Late, Short Captain's Log #11

[Captain Kangaroo]

Several days too late I finally get a chance to throw random thoughts about regarding the OU game. For only the second time this season, I didn’t personally attend the game. I was only able to watch the 4th quarter and the post game highlights on ESPNU. I taped the games, but I can’t bear to watch it. · On our first drive, sideline reported Joe Dunn states “Gosh Steve, this is the best-looking drive the Zips have put together this season.” High praise for a team that had just reached the opponent’s 37 yard line. Of course on the next play Luke lobbed a hurried “duck” to an OU linebacker.· On Luke – He had a bad game. There is no doubt. However, if his WR’s could hold onto a football, no one would be ripping on the guy. For all of Jabari’s fire, strength and effort, his hands are still wholly unreliable. Even the lone Zips’ TD he pulled in was a severe bobble. Looking ahead to 2007, Jabari MUST develop some hands. He can scream and rant and run smack all day long, but all that intensity is worthless if he’s the guy dropping critical pass after critical pass. And Harvey and Lindsay are in similar situations. All too often you see them bunched together. Someone, or both of them are running incorrect routes. And the drops are also killers. Luke is what he is. A reliable passer when he gets time to throw. Perfect? Hardly. The “flick/shovel” pass of his is maddening. He’s pretty immobile. But he’s also been the victim of some terrible OL play and a lot of drops. He’ll go down as the #2 statistical QB in Akron history with 40+ TD’s in two seasons. That is far from sucking.· Speaking of the OL – this week will be your last chance to watch one of the best OL’s to ever don a Zips uniform. Andy Alleman will be drafted in April. I believe the only other Zips offensive lineman to be drafted was John Buddenberg back in 1989?· I mentioned this before – Why was McClain sent in to kick that 48 yarder? I think he has a size 5 shoe? Domonokos should kick the long ones.· The on-side kick that Andre Jones recovered was a terrible call. That ref should be fired. He cost us any chance at a comeback. That’s not just sour grapes, it is a fact.· Speaking of McClain kicking – How predictable was it that once we got inside the twenty early in the game, that we’d march backwards? I was really torn between whether we’d take a sack, or if we’d get a penalty. Steve French must have thought the same thing as he said: “The one thing Luke absolutely can not do here is take a sack.” Sure enough he took the sack, and on came McClain.· Kennedy came back to earth. No surprise that on a slippery field he couldn’t turn the corner. We need a solid #2 RB for next season. IMO – we need a solid #1. I would love to see someone step up and give Kennedy some real competition. If we got someone who could juke a safety, stiff-arm and LB or cut towards the middle instead of going out of bounds, I’d be in heaven.· Why can’t we convert in the redzone? Why? That’s all I can offer. I hope we show up on Friday. For some reason, 6-6 sounds a whole lot better to me than 5-7.

[Lee Adams]

Captain, good observations...what we found out this year is that Getsy was NOT the playmaker last year... it was Biggs and Hixon...Biggs could run the middle and catchHixon got open and CAUGHT the ball...most of the time...Harvey hasn't mastered BOTH of those skills yet...Biggsy and Hixon made the guys around them better...there is nobody on that O yet that can do that...unless Kennedy gets a lot stronger he will never run the middle consistently...what happened to to Mickey Baker... the JUCO? anybody know... he was supposed to be a stud linebacker...Friday will be ugly...here is hoping that JD and the coaching staff look at the lack of progress this year and run a tighter ship next yearoh...don't look for media coverage to improve until the Zips start putting together 8 or 9 win seasons consistently...i am at the OSU game next year...see ya Fridayakronoldtimer

[TXZipFan]

I agree I think the fact that Kennedy doesn't like to run up the middle is a big problem/difference between this year and last year. I do think Andre Walker did it well and didn't see why he didn't get more PT, especially after that great first drive against OU. I disagree about the catches though, I watched the game on ESPN U and I expect to have 2-3 drops per game. Jabari dropped 2 passes and Harvey dropped 1. The other pass that Jabari dropped was a poor pass down the sidelines which was behind him and he made a heck of an effort to make the catch. Lindsey is an exciting player to watch, I love the fact that he makes plays after the catch. Harvey and Lindsey are going to be the most exciting recieving duo the MAC's ever seen when they're done.Luke has proven that he is a descent QB, but I feel like as the season progressed he lost his composure when any team blitzed him. One of the most important things for a QB is to be able to stand in the pocket and deliver a ball even though you're gonna take a hit and I felt like he crumbled. I think we have all come to realize that he's not the GREAT QB, that he showed flushes of at the end of last season, but those were some high expectations some of us put on him. Heard he's a very heady kid (though he didn't show it on the field at times) so he'll probably go into coaching. 5-6 blows and so does 6-6... Let's win it for pride!!!

[RACER]

i think luke has taken allot of criticism this year. i for one can't put much of the blame on just him. the main reason is when we lose games is we have no running game. how are you going to win games rushing for 60 yards a game. no one seems to mention that.if we rushed for 150-200 yards a game, and lost then you would have to look at the qb. i also think losing hixson,biggs,and montgomery hurt more than i thought it would. how many passes have our wr dropped that were easy catches? not to sound negative,but next year does not look all that promising. i hope im wrong but we are going into the shoe with a new qb next year. we also need three new starters at ol ,and no depth.jd has his work cut out for him next year.

[RACER]

why we lost games this year-rushing stats for our losses( 53 against cinnci),(-4 against ou),(61 against cmu),(73 against Can't),(107 against cmu).i realize some of the stats add losses for our qb,but still it's pretty bad. -4 against ou.how are you going to beat anyone rushing for -4 yards.

[RACER]

should have been (61 against cmu), and (107 against toledo.)

[Captain Kangaroo]

I disagree about the catches though, I watched the game on ESPN U and I expect to have 2-3 drops per game. Jabari dropped 2 passes and Harvey dropped 1. The other pass that Jabari dropped was a poor pass down the sidelines which was behind him and he made a heck of an effort to make the catch. Lindsey is an exciting player to watch, I love the fact that he makes plays after the catch. Harvey and Lindsey are going to be the most exciting recieving duo the MAC's ever seen when they're done.

I think Harvey is a lot like Beanie Wells at OSU. Both freshman have a ton of talent and have made some amazing plays this year. And both have made some big freshman mistakes too. The difference between the two is OSU has the horses to overcome a freshman mistake, while any big mistake in a Zips drive this season has basically killed us. I look forward to Harvey and Lindsay next season. Jabari too, for that matter. I hope they're utilizing the indoor facility w/CJ and Hakes all winter and spring. The spring game this season should really be interesting...lots of new faces competing for starting positions.

[Buckzip]

Hopefully with Alex Allen back next year, and Reed having a year in the system we will have a better running game. Getting rid of Crouch alone will make the offense better.

[TXZipFan]

Hmmm... the running game did struggle in the losses, BUT look at the passing game in the losses.GetsyPSU 22/42 160 3.8 1 2CMU 25/46 375 8.2 3 3Cant 19/38 261 6.9 2 0 (Kennedy 91 yards rushing) Cinci 16/33 183 5.5 1 0 Toledo 13/29 191 6.6 0 2 (Kennedy 119 yards rushing) Ohio 21/46 227 4.9 1 2 Getsy 116/234(49%) 1,397 yards 8TD's 9INT'sBoth the running game and Passing game stunk and to be honest the passing game was bad in every game but 2 as well. You can't blame another part of the team for the lack of performance by Getsy.

[AZipsCrazy]

RACER this team IS more TALENTED than last year.There have been WAY more poorly thrown balls from Getsy then passes dropped by the receivers, and to answer your question there were not many easy catches dropped. You have to expect some drops every game, and it's the QB's job to keep putting the ball on the mark.IMO I think we will be even BETTER next year the younger players on this team are supposed to be more talented than the players that we have leaving, and that includes Getsy. They'll have another year under their belt and I'm excited to see what they'll do. Just look at the impact David Harvey has had on the offense and he's only a Freshmen. I think a Redshirt-Sophomore/Freshmen could've lead this team to a 5-7 or 6-6 season (especially because they're all more mobile which helps with the constant pressure). Our running game should be imroved with the return of Alex Allen adding to Kennedy and Walker, as well expect to see Aaris Reed getting PT. Everyone on defense is returning except Gonzalez and Reid both of whom never lived up to their hype this season. Oh and we'll have one of the best kickers in the country coming out of high school in 2006 healthy and playing next season, which people might not realize but is HUGE. This team will be BETTER next year than this year and you can count on that.

[RACER]

that's a real good point on the kicking game.we had the ball in the red zone alott and came up with no points.no one wants to settle for a fg,but it takes alott out of a team when you dirve 80 yards and come up with 0.points.

[Sergeant Zip]

why we lost games this year-rushing stats for our losses( 53 against cinnci),(-4 against ou),(61 against cmu),(73 against Can't),(107 against cmu).i realize some of the stats add losses for our qb,but still it's pretty bad. -4 against ou.how are you going to beat anyone rushing for -4 yards.

You can add -13 yards against WMU to that now...