Akron vs Can't game thread

[tpsjugglerdude]

Just a couple thoughts that have not been touched on yet.

1) I love the play call for the flea clicker on flea flicker on 3rd and 1. Poor throw, or it could have been a TD.

2) Anyone here guess that we would be up by double digits at half?

3) I love that Can't stormed the field after beating a 1-8 team. I bet they storm the court today when they play a basketball exhibition game vs Rochester.

4) Some are saying that Can't is overrated, but they are now ranked 27th in the AP. (Toledo 23, NIU 26, Can't 27, OU 32)

[Sergeant Zip]

BCS Bowl Game for Can't? "A MAC team only has to climb to No. 16 in the BCS standings-- and finish ahead of one of the "Big Six" conference champs -- to get into a BCS bowl. There are two teams that could spoil the MAC's hopes of slipping into a BCS bowl. One is Louisiana Tech (8-1) [and] the other is Boise State (7-2)." - Elton Alexander

[ZachTheZip]

BCS Bowl Game for Can't? "A MAC team only has to climb to No. 16 in the BCS standings-- and finish ahead of one of the "Big Six" conference champs -- to get into a BCS bowl. There are two teams that could spoil the MAC's hopes of slipping into a BCS bowl. One is Louisiana Tech (8-1) [and] the other is Boise State (7-2)." - Elton Alexander

Only Toledo is in a position to get a BCS bowl, by virtue of currently being ranked. I don't see an unranked MAC team climbing to a top-16 spot in the time remaining this season.

[LZIp]

You never really know what will happen. I just know I only would want NIU or Toledo representing us.

[zestycoyote]

You never really know what will happen. I just know I only would want NIU or Toledo representing us.

Agreed. Toledo beats 'superior' teams consistently during the regular season. Not a great depth recent bowl history, but I believe they won their last bowl game. NIU, on the other hand, has a lot of recent bowl history with mixed results. The last couple bowls they've appeared in, they've killed their opponents. Before that, they got killed in a couple bowls.

Regardless, it's pretty cool to think about how many MAC teams should go bowling this year.

[Captain Kangaroo]

I think TB clearly got the better of him yesterday.

I would respectfully disagree here. Bowden put the team in a great position to win the game. Then he puckered-up.

Hazell's team was unflappable, and they ran some great 3rd and 4th and short plays that were back-breakers.

Hazell clearly got the better of the Zips Saturday. They rolled us in the 2nd half. When it counted.

[Dr Z]

Other than stopping the run on the defense, the next thing TB needs to do is figure out how to advance the ball when a team starts consistently rushing 3 and dropping 8. Our offense seems based on quick decision passing, if the defense has eight in coverage, the decision seems to be to hold on to the ball and take a sack, or chuck it 8 yards out of bounds. We need better plays than that to get first downs in the second half. This is becoming a trend on film that our opponents have now figured out.

PS One answer, is a QB that can run, but we all know TB's philosophy on that. Teams used to try this against Roethlisberger, but it didn't work, and he doesn't run.

[g-mann17]

Other than stopping the run on the defense, the next thing TB needs to do is figure out how to advance the ball when a team starts consistently rushing 3 and dropping 8. Our offense seems based on quick decision passing, if the defense has eight in coverage, the decision seems to be to hold on to the ball and take a sack, or chuck it 8 yards out of bounds. We need better plays than that to get first downs in the second half. This is becoming a trend on film that our opponents have now figured out.

PS One answer, is a QB that can run, but we all know TB's philosophy on that. Teams used to try this against Roethlisberger, but it didn't work, and he doesn't run.

Kyle Pohl can run...

[GP1]

Our offense seems based on quick decision passing, if the defense has eight in coverage, the decision seems to be to hold on to the ball and take a sack, or chuck it 8 yards out of bounds.

Good points. The solutions are pretty simple. A QB with a cannon arm and pinpoint accuracy solves this problem....Very hard to find in the MAC and the good teams know it.

Second solution, which is easier than banging your head against a wall trying to be right about something that is almost impossible to be right at (see JD Brookhart never giving up on the 3-3-5 defense). What the good teams in the MAC have also figured out is there has to be a running component with the QB as a threat to run in an offense in the 21st Century. Being able to run isn't as important as being able to pass, but a team had better have some running component to open up the field for passing. It doesn't have to be a 50/50 balance, but there as to be some action that provides deception and surprise to a defense.

For a long time now, the NFL has had good runners who open up the field for passing. Think back to Steve Young and how his ability to run opened up the field countless times for the 49ers. Heck, you can go back as far as Otto Graham and Sammy Baugh to see NFL QBs who have, in their time, opened up a passing game with their feet. As time progressed, there have become more guys like Young. Ben Roethlisberger has been doing it for a while now. It's nothing new, we are just seeing more of it and a different evolution of it in college. I know a lot of people aren't going to like this, but look at how OSU has done with their last two running threat QBs with little talent on the team. Let's join the party...There probably isn't much pot left at the party since we played at Can't last weekend, but we can always buy/grow more.

There are other solutions, but the second seems to be the one that works every time a turn on a television.

[Lee Adams]

As we said previously the rhythm offense that TB likes works consistently when the D has to commit more than 4-5 to control the line of scrimmage. And,in the MAC unless you have a stud defense that can actually 'win' games and an overpowering run game,you have to have a QB who as GP stated before can 'run effectively'. He doesn't need to gain 100 yards/game. But if the LB's and safeties have to play a few steps closer to the line that means they can't keep the plays in front of them and the receivers may get some separation.

Anyway,the weather is supposed to be decent on Saturday. Lets have fun finally at an Akron win.

[LZIp]

You guys can try to beat the "running QB" need all you want, but the fact is, we dont need a running QB, though I prefer one more mobile than Williams that can actually elude some guys in the pocket and extend plays.

[Dr Z]

You guys can try to beat the "running QB" need all you want, but the fact is, we dont need a running QB, though I prefer one more mobile than Williams that can actually elude some guys in the pocket and extend plays.

I think you missed the point of the four previous posts. Extending the play is not the issue, the issue is finding positive plays when the D drops 8. Dalton has enough time since only three are rushing, he just doesn't seem to have options in front of him that he is comfortable with. One solution, could be to take off, take that out of the equation for the moment, now what?

[LZIp]

I think you missed the point of the four previous posts. Extending the play is not the issue, the issue is finding positive plays when the D drops 8. Dalton has enough time since only three are rushing, he just doesn't seem to have options in front of him that he is comfortable with. One solution, could be to take off, take that out of the equation for the moment, now what?

I dont know. Maybe our receivers arent good enough to get open?

Oklahoma State runs the same exact offense and they are ranked #2 in the country, and have no "dual threat" QB.

Maybe we could hand Chisholm the ball when they only rush 3?

[Blue & Gold]

I remember TB saying he prefer his QB not scramble. At all. In his thinking, it keeps the QB from getting the play from the sideline as quickly as he likes & getting the next play off before the defense is set.

However, I feel that Pohl may loosen things up a bit next year by merely being capable of possibly running. I think defenses figured out a couple weeks ago that there is absolutely no threat of DW taking off with the ball. We don't want a true Dual-Threat QB, but it'll be nice to have a Pro-Style QB who has the ability to pick up 3-4 yards if the defense just sits back.

[GP1]

Oklahoma State runs the same exact offense and they are ranked #2 in the country, and have no "dual threat" QB.

Even though Ok State plays the same offense, their QB has a net rushing total of 254 yards this season. Even if you take out his longest of 50, he is still averaging around 5 yards per running attempt. He may not be a "dual threat", but he is enough of a threat. I'll take a four yard gain any day over an incomplete pass.

Offensive coordinators say all the time, "Get yards". When the opportunity presents itself, we have to get yards. Why should the defense rush more than three on a clear passing down? There is no threat of our QB running. Heck, they could drop 10 and there would be no threat of running.

Of the Top 4 BCS teams right now, three of the four (Oregon, Can't State and ND) have QBs who are at least a threat to run. Alabama's QB has a net loss of yards this year, but when you have two RBs with over 700 yards rushing each, there isn't much need for a QB to get yards that have already been gotten.

[Captain Kangaroo]

I dont know. Maybe our receivers arent good enough to get open?

Only in the 2nd half?

GP1 is correct. Drop 10, and Williams still doesn't run. That's too easy to defend.

[LZIp]

Only in the 2nd half?

GP1 is correct. Drop 10, and Williams still doesn't run. That's too easy to defend.

Pretty sure our best player on offense is the RB. Why not give it to him?

[johnnyzip84]

I would respectfully disagree here. Bowden put the team in a great position to win the game. Then he puckered-up.

Hey, somebody had to pick up the Bowden Ball after NZF muffed it onto the carpet a few weeks ago

[Dr Z]

GP1 is correct. Drop 10, and Williams still doesn't run. That's too easy to defend.

It shouldn't be easy to defend. I have to watch exactly what's going on when I'm at the game,

but I have a suspicion that the receivers are running their routes, if the ball isn't there, they slow down to a jog.

The receivers need a plan after 4 seconds.

Sorry, again for making a Steeler reference in NEO, but it's what I know.

When Santonio Holmes joined the Steelers, he did the same, run his route and then "stopped."

He soon learned that Ben was going to make time in the pocket to extend plays, and he found his own holes in the defense to get open.

He and Ben soon developed an understanding of how to advance the ball down field after a route was complete and over.

Our receivers need to do the same when Dalton pulls the ball down after the initial route is complete.

Obviously this comes with practice and the offense and players have only been together one year.

Hopefully this comes in the future, if not this year, next.

[Lee Adams]

When you don't have the talent to do what you want to do you have to make adjustments offense and defense. The comparison to the Oklahoma State offense is a little misleading.(I mean it looks like Toledo also runs an offense similar to what TB likes.) They have enough talent and playmakers to be able run what they want to run and make it work at their level of competition. Akron apparently doesn't even have sufficient talent or playmakers to be successful consistently against the better teams in the MAC. The point about trying to find a more mobile QB is simply trying to make an adjustment that could help the team be more successful.