Post Game Thoughts

[sgm405]

I figure we can all share here...----- THE GOOD ----- - 33-13 victory...just what the Zips needed after the CM loss, now going into Can't next week with some momentum. - Andre Walker played well...19 carries for 80 yards and 2 TD's. Definitely did well filling in for Kennedy. - Jermaine Lindsey. He had a very solid game. Same for David Harvey, who continues to impress. - The students on an island. I'm just not a fan of the rowdiest, loudest, most spirited section being on the away team's side. - The students who did show up. Aside from the overuse of one chant (which I'll get to later), everyone was spirited and upbeat. If only more would show up next time. - N.C. State defeated #20 Boston College. Makes our win against them look even better. ----- THE BAD ----- - Dennis Kennedy MIA once again. As good as Walker did tonight, we need a healthy DK to make another MAC Title run. - "AK" ... "ROWDY" chants. I don't mind the chant one bit...it's unique to Akron and easy to do. But we need to mix in a few other chants as well. There was an AK-Rowdy chant about every five minutes tonight...it's good, but if we don't mix it up with some other stuff it'll get old...fast. - First place in the MAC East? The 2-0 Can't State Golden flushes. What appeared to be a joke of a game in the preseason now looks like it could be a good one. We should still win with ease, but with the way they've been playing and it being a rivalry game, the Zips have to come to play next weekend. ----- THE UGLY ----- - Our kicking game. I've never had less confidence in a kicker as I do in Matt Domonkos. 2 for 4 tonight on XP attempts with a missed field goal from about 12 yards out. Is there anyone else out there? Can we just get a high school kicker? Unfortunately Stec didn't look much better...one atrocious punt and one punt blocked. - 16,011. MAC Champs. Home opener. Pretty good weather. Fireworks after the game. 16,011. Downright pathetic showing by the people of Akron. With most of our home games being later in the season in much colder weather, are we even going to stay above the 15,000 mark?

[72 Roo]

I agree our kicking game is a problem. What about the freshman from Lake Catholic? A former soccer player who was rated as the second best place kicker in Ohio and 10th in the country. Is he being red-shirted. I thought he reported this Fall, but haven't heard much about him. Can someone fill me in. Thanks. Go Zips! The Can't game will be great, but don't doubt for a minute that it is our game. J.D. will have 'em ready. He understands the importance of this as a rivalry, for recruiting, for the MAC East and the fact most of us hate Can't.

[Big Zip]

With a top tier soccer team you can't tell me we don't have a soccer player who can kick better than Domonkos. Why not just have tryouts on the practice field between classes -- just put up a poster board advertising and take the first one that hits 10 extra point in a row. I know the special teams didn't exactly cost us the game in CMU, but an extra point and a field goal and that's a one point win for Akron. By the way how good did the CMU loss look today when EMU took them to the wire? With a couple of short field touchdowns and nothing in the second half -- you can go ahead and say next week's game is going to be an easy win over Can't, but I'm not sure this team is going to do it. Could it be Akron is the team that should be worried next week -- Akron hardly ever beats Miami and did their best to give the BGSU game away last year. Special Teams will lose us games this year -- multiple. I don't know why we even kick extra points -- if you can go 50% on extra points you'll be doing better than Domonkos and his 4 missed extra points how do you do that?

[RowdyZip]

Couple things: There's no way there was 16,000 people there. Anyone else surprised that Aaris Reed, the true frosh, was out there for a few carries? This city should be embarrassed at that showing, not only for the home opener, but for a team this good coming off a championship season. There really are very few of us in this city that truly deserve a good D-1 team to watch. Also, how is the rubber bowl gonna last 3+ more years?!?!?! Wow that thing gets dumpier by the second. Woulda felt a lot better if we would've owned them the whole game instead of only for the first half. We've yet to see what happens if this team plays a complete game. Wouldve won by two touchdowns at nc state with a second half equal to the first, wouldve won by two touchdowns at CMU with a first half equal to the second, and would've won this one by 50 if we would've been playing to win the entire time rather than playing not to lose. regardless, good end result. here's to bigger and better things as this team continues to gel.

[zipsbandman]

I think we are in big trouble against Can't. Something is up with them, and I don't know if they can be stopped, and I'm not sure this Akron team will. Can't may be winning the east this year?

[zippyrifle32]

walker was great. 2td's and he had some really nice blocks. i love the fact that he lowers his shoulder and keeps his legs going, even if he is stopped. that's how you get those couple extra yards. hope to see him play some more.

[Quickzips]

My thoughts#1-DON'T blame the students for the attendance there tonight. That was a better student showing than I've seen since I've been here. #2-WOW is our kicking game pathetic. I think its time to burn Iveljics redshirt and we NEED to find a new long snapper. I've seen way to many long snaps skimming turf and that is not what we need with these new kickers.#3-Great first half by the offense, great game overall for the defense (got a little hairy in the late second/early third but all in all very good). I'm a little concerned by our inability to put together two good halves in a row on offense but not too concerned.#4-We NEED David Harvey on the field every play. This kid is electric. Every time he touches the ball something big is going to happen. JD is recognizing this and putting him on return duties. Loving it. Plain loving it.

[sgm405]

#1-DON'T blame the students for the attendance there tonight. That was a better student showing than I've seen since I've been here.

I think you took what I said the wrong way. I don't blame the students for the attendance. I think the turnout was great for students. I'm just saying it'd be nice to take it even a step further and get more there.

[Quickzips]

#1-DON'T blame the students for the attendance there tonight.  That was a better student showing than I've seen since I've been here.

I think you took what I said the wrong way. I don't blame the students for the attendance. I think the turnout was great for students. I'm just saying it'd be nice to take it even a step further and get more there.

That wasn't really in response to your comments or others. More of a preemptive strike in order to cut off the inevitable "blame the students for bad attendance, they don't take enough pride in their school" excuse.

[sgm405]

#1-DON'T blame the students for the attendance there tonight.  That was a better student showing than I've seen since I've been here.

I think you took what I said the wrong way. I don't blame the students for the attendance. I think the turnout was great for students. I'm just saying it'd be nice to take it even a step further and get more there.

That wasn't really in response to your comments or others. More of a preemptive strike in order to cut off the inevitable "blame the students for bad attendance, they don't take enough pride in their school" excuse.

Gotcha...

[K-Roo]

Cannot believe the whining By the way ...we won... decent crowd.... weather didn't downpour... This could have been a huge let down game... JD had the team ready and it was over after the 1st Quarter. NT made a run, but couldn't close.... kicking is an issue ... but it isn't all on the freshmen.... somebody on the punt team needs to throw a block once in while... Domonkos will win us a game or two before the season ends. JD will straighten it out..... nuff said.We are now 2-2 and play Can't for all the marbles next Sat... None of us figured that...By the way, has anyone started an Antionio Gates watch???Zips control their own destiny. We play every MAC EAST opponent yet. If we win these games, we put ourselves in a good position to win the East.One complaint... went to get my stadium blankets and was told "We are out." This was 30 minutes before game time...... what up with that???? Poor planning....

[sgm405]

Cannot believe the whining By the way ...we won... decent crowd.... weather didn't downpour... This could have been a huge let down game... JD had the team ready and it was over after the 1st Quarter. NT made a run, but couldn't close.... kicking is an issue ... but it isn't all on the freshmen.... somebody on the punt team needs to throw a block once in while... Domonkos will win us a game or two before the season ends. JD will straighten it out..... nuff said.We are now 2-2 and play Can't for all the marbles next Sat... None of us figured that...By the way, has anyone started an Antionio Gates watch???Zips control their own destiny. We play every MAC EAST opponent yet. If we win these games, we put ourselves in a good position to win the East.One complaint... went to get my stadium blankets and was told "We are out." This was 30 minutes before game time...... what up with that???? Poor planning....

Whining? When a D1 college placekicker goes 2-4 in XP attempts and misses a 12 yard field goal, I'm going to rip him. I'm sorry - and I hope I'm wrong - but I don't see Domonkos winning us any games this year...we'll be winning despite his shoddy performances.

[Valpo Zip]

Cannot believe the whining By the way ...we won... decent crowd.... weather didn't downpour...

I have to respectfully disagree with you...1-kicking is horrible, i don't know how exactly was domonkos(sp?) recruited, but the thought that the athletic department spends some money on a scholarshio for him makes me . High school players, soccer players, and even some fans can do better than that.2-decent showing ? are you serious ? i don't know how they got the 16,000 figure but by in stadium estimate was 10 or no more than 12 thousands at most... for a deffending champion in his home opener, that sounds way far from decent to me.3- no body is whining about the weather.

[liljc]

I thought the first half was tremendous. That being said, the place kicking is a crap shoot. In years past, we didn't really have to pay attention to the extra points because they were nearly automatic. This season I find my self cheering when one hapens to go thru. You can forget about kicking any field goals. This is going to cost us GAMES. It may cost a chance to defend the MAC title. I dunno what the answer is, but Igor's back has turned into our Achilles Heel. It is going to be impossible to win games if we cannot kick extra points and field goals from 35 yds and in.

[fear the brown roo]

It is going to be impossible to win games if we cannot kick extra points and field goals from 35 yds and in.

or snap a long snap, or block for a punter, or cover onsides kicks. the only aspect of our "special" teams worth a damn right now are the returns. harvey is outstanding returning kick offs and we actually field punts now. unless we correct the "special" teams problems, we can kiss another mac championship good-bye.

[UADavid]

(liljc @ Sep 24 2006, 06:58 AM) It is going to be impossible to win games if we cannot kick extra points and field goals from 35 yds and in. 

fear the brown roo Posted on Sep 24 2006, 08:23 AM or snap a long snap, or block for a punter, or cover onsides kicks. the only aspect of our "special" teams worth a damn right now are the returns. harvey is outstanding returning kick offs and we actually field punts now. unless we correct the "special" teams problems, we can kiss another mac championship good-bye. 

I agree with all these sentiments and would also add that Domonkos can kick off but all bets are off when pat's and field goals are needed.

[K-Roo]

kicking is an issue ... but it isn't all on the freshmen.... somebody on the punt team needs to throw a block once in while... Domonkos will win us a game or two before the season ends.  JD will straighten it out..... nuff said.

As I said JD will fix it....http://www.buchtelite.com/2006/0926/sports_02.shtml"The only aspect in which the Zips showed consistency was the kicking game, which was bad the entire game. Kicker Matt Domonkos missed two extra points in the first half and clanked a field goal off the right post in the third quarter. "It's been frustrating. In practice it has been pretty decent, but it hasn't carried over to the game," Brookhart said. "(Back-up kicker) Igor Iveljic's injury hasn't helped because he hasn't had competition since week one. "We are going to continue to work John Stec more, but Matt is very capable. Somehow, some way, we have to get it right." John Stec joined in Domonkos' trouble. On two consecutive fourth-quarter possessions, Stec had a punt blocked then flubbed a 13-yarder which gave the Mean Green possession at the Akron five and 22-yard lines, respectively. "You have to be perfect in the kicking game," Brookhart said. "You have to have a great snap and good get-off time. I am comfortable with John at punter. The block wasn't on him and then he just missed one."

[Dr Z]

I'm glad your confident. The guy I saw wacking the pigskin around with his ankle on Saturday does not make me confident.Here is my fix: + = extra point GOOD!