Doctor's Prescription

[Dr Z]

It's hard being a Zips football fan now a days. As a fan, I now have everything I always wanted in a new stadium, so I'm just ready to explode with excitement, but this season seems to be spinning out of control. I always thought CJ was a good enough QB to win the MAC if he got a little help on the defensive side...bam, CJ gets suspended for the season. I pretty much knew the ability of the backup QB before he started his first game so I haven't been that hopeful that we will turn around this season. As it sits today, I'll still be at every home game like I always have, but my hope now turns to...just beat Can't. Anyway here are my observations from yesterday:Matt has taken plenty of abuse on this board already, so I will keep my criticism short; I think the one thing that can make Matt a better QB is to work on his pocket presence. He doesn't keep his eyes down field long enough before he abandons the pocket. I think the fact that he is a good runner outside of the pocket hurts his passing ability, he doesn't give his targets enough time to complete their routes. If I had to pick another thing he needs to work on, it would be the swing pass. Have you ever seen a bigger disparity in two QB's throwing the swing pass as you did in yesterday's game?I have been plenty critical of our defensive scheme. I hate it, but I actually saw some QB pressure yesterday for the first time in a while. We got Dan to throw a few balls away. I wonder how much of it has to do with Wagner? He is fun to watch. It's obvious to me that he has a nose for the ball. Sky is the limit for that guy.Jeff Phelps had one interesting thing to say yesterday (he's terrible btw). He mentioned that he talked to JD about the running backs and asked why he rotates so much. JD's response was because they all have different skill sets. Was it me or did Tuzze look like he had the skill set that I'm looking for in my running back yesterday? Every time he got hit yesterday he fell forward. He looked like he always wanted one more yard. I would like to see him get more carries. He looks like he can get us some first downs and help to win time of possession.It's hard enough to watch the Zips play, but that gd spinning mac logo for EVERY transition was making me coo-coo. Please limit the use of that thing. I can't believe I have to type that.I'm going to keep it short. I have a lot of terrible stats written down in my notes, but Zip fans can only take so much abuse. Even though the season seems like it has spun out of control keep in mind that football seasons are crazy, if you watch enough of them you are bound to be surprised by something. I wonder what surprise the Zips have in store for us fans next?

[ctmjbowes@sbcglobal.net]

I would be more than happy at this point if this team would simply find a way to be entertaining. They have played dull, lifeless and uninspired football so far. It's getting difficult to get excited for the games. Is there any worse indictment of a college football team than to say that not only are they losing, but that they are boring to watch as well?STZ

[Captain Kangaroo]

So Walt Harris is a "Quaterback Guru?" Shane Montgomery is an "Offensive Guru?" It reminds me of a quote from former Giants pitching coach Roger Craig when asked about his title of "Pitching Guru." His team was getting shelled & Craig responded - "Right now, I ain't goo-rooin' worth a damn." Harris and Montgomery ain't goo-rooin' worth a damn.The addition of Harris and Montgomery was supposed to elevate our playcalling. Elevate our execution. Instead we've witness the worst offensive edition of Zips footbal since year #1 of the Owens era. Interestingly, after 7 games, Owens was so frustrated with his shoddy QB play that he pulled true Freshman Greg Gromek's redshirt and started him in game #8. If the Matt Rodgers "Lob-a-Palooza" continues, how long can JD afford to sit Nicely?I remember vividly when Nick Sparks went down with the turf toe and Charlie Frye trotted on to the field. His first play was a sprint roll out and he threw a strike into Mike Brake's gut 8 yards down the field. In that single play you could tell Frye had "it." I've watched Matt Rogers for a couple springs and now two complete games. I've yet to see "it." DaVoe can't put his head down and go forward. That's not what our running game needs. He's our most-talented back, but he doesn't seem to want to earn the job. I agree with Dr. Z that Tuzze is our best chance to get a couple yards. At least the guy runs hard and forward. Our other three backs run in any given combination of slow, soft and sideways. Dale Martin showed he has the ability to make people miss, and he moves forward. I think it would dramatically change our running game if he were healthy. Unfortunately, heath issues seem to be a part of everyday life for him.Has there ever been a worse offensive line in the last 15 years of Zips football? I gave then a free pass vs. Penn State and Indiana, but CMU? What did we have in the first half...something like 4 total yards...against a MAC defense?After the game I had to hear JD's post game. He said the game was "disgusting," and that there would be "major changes" over the next two weeks. In two weeks can you change out an entire offensive line, quarterback and running back? I hope so. I'll take the second string if they want to compete. I can't watch another game like yesterday. No one can. ITZ brought up the Virginia game from JD's first season, and how he righted the ship afterwards. I don't know if he can do that with this Zips squad. Not with the offense being so putrid. We have #5...but not the right #5.I feel bad for the WR's. They have almost no chance of seeing a ball. Hassan Hazime needs to get more PT. He's athletic and gets after the QB.Wagner is fun to watch. 3rd and 5 for our competition is like 3rd and 1-inch. 3rd and 1-inch for the Zips is like 3rd and 15. Going off memory, I don't think the Zips converted one third down yesterday? Is that possible?If CMU didn't commit a million stupid penalties, we'd never have moved the ball.Hey...two blocked punts this year is pretty good, and Miller runs kicks back well. I'd say special teams is looking up, but Igor's 3-foot-high field goal attempts are back, so I'll bite my tongue.How do you right the ship? 1.) If Nicely has a stronger arm than Rogers, you gotta play him. Worst case, you split time. To trot Rogers out there to get pounded and hounded every down is a recipe for a 2-10 season. Give our wide receivers a reason to run a route.2.) Lets see Broderick Alexander at RB. He's a big, strong fast kid. 3.) Swap out some OL's.4.) Give me 4 DL's Drastic changes need to happen. This team is too talented to go 2-10. But that's what they're playing like.

[akronad]

CK: You're right. I could watched the first half, then I listened on the 2nd half. I won't cover all of the stats, because they are all disgraceful, but the 1 that really jups out at me is, 1 for 12 in 3rd down situations. And I thought this was to be the year of the offensive line? Well not only the OL, but the whole team and staff is horrible.JD is just now deciding that major changes need to be made? Where has he been through out the season?Enough ranting for me.

[ZachTheZip]

If anybody listened to the game on the radio yesterday, they had a good observation. The OL would go from a 3-point stance to immediately standing upright on a passing play, and would only pick up their blocks and push on a running play. It was broadcasting what the offense would do the moment the ball was snapped and you can bet that the CMU defensive coordinator picked up on it. That's a coaching issue. Who tells your OL to do something that stupid? Who teaches them two entirely separate techniques for a run or a pass, something that tells the defenders exactly what they need to do to beat you?

[ctmjbowes@sbcglobal.net]

So Walt Harris is a "Quaterback Guru?" Shane Montgomery is an "Offensive Guru?" It reminds me of a quote from former Giants pitching coach Roger Craig when asked about his title of "Pitching Guru." His team was getting shelled & Craig responded - "Right now, I ain't goo-rooin' worth a damn." Harris and Montgomery ain't goo-rooin' worth a damn.The addition of Harris and Montgomery was supposed to elevate our playcalling. Elevate our execution. Instead we've witness the worst offensive edition of Zips footbal since year #1 of the Owens era. Interestingly, after 7 games, Owens was so frustrated with his shoddy QB play that he pulled true Freshman Greg Gromek's redshirt and started him in game #8. If the Matt Rodgers "Lob-a-Palooza" continues, how long can JD afford to sit Nicely?I remember vividly when Nick Sparks went down with the turf toe and Charlie Frye trotted on to the field. His first play was a sprint roll out and he threw a strike into Mike Brake's gut 8 yards down the field. In that single play you could tell Frye had "it." I've watched Matt Rogers for a couple springs and now two complete games. I've yet to see "it." DaVoe can't put his head down and go forward. That's not what our running game needs. He's our most-talented back, but he doesn't seem to want to earn the job. I agree with Dr. Z that Tuzze is our best chance to get a couple yards. At least the guy runs hard and forward. Our other three backs run in any given combination of slow, soft and sideways. Dale Martin showed he has the ability to make people miss, and he moves forward. I think it would dramatically change our running game if he were healthy. Unfortunately, heath issues seem to be a part of everyday life for him.Has there ever been a worse offensive line in the last 15 years of Zips football? I gave then a free pass vs. Penn State and Indiana, but CMU? What did we have in the first half...something like 4 total yards...against a MAC defense?After the game I had to hear JD's post game. He said the game was "disgusting," and that there would be "major changes" over the next two weeks. In two weeks can you change out an entire offensive line, quarterback and running back? I hope so. I'll take the second string if they want to compete. I can't watch another game like yesterday. No one can. ITZ brought up the Virginia game from JD's first season, and how he righted the ship afterwards. I don't know if he can do that with this Zips squad. Not with the offense being so putrid. We have #5...but not the right #5.I feel bad for the WR's. They have almost no chance of seeing a ball. Hassan Hazime needs to get more PT. He's athletic and gets after the QB.Wagner is fun to watch. 3rd and 5 for our competition is like 3rd and 1-inch. 3rd and 1-inch for the Zips is like 3rd and 15. Going off memory, I don't think the Zips converted one third down yesterday? Is that possible?If CMU didn't commit a million stupid penalties, we'd never have moved the ball.Hey...two blocked punts this year is pretty good, and Miller runs kicks back well. I'd say special teams is looking up, but Igor's 3-foot-high field goal attempts are back, so I'll bite my tongue.How do you right the ship? 1.) If Nicely has a stronger arm than Rogers, you gotta play him. Worst case, you split time. To trot Rogers out there to get pounded and hounded every down is a recipe for a 2-10 season. Give our wide receivers a reason to run a route.2.) Lets see Broderick Alexander at RB. He's a big, strong fast kid. 3.) Swap out some OL's.4.) Give me 4 DL's Drastic changes need to happen. This team is too talented to go 2-10. But that's what they're playing like.

Looking at the schedule the rest of the way, which team are you projecting this Zips squad to beat? I wouldn't bet on them winning a single game the rest of the way. Disgusting indeed. This IS the worst team in the MAC for 2009. STZ

[GP1]

ITZ brought up the Virginia game from JD's first season, and how he righted the ship afterwards. I don't know if he can do that with this Zips squad. Not with the offense being so putrid. We have #5...but not the right #5.

Maybe my memory isn't what it use to be, but wasn't Brett Biggs #34?

[zip37]

The past few years the Zips have been credited with anywhere from good to great recruting classes, yet we're <.500: Now this tells me the recruits were not as good as we were told OR the coach[es] are sub-par. [Wanna guess which side of the equation I'm on?]KD, CP, and JK all get high grades for recruiting classes and they put winners on the floor/pitch: wait for JK, she's had a longer clinb than the other two COACHES.

[Sergeant Zip]

3rd and 5 for our competition is like 3rd and 1-inch. 3rd and 1-inch for the Zips is like 3rd and 15. Going off memory, I don't think the Zips converted one third down yesterday? Is that possible?

The Zips were 1-12 on 3rd down. They didn't convert until the 4th Quarter. CMU was 10-14. Last week IU was 10-15 and Akron was 1-7.Against PSU, Akron was 3-14 and PSU was 8-15.

[GP1]

wait for JK, she's had a longer clinb than the other two COACHES.

I agree. She is climbing the Mt. Everest of coaching problems and I think she is doing a good job. Hopefully the new AD shows some patience with her. Six years with JD is enough. JK should get at least nine.

[Zips Win!]

What a disgrace! If you all feel bad after watching that garbage on television, just imagine how bad I feel after witnessing that in person. Never been to CMU….Probably won’t go back. Was hoping the 09 Zips could pull off what the 07 Zips pulled off at Western and the 08 Zips pulled off in Eastern. The third time wasn’t a charm.CMU has a beautiful campus…Out in the middle of nowhere and not as nice as MU or OU, but nice nonetheless.The crowd was strong… even in the rain. Over 20K showed up. Their student body was as good as any MAC team I’ve seen. However, I was not disappointed in the end when maybe 3K remained at the final horn.After living through one of the worst weeks in UA football history for off the field problems, the team followed suit on the field. Losing your starting qb, getting a coach suspended with another player getting arrested may not fall in the most egregious of acts, but it’s bad enough. What irritates me about the whole situation is how everything is kept quiet.… Like a cover-up is underway. Speaking of cover-up’s, when are we going to get the real scoop on the running backs at UA. Clearly, the line isn’t helping the situation, but Allen and Torrence have been awful. Both get a few carries and then are not heard from for quarters. Are they hurt? Tell us JD.. If Tuzze is your lead runner, we may not win another game. Third and a foot and then 4th and one… and we go backwards. Both players seemed afraid to get hit.Rogers? D-3 at best! He doesn’t have it. Arm strength is non-existent… Why all the concern about saving a year for Nicely? He needs to play and NOW. If he cannot, because Rogers is better, then his high-school resume must have been exaggerated, but then again I’m beginning to think that most of our recruits’ high school press clippings are overrated.I still cannot figure which line was worse yesterday, offense or defense. With a perfect view at the forty yard line, neither seemed able to budge CMU. To their credit, CMU’s O-line was huge and I do not mean fat either. Marcoux was getting moved around like it was me out there. Our offensive line got knocked back on their heels all day and defensively we acted as if we had NO idea that LeFevour could run the ball. He was free to run all day.Bowser may be our most talented receiver but he was screwing around on the bench behind the team the entire second half. .. Didn’t seem to give a damn that we were getting blown out.Kudos to the CMU coaching staff for taking a knee at the end. They could have scored 70 if they wanted to.On a positive note, I guess I now see why Brian Wagner is the real deal. We had to pleasure to meet his parents. What awesome folks! Didn’t seem too overly concerned with Brian’s personal goals. All they talked about was winning….and getting the UA fans behind the team. At 1-3, that may be easier said than done.

[akronad]

ZW: I agree with everything you said, except, no coach needs to or must tell the public or fans what they are doing or thinking. However, JD needs to pick 2 running backs and go with them. I am beginning to think that a) JD hates making decisions and 2) he likes to have decisions made by a committee. Eiher way, not a good way to run a D1 football program.

[Zipsrifle]

Here is what I'm going to do......tomorrow starts a new season for me. I can sit here and cheer all I want, or whine all I want, but it isn't going to do any good. We've got 2 weeks to prep for OU, and if JD says there is going to be big changes, then damn it, show me some changes! We have one goal left ahead of us, MAC East. Lets Start Over.......

[Dr Z]

if JD says there is going to be big changes, then damn it, show me some changes!

I would LOVE to know what these "big changes" are going to be. Change the offense? Change the defense? Personnel? Why weren't these changes done before? I'm not expecting much.