to try to tweak the basic pro set without blowing it up and starting over from scratch. I think there's a general misunderstanding that Ianello is inflexible about changing the offense to fit the abilities of his players. If you go back and look at what he said about the offense prior to last season, he was pretty clear on that subject: "On offense, we're going to base out of a multiple pro set and, for a lack of a better term, the very same system we ran at Notre Dame, which for the last five years was very successful," said coach Ianello. "It's the same system the (New England) Patriots run and the (Kansas City) Chiefs run and the (Denver) Broncos run. It's a multiple system and one that I'll fit to our personnel as opposed to us having to fit personnel to our system. That gives us a lot of flexibility in that regard." Analyzing a system failure can be tricky because there are many elements that can be incorrectly diagnosed as the source of the problem. Obviously, Ianello does not believe the pro set is the source of the problem. He believes he can fit it to his players. Some college football analysts believe that what we'll see more of in the future is a hybrid offense combining pro set principles while spreading the field. That suggests that the pro set is not dead but just needs a little tweaking. I don't see anything to suggest that Ianello might not be open to that kind of tweaking as long as he believes it fits his players. In the end, though, proper execution has to be the top priority. We will see Saturday what Ianello is 'open to'. But please tell me why the experienced players he has do not seem to be responding to what he is trying to do. I had a person close to the program tell me that the reason they look so bad is because they have been playing good competition(throw out the OSU game). DUH! By, inference that means this team can not compete with good competetion even in the MAC. What is the point?

Don't assume that VMI will run up the score(ha,ha,ha). Also don't assume that unless Akron gets on a roll early that it will be anything more than a clsoe game. Both teas have 1-AA capabilities.

I remember (not to long ago) a previous administration trying to make all the home games festive. They used to have live area bands, giveaways, marching band playing in the lot, cheerleaders, kids events, a visible (mascot) zippy, that big chocolate blow up zippy, beer tents, etc.. I thought they did a pretty good job. Do they have any of that anymore? I don't wander from Lot 9, but other than the same people trying to sell me some useless towel/rag, not much university sponsored stuff goes on. Personally I don't need all of that stuff, but I know most enjoy that kind of atmosphere. I see the problem right here in your own post. It's a lot harder to accomplish those kinds of things now with everyone scattered around campus on game day. It's definitely one of things I miss about the Rubber Bowl. But still, the Acme/Zip game included several days of build up too. You heard about it in the ads. Cheerleaders were in the lobbies of all of the stores, and everyone in town knew about the upcoming game. It wasn't just several days. People knew well in advance when it was going to happen. When we went to the Acme you saw them pushing the low price tickets. It was in the Leakin' Urinal. 30,000+ showed up. But,the team was winning at the level they were playing at. Larson and Dennison were winners. Attendance wasn't much the rest of the season,which is something that the younger people on this site will never understand. But,it was great for that one night to see the Bowl packed.

I guess the first thing you better figure out is if the present coach here is going to be leaving oh,within the next 18 months.