Game #9 Bowling Green

[Dave in Green]

One could argue the only difference between Frye and Pohl is their supporting cast. Doubt's? Do a side by side comparison of their supporting casts.

So you're saying that Pohl has the talent to be invited to play in the Senior Bowl and be named MVP like Frye? You're saying that Pohl has the talent to be drafted and have a modest NFL career like Frye? While I give you credit for recognizing in advance that there would be "doubts," you may want to give a little more thought to the meaning of "only difference."

[Hilltopper]

Poor blocking indeed. Every offensive snap will not be perfectly blocked. Taking a sack in that instance was the proper thing to do.

I'm just happy #7 didn't get hurt diving on the ball.

Dodged a bullet there.

#7 was instrumental in both plays by avoiding contact. On the interception in the endzone #7 just watched as a BG lineman took a direct line to Pohl forcing a bad throw. If he makes that block, the result is probably a TD.

[Hilltopper]

When we lined up on 4th and 4 with Grice in the backfield it was perfect time to run a QB bootleg or some other kind of misdirection. Instead we just give the ball to a guy who hasn't needed to gain more than one yard on any carry this season. This offense is so predictable that we make horrible defenses like BG's look good.

[Dr Z]

When we lined up on 4th and 4 with Grice in the backfield it was perfect time to run a QB bootleg or some other kind of misdirection. Instead we just give the ball to a guy who hasn't needed to gain more than one yard on any carry this season. This offense is so predictable that we make horrible defenses like BG's look good.

I agree, I have been waiting for some kind of play action over the top type of throw. I'm just not sure who can execute it. Other than the underutilized D'Orazio, I don't have much faith in our skill players on that side of the ball.

Spider two y banana!!!

[GP1]

You could...but it would be a really poor argument.

Frye will collect an NFL pension. Pohl will not sniff an NFL camp.

If not for 2 of the worst teams, neither would Frye.

[skip-zip]

If not for 2 of the worst teams, neither would Frye.

You're kidding. Right?

[Balsy]

I can't stop thinking....Maybe the next Charlie Frye isn't that easy to find. But a Dalton Williams should be. If Stephen F. Austin was able to attract a guy of that caliber....why can't Akron?

Between Chapman, Woodson, Kincade and (future hopefully still) Harrison, I think we'll find "that" guy.

[Balsy]

The interception on the ball thrown towards Smith in the end zone was due to poor blocking and because Smith broke off the planned route. I believe the play that turned this game was the bad snap by Switzer that ended up being a recovered fumble for a BG touchdown (sound a little familiar - Broncos Superbowl loss this year). We have a nice stretch of games coming up.

Completely agree. That play absolutely killed us.

Sure, if you ignoring the drops makes sense if you want one person to shoulder the blame. We have zero confidence or momentum right now. We lost that while Pohl was not playing. He didn't help last night, but who did? They were completely out classed by a Championship contender.

BTW, he is 8-4 in his last 12 starts. He'll finish the season 10-5 in 15 starts. Not bad considering who he is throwing it to.

Football is the one sport where fans overreact to both winning and losing.

Knapke's recievers were dropping the ball all night too, but he managed to throw zero interceptions. The offense has been the liability as to why we lose games the past two years. The defense is what has willed us to those victories, not the "outstanding" play of our QB.

Pohl locks into unopened receivers and guns it to them. Pohl looked much better than Woodson, I'll give you that, but he's not the phenomenal QB you make him out to be. We need a QB who can will the offense to win games, not throw into coverage at critical points of the game.

[Buckzip]

Pohl is a good QB. No, he is not a superstar and not as good as Ray Bentley was talking him up last night.

However, if you look at his passes. most were catchable balls in good location. The first int in the end zone was obviously a communication issue. The second one should have been caught. it was in place for the WR to get it. Unfortunately our WR are of high school quality.

The Int always goes on the QB stats, but often it is not their fault.

The o-line can't block, the running backs don't run, and the WR can't catch. Pohl may not be a superstar, but he is really the least of our worries. He is more than just a game manager. What I am surprised most by is that he never runs anymore. IIRC, he used to be more of a dual threat QB that could run some. Obviously the staff has taken that away.

[Buckzip]

And for anyone that hates Pohl and thinks he should be benched. Next year Chapman will be available.(I hope).

He is a true dual threat and a stud. Hopefully the staff doesn't take that away from him. He certainly has all MAC talent.

[Dr Z]

...Ray Bentley was talking him up last night.

I watched the end of the game when I got home and wondered who that tool was. Thanks for reminding me to look him up. Interesting stuff.

[ZachTheZip]

I think AJ Milwee needs to take some responsibility for the playcalling. The offense has regressed every year.

Bowden originally gave Milwee OC duties so he could work with the defense. The defense no longer needs that extra help, and the offense does in a big way.

[Hilltopper]

I watched the end of the game when I got home and wondered who that tool was. Thanks for reminding me to look him up. Interesting stuff.

I really chuckled at a couple of the edits on that page.

[GP1]

I watched the end of the game when I got home and wondered who that tool was. Thanks for reminding me to look him up. Interesting stuff.

Those games are very lazily produced.

[Balsy]

I don't think the staff is going to take that away, supposedly by the conspiracy contention here that was the reason they put Woodson in over Pohl.

Didn't Pohl play on an injured ankle all of last season? That would be a very good reason why they "took the run away" from him. Bowden also doesn't discuss injuries (as he said in the pre and post game shows of this week and last week) so how do we really know Pohl ever fully recovered from those injuries.

Pohl Also doesn't have the presence of mind, or (IMO) the speed to be a scrambling QB. He plants his feet and sometimes scrambles out of the tackle. He usually gets sacked or runs (not very fast) to the sidelines. I don't seem him as a running threat at all.

[Balsy]

I will also put this out there: For the Record, I still think the Zips will go 7-5. I'm disappointed in this loss. I thought Pohl and the offense could play better, but I at the begining of the year I didn't think that they'd win this one against the Falcons.

On to Buffalo, time to get Bowl Eligible!

[skip-zip]

I will also put this out there: For the Record, I still think the Zips will go 7-5.

On to Buffalo, time to get Bowl Eligible!

It all depends on everyone's expectations. I guess 7-5 is great, when you were 5-7 the year before, and just dug your program out of the doldrums. But I think some people expected a MAC championship contender. The schedule set up perfectly. We got the game we needed to get us there, at got it at home. Unfortunately, we weren't up to the challenge.

Our progress will now be measured by 3 games. Are we a team that's still only capable of winning a handful of games, and still one to stringing together a long list of losses? Or, are we ready to be in the mix? if we go 1-2 in the next 3 weeks, and end up with 5 conference losses, I think doubt will linger throughout the off-season. If we win 2 out of 3, hope will survive. If we win all 3 and go to a bowl game? I think most people would be thrilled with that outcome.

[Buckzip]

People expected a lot after beating Pitt. That win may have been a bad thing for this team.

[Lee Adams]

I don't think the staff is going to take that away, supposedly by the conspiracy contention here that was the reason they put Woodson in over Pohl.

Didn't Pohl play on an injured ankle all of last season? That would be a very good reason why they "took the run away" from him. Bowden also doesn't discuss injuries (as he said in the pre and post game shows of this week and last week) so how do we really know Pohl ever fully recovered from those injuries.

Pohl Also doesn't have the presence of mind, or (IMO) the speed to be a scrambling QB. He plants his feet and sometimes scrambles out of the tackle. He usually gets sacked or runs (not very fast) to the sidelines. I don't seem him as a running threat at all.

They didn't 'take the run away'from Pohl,they used it more often.

[Lee Adams]

Not many were expecting a MAC championship,this year. Felt all along that Bowden needed to get the program to 6-6,this year. That seemed reasonable for a 'rebuild'. Now people are 'assuming' that a team that has played poorly for a month or more and lost three in a row will win two or three out of its last three with two roadies and two good QB's on the other side. Hope,maybe?

I keep wondering if Bowden, by insisting on running his offensive 'system' with personnel who appear to be unable to consistently execute that system is putting his players in the best position to win now. The defense has carried the team thus far. Bowden needs to throw them a lifeline..soon.

[GP1]

People expected a lot after beating Pitt. That win may have been a bad thing for this team.

Why are high expectations after beating a BCS level team in an NFL stadium a bad thing?

One thing I think a lot of people are missing is how very fragile this program is. We are a historical loser and to break that cycle is very difficult. It takes things like beating BCS level teams to gain the confidence and momentum a program like ours needs. Beating Pitt only helps us. Losing horribly to teams like OU and BSU easily shatter a fragile program to the point where we are at today. The Zips are in a very bad spot right now and people shouldn't whistle through the graveyard. Those of us who have been watching for a long time now understand how bad it can get and how quickly it can get worse. We could go 2-1 the rest of the season. Are we strong enough to do that?...I don't know and would have had a much different answer four weeks ago. There is also a chance we could go 1-2. The Zips are in a very bad spot right now with few games to right the ship and probably zero confidence or momentum to turn it. Many of use have seen this film before.

[Buckzip]

It may have made them think they are better than they are.

[GP1]

It may have made them think they are better than they are.

I didn't see that at the Miami game.

Nothing wrong with some good mojo. Teams like Akron need to believe they are good and winning reinforces it.

[Dave in Green]

GP1 makes some good points about the difficulty of an improving team breaking out of a losing cycle. I think the Zips rightfully had confidence coming out of the Pitt game, and they made good on that by beating EMU and Miami despite losing their starting QB for the second half of the Miami game. It even carried through to keeping the OU game close and looking good in the first half of the BSU game before falling apart in the second half.

Pohl's return for the BGSU game wasn't enough to quickly turn things around because Pohl is not good enough to carry the team on his back. He's an adequate QB on a team with no standouts on offense. He's good enough to lead the offense to just enough points to outscore most MAC teams because the Zips defense has been so good. But the Zips defense isn't strong enough to overcome 4-5 turnovers by the offense and special teams. As a team, this season's Zips are just good enough to win most of their MAC games if everything is going right. Losing their starting QB for 2.5 games was a major disruption for a team with no history of winning, and a comeback from that adversity isn't guaranteed.

I still believe Coach Bowden has the ability to revive this team over their last three games and win at least two of them as long as there are no other significant disruptions.

[K92]

The offense has been horrible, no doubt, but I continue to see posts lauding our defense. What I sat in the rain to watch on Tuesday shouldn't be called good defense by any stretch of the imagination. What happened to our pass rush? Other than Jerome Lane, it was non-existent. What happened to our run defense? I kinda gave them a pass when Jahwan Edwards gashed us because he has a rep as a good MAC back but 2 of Travis Greene's backups each ran for 100 yards Tuesday night. I don't know if the team has just lost confidence all the way around or what but it's not just the offense that's floundering right now.

We need to get it together quickly or it's going to be a sad bus ride back from Canada.