Game # 7: vs. Central Michigan Chippewas

[Blue & Gold]

1 hour ago, bigjim said:

In Coach JoeMo I have quit trusting until he proves something to me.  

Fair enough. You're a huge Zips fan & we need as many of us as possible.  I still have complete trust in Ball Coach JoeMo & I hope he wins you back sooner rather than later. 

[Blue & Gold]

23 hours ago, LoyalZIP said:

This is the frame of the play right before the fumble. DJ keeps—10+ yard gain up the middle or a TD. Handoff to Price—easy TD or go down before you get into the end zone to avoid a Browns-Jets situation. Man, what a colossal mistake. Sucks sucks sucks.  

Yep. Price had nothing but green in front of him. Unbelievable.

 

I took four acquaintances to what was their first Zips football game on Saturday.  After the kick to the nuts I told them that at least they had an authentic Zips Football fan experience.  

 

Was InfoCision built on an ancient Indian burial ground?

[Zipmeister]

2 hours ago, bigjim said:

First, I am a very frustrated Zips fan.  Second, I am not an Arth fan and I agree that Moorhead inherited little talent.  But, Bowden left little to no talent for Arth.  Moorhead's frosh recruiting class was not that good, but he did hit the portal hard.  If I am correct, he got the following from the portal:

-3 P5 receivers

-1 P5 tight end

-2 FBS, (1 P5) offensive linemen

-2 P5 RB's

-1FCS QB

(I may be wrong on the D)

-4 FBS DL

-3 FBS LB's

-3 FBS (1 P5) DB

This is a huge infusion of talent that makes me question the coaching staff.  Either the talent evaluation is bad, or the coaching is bad.  

Let's look at the record:

1. OT win to a FCS team

2. 52 points loss to a 3-4 Michigan State team that is not very good

3. 57-point loss to an excellent Tennessee team (who upset Alabama)

4. 9 point loss to Liberty, a good team, but they were playing their 3rd an 4th string QBs against my beloved Zips

5. 3 point loss to Bowling Green, a team that Arth beat twice without all of the transfers

6. 21 point loss to Ohio (we must learn to dominate Ohio MAC schools)

7. 7 point loss to Central Mich. (see below)

I am not convinced that Moorhead knows what he is doing.  

Why does Bubba not play more?  He is the heart and soul of this team on defense.  

But the bigger problem I see is in the QB Irons.  I think he would be a very good RB, and he may have some good stats, but he chokes.  I watched the CM fumble several times and I am convinced Irons was the issue.  I am not sure if a better QB is on the roster, but I am not an Irons fan.  I know this comment will get me beat up by several of the long time posters who are in love with Irons but make very funny (ignorant) posts.  But with talent influx, you must do better than what has been shown.  There has been also a poster that ragged on Paul McDonald, the dad of the BGSU QB who beat my beloved Zips.  

When I got home Saturday, I had one of the donation requests that I have made for 25+ years, and I tore it up.  I find it unlikely that I will attend any more home games, I do not like driving 120 minutes for these results.  The sad thing is that I started my season tickets in the 80s, and I am so frustrated and have no idea if I will continue into the future.   

 

In Coach JoeMo I have quit trusting until he proves something to me.  

 

 

 

 

 

Really bad form to insert your comments directly into another's post.

[kreed5120]

2 hours ago, bigjim said:

 

But the bigger problem I see is in the QB Irons.  I think he would be a very good RB, and he may have some good stats, but he chokes.  I watched the CM fumble several times and I am convinced Irons was the issue.  I am not sure if a better QB is on the roster, but I am not an Irons fan.  I know this comment will get me beat up by several of the long time posters who are in love with Irons but make very funny (ignorant) posts.  But with talent influx, you must do better than what has been shown.  There has been also a poster that ragged on Paul McDonald, the dad of the BGSU QB who beat my beloved Zips.  

I don't think the Zips have a QB on the roster who can challenge Irons for the job, but I'd love to see some competition get brought in for a QB competition next year. Irons while I think has the tools to he really good seems to hold onto the ball too long, which leads to many costly sacks. I get our o-line isn't good, but he needs to get better at throwing it away or checking down instead of taking costly sacks.

[Football grandma]

New coach everyone was gaga over; new "more talented" recruits; portal hot shots supposedly; no-talent veteran bums left standing on the sidelines so Joe's picks can play...even on special teams. Hmmm Different day, same results. Another L. Lots of excuses concerning the coach and the team: need more time, need more experience, need more talent... A great coach finds ways to make the best of what he/she has with which to work. A talented player that doesn't execute consistently isn't much of an asset IMHO.

“Our emphasis is on execution, not winning.”

– Pat Summitt

[Zipmeister]

24 minutes ago, Football grandma said:

New coach everyone was gaga over; new "more talented" recruits; portal hot shots supposedly; no-talent veteran bums left standing on the sidelines so Joe's picks can play...even on special teams. Hmmm Different day, same results. Another L. Lots of excuses concerning the coach and the team: need more time, need more experience, need more talent... A great coach finds ways to make the best of what he/she has with which to work. A talented player that doesn't execute consistently isn't much of an asset IMHO.

“Our emphasis is on execution, not winning.”

– Pat Summitt

 

Here's some more you might be able to incorporate in future posts.

"Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” –Lou Holtz

“Leadership is a matter of having people look at you and gain confidence. If you’re in control, they’re in control.” –Tom Landry

“You have to perform at a consistently higher level than others. That’s the mark of a true professional.” –Joe Paterno

“Football is like life. It requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication, and respect for authority.” –Vince Lombardi

“Success isn’t measured by money or power or social rank. Success is measured by your discipline and inner peace.” –Mike Ditka

“Self-praise is for losers. Be a winner. Stand for something. Always have class, and be humble.” –John Madden

“The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.” –Vince Lombardi

“No one ever drowned in sweat.” –Lou Holtz

“No matter the circumstances you may be going through, just push through it.” –Ray Lewis

“Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it.” –George S. Halas

“It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size in the fight of the dog.” –Archie Griffin

“When you’ve got something to prove, there’s nothing greater than a challenge.” –Terry Bradshaw

“It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get back up.” –Vince Lombardi

“When you don’t give up, you cannot fail.” –Adrian Peterson

"I have yet to be in a game where luck was involved." –Urban Meyer

“I may win and I may lose, but I will never be defeated.” –Emmitt Smith

“There is only one way to succeed in anything…and that is to give it everything.” –Vince Lombardi

"You cannot make progress with excuses." –Cam Newton

"Success isn't owned, it's leased. And rent is due every day." –J.J. Watt

“You can learn a line from a win and a book from defeat.” –Paul Brown

“It’s not the will to win that matters. It’s the will to prepare to win that matters.” –Paul “Bear” Bryant

“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will.” -Vince Lombardi

“Set your goals high, and don’t stop till you get there.” –Bo Jackson

“To do things you’ve never done before, you have to do things you’ve never done before.” –Sean Payton

"The man on top of the mountain didn't fall there." –Vince Lombardi

“Remember, once you set a goal, it’s all about how hard you’re willing to work, how much you’re willing to sacrifice and how badly you truly want it.” –J.J. Watt

“The most valuable player is the one who makes the most players valuable.” –Peyton Manning

"Today I will do what others won't, so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can't." –Jerry Rice

"If what you did yesterday seems big, you haven't done anything today." –Lou Holtz

“Winners never quit and quitters never win.” –Vince Lombardi

 

 

Edited October 16, 2022 by Zipmeister
.

[LoyalZIP]

Since 2010, Zip coaches in their first season are a combined 3-40. Joe is so obviously in over his head. They’re losing games the same way Arth did in his first year. No progress. Just had an RB set the single game completions record and throw for 400 yards. I mean what is this guy doing? Put the 6’6” dude at RB you dummy!!!!

 

Look, nobody on this board has sugar coated anything about what they see on the field this year. @catdaddyp isn’t some lifelong Zip die hard cheerleader. The dude just loves football and has picked the Zips, freaking awesome. And folks are clowning him for saying the team has made immense progress from last year and the prior couple years. As for myself, I have numerous times for weeks noted that Akron is still a bad football team, and I had higher hopes for 2022. But reality set in quickly, as similar mistakes from the past have been mixed in with some very efficient and impressive performances here and there. It hasn’t hit the win column, and it’s frustrating as hell. But as someone who has been to every single game at Infocision for over a decade, the steps forward are obvious. How soon the blowout home losses to Temple, Ohio, Buffalo, and Kent just last year alone are forgotten. Sure, almost doesn’t count. But not getting embarrassed and being in a position to win for 75% of the games against G5 teams this year is a pretty damn clear step forward to me. If we’re at this 1-6 point come next year, concerns will be had. But it’s just mind-numbingly stupid to me that someone would be out on THIS coach and THIS team after THESE 7 games. The same way how many people were “out” on Groce after 2 years of underwhelming when it was also painfully obvious that the program was improving and would take more than 5 minutes to build into something worth a s***. 

[clarkwgriswold]

Groundhog Day.

[Zip JD]

6 hours ago, clarkwgriswold said:

I think Price has show some promise, especially in the BG game.  I think Wiley could be a decent 3rd down back 

 

Until the O-line gets established and makes some strides it will be tough to evaluate any of the running backs.

It also limits the passing game because there is no time for double moves, delayed routes, etc.  We have trouble even setting up screens.  I has to be a nightmare to try and call the plays when the OL gets blown up so often.  Think of all the drives that start well and then suddenly nobody picks up the blitzing safety or linebacker.  So many of the sacks we give up are complete whiffs that are going to get Irons hurt again.

 

[catdaddyp]

7 hours ago, bigjim said:

First, I am a very frustrated Zips fan.  Second, I am not an Arth fan and I agree that Moorhead inherited little talent.  But, Bowden left little to no talent for Arth.  Moorhead's frosh recruiting class was not that good, but he did hit the portal hard.  If I am correct, he got the following from the portal:

-3 P5 receivers

-1 P5 tight end

-2 FBS, (1 P5) offensive linemen

-2 P5 RB's

-1FCS QB

(I may be wrong on the D)

-4 FBS DL

-3 FBS LB's

-3 FBS (1 P5) DB

This is a huge infusion of talent that makes me question the coaching staff.  Either the talent evaluation is bad, or the coaching is bad.  

Let's look at the record:

1. OT win to a FCS team

2. 52 points loss to a 3-4 Michigan State team that is not very good

3. 57-point loss to an excellent Tennessee team (who upset Alabama)

4. 9 point loss to Liberty, a good team, but they were playing their 3rd an 4th string QBs against my beloved Zips

5. 3 point loss to Bowling Green, a team that Arth beat twice without all of the transfers

6. 21 point loss to Ohio (we must learn to dominate Ohio MAC schools)

7. 7 point loss to Central Mich. (see below)

I am not convinced that Moorhead knows what he is doing.  

Why does Bubba not play more?  He is the heart and soul of this team on defense.  

But the bigger problem I see is in the QB Irons.  I think he would be a very good RB, and he may have some good stats, but he chokes.  I watched the CM fumble several times and I am convinced Irons was the issue.  I am not sure if a better QB is on the roster, but I am not an Irons fan.  I know this comment will get me beat up by several of the long time posters who are in love with Irons but make very funny (ignorant) posts.  But with talent influx, you must do better than what has been shown.  There has been also a poster that ragged on Paul McDonald, the dad of the BGSU QB who beat my beloved Zips.  

When I got home Saturday, I had one of the donation requests that I have made for 25+ years, and I tore it up.  I find it unlikely that I will attend any more home games, I do not like driving 120 minutes for these results.  The sad thing is that I started my season tickets in the 80s, and I am so frustrated and have no idea if I will continue into the future.   

 

In Coach JoeMo I have quit trusting until he proves something to me.  

 

 

 

 

That’s a lot to unpack. I think the 2022 freshman class is very underrated and when combined with the transfer class was solid. No class is going to be 100% hits, but if 2/3 pan out then it’s a great class. It’s telling in the amount of players that transferred out and where they landed (or didn’t land). The roster had a major talent deficit and still isn’t quite where it needs to be but at least now there is some strong potential in place. 
 

Im not concerned about the losses to the P5 teams. Those were money games we had no realistic shot at winning. MSU may not be a good team this year, but how many of our players would be starting for them? Not many, if any. So they are still a better program than us.

 

Irons was definitely inconsistent last game and brought some issues on himself. Moving him to RB wouldn’t be the best idea as his 6’6 frame isn’t built for that position. 

 

The OL struggled at times in pass pro and the run game has also struggled. All those guys may have gotten experience last year, but not all of them move as well as FBS OL should. Watching Landers move compared to any other OT we have is night and day, but he’s a freshman and still learning. Point is the staff has brought in some talented and athletic freshmen OL, but they aren’t ready to help us yet. Whigan has been a great addition and Banes has been ok, but we need more OL like Whigan out of the portal.

 

Keep in mind all of the transfers are going to be backups or part-time starters, at best, from P5 programs. The guys from FCS and D2 will be looking to take a step up. No P5 regular starter is going to transfer here. So the staff has to make sure it’s a good fit and the players increase the talent level. In MAC play we’ve seen improvements from 2021 every where but rushing offense, passing defense, and scoring defense.  Passing defense is not a surprise as teams no longer run at will on us and are forced to pass more. Is our secondary great? No, far from it, but if Golden-Nelson would come back and be paired with Amankwaa we would probably see some improvement there. Thompson and Woods have been solid at SS and Martin has manned the FS spot better than anyone I recall playing there last year. Throw in Lewis at Nickel and we have something to work with. We desperately need more productive depth though and it certainly wasn’t on the roster when Joe took the job. Scoring defense on the other hand is a concern and needs to improve. 
 

100% agree about Bubba playing more.

 

Obviously it’s ok to be frustrated, mad, or whatever else helps cope with a losing team. I’ll never tell anyone how they should feel, but I’ve seen this story play out before. Good things are coming. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 17, 2022 by catdaddyp

[ZippyRulz]

Glass half full: But for a couple of gift-wrapped turnovers/scores, we'd be 2-2 in G5 play. Christmas came early for Loeffler  and McElwain.

 

 

[Spin]

So you guys expected a head coach to come in (late in the recruiting/transfer season) and BUILD (not rebuild) a 25-30 G5 lineup in nine months in the shadow of the B10.

 

I want this team to win as bad as anyone else, but this isn’t the NFL. JoMo didn’t have high early round draft picks that NFL teams use to make turn around crappy teams in a moment. Or waste like a certain pro team up north.

 

I do expect a bowl appearance and MAC Championship appearance in a couple years, and upset a program or two that has a $100,000,000.00 budget. In other words a G5 power.

I still think we have the guy to do it. I expected one, maybe two years of gaffs and wrong decisions, then wins. Lots of wins.

 

 

 

 

Edited October 18, 2022 by Spin
Clarity

[tboned]

I have not posted or logged on to this site for a few years. I have no real football knowledge as many posters here appear to have. My wife and I have purchased season tickets for many years.  If we went to a game in the last years, we always left after the band played at halftime.  This year we have stayed till the end for all three games. As I said, I am far from a football guru, but I see tremendous improvement with this team. I believe Joe Moorhead is the real thing.  He has a plan for this team and is going to try like heck to execute the plan. Give the man some time.    

[Zipmeister]

6 hours ago, Spin said:

So you guys expected a head coach to come in (late in the recruiting/transfer season) and BUILD (not rebuild) a 25-30 FCS player lineup in nine months in the shadow of the B10.

 

I want this team to win as bad as anyone else, but this isn’t the NFL. JoMo didn’t have high early round draft picks that NFL teams use to make turn around crappy teams in a moment. Or waste like a certain pro team up north.

 

I do expect a bowl appearance and MACC appearance in a couple years, and upset a program or two that has a $100,000,000.00 budget. In other words an FCS power.

I still think we have the guy to do it. I expected one, maybe two years of gaffs and wrong decisions, then wins. Lots of wins.

 

I think we have to aim higher than becoming an FCS power.

[dre22era]

Didn't watch any of the game. 

Been out of town actually in Westerville OH from Maryland watching my son play football. 

Saw the final score and smh

I dunno what to look forward to against our rival who a few weeks back went toe to toe with the #1 team the nation. 

Edited October 17, 2022 by dre22era

[Blue & Gold]

8 minutes ago, dre22era said:

Didn't watch any of the game. 

Been out of town actually in Westerville OH from Maryland watching my son play football. 

Saw the final score and smh

I dunno what to look forward to against our rival who a few weeks back went toe to toe with the #1 team the nation. 

I’m hoping we can learn from whatever adjustments Toledo made against KSUcks. The Golden Flushes were up by 21 or 28 in the first half, but Toledo held them to 3 second half points & ran of, IIRC, 35 or 42 straight points on them.

 

Something along those lines, anyhow.

[Football grandma]

22 hours ago, Zipmeister said:

 

Here's some more you might be able to incorporate in future posts.

"Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” –Lou Holtz

“Leadership is a matter of having people look at you and gain confidence. If you’re in control, they’re in control.” –Tom Landry

“You have to perform at a consistently higher level than others. That’s the mark of a true professional.” –Joe Paterno

“Football is like life. It requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication, and respect for authority.” –Vince Lombardi

“Success isn’t measured by money or power or social rank. Success is measured by your discipline and inner peace.” –Mike Ditka

“Self-praise is for losers. Be a winner. Stand for something. Always have class, and be humble.” –John Madden

“The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.” –Vince Lombardi

“No one ever drowned in sweat.” –Lou Holtz

“No matter the circumstances you may be going through, just push through it.” –Ray Lewis

“Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it.” –George S. Halas

“It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size in the fight of the dog.” –Archie Griffin

“When you’ve got something to prove, there’s nothing greater than a challenge.” –Terry Bradshaw

“It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get back up.” –Vince Lombardi

“When you don’t give up, you cannot fail.” –Adrian Peterson

"I have yet to be in a game where luck was involved." –Urban Meyer

“I may win and I may lose, but I will never be defeated.” –Emmitt Smith

“There is only one way to succeed in anything…and that is to give it everything.” –Vince Lombardi

"You cannot make progress with excuses." –Cam Newton

"Success isn't owned, it's leased. And rent is due every day." –J.J. Watt

“You can learn a line from a win and a book from defeat.” –Paul Brown

“It’s not the will to win that matters. It’s the will to prepare to win that matters.” –Paul “Bear” Bryant

“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will.” -Vince Lombardi

“Set your goals high, and don’t stop till you get there.” –Bo Jackson

“To do things you’ve never done before, you have to do things you’ve never done before.” –Sean Payton

"The man on top of the mountain didn't fall there." –Vince Lombardi

“Remember, once you set a goal, it’s all about how hard you’re willing to work, how much you’re willing to sacrifice and how badly you truly want it.” –J.J. Watt

“The most valuable player is the one who makes the most players valuable.” –Peyton Manning

"Today I will do what others won't, so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can't." –Jerry Rice

"If what you did yesterday seems big, you haven't done anything today." –Lou Holtz

“Winners never quit and quitters never win.” –Vince Lombardi

 

 

Cute. Did you find all these on the internet all by yourself? My point was the lack of execution of position play consistently is a big problem for the Zips. Irons holds the ball too long. Dropped passes, missed blocks, ... Each player must know his position thoroughly and his specific role in the execution of each play. I don't think some of the players fully comprehend those. Not that talent isn't important, but knowledge and confidence can lead to consistency and compensate somewhat for less talent.  Women think differently than men so I don't expect some of you here to understand my point. Being a teacher for more than 3 decades would help, too.

[Ham]

Losing, particularly losing creatively, brings out the worst in some.

[Let'sGoZips94]

11 hours ago, Spin said:

So you guys expected a head coach to come in (late in the recruiting/transfer season) and BUILD (not rebuild) a 25-30 FCS player lineup in nine months in the shadow of the B10.

 

I want this team to win as bad as anyone else, but this isn’t the NFL. JoMo didn’t have high early round draft picks that NFL teams use to make turn around crappy teams in a moment. Or waste like a certain pro team up north.

 

I do expect a bowl appearance and MACC appearance in a couple years, and upset a program or two that has a $100,000,000.00 budget. In other words an FCS power.

I still think we have the guy to do it. I expected one, maybe two years of gaffs and wrong decisions, then wins. Lots of wins.

 

 

 

 

 

I think part of the disappointment in the results stems from the lack of awareness of just how depleted this roster was of FBS talent. Personally, I thought the majority of our issues were coaching under Arth & Co. Turns out, he brought his FCS recruiting with him and depleted this roster worse than Ianello.

[clarkwgriswold]

22 minutes ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

I think part of the disappointment in the results stems from the lack of awareness of just how depleted this roster was of FBS talent. Personally, I thought the majority of our issues were coaching under Arth & Co. Turns out, he brought his FCS recruiting with him and depleted this roster worse than Ianello.

Yep, I think much of the frustration arises out of unrealistic expectations coming into the season.  The Zips were one of the 5 worst teams in the FBS last season.  Expectations of becoming bowl eligible or being near .500 were wildly unreasonable and put those with unreasonable expectations in the express line for disappointment.

[Spin]

16 hours ago, Zipmeister said:

 

I think we have to aim higher than becoming an FCS power.

 

I meant to say G5 power.

Edited October 18, 2022 by Spin

[GP1]

Just got back from a few days in Las Vegas. About the same time I learned about how the Zips lost, there was a political advertisement on the TV in my room. I think I was more shocked to learn there is political corruption and scandal in Nevada politics than the Zips losing the way they did. 

[catdaddyp]

4 hours ago, Spin said:

 

Well, you better donate some huge checks with a bunch of zeros if you want to make noise in the Power Five.  Enrollment (our primary source of athletic revenue at Akron) dropped from 26,581 in 2012 to 16,094 in 2021, almost half. 

 

Meanwhile Ohio State football attendance (their primary sourse of athletic revenue) "generates nearly $90 million per year for the athletic department and has been valued by one news outlet as high as $1 billion, making it a valuable revenue generator for the university." source This weekend I saw Tennessee football tickets in the nosebleeds for almost $600 per game. Their stadium holds 100k+. By contrast Akron sold 61,000 tickets all season last year. 

 

I'm in no way putting my alma mater down. We played in the NCAA Basketball Tournament this spring and regularly play in the NCAA Soccer Tournament. But football is a whole different game. Which is why there are Group of Five conferences for schools like ours. Without the enrollment and ticket sales, how can you climb out of the FCS and go up against the OSU's and Tenn's? 

 

Analogy time. The Akron Rubberducks are a lot of fun to watch. It wouldn't be fun to see them compete against major league teams.

I think you meant Group of 5 (G5 in FBS) in your original post instead of FCS? I believe the only FCS schools in Ohio are Dayton and Youngstown State. 

Edited October 18, 2022 by catdaddyp

[Spin]

3 hours ago, catdaddyp said:

I think you meant Group of 5 (G5 in FBS) in your original post instead of FCS? I believe the only FCS schools in Ohio are Dayton and Youngstown State. 

That is correct. I got my levels and sub levels crossed up again…

[clarkwgriswold]

Right now, I'd be content with the level of play of an FCS power!