This loss is on the coaches

[Dave in Green]

@GP1, I really like a lot of your football analysis. But I think you need to do a better analysis on Bickley. It's true that he's a way-undersized true freshman receiver. At most schools he gets redshirted and given time to grow and learn the college game. But the rest of the reality is that Coach Bowden saw something in him that was missing in the bigger receivers; something the Zips need right now. Whether or not Bickley fully lives up to Coach Bowden's expectations this season is something that's hard to predict. But it's a gamble that Coach Bowden believed he needed to make in the absence of anyone else who's shown that they can deliver what Bickley has the potential to deliver. I suggest you not write off Bickley just because you think that big receivers are better than small receivers. Big receivers are better than small receivers only when everything else is equal. It often isn't.

[Dr Z]

The guy doing play by play said basically the following during one of his receptions: "Bubble screen to short guy. Look at him go. What an exciting player. He is like trying to catch a water bug. It's now second and nine." Enough said. I almost fell out of my chair laughing.

Can't say I didn't warn you. He was his typical terrible self.

My favorites are "let's see what the defense dials up here"..."let's see what the offense dials up here"

[Captain Kangaroo]

I saw four catches for fifteen yards. Longest catch was for seven. That means he averaged 2.66 yards per catch in his other three catches. What is the spark I am missing?

I think if you use the sampling of a single game, anyone can look bad. Based upon Louisiana, LT Smith is a chump.

Bickley had 5 receptions for 79 yards and 2 TD's against Louisiana. Pretty good for a true freshman.

He's probably going to end up a lot closer to Garrett Wolfe than you might want to acknowledge.

To the main point - I don't think the coaches blew the game. But they blew some major chances to win the game. And the coaching staff needs to be flawless if the Zips are to beat upper-tier MAC programs.

Throwing the ball on 3rd and inches when you have Hundley in the backfield is not smart football. Just like it wasn't smart football to run a sweep with "Mr. Outside" Juwan Chisholm on the 1 yard line against Michigan.

Having Pohl throw on 3rd and goal from the 4-inch line was as dangerous and ill-advised as it was for him to throw in a similar situation at Michigan. We get too cute inside the 5 yard line. We are the opposing defense's dream with our inside-the-5 playcalling.

Kicking from the far left hash with Dr. Shanken Stein was a big blunder. He's not a good kicker.

Bowden needs to play to win. His offensive playcalling is poor when it needs to be sound.

The pooch punt was extremely bad. With our existing punter bucking for team MVP honors, why do you take the ball out of his hands and let a QB kick it? There was no need for such a high-risk call, and it cost us 7 points.

BG has more talent the UA. But last Saturday, poor playcalling cost us a chance at the upset. MAC teams choke when the pressure it on. BG would have layed entirely different if it were 24-21 in the 4th, instead of 24-14. And the Zips defense would have had a spring in their step.

Instead we let BG off the hook, and lost our 30th consecutive road game.

Compare that with NIU, who's WON 27 of their last 29 road games.

Beautiful day in Bowling Green. But a tough day to enjoy.

[legendofzippy]

Just trying to keep people off the ledge ;-)

I think they're already on the ledge with one foot hanging over.

[ZippyFan]

I agree with a lot of the things being said but certainly not all. The criticism of Bickley is unfair. He's not doing the play calling the coaches are. I do think they are trying to use him in the wrong situations. He is the type of player that you need to get out in space. Using him in goal line situations is not smart. That's when we need to bring in bigger possesion type WR's. Does anyone else think we rotate to many WR's? I understand with the fast pace and different formations we need to stay fresh but getting 5 catches in a game in this offense is a lot. I think we need to get the ball in the hot hands more often. I'm not impressed with several of the guys we're rotating. In my opinion we also should have red shirted MTB. He's definitely not panning out. We obviously red shirted Wolf. I dont see how he could have been any worse then a few of the guys we're playing

[zen]

2010- 1-11

2011- 1-11

2012- 1-11

2013- 1-4

haven't won a away game since 2008

C'MON MAN!

^ never seemed to quit

/trololol

No really. I have learned already never to expect anything ever again.

So this season, when Michigan happened, I told myself it was a nice 'almost' but I refuse to ever believe that winning will happen again.

If it does, some day, then fine. But you guys keep allowing yourselves to permit hope to creep back in, and it just gets trampled on. Don't do that. It's easier to just expect nothing and have as much fun as is possible that way. I have season tickets. I still support. I'm just not going to hope for much.

[GP1]

@GP1, I really like a lot of your football analysis. But I think you need to do a better analysis on Bickley. It's true that he's a way-undersized true freshman receiver. At most schools he gets redshirted and given time to grow and learn the college game. But the rest of the reality is that Coach Bowden saw something in him that was missing in the bigger receivers; something the Zips need right now.

Grow into what? 5' 7"? The kid is past puberty and there is little chance of him growing more. Bulk up to what, 150 lbs? The truth is, most schools don't offer kids this size a scholarship.

Guys, this is D-1A freaking college football, not OHSAA. I hate to sound like I'm bashing the kid, because I'm not. I'm bashing bringing any kid with this size to play WR. His production will be limited the more he plays because more of how he plays will be on film. Players with this size are limited as to what they can do over time. Teams will find out their limitations and exploit that to their favor.

Play a guy this size at RB? Why? We are already starting the wrong guy at RB.

[GP1]

He's probably going to end up a lot closer to Garrett Wolfe than you might want to acknowledge.

I hope you are right and I want him to be successful. In the mean time, you can put my prediction next to the one of my prediction that Zeke Marshall would never play a second in the NBA.

[Buckzip]

I hope you are right and I want him to be successful. In the mean time, you can put my prediction next to the one of my prediction that Zeke Marshall would never play a second in the NBA.

Their are a lot of smallish guys out there that succeed. I am not saying that he is one of them, but he is a true freshman. The coaches must see something in him to play him as a true freshman.

He is nota a RB. He is more of a slot, H type that you want in space on screens. Of course you need blocking to get it all started.

As for Zeke, I remember posting the same type of thing and the homers attacked. LOL

[zestycoyote]

Grow into what? 5' 7"? The kid is past puberty and there is little chance of him growing more. Bulk up to what, 150 lbs? The truth is, most schools don't offer kids this size a scholarship.

Guys, this is D-1A freaking college football, not OHSAA. I hate to sound like I'm bashing the kid, because I'm not. I'm bashing bringing any kid with this size to play WR. His production will be limited the more he plays because more of how he plays will be on film. Players with this size are limited as to what they can do over time. Teams will find out their limitations and exploit that to their favor.

Play a guy this size at RB? Why? We are already starting the wrong guy at RB.

I guess this guy was too small to play for West Virginia and be a first round pick for the St. Louis Rams.

This true freshman has made some plays against competition he is supposedly too small to play against. Give him a couple more years before you rip him a new one. Also, regarding big, tall WRs, how has Andrew Pratt played compared to our little guy?

[footballzip]

It would just be nice to get that 2nd win and maybe win a away game someday in my lifetime. Is that asking to much? Coach Dennison, Faust, Owens, and Brookhart all had some decent seasons at least mediocre. I played for Coach D. We finished 8-3 in 1985, with a playoff appearance and ranked 10th in the nation in Div.1-AA. What I don't understand, at Div.1-AA we regularly beat MAC teams back in the day at the old Rubber Bowl. Not sure what happened to this program since the 2005 MAC Championship.

[zestycoyote]

It would just be nice to get that 2nd win and maybe win a away game someday in my lifetime. Is that asking to much? Coach Dennison, Faust, Owens, and Brookhart all had some decent seasons at least mediocre. I played for Coach D. We finished 8-3 in 1985, with a playoff appearance and ranked 10th in the nation in Div.1-AA. What I don't understand at Div.1-AA, we regularly beat MAC teams back in the day at the old Rubber Bowl. Not sure what happened to this program since the 2005 MAC Championship.

[GP1]

Give him a couple more years before you rip him a new one.

I just want to be clear that I'm not ripping him. I have concerns about bringing in any player this small to compete in D-1A. I know there are always examples of the little that guy who could. There are a lot more examples of the little guy that never pans out.

I have no problem with any player returning kicks or competing in special teams. My concern is any player this size touching the ball 13 offensive plays, which was roughly 15% of our offensive plays Saturday. When a team doesn't have anything else, they try to trick their way to success: Pass out of the full house backfield, QBs punting, reverses, getting the ball to players you believe can zig-zag their way to the end zone. These things drive me nuts. I would like to see us try using competency to drive success. Like the old saying goes, we are being too cute by half.

I could be totally wrong. Maybe the coaches are right and there isn't enough competency to go around at the present time so they have to run these tricks in order for us to shuck and jive our way to victory. I say let's try getting the ball into different hands and see how they do. Let's start with getting Hundley in the game. Maximize the existing personnel.

[Buckzip]

I just want to be clear that I'm not ripping him. I have concerns about bringing in any player this small to compete in D-1A. I know there are always examples of the little that guy who could. There are a lot more examples of the little guy that never pans out.

I have no problem with any player returning kicks or competing in special teams. My concern is any player this size touching the ball 13 offensive plays, which was roughly 15% of our offensive plays Saturday. When a team doesn't have anything else, they try to trick their way to success: Pass out of the full house backfield, QBs punting, reverses, getting the ball to players you believe can zig-zag their way to the end zone. These things drive me nuts. I would like to see us try using competency to drive success. Like the old saying goes, we are being too cute by half.

I could be totally wrong. Maybe the coaches are right and there isn't enough competency to go around at the present time so they have to run these tricks in order for us to shuck and jive our way to victory. I say let's try getting the ball into different hands and see how they do. Let's start with getting Hundley in the game. Maximize the existing personnel.

So now you are blaming the coaches. That is what this thread was started based on.