Game 2: UAB Blazers @ Akron – 12 pm

[akronzips71]

5 hours ago, UAZipster0305 said:

There was plenty to be positive about during Bowden's tenure, and I was among those supporters.

 

I've seen nothing so far this season to be positive about, especially considering this is at the expense of the premature sacking of the most successful D-1 coach we've ever had. Hence, my current negative disposition.

 

I guess most NEO sports fans are perpetually happy with what the prospects of starting over again might bring. I'm not among them.

I'm with you brother.

There was no reason to sack Bowden. He brought us back from last in the NCAA.

[GoZips88]

Looking forward to a stretch of years where ESPN regularly features 3 highlights from our Ws instead of having to be creative when figuring out how to 'highlight' our participation in games like today (turnover pencil).

 

March is so much more fun when we're Dancing. Likewise this time of year - SO much more fun when we know we have a chance and do in fact end up Bowling. Really don't like having to comes to terms with the fact that we're not going to be very good this year.

 

[zipsoutsider]

54 minutes ago, LZIp said:

Davis was literally on the field all day.

I was on the road so I had to listen as opposed to watch. Used to hearing his name all game long.

[UAZipster0305]

Meanwhile, the Canadians are up 10-7 at #15 Penn State.

 

I guess the positive from today is that Can't had to go to OT to beat Kennesaw State. We may win 1 game this season after all.

[Lee Adams]

Maybe we should have brought back J.D. Brookhart. He was the only coach who won a MAC champeenship!?  What say yee?

I was at the game. After the first Akron drive I saw a CUSA  team that had far better athletes pretty much across the board. UAB gets the kids that don't go to Alabama,Florida,Auburn etc.

MAC schools for the most part don't get anywhere near that level of athlete across the board. Also,please remember that the vast majority of players on this team were recruited by the Bowden regime. So those guys couldn't compete with the UAB guys. Those guys were a 4-8 team last year. 

That said I saw some poor play and questionable decisions from the coaches today. It mystifies me how Akron could be playing a "Tampa Two' D and have UAB receivers running behind the safeties for 4 TD's. It mystified me when on 4th and 1 in UAB territory the play call was a run sweep with the smallest player on the field when the play hadn't worked before.

What doesn't mystify me is that Akron still has no run game because they haven't had one to speak of for several years. It doesn't mystify me that Kato Nelson is still  inconsistent to the point of frustration at times. By the way UAB played a lot of back ups in the second half.

Bowden had how many yrears to produce one bowl win and one division win and a sub .500 record? Arth and his crew get some time to see if they can build on what was already here.

I think some fans have the mistaken idea that this program is going to be much more at the D1 level than it has been historically. I would just ask them to look back at what this program has been since it went full D1. An'd start thinking about the alternatives.

[msopher]

Too bad you don’t have a former player that can come back and resurrect the program even he only stays 3-4 years.  I may be a diehard Rocket fan but I’ll always have a soft spot for the Zips.  Even though the MAC in general sucks this year, the East would benefit greatly if BG and Akron became competitive again with Ohio and Buffalo.

[LoyalZIP]

For some perspective, 

 

Last time I was at Infocision Stadium (not the spring game), it was a pretty nice November Saturday, on Senior Day for one of the more decorated senior classes in out history. Against a much worse team (than UAB) in Bowling Green that had fired its coach in the middle of the season, I saw the Zips players AND coaches quit while one player fell asleep on the bench as the Zips failed to reach the end zone against statistically one of the worst defenses in FBS, as the coaching staff decided to take a couple of time outs home down only two scores against, again, one of the worst defenses in FBS. Today, I saw a very young and inexperienced team play their asses off and play like idiots a lot. I saw a young coaching staff that isn't used to FBS ball. I saw a kicker leave 4 huge and easy points on the board in the first half. I saw a head coach screaming at the referee to reset the playclock quicker with just seconds to go because he wanted to give his boys a chance. And I didn't see any players or coaches quitting. How refreshing. Everyone knew we wouldn't be worth a damn this year, and shoot the run game stuff is probably going to drive me up a wall this year. As is the young DBs getting toasted. It felt like we ran as many positive plays today as we did the entire second half of last season, but there's still a very long way to go. Trust the process. Hopefully the boys are still doing well in the classroom as well. 

 

By the way, rooting for Charlie Frye to fail miserably next week feels weird, but you've gotta do what you've gotta do. GO ZIPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[NWAkron]

25 minutes ago, LoyalZIP said:

For some perspective, 

 

Last time I was at Infocision Stadium (not the spring game), it was a pretty nice November Saturday, on Senior Day for one of the more decorated senior classes in out history. Against a much worse team (than UAB) in Bowling Green that had fired its coach in the middle of the season, I saw the Zips players AND coaches quit while one player fell asleep on the bench as the Zips failed to reach the end zone against statistically one of the worst defenses in FBS, as the coaching staff decided to take a couple of time outs home down only two scores against, again, one of the worst defenses in FBS. Today, I saw a very young and inexperienced team play their asses off and play like idiots a lot. I saw a young coaching staff that isn't used to FBS ball. I saw a kicker leave 4 huge and easy points on the board in the first half. I saw a head coach screaming at the referee to reset the playclock quicker with just seconds to go because he wanted to give his boys a chance. And I didn't see any players or coaches quitting. How refreshing. Everyone knew we wouldn't be worth a damn this year, and shoot the run game stuff is probably going to drive me up a wall this year. As is the young DBs getting toasted. It felt like we ran as many positive plays today as we did the entire second half of last season, but there's still a very long way to go. Trust the process. Hopefully the boys are still doing well in the classroom as well. 

 

By the way, rooting for Charlie Frye to fail miserably next week feels weird, but you've gotta do what you've gotta do. GO ZIPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you for this post.  Illinois and UAB aren't like bad teams.  It's funny how those on here who praise Bowden as the best thing that ever happened to Akron football were also Dambrot dead-enders.   I can understand carrying a torch for Dambrot but Bowden?  Some just want to hate.

Edited September 8, 2019 by NWAkron

[dre22era]

Meanwhile we have a dynasty powerhouse HS Football program up the road no one wants to call because of HS coach to College HC politics 

[Balsy]

10 hours ago, Lee Adams said:

Bowden had how many years to produce one bowl win and one division win and a sub .500 record? Arth and his crew get some time to see if they can build on what was already here.

 

And Here's the question that matters: do you think that Tom Arth, with his illustrious career of coaching D-III John Carrol for a handful of years and two years of coaching at FCS Chattanooga to a 9-13 record; can out recruit Terry Bowden (who has a 25-year coaching history with connections to Florida...whom's father is a legendary College Football coach).  And that's not even mentioning transfers...

I'd like to smoke WHATEVER it is everyone else is smoking who believes that Tom Arth will be able to put together a BETTER team talent wise than Terry Bowden.  It doesn't make any, remote, logical sense.  This isn't to say the Bowden teams were packed with talent...I just find it extremely hard to believe that a coach from John Carroll will be able to out recruit a Bowden.

[Balsy]

9 hours ago, NWAkron said:

Thank you for this post.  Illinois and UAB aren't like bad teams.  It's funny how those on here who praise Bowden as the best thing that ever happened to Akron football were also Dambrot dead-enders.   I can understand carrying a torch for Dambrot but Bowden?  Some just want to hate.

 

I mean, just go look at the reasons you don't like Bowden, and then understand it's the same reason people started not liking Dambrot.  If it's a perceived hypocrisy or logical inconsistency on our part...than it's a perceived hypocrisy and logical inconsistency on your part.

Dambrot was here for 13 years, and was 5 seasons removed from the last time it had any real success.  Bowden was here for 7 years, and was removed 1 season removed from any real success (a MAC Championship appearance).  It's really not hard to see how something can fester over 5-years as opposed to 1.

[LZIp]

6 minutes ago, Balsy said:

 

And Here's the question that matters: do you think that Tom Arth, with his illustrious career of coaching D-III John Carrol for a handful of years and two years of coaching at FCS Chattanooga to a 9-13 record; can out recruit Terry Bowden (who has a 25-year coaching history with connections to Florida...whom's father is a legendary College Football coach).  And that's not even mentioning transfers...

I'd like to smoke WHATEVER it is everyone else is smoking who believes that Tom Arth will be able to put together a BETTER team talent wise than Terry Bowden.  It doesn't make any, remote, logical sense.  This isn't to say the Bowden teams were packed with talent...I just find it extremely hard to believe that a coach from John Carroll will be able to out recruit a Bowden.

1) Arth had I believe the #1 and #2 recruiting classes in his conference in his two years at UT-C.

2) Per 247, last year Arth, in 2 months with early signing day working against him, literally put together the 2nd best recruiting class compared to everybody since 2012 (the year Bowden started). In Bowden's best class, which ranked #113 (compared to Arth's #114), his class averaged 2 points lower per recruit than Arth's did and many of those players didn't even end up making it to campus.

 

Just facts man.

[footballzip]

Its all about recruiting. We need to give Arth a chance to bring his recruits in. It usually takes 3-5 years to build a successful program. Why is OSU good every year? because they get the best recruits every year. Arth is known to be a good recruiter, born and raised in NE Ohio. Hopefully he can get some good talent from our area. We are going to have to be patient.

[Blue & Gold]

Can someone enlighten me on the Turnover Pencil idea?  It's obviously tongue-in-cheek.  Is it supposed to emphasize the academic side of being a student-athlete, as opposed to a turnover chain, or whatever?  I'm just guessing.  I don't get it.  It's so obviously silly it's an attempt at irony?

 

And (now I'm going to sound like a curmudgeon), but Riley almost pokes Tyler Gilchrist's eye out with the dumb thing.  Jesus.

 

 

[footballzip]

Spongebob episode had the pencil. Doodlebob character

 

Edited September 8, 2019 by footballzip

[footballzip]

Lets win games first before we get all excited about the turnover pencil.

[Blue & Gold]

6 minutes ago, footballzip said:

Spongebob episode had the pencil. Doodlebob character

 

Jokes are never funny when they need to be explained.  So I guess I just don't get it.

[Blue & Gold]

I left after the 3rd Quarter, so I guess I missed us playing our best ball.  (I was with friends who aren't as diehard as I am.)  Having said that, what I saw was that our OL is still a major liability.  Both in run blocking and pass protection.  Run blocking is obviously pretty weak.  But I also watched UAB's 4 DL get consistent pressure on Kato without the need of rushing any linebackers.  Their LB's could simply fall back into coverage & clog the field for Kato.  This is a major issue which, I'm afraid, we're going to have to suffer through all season.

 

Alvin Davis was playing Dime back today.  We ran 5 DB's pretty much all day.  

 

Lako & Bubba had good games today.  They are obviously players whom we can count on all year.  Yes, I just used "whom," properly.

 

Jest also had a great game.  

 

Good grief, are our DB's young.

Edited September 8, 2019 by Blue & Gold

[Spin]

Swooning for Bowden may be the natural reaction to losing to a "no-name" college (which has a 27-14 record under this coach), but aren't these, for the most part, Bowden's players? 

 

Hey go ahead and jump ship, there'll be shorter lines at the food stands...

[Blue & Gold]

ABJ/GT: Zips' secondary struggles in loss

[ZipsVoice]

One of the bad things about yesterday and the ensuing ZnO battle of words is, the superb game that Dustin Burkhart had was mostly overlooked.  What a great performance the young man had.  had a lot of contact with the kid while he was at Coventry and he is a class act, and so wanted to come to UofA.  He's sat for three seasons behind some talented WRs and finally got his chance and showed up big.  And he didn't quit on the long reception that got batted, and he ran to it and took it down the sideline.  Nice job, I think we all can agree.

[ZipsVoice]

47 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

Can someone enlighten me on the Turnover Pencil idea?  

 

This is what Arth said in his post-game press conference:

 

What is the turnover pencil: Our defensive staff came up with that. One of the great strengths coach Rodriguez has is understanding our players and what’s most important. You have this giant No. 2 pencil. For a team whose program is built on fundamental and technique, what is a greater representation than that? It’s about writing our story and realizing that the only people who matter are in our program. Whatever is happening on the out doesn’t matter, it’s about us

[Captain Kangaroo]

 

I’d have gone with “The Turnover Tire” chain, but that’s just me. ?

[LoyalZIP]

2 hours ago, Balsy said:

 

And Here's the question that matters: do you think that Tom Arth, with his illustrious career of coaching D-III John Carrol for a handful of years and two years of coaching at FCS Chattanooga to a 9-13 record; can out recruit Terry Bowden (who has a 25-year coaching history with connections to Florida...whom's father is a legendary College Football coach).  And that's not even mentioning transfers...

I'd like to smoke WHATEVER it is everyone else is smoking who believes that Tom Arth will be able to put together a BETTER team talent wise than Terry Bowden.  It doesn't make any, remote, logical sense.  This isn't to say the Bowden teams were packed with talent...I just find it extremely hard to believe that a coach from John Carroll will be able to out recruit a Bowden.

 

Per 247, I'm pretty sure Arth's first class, that he largely signed AFTER the early signing period, was more highly rated than any class Bowden signed. We won't need transfers if that continues to improve. 

[kreed5120]

14 hours ago, Balsy said:

 

And you're acting as if Akron Football was some sort of powerhouse that has winning seasons on the regular, and the Bowden years were a tick in the wrong direction.

Oh wait...

Where are you inferring that? The program has stunk for the 30+ years that its been in FBS and that includes the 7 years that Bowden coached it. If you want to go ahead and say that Bowden was the best coach in those 30 years that's fine and I won't argue that point, but that's like calling someone the tallest midget. The guy went 35-52 overall and 23-33 in MAC play. He's not gods gift to the Akron football program like some people are trying to make him out to be.