Credit to GW

[Zipsrifle]

WOW!

OK, now I'm convinced that we don't have FBS talent, we have FCS talent. Those guys for GW were not pushovers. They were just as big as we were, just as athletic, just as strong, and better coached. Wow.

We had a hard time running on them. When we did open a hole, EVERY TIME AA or NB would do a studder step just before hitting the hole. This slows their forward progress and results in fewer yards. Are we scared to hit the hole full steam??? We can't turn the corner and I am so sick and tired of our receivers not blocking. How many times did I see our receivers try to block by going low and their backs would just jump over them and make the tackle??? COME ON!!! Our guys are slow, when we did get by someone, we didn't separate. When we do pass, it takes so long for things to develop that their guys were all over it! Sure, we did better than last week passing, but it wasn't at will that is for sure. Our guys aren't that fast and don't seem to get any separation.

Our Defensive backfield is horrible, just horrible. How many times did their QB roll out, our D backs would bite and go to get him and he would toss it over their heads? They loft one up and we don't turn around to find the ball, we just put our hands up. Their receivers can catch, ours can't. How many times did we just flat out get beat? Can our safety keep everyone in front of them? The ref's weren't horrible, I know a few times we should have been called for pass interference but weren't. The refs gave us quite a few breaks. They could run on us because they could pass on us.

Sorry guys, I think we're pretty much screwed this year. I sure hope Coach I can recruit because God knows, we need the talent.

[Lee Adams]

WOW!

OK, now I'm convinced that we don't have FBS talent, we have FCS talent. Those guys for GW were not pushovers. They were just as big as we were, just as athletic, just as strong, and better coached. Wow.

We had a hard time running on them. When we did open a hole, EVERY TIME AA or NB would do a studder step just before hitting the hole. This slows their forward progress and results in fewer yards. Are we scared to hit the hole full steam??? We can't turn the corner and I am so sick and tired of our receivers not blocking. How many times did I see our receivers try to block by going low and their backs would just jump over them and make the tackle??? COME ON!!! Our guys are slow, when we did get by someone, we didn't separate. When we do pass, it takes so long for things to develop that their guys were all over it! Sure, we did better than last week passing, but it wasn't at will that is for sure. Our guys aren't that fast and don't seem to get any separation.

Our Defensive backfield is horrible, just horrible. How many times did their QB roll out, our D backs would bite and go to get him and he would toss it over their heads? They loft one up and we don't turn around to find the ball, we just put our hands up. Their receivers can catch, ours can't. How many times did we just flat out get beat? Can our safety keep everyone in front of them? The ref's weren't horrible, I know a few times we should have been called for pass interference but weren't. The refs gave us quite a few breaks. They could run on us because they could pass on us.

Sorry guys, I think we're pretty much screwed this year. I sure hope Coach I can recruit because God knows, we need the talent.

the guy sitting next to us in section 212 commented about what a smart game Gardner-Webb played...well coached...never panicked...exploited akron's weaknesses...the sign of a good coach is being able to finesse when you are physically overmatched...GW's staff did that to akron...BUT the zips are even worse than i thought...the secondary especially the safeties, is a train wreck..still no consistent pass rush...nicely is still lost in this system..thankfully Nate Burney is emerging from the hole that brookhart had him buried in

[skip-zip]

WOW!

OK, now I'm convinced that we don't have FBS talent, we have FCS talent. Those guys for GW were not pushovers. They were just as big as we were, just as athletic, just as strong, and better coached. Wow.

We had a hard time running on them. When we did open a hole, EVERY TIME AA or NB would do a studder step just before hitting the hole. This slows their forward progress and results in fewer yards. Are we scared to hit the hole full steam??? We can't turn the corner and I am so sick and tired of our receivers not blocking. How many times did I see our receivers try to block by going low and their backs would just jump over them and make the tackle??? COME ON!!! Our guys are slow, when we did get by someone, we didn't separate. When we do pass, it takes so long for things to develop that their guys were all over it! Sure, we did better than last week passing, but it wasn't at will that is for sure. Our guys aren't that fast and don't seem to get any separation.

Our Defensive backfield is horrible, just horrible. How many times did their QB roll out, our D backs would bite and go to get him and he would toss it over their heads? They loft one up and we don't turn around to find the ball, we just put our hands up. Their receivers can catch, ours can't. How many times did we just flat out get beat? Can our safety keep everyone in front of them? The ref's weren't horrible, I know a few times we should have been called for pass interference but weren't. The refs gave us quite a few breaks. They could run on us because they could pass on us.

Sorry guys, I think we're pretty much screwed this year. I sure hope Coach I can recruit because God knows, we need the talent.

On the first point, I actually think our running game was a bright spot today.

On your second point, I pretty much agree. Our corners aren't bad, they were just physically outmatched with some of their big receivers. But, I think our safeties have shown us nothing. And our lack of QB pressure didn't help the situation.

[ctmjbowes@sbcglobal.net]

I remarked yesterday to other fans about the Temple game last year, along with the games against Big Ten teams we've played in recent years. In those games I didn't need to be a football scout to see the size, speed and athleticism differences between our teams and the opponents. They were obviously bigger, faster, more talented and the end results were completely predictable before the first snap.

Before yesterday's game I assumed we'd see much the same between the Zips and GW with the Zips being obviously more talented. They weren't. I was amazed yesterday to see that GW was generally as big as we were, as fast (or faster at some positions) and just as physical as we were. Their O and D lines played as stoutly as ours, their skill players were more dynamic (especially that big #84--where is our #84?) and, painfully, their coaching seemed brighter.

Now again I'm no football expert but it hurts a lot to say that this Zips team appears to me to be a FCS football team, and even worse, without the benefit of creative and dynamic coaching. I hope these things improve but it was certainly tough to watch yesterday.

Now onto the silver lining. The Info is a great place to watch a game, it's right on campus near good restaurants and much more convenient than the RB was, and (BONUS) now it looks like those of us who attend games will have plenty of individual seat space. As I heard another fan say yesterday, they can't take the Info away from us now! Also, the lot 9 tailgating was another good time. I find myself in a place where to me, UA football is about the tailgating and the overall game-day atmosphere in our new house. I'm having fun going to these games and having some good food and beer, and in the end that's what matters in an entertainment product. If the Zips get their heads out of their asses it'll just be the icing on the cake. I mean, ask Cubs fans (or Browns fans for that matter) if the suckitude of their team means they can't have fun. Historically, taking UA football too seriously has proven to be bad for one's health. I'm not going to be trapped in that misery and instead choose to support the team but ensure that I have a good time doing so.

GO ZIPS!

[RootforRoo44]

I figure i'll post this here as GW fans (who i'm sure are perusing our board) are probably the only people who would truly enjoy this.

(stupid youtube hasn't updated their allowed songs list recently and the song i used had to be audioswapped so there may be no sound for an hour or two)

[MDZip]

I'm not going to be trapped in that misery and instead choose to support the team but ensure that I have a good time doing so.

GO ZIPS!

And that's what we have to look forward to with the football team right now. "They are what we thought they were." At least for those of us that enjoy the soccer team, it is still great. Hopefully football comes back someday sooner than later. (sigh)

[suitanim]

The loss Saturday had little to do with talent...it had everything to do with coaching. I think JD, given two weeks to prepare the same exact team , would have won by 3TD's.

The schemes are wrong...they had WR's running wide open (and that was a scheme breakdown, not players being slow or stupid), we didn't get enough pressure, and they had too much on us, we still can't kick FG's and PAT's reliably, etc, etc....we were simply outcoached Saturday.

[ctmjbowes@sbcglobal.net]

I'll beg to disagree on the kicking game. For well more than two years now we've watched kickers who can't seem to kick. Igor seems to be a nice kid but is not performing the duties of a D-1 kicker. When PATs are nail biters, your kickers aren't up to the task.

Also, think about the field position game. We tend to overlook it but UA has handicapped itself in that phase as well for well more than two years. First it was the rotating kickers on JDs' whim, along with the (vomitous) rugby-style kicking, the 25 yard punts. It seems like we have been working with long fields while giving the opposition short fields for a long, long time now. I don't mean to be facetious, but is it really that difficult to find kickers in D-1? The punting has been better so far this year, but I still shudder a little whenever I see special teams trotting onto the field.

Will the great recruiter recruit a kid who can reliably kick, at least from 30 yards and in?