Week 3: Can't State Golden Flushes

[bigjim]

19 hours ago, UA1987 said:

Not that easy to be picked up on transfer if you quit or were cut  Word gets out. Also, I don't think it's too much of a stretch to think that some these guys just loose the commitment and will to play anymore after a bad experience.

Athletes and competitors do not quit.  The will to win does not stop.

[SkippioZippio]

19 hours ago, monrowe said:

Tom Arth’s college buddies are not working out as d-1 coaches? There’re overwhelmed with whatever? 151 points in 3 games is a fair assessment? 

I just think there’s got to be some sort of realistic expectation of what Feeney has going on. His new coaching staff probably didn’t even get to meet their players until modified fall camp started. New coaches learning a new defensive scheme over zoom while trying to teach the same thing to kids over zoom. THAT is what I’m saying is outside of Feeney’s control IN ADDITION to the multiple players who are listed as unavailable. Sure, there is a ton of room for growth on both sides of the ball, but his ability level as a DC is being affected by things greater than him. Fair to say, right? 

[SkippioZippio]

14 hours ago, John Ward said:

Gentlemen, first I cannot believe Im reading such nonsense and the language spewing from some of your mouths. Calling out players and coaches etc.Shame on you ! After watching the team last year and so far this year this is my observance. First, Arth came in and demanded these boys go to class, study , make the grades and perform community service.Im willing to bet the boys that didn't make the grades and didn't want to contribute to the community went on their own way. Now remember: new coach = new system and some boys left because they did not fit the system .And the locker room poison was sent away. Last year was rough as Arth did not have the players for his system.Fast forward to now, Arth is starting to put some of the pieces to the puzzle together now. He has a young OL that is better than he had last year. We are loaded at WR and looks like we have some capable RBs.I am concerned with the QB position. Defensively, I think Feeney is more than capable but needs more talent in his secondary . Maybe right now we need to play more zone as Im not seeing any shutdown cover guys. LB play is very good considering all game long you got 300lb lineman crawling to them. In my opinion, we cannot run a 3/2 we do not have 3 280lb DL that can run stop or rush. Therefore, a 5/2 suites us better and enables our LBs to scrap and make plays free of OL crawling.My next question is “ Why y’all got some much against walk ons  “ Just because they are the boys that didn't get all the hype doesn't mean they cant  compete. Take Grimes for instance ,he is probably as good as those hyped up 4 & 5 star WRs. Stars are out the window when you get to this level. I understand  Arth is very good about awarding WO scholarships if deserved. So how about you boys knock the crap off with trashing coaches & players. We lucky to just be able to watch them play now. The challenges & struggles these guys are going thru are real. We are better than this fellows !

I’m a woman, but I still second this. Way to sum it up!! 

[clarkwgriswold]

At the end of the day, the truth is probably somewhere in the middle.  By the time the team hit the field under Arth in 2019, due to what little was left and the new system weeding out what was left from Bowden's tenure, very few or no experienced players remained on the team.

 

As for recruiting, I think Arth was certainly hamstrung in year one by his late hire.  As I recall, BG hired Leffler a full 3 weeks before Arth.

 

The stretch they're on certainly won't help in recruiting but they wouldn't be the first team to build a team from the ground up.

 

I still think it's tough to judge the staff given what they're working with.  When you see them play, the competition clearly appears bigger, faster, stronger and more athletic and other than recruiting (admittedly another part of their job) the coaches can only do so much with the talent they have.  To the coaches' credit, they are better than last year and I'm not seeing bad technique or a lack of effort. 

[dre22era]

20 game losing streak 

Tom Arth 0-15

Just got our ass handed to us by our rival on primetime national television giving up 69 points and 750 total yards

And folks have the nerve to now basically label these ass kickings as Quality Loses 

Edited November 19, 2020 by dre22era

[monrowe]

3 hours ago, SkippioZippio said:

I just think there’s got to be some sort of realistic expectation of what Feeney has going on. His new coaching staff probably didn’t even get to meet their players until modified fall camp started. New coaches learning a new defensive scheme over zoom while trying to teach the same thing to kids over zoom. THAT is what I’m saying is outside of Feeney’s control IN ADDITION to the multiple players who are listed as unavailable. Sure, there is a ton of room for growth on both sides of the ball, but his ability level as a DC is being affected by things greater than him. Fair to say, right? 

Maybe some of you listened  to the game on the radio?I watched it on tv.I saw a confused defense that kept looking to the sidelines for assignment help? (coach what do we do?)it’s fair to say the  DC doesn’t know his Personnel right?

 

 

[Zipmeister]

3 hours ago, SkippioZippio said:

I’m a woman, but I still second this. Way to sum it up!! 

 

Oh, so that's 2/3 of a second.

[Zippy1986]

2 hours ago, clarkwgriswold said:

At the end of the day, the truth is probably somewhere in the middle.  By the time the team hit the field under Arth in 2019, due to what little was left and the new system weeding out what was left from Bowden's tenure, very few or no experienced players remained on the team.

Yes but when you inherit a team you add your players to the current talent for the first couple years. They pushed guys out of Akron to free up scholarships and now they’re working with very limited scholarship players/ d1 talent. 
 

Credit they do have a good thing going with their young offensive line but you cannot be rebuilding at every position and expect to compete.
 

there is no reason why Williams and Morris are no longer with the team other than staff pushing them out. Also, for Nelson and Knight to be sitting on offense.. what are we doing?? 

[Zippy1986]

2 hours ago, dre22era said:

20 game losing streak 

Tom Arth 0-15

Just got our ass handed to us by our rival on primetime national television giving up 69 points and 750 total yards

And folks have the nerve to now basically label these ass kickings as Quality Loses 

Defense did not force a punt . 1 forced fumble and 1 muffed punt. Defense and offensive play calling is the same— there is no identity/ strategy.
 

Offense they run constantly ( no matter the score) and pass to give dollard a breather. Dollard is great athlete but help him out with screens to get other playmakers involved, shot plays to extend the field, motions to keep defense off balance. Run the ball to open the passing game/ pass the ball ( screens, shots, RPOs) to open up the run.

[John Ward]

5 hours ago, SkippioZippio said:

I’m a woman, but I still second this. Way to sum it up!! 

My apologies young lady. No disrespect was intended.

[Ham]

5 hours ago, SkippioZippio said:

2 hours ago, Zipmeister said:

 

Oh, so that's 2/3 of a second.

I can't believe you said that.  Seriously.  Take a time out!

[zipsfan33]

17 minutes ago, Ham said:

 

Indeed, not even funny!  

[Blue & Gold]

Arth postgame presser

 

GT asks some good, pointed questions.  Asks how Kent's receivers were so wide open.

But Arth is really a master of coach speak, so he sort of skirts the questions.

But I'm still grateful to GT for asking questions which held Arth's feet to the fire.

 

GT also interviews Teon Dollard (who unfortunately gave Kent bulletin board material for next year saying he felt they didn't want to tackle him. Lol.)

Edited November 20, 2020 by Blue & Gold

[JZIP]

[bigjim]

3 hours ago, JZIP said:

Classless

 

[94zipgrad]

6 hours ago, Zippy1986 said:

Yes but when you inherit a team you add your players to the current talent for the first couple years. They pushed guys out of Akron to free up scholarships and now they’re working with very limited scholarship players/ d1 talent. 
 

Credit they do have a good thing going with their young offensive line but you cannot be rebuilding at every position and expect to compete.
 

there is no reason why Williams and Morris are no longer with the team other than staff pushing them out. Also, for Nelson and Knight to be sitting on offense.. what are we doing?? 

I’m not defending staff.  Several players from Bowden recruits have struggled with the requirements of the new staff.  Not only in the classroom but on the field.  A lot is expected of you.  But some of the people your pointing out are out of Arth’s hands.  Williams & Hooks are still with team but didn’t make grades.  Hooks would help significantly & keep Riley off the field.  In my opinion Williams & Burkhart where 2 of the best receivers we had talent wise.  One has had grade issues & the other medically disqualified because of ocular migraines.  Don’t know for fact but I think with this season not going to be played & not counting towards eligibility Kato had late surgery & will be back shortly.  Morris graduates and wants to try somewhere else.  He didn’t play at Indiana and had 1 good game against FCS Morgan State.  Knight had his opportunity last year & he really isn’t a WR, why the move to RB, his natural position.

There are several players he pulled scholarships from like Woolridge that he didn’t believe was D1 talent & he is trying to rebuild

 

The defensive front 7 are just not D1 talent.  They just don’t have the size & speed you need to be successful at this level.  I use to say this about the OL & I will say Coach Z has brought in 6’6” or bigger Tackles & our line is doing so much better, it’s about feet & length. Basketball players that are not good enough to play in college make great OL, beef up & get stronger

 

I hope for us Akron fans we get to enjoy good football some day, but defensively that won’t be this year.  Personally I want to see Kato with a better run game & OL to see what he does.  Gibson needs some more seasoning in the spring

Edited November 20, 2020 by 94zipgrad

[GP1]

20 hours ago, ZippityDoDah said:

Hard to recruit decent talent when you are on a 19 game losing streak and went 0-fer last year and very possibly again this year. 

In addition, there is an endless stream of negative news coming out of the administration creating uncertainty about the University. Further, the negative publicity generated by the faculty senate as it relates to the status of the athletic department is not helpful.

 

I don't know much about Arth and I'm pretty indifferent (sort of my feelings about the football program in general at this point). However, he has a ton of headwinds working against him. Arth has taken a job in one of the most toxic environments in FBS. Given all of that, they are better this year than last year. Not enough to win games, and winning is how careers are measured in college athletics.  

[Zipmeister]

13 hours ago, zipsfan33 said:

Indeed, not even funny!  

 

When a poster points out her gender for no apparent reason she has hung a chain out that I can't resist yanking.

[Captain Kangaroo]

8 minutes ago, Zipmeister said:

 

When a poster points out her gender for no apparent reason she has hung a chain out that I can't resist yanking.

She was responding to a previous post that began “Gentlemen...”

[SkippioZippio]

14 hours ago, John Ward said:

My apologies young lady. No disrespect was intended.

None taken, sir! 

[SkippioZippio]

31 minutes ago, Zipmeister said:

 

When a poster points out her gender for no apparent reason she has hung a chain out that I can't resist yanking.

It was in response to something, but thanks for following along. Not sure how this went from a place where we can all love to hate or hate to love the Zips to something related to my commentary being less valid because of gender. Disappointing and shameful. 

[Lee Adams]

I realize that a lot of people here are again frustrated. I have been frustrated for a number of years. Not just the last 5 or so. That said, There are a few ways a new coach can inherit a program. 1)A coach can inherit a stocked program from a successful coach who moves up. 2)He/she can inherit a program form a coach who was fired or 'moved on' because the program was possibly underachieving or not able to develop a consistently winning program. Maybe some decent talent but not enough to win consistently. 3)Finally, a coach can inherit a program that has very little talent capable of performing at the level the school wants to play at. I think we can safely say Akron was not a program Arth inherited from a successful coach, stocked with talent that was consistently posting winning records. Maybe depending on your viewpoint one could make a case for either 2) or 3) in the case of the Zips. I guess I would lean toward 2). That said ,the incoming coach then has to decide how he/she wants to rebuild/build his program. Either pretty much tear it down and build mainly with new recruits. Or, keep some of the players on the roster and bring in lots of transfers and JUCO's. I think Bowden chose the latter mostly. It appears Arth has pretty much chosen the former. That takes longer, obviously.

Right now he is having more success on the offensive side of the ball. That figures since he was a QB at the college and pro levels. The defense obviously hasn't caught up yet. The game ready talent either is there and not game ready or pretty much isn't there. Unfortunately, the events leading up to this season placed new coaches rebuilding programs at a big disadvantage to more established programs with established coaches. Arth is still evaluating talent. The rest of this season should tell him several things:1) Does the defense have enough promising talent to make him believe that there will be significant improvement next season with the players he has. Or, will he need to recruit transfer/JUCO's to bolster that side of the ball more quickly. 2) Is Gibson the QB of the future and can Arth 'coach him up' to the point where can become a serviceable MAC QB with the talent around him on the offensive side of the ball. I don't think Kato Nelson is going to get anymore significant playing time save for injury. Could be wrong but, with what 3 games left doesn't seem like that would be real productive for the program. And 3) Arth is going to have to decide if his assistant coaches are up to the task, or not then make the appropriate changes as necessary.

 

I am still hopeful given what the offense has done with a dominant ground game and QB who is still find his way.

Just hope we get a full season next year.

 

[Zipmeister]

1 hour ago, SkippioZippio said:

It was in response to something, but thanks for following along. Not sure how this went from a place where we can all love to hate or hate to love the Zips to something related to my commentary being less valid because of gender. Disappointing and shameful. 

 

I am willing to modify my previous comment up to 82% of a second.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_pay_gap_in_the_United_States

Go Zips

[clarkwgriswold]

1 hour ago, SkippioZippio said:

It was in response to something, but thanks for following along. Not sure how this went from a place where we can all love to hate or hate to love the Zips to something related to my commentary being less valid because of gender. Disappointing and shameful. 

 

Well, two days ago someone needed a lesson in here to not refer to an adult female as a girl, but we're trying to make strides!

 

Welcome to ZipsNation.  Don't let this discourage you and keep posting!

[LoyalZIP]

I think we all deserve a round of applause. The football has been appalling lately but a lot of this discussion (while not all of it) has been constructive and passionate. After however many straight losses, not a lot of fan bases would have anything close to this. I can't wait until we can all celebrate well-deserved success together as fans of our favorite football program. I get disgusted when I see fair-weather fans (many of them fans of Kent) that only show up when they're good. We aren't like that. I love that.