Game 12—@Ohio Bobcats

[kreed5120]

What Solich achieved in his 1st 5 years at OU isn't even comparable to what Bowden has done. Solich had 2 9 win and won the MAC East not once, but twice.

[Balsy]

1 hour ago, K92 said:

You think Bowden can get the Zips record to 88-65?  Right now he's 24-37.  64-28 going forward?

 

What a preposterous response.  You yourself say you give Bowden a bye for his first year Excluding that first season, he's 23-26.  Yes, yes I do believe he can do much better going forward.  Most people on this forum consider the 2012 season a mulligan.  And I'm not talking about the record, I'm talking the stability.  There were people on this forum who wanted him gone after 2014's 5-7 season.

 

48 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

What Solich achieved in his 1st 5 years at OU isn't even comparable to what Bowden has done. Solich had 2 9 win and won the MAC East not once, but twice.

 

Cool.  Not what I was talking about at all.

[K92]

A simple question is a preposterous response?

[kreed5120]

27 minutes ago, Balsy said:

 

What a preposterous response.  You yourself say you give Bowden a bye for his first year Excluding that first season, he's 23-26.  Yes, yes I do believe he can do much better going forward.  Most people on this forum consider the 2012 season a mulligan.  And I'm not talking about the record, I'm talking the stability.  There were people on this forum who wanted him gone after 2014's 5-7 season.

 

 

Cool.  Not what I was talking about at all.

You say you want Akron to be a consistent contender like OU. Solich had early success at OU indicating that he was a great coach. 5 years in I still haven't seen evidence that Bowden can turn Akron into a serious MAC contender.

 

Like I said I'm prepared to give him another season, but I don't want to hear excuses if he has another 5-7 season. 6 years is an eternity in the coaching world.

[LZIp]

3 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

Like I said I'm prepared to give him another season, but I don't want to hear excuses if he has another 5-7 season.

I don't think anybody is disagreeing with you.

[K92]

2 minutes ago, LZIp said:

I don't think anybody is disagreeing with you.

Do you think Milwee deserves another season?

[LZIp]

2 minutes ago, K92 said:

Do you think Milwee deserves another season?

Before I answer that, why do you think he doesn't deserve another season?

[K92]

3 minutes ago, LZIp said:

Before I answer that, why do you think he doesn't deserve another season?

1.  Awful playcalling.

2.  Inept talent assessment.

3.  Poor preparation.

4.  Unacceptable clock management.

[LZIp]

6 minutes ago, K92 said:

1.  Awful playcalling.

2.  Inept talent assessment.

3.  Poor preparation.

4.  Unacceptable clock management.

I do think play calling could improve. I can't stand stand the slow developing counter that gets stopped for a no gain at best. I think playcalling was a partial result of the defense.

 

As for the talent, when healthy, we had a top 3-4 QB in the MAC, two of the best WRs in the MAC, a potential all conference RB, and potentially our best OLine yet, all of which were 1st year starters. I'm not sure there is any debating any of the above. Chapman, as good as some think he may or may not be, won 2/3 games he started this season. I think its pretty unfair to realistically expect a converted WR to win any games for you. I think we can assume Kato was a better option. Would it have been wise to burn his redshirt to potentially only play 1 game? I think most would agree that would have been an incredibly short sighted move.

 

I'm not sure if I'm really seeing where point #3 is coming from. We literally played QB roulette every week from Kent St on. Both backups had severe limitations. The offense was constantly trying to play catch up because there was no confidence in the defense to stop anybody. I don't understand why Milwee is getting so much criticism. The defense is the one who under performed when healthy. Nobody was complaining when we dropped 65 on Marshall.

 

I think clock management is more of a Bowden issue.That is one of my biggest issues with him. 2 minute drills never look good. I never see Milwee calling timeouts and I doubt he has the authority to determine if the offense should take a few shots or just kneel it to end the half.

 

My opinion is that the biggest issues this season were lack of depth and injuries. I'd take a look at the recruiting coordinator and S&C coach before anybody. Probably moreseo the S&C coach as injuries seemed excessive. I would like to see recruiting improve, but also think lack of depth is somewhat understandable considering the program was essentially starting from scratch when TB took over. I think recruiting is improving. There are more and more young players every year who are contributing. We lose almost all of the D backfield next season, but have players like Davis, Brown, and Featherstone who look poised to step in. Jest might have been our 2nd best DT and he was a true freshman. There are some talented, young 3 star WRs becoming eligible next season. Should have the QB of the future already on the team. Finally looks like we are getting some nice RBs coming in. Wouldn't be shocked to see one of them take Edwards' spot as Ball's (praying he gets the medical redshirt) reliever next season. As low as I am on Edwards, I still think he's much better than a Hakeem Lawrence.

 

The program has had 4 different OL coaches in 4 years. 2 of them left for promotions. The current one may be the best yet. We lost a DB coach to Louisville who took some decent recruits with him if my memory hasn't failed me. Otis Mounds has done a fine job replacing him. There are negatives, but there are also positives. I'm as disappointed on the season as anybody. I think I am pretty critical and have been pretty critical. I'm just trying to keep a level head, be patient, and look at the big picture but I'm sure it'll be written up as making excuses. Patience doesn't last forever though and next year this staff needs to deliver.

[ZachTheZip]

If we can keep our entire coaching staff together through next year, we'll be in very good shape. Consistency among position coaches bears the greatest fruit when talking about player development.

[skip-zip]

4 hours ago, K92 said:

2.  Inept talent assessment.

 

I think you could really make a case here for the QB situation.  Woody emerges about 3 games into the season last year as our best QB, BY FAR.  Yet, Chapman apparently won the starting spot, with Pohl as his only challenger.  Then Chapman just completely lays an egg, and Woody was still a distant thought.  Then he eventually takes the field and suddenly and clearly looked to be head-and-shoulders above the #1 and #2 guys?

 

I'm still shaking my head about how that all transpired.  

[LZIp]

1 hour ago, skip-zip said:

 

I think you could really make a case here for the QB situation.  Woody emerges about 3 games into the season last year as our best QB, BY FAR.  Yet, Chapman apparently won the starting spot, with Pohl as his only challenger.  Then Chapman just completely lays an egg, and Woody was still a distant thought.  Then he eventually takes the field and suddenly and clearly looked to be head-and-shoulders above the #1 and #2 guys?

 

I'm still shaking my head about how that all transpired.  

It was all a little odd. To be fair, Woody did look pretty bad when he played against OU the year before. There were a lot on here talking up Chapman as well.

[Balsy]

5 hours ago, kreed5120 said:

You say you want Akron to be a consistent contender like OU. Solich had early success at OU indicating that he was a great coach. 5 years in I still haven't seen evidence that Bowden can turn Akron into a serious MAC contender.

 

Like I said I'm prepared to give him another season, but I don't want to hear excuses if he has another 5-7 season. 6 years is an eternity in the coaching world.

 

A consistent contender does not mean identical to Ohio's situation.  C'mon man, don't be willingly ignorant to what I'm trying to say. 

 

"6 years is an eternity in the coaching world" is exactly the problem.  To much time spent on trying to keep up with the joneses that no-one actually focuses on building SOMETHING.  

[72 Roo]

6 hours ago, K92 said:

1.  Awful playcalling.

2.  Inept talent assessment.

3.  Poor preparation.

4.  Unacceptable clock management.

An interesting discussion here. There is no doubt in my mind that Milwee is not a DI OC or play-caller. The four points above are only the beginning. Milwee is not creative. He ignores the TE. He only goes deep when passing or long, near-lateral passes in the flat for 3-4 yds. We have no plays to get the ball to the backs swinging out of the backfield. We have nothing to get the ball under the Safeties and CB's in the middle of the field. Our line is pathetic when it comes to run blocking. They can not fire out and blow people off the line. Therefore, we need even more diverse play calling because they don't respect us to run between tackles. The D is freer to take chances. I'm not sold on Milwee as a QB coach but if Bowden wants him there so be it. Just not calling plays.

 

Bowden is a loyal guy and that will work against him if he doesn't reassign Milwee. Being a QB, grad asst and asst at N. Alabama and then asst at Akron has not qualified him for the play calling role. We need a more experienced coach. Bowden himself would be an improvement. I se this as the most important decision in prep for 2017.

[Blue & Gold]

7 hours ago, 72 Roo said:

Bowden is a loyal guy and that will work against him if he doesn't reassign Milwee. Being a QB, grad asst and asst at N. Alabama and then asst at Akron has not qualified him for the play calling role. We need a more experienced coach. Bowden himself would be an improvement. I se this as the most important decision in prep for 2017.

Earlier in this thread, or in another thread (?), I said that Bowden had a tough call to make this off season concerning Milwee.  Someone replied something like, "Tough decision?!  Having a tumor removed isn't a tough decision."   But I was talking about what you stated above... Bowden's a loyal guy and it's going to be tough on him to demote Milwee.  Has Bowden ever let an assistant go or demoted an assistant since he's been here?  Not that I recall.  Bowden is a very nice and loyal person but, as you said, that can sometimes work against you.

[Blue & Gold]

13 hours ago, LZIp said:

There are some talented, young 3 star WRs becoming eligible next season.

Who are these guys?  I'm only aware of one: Thaddeus Snodgrass, the transfer from Kentucky.

[skip-zip]

9 hours ago, LZIp said:

It was all a little odd. To be fair, Woody did look pretty bad when he played against OU the year before. There were a lot on here talking up Chapman as well.

 

Woody threw for 268 yards in that first start at OU, and came within 3 points of pulling off the upset.  He also followed that up with a stellar first half the following week at Ball State.  I think where you might be thinking he fell apart was all of the INTs that he threw in that 2nd half against BSU, and seemed to fall apart.  

 

But I am not talking about any of that, really.  I'm thinking of all of the time these coaches spend with these kids evaluating their ability, and how they could have been so wrong.  Sure, Chapman was talked about a lot HERE, but we weren't the ones seeing them every day, and we aren't the people that are paid to make personnel decisions.  

[LZIp]

2 hours ago, Blue & Gold said:

Who are these guys?  I'm only aware of one: Thaddeus Snodgrass, the transfer from Kentucky.

I totally forgot about Snodgrass myself. I am talking about Bryce Dixon and Freddie Simmons Jr.

http://247sports.com/Player/Bryce-Dixon-75675

http://247sports.com/Player/Freddie-Simmons-41113

 

[LZIp]

3 hours ago, Blue & Gold said:

Earlier in this thread, or in another thread (?), I said that Bowden had a tough call to make this off season concerning Milwee.  Someone replied something like, "Tough decision?!  Having a tumor removed isn't a tough decision."   But I was talking about what you stated above... Bowden's a loyal guy and it's going to be tough on him to demote Milwee.  Has Bowden ever let an assistant go or demoted an assistant since he's been here?  Not that I recall.  Bowden is a very nice and loyal person but, as you said, that can sometimes work against you.

The good ol' boys club mentality very well could be his down fall. Not that it really matters 4 years later, but people love to rave about that offense when Dalton was here. Nobody realizes that Milwee was calling the plays from the press box and Bowden just signaled them in from the sideline.

[K92]

13 minutes ago, LZIp said:

The good ol' boys club mentality very well could be his down fall. Not that it really matters 4 years later, but people love to rave about that offense when Dalton was here. Nobody realizes that Milwee was calling the plays from the press box and Bowden just signaled them in from the sideline.

If the head football coach signaled in plays that he did not call, we have got bigger systematic problems than I thought.  That is the job of a 4th string quarterback, not the DADGUM HEAD BALL COACH!!!

 

Please tell me that is a joke to get a rise out of me.

[UAZippers]

22 minutes ago, LZIp said:

The good ol' boys club mentality very well could be his down fall. Not that it really matters 4 years later, but people love to rave about that offense when Dalton was here. Nobody realizes that Milwee was calling the plays from the press box and Bowden just signaled them in from the sideline.

I have only ever heard that Bowden called the plays that first year before giving it up in the second season. If that is true, it is very strange.

[K92]

There was a thread about who was calling plays after Milwee was promoted to OC, questioning whether or not Bowden had relinquished the task.  This is the first time I have ever heard Milwee was the playcaller from the get go.  I call bullshit.

[LZIp]

I'd imagine it was done because Milwee wasn't officially the OC yet. Bowden probably wanted everything ran by him in case he didn't agree/wanted to override the call. I've posted it on here in the past and was told by a friend who was on the team at the time. Not sure there would be any reason to make that up. I mean surely you guys don't think he was promoted to OC without any experience whatsoever.

Edited November 27, 2016 by LZIp

[K92]

http://www.uakron.edu/im/online-newsroom/news_details.dot?newsId=320c390e-e4ad-4935-b70a-e22e31db3d05&crumbTitle=Bowd..

 

“I will begin by setting great expectations for success,” said Bowden, who holds a 140-62-2 record as coach. “The foundation for success is in the X’s and O’s, the blocking and tackling, the fundamentals of football. I'm going to call the plays and run the offense. It's going to be a fast-paced offense. Hold onto your hats. It's going to be fun."

[LZIp]

6 minutes ago, K92 said:

http://www.uakron.edu/im/online-newsroom/news_details.dot?newsId=320c390e-e4ad-4935-b70a-e22e31db3d05&crumbTitle=Bowd..

 

“I will begin by setting great expectations for success,” said Bowden, who holds a 140-62-2 record as coach. “The foundation for success is in the X’s and O’s, the blocking and tackling, the fundamentals of football. I'm going to call the plays and run the offense. It's going to be a fast-paced offense. Hold onto your hats. It's going to be fun."

http://www.gozips.com/sports/fball/2012-13/releases/20121212wh262f

 

Quote

"He has a great mind for the style of offense we run and worked really well with our quarterbacks this past season. He and I shared much of the play calling duty this past year and I will continue to work closely with the offense."