UC Game

[skip-zip]

bearcat fan....not sure what game you were watching, but the running back, Dennis Kennedy, was still in the backfield during that grounding call. He was leaking out towards the right side of the formation (might have been a screen play developing) when our QB got disrupted.

[Captain Kangaroo]

The Akron QB threw it into the ground. I did not see a RB anywhere near the ball. And the QB was not out of the pocket.

Just so it is clear --1.) #3 for Akron is Dennis Kennedy. #3 is not a defensive lineman. He is a running back. 2.) Quarterbacks are allowed to throw balls to running backs, receivers and tight ends while in the pocket. If you notice, such instances happen...oh, I dunno...maybe 60-80 times per game?If any UC fans aren't clear on this NCAA football rule, a rule which applies to pretty much all levels of HS, College and Pro football, them please send them the link to my description. UC fans seem to like links.

[Big Zip]

JD mentioned on the post game interview the play in question was a screen that was blown up by Cincy. He also mentioned Jacq did exactly what he was coached to do -- can't imagine he was coached to do something that causes a penalty.Our offense was paralyzed when AJ went down - Kennedy was cramping up and Tuzze was seen by Cincy's D as far less of a threat. All I kept thinking about was why hasn't JD sent B Williams back into play RB. That was certainly what I would have done. It was the end of the game and I'm sure he was tired, but the threat he would have provided would have been great. At this point we are essentially down to our third and fourth string RBs in my opinion.Speaking of football rules -- one I'll never understand and I think is the dumbest in all of sports is the half the distance to the goal when there is 15 yards that can be had. For example ball on the 16 and you get a 15 yard penalty --- it is half the distance to the goal. Why not take it to the one? If the other team gets a penalty on the next play for 15 yards it moves 15 the other way. This happened to us a lot yesterday or at least it felt like it did.The penalty on the punt did cost us 15 yards because the interference call on A Jones would have put the ball at the 37 -- instead it was at the 22. I thought Cincy looked pretty bad for a team that destroyed Miami last week. If the same team that showed up for Akron yesterday shows up the rest of the way this team has the potential to finish at least .500 and looking even better going into next year. Igor's kicking (no matter how you slice it) was the only true impact on the game yesterday. Everything else is a wash and we lost the kicking game -- we got our ass beat in the kicking game. If you had asked me before the game if that would have happened I would have said no.

[uafan]

Igor was awful and Stec wasn't much better. You all know I have been a big critic of Stec, and I was looking forward to seeing what Hildreth could do. But I have to give Stec props. He had his best game since he's been here. As for the rest of the game, we did our best at turning a win into a loss! No excuse, no silver lining. This team is undisciplined, and it goes back to the coaches.

[zips4ever2008]

It seemed to me that more penalties were called in the second half than the first half. The refs are still the same in calling some bad calls. The intential grounding drove me insane. I saw a play very similar in the Penn State, Illinois game last night and it wasn't called. I guess it depends on the officials for the game. I also thought we scored a safety in the endzone. Was it? That was two points right there. Igor's missed field goal was bad. Usually he's pretty good of making them.A lot of other things happened. Our guys played tough. Cinci was averging about 35 points a game this season and we kept them under that. I heard Cinci players came here very confident thinking they were going to score big on Akron. They didn't. They should be thanking their lucky stars they won. It's time to move on and look to Can't. I hope our guys get fired up for that game.

[RACER]

big zip.i was thinking the same thing.they should have put williams back in at rb.i know i won't be poular about this ,but akron needs to move a.jones back over to defense full time.we have plenty of guys who can catch the ball.you could rotate kenndey and williams at rb.you could aslo put williams in on defense on nickel packages.if they are not going to play torrence what do you do if kennedy goes down? i know the guy is a playmaker defense,and this does not mean he can't still play some defense. i just don't see how kennedy can carry the load for the rest of the season.jd needs to make a decisonabout torrence either way.

[Zips Win!]

On the 4th down play that Andrew Johnson got hurt on, he clearly fumbled the ball before he went down. Yet as the Zips (CJ11) were going to pick it up, the refs blew the whistle. In this instance, if the play was not blown dead, are the Zips able to advance a fumble for the TD?

[subflea]

Sure wish we had Cincy's kicker. He sure looked the part ... walked out there confidently, struck the ball well, end-over-end in flight, and sailed through the uprights with plenty of distance to spare. Those (game-winning) are ideally where FGs are to be used ... we failed, they didn't.

That is something I never thought I would hear. Making that kick yesterday was huge for him. He has been very inconsistent all last year and early this year. He lost his job after the first game because he was missing EP's.

Now this is ironic. Earlier one of UC's fans said something to the same effect about Zip QB Chris Jacquemain. Now if last year ight about this time a statement like that would have drawn laughter and raised eyesbrows to just about all Zip fans. It just goes to show, these guys are still young men and they mature as FB players at different paces. BTW, your PK's big advantage IMHO is that his balls seem to shoot at a 45 degree angle just about every time he strikes it....great distance AND height. We don't see that from our PK's, particularly the height (although the blocked PK wasn't Igor's fault). Good luck to UC the rest of the year.

He has a huge leg and he showed it last year when he hit a 55 yard kick against Oregon State. His problem all in is his head. The coaches said right before the Miami game that they saw a change in attitude from him at practice so they went with him. He hasn't missed a kick the last two games. Hopefully that means he has worked out his issues.

[bUAkronG]

The Akron QB threw it into the ground. I did not see a RB anywhere near the ball. And the QB was not out of the pocket.

Just so it is clear --1.) #3 for Akron is Dennis Kennedy. #3 is not a defensive lineman. He is a running back. 2.) Quarterbacks are allowed to throw balls to running backs, receivers and tight ends while in the pocket. If you notice, such instances happen...oh, I dunno...maybe 60-80 times per game?If any UC fans aren't clear on this NCAA football rule, a rule which applies to pretty much all levels of HS, College and Pro football, them please send them the link to my description. UC fans seem to like links.

apparently you guys missed GoZips88's post because IMO he is the only one who really saw the play. Some of you need to take your blinders off and realize that Jacq made two stupid plays in a row that cost us the game. It reminded me so much of last year it's frightening.

Jacq's ball should have been thrown towards JD on the sideline ... I thought he deliberately threw it into the ground and not as close to the feet of Kennedy as it should have been. He LOOKED like he was trying to get rid of the ball instead of making it LOOK like he was throwing it to Kennedy (gotta 'sell it' a little bit). Water under the bridge at this point but I'd have my QBs chuck that thing to the sidelines whenever possible ('oops, it sailed high over the receivers head - so sorry about that ... musta slipped.').

Amen. Jacq got scared and threw it into the ground. Bottom line. As a quarterback you have to be aware of the line of scrimmage and the pocket. Jacq was out of the pocket. There was NO reason for that ball to be thrown behind the line of scrimmage.Overall though I was pretty impressed with how we played. I'm not gonna lie, I was very worried when UC marched right down the field and scored right off the bat but our guys stayed in it and fought. Yes penalties are frustrating but they are part of the game, just like injuries. The better teams are those that can overcome the penalties called against them.I was very impressed with Tuzze's play yesterday. For a big guy he sure can explode through the hole. IMO he should be playing every down once we are inside the 10. I am kind of concerned with Kennedy though. I don't think we can count on him to get us through the rest of the year, but we shall see. I also like the reverses to Bruce. Does anybody know if he can throw a ball? We ran three reverses that all netted us positive yardarge(I'm pretty sure) but I would love to see him pull up and toss one downfield much like our flea flicker play with Kennedy.Our Defense played with a lot of heart yesterday. Bryan Williams and Kevin Grant are such a pleasure to watch play. I still hate zone coverage but I still think our guys are playing it well.

[akronad]

Just a few other things:I can understand why JD went for the 1st down rather than the FG. First to make a statement and retake the lead. Secondly, I think he has lost confidence in Igor. Remember Igor's first FG was not a thing of beauty. Aknuckleball kick that just got thru and over the cross bars.Although bowser looked better later in the game, he dropped 2 passes in the 1st quarter. The first was for a 1st down, and the second would have been for a TD. I thought Bruce played a good game.We all agreed before the game that we needed a perfect game to win. We didn't get it.Also, there does not seem to much communication on the side line. I was watching the side line a considerable bit of time and there was confusion among the coches as well as the players.All of that being said, we now have to forget about Cincy and concentrate on Can't. If we come with the same determination and grit that we had against Cincy we will win. IMO.

[Dave in Green]

I was pretty outraged at the intentional grounding call until I read the following from a supplement to the NCAA Football Rules prepared by the editors of Referee magazine:When to call intentional grounding by a quarterback, and who should call it, can be tricky. An official has to determine motive and read the situation in order to rule correctly. There must also be good communication on the part of the crew. The rules state that, to avoid a loss of yardage or to conserve time, a passer cannot throw a pass into an area in which no eligible receiver has a reasonable opportunity to catch it. ..... A passer must be under duress to commit grounding in the yardage-loss situation. If he throws a pass where no eligible receiver could have caught it, but was not threatened by defensive players bearing down on him when he did so, there is no grounding foul. As for the “reasonable opportunity to catch” part of the rule, the question is not whether an eligible receiver was in the vicinity of where the passer threw the pass, but instead is whether he was in the vicinity and could reasonably have caught the ball. For instance, imagine a passer under duress retreating about 20 yards behind the line of scrimmage and, in desperation, throwing the ball at the feet of a receiver running downfield. Although the pass lands within two or three feet of the receiver, the fact that he was looking downfield and did not even know where the ball was meant he had no reasonable opportunity to make a catch. Therefore, grounding should be called.I had always thought that if a pass landed within a few feet of a potential receiver that intentional grounding could not be called. But it appears as if the NCAA gives refs the opportunity to make a judgment call.

[skip-zip]

So...then the question becomes....what is the pattern for making this call? This never gets called unless there is no receiver in the area. In this case, there was. In fact, that pass was closer to Kennedy than many incomplete passes I've seen thrown in similar situations. And it was a game-deciding call, which compounds it even more.

[bigzipguy]

You can look at several ref calls and plays in the game that determined the outcome. For me , if I had to pick ONE PLAY, it was roughing the Cincy punter in his own endzone!!! Bad play, but even worse, as a coaching staff, you do not put a player in a position to make that critical mistake in such a key situation.

[Captain Kangaroo]

You can look at several ref calls and plays in the game that determined the outcome. For me , if I had to pick ONE PLAY, it was roughing the Cincy punter in his own endzone!!! Bad play, but even worse, as a coaching staff, you do not put a player in a position to make that critical mistake in such a key situation.

Especially when you have one of the best punt returners in the nation standing at the 50.How many punts has Akron blocked in the past 5 years? 2? 1? Frank Beamer ain't coaching our special teams.The odds of Jones running the kick back to UC's 35 yard line, or better, were about 50/50. The odds of us blocking the punt were 1-50. TERRIBLE gamble.

[johnnyzip84]

You can look at several ref calls and plays in the game that determined the outcome. For me , if I had to pick ONE PLAY, it was roughing the Cincy punter in his own endzone!!! Bad play, but even worse, as a coaching staff, you do not put a player in a position to make that critical mistake in such a key situation.

Especially when you have one of the best punt returners in the nation standing at the 50.How many punts has Akron blocked in the past 5 years? 2? 1? Frank Beamer ain't coaching our special teams.The odds of Jones running the kick back to UC's 35 yard line, or better, were about 50/50. The odds of us blocking the punt were 1-50. TERRIBLE gamble.

IMO, unless there is next to no time left on the clock, you should just about never call for the block when the opponent is kicking out of their own end zone. Even if you get to it, the most likely result (by far) is a safety given the proximity of the field boundaries. It looked to me like the staff had called for the block on that play, because of the number of bodies that got near the punter. I'd much rather call for the block when there is a bigger reward to be gained (TD return, big change in field position).

[ditchrider1]

Absolutely winnable game.My gripes: $15 for an effin' ticket? Who are they kidding? to sit in that hole!I was shocked, but I was there so I had no choice!

[3rd&twenty]

Absolutely winnable game.My gripes: $15 for an effin' ticket? Who are they kidding? to sit in that hole!I was shocked, but I was there so I had no choice!

For Christ's sake, you're complaining about a $15 ticket! That's a sports bargain anywhere, crap hole or not.

[akronad]

$15 is a bargain. Most high schools charge from $6-$8.If you want to play with the big boys, your gonna hafta pay.

[ditchrider1]

Absolutely winnable game.My gripes: $15 for an effin' ticket? Who are they kidding? to sit in that hole!I was shocked, but I was there so I had no choice!

For Christ's sake, you're complaining about a $15 ticket! That's a sports bargain anywhere, crap hole or not.

That is pretty much what they are charging next year as well right...at a brand new stadium!I really cannot see the justification...sorry. I have been going to the RB for years and have made several road trips to away games, championship game, bowl game and I just cannot see where they get $15 froma ll of a sudden especially at the RB. If they want to bring in more people, families etc...then $15 is too much. there were plenty of seats available that they could have possibly filled at $7-10. But to drag my azz all the way out there and then be told $15 and then to tell me I could not even sit where I had been sitting every year for the past 5-6 years I felt was a bit too much.No wonder there were so many people who didi not even go into the game! They just stayed in the lot and hung out.How much were GA tix last year or the year before?

[Captain Kangaroo]

There were so many free tickets floating around prior to the game it was ridiculous. If you paid at the gate it is your own fault.

[Dr Z]

On the 4th down play that Andrew Johnson got hurt on, he clearly fumbled the ball before he went down. Yet as the Zips (CJ11) were going to pick it up, the refs blew the whistle. In this instance, if the play was not blown dead, are the Zips able to advance a fumble for the TD?

the offense cannot advance the ball if it recovers its own fumble on fourth downI found this in multiple places on the internet, but none that are very credible. Anybody know for sure?

[ditchrider1]

There were so many free tickets floating around prior to the game it was ridiculous. If you paid at the gate it is your own fault.

Well unfortunately I am not "in the know" enough like you, to be able to locate them.How about some help for next time, or is this just a forum for people to berate others for their opinions instead of helping each other out?Believe me I have given that damned university more money than I have ever wanted to via parking passes and fees etc...and really did not want to give anymore, but it is my favorite college football team and I wanted to see the game.

[Zips Win!]

[believe me I have given that damned university more money than I have ever wanted to via parking passes and fees etc...and really did not want to give anymore, but it is my favorite college football team and I wanted to see the game.

Maybe...but please explain how the money you paid UA in the past for parking passes and fees had anything to do with the game on Saturday.You didn't give them anything on Saturday. You purchased a ticket for the event.

[ditchrider1]

[believe me I have given that damned university more money than I have ever wanted to via parking passes and fees etc...and really did not want to give anymore, but it is my favorite college football team and I wanted to see the game.

Maybe...but please explain how the money you paid UA in the past for parking passes and fees had anything to do with the game on Saturday.You didn't give them anything on Saturday. You purchased a ticket for the event.

I just feel there some fees as a student I paid that were unwarranted and/or too expensive such as a parking pass, yet I never seemed to find an available spot. And I felt the ticket for the game at $15 was overpriced. It is just my opinion and I am beginning to feel that I am the minority in this debate as everyone so far seems to think that $15 is a fair price to pay to sit in that hole and watch a football game. The tickets prices have increased, yet they have done nothing to warrant the increase. Demand for the product is definitely not up! Now I am sure that some of the price of admission is going towards the new stadium and I am fine with that, but I would just hope they would make a bit more affordable for people seeing as how the attendance sucks and the stadium is crap. I would like to see a great crowd there once again as it is the last season. Why could they not charge $15 for reserved $10 for GA?Hell, they could have left the end zones open and charged $5Does the university not get a portion of the profits for the game ticket sales?

[3rd&twenty]

There were so many free tickets floating around prior to the game it was ridiculous. If you paid at the gate it is your own fault.

Well unfortunately I am not "in the know" enough like you, to be able to locate them.How about some help for next time, or is this just a forum for people to berate others for their opinions instead of helping each other out?Believe me I have given that damned university more money than I have ever wanted to via parking passes and fees etc...and really did not want to give anymore, but it is my favorite college football team and I wanted to see the game.

Just ask people. Everyone at our tailgate who didn't have tickets go them for free. They just asked around. There's always a few guys out there whose companies have tickets and of course, no one comes, so they just find people to give them to.But I still say $15 is a good price for D1 football. Not gonna get that at OSU, PSU, UM, etc.