The Worst Plays of 2023

[1981 grad]

The last few years In the 4th quarter to get the crowd excited they have a Zips "play of the game"  We might be losing by 40 points but sometimes with great difficulty they will find a positive play for the Zips and put it on the scoreboard.  In order to blow off some steam from this season, I will ask everyone on the board to give me the worst play of 2023 by the Zips.  I know the season is young but I already have a couple of favorites:

 

The missed field goal that would have given us a win over Indiana

 

Our offsides against Temple when they were punting and we would have a last ditch effort to tie the game.

 

When Kentucky threw a touchdown pass after we had the quarterback tackled but could not bring him down to the ground.

 

 

 

 

Edited October 13, 2023 by 1981 grad

[MangoZip]

The personal foul/late hit on 3rd down against Buffalo that ultimately led to their only TD and the win. 

[ZippyRulz]

1. missed FG at Indiana

 

2. DJI leg injury & fumble

 

3. mystery play that resulted in Alex Adams' mystery injury

 

 

[Blue & Gold]

1. Missed FG -v- Indiana

2. Alex Adams dropped 99-yard TD pass -v- Indiana

3. Stupid unnecessary roughness penalty which directly led to Buffalo's only TD

4. Kentucky QB playing Harry Houdini and escaping at least 4 sacks & throwing a TD on a single play while we were still in the game

5. Every time NIU ran the ball

[Reslife4Life]

The single worst play of the season so far just has to be the missed FG at Indiana. 

The only other play that I have seen live that single handedly cost us a win was the Zack Gibson fumble vs Ball State in 2021

[1981 grad]

I am adding to the list: 

 

Bullocks attempt to thrown the ball out of bound that was a wounded duck and was intercepted by Central Michigan.  You may be a bad passer but you should at least be able to throw a ball out of bounds when the rush is getting to you.  

 

And the offsides on the CMU field goal attempt that eventually led to a touchdown instead of a field goal.

[zipsfan33]

  On 10/15/2023 at 3:52 PM, 1981 grad said:

I am adding to the list: 

 

Bullocks attempt to thrown the ball out of bound that was a wounded duck and was intercepted by Central Michigan.  You may be a bad passer but you should at least be able to throw a ball out of bounds when the rush is getting to you.  

 

And the offsides on the CMU field goal attempt that eventually led to a touchdown instead of a field goal.

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How does that even happen?   Its not like he was wrapped up and was desperately trying to heave it. 

[zippy-claws]

At least it wasn't an attempted on-sides kick to open the game that led to a TD!  🤣

[Let'sGoZips94]

Everything after the 3rd TD in the Temple game.

[blueandgold]

  On 10/17/2023 at 5:03 PM, Let'sGoZips94 said:

Everything after the 3rd TD in the Temple game.

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Sad but true!

[1981 grad]

Since I turned off the game early in the 3rd quarter when BG drove the ball from the 11 yard line and it seemed that the defense threw in the towel, the worst play goes to Coach Joe for calling a pass play with 30 seconds left in the half and third and thirty that lead to a fumble and then an injury to an offensive lineman who made a great play saving a touchdown and a BG field goal right before the half.  I also give him an honorable mention for his penalty for yelling at the refs and turned a 2nd and 10 into a 2nd and 25 that led to the punt where BG took possession at the 11.  We were driving the ball up until that penalty.

 

 

[a-zip]

Every play Lingard doesn't get the ball....

[Section210Zip]

  On 10/23/2023 at 3:34 PM, 1981 grad said:

Since I turned off the game early in the 3rd quarter when BG drove the ball from the 11 yard line and it seemed that the defense threw in the towel, the worst play goes to Coach Joe for calling a pass play with 30 seconds left in the half and third and thirty that lead to a fumble and then an injury to an offensive lineman who made a great play saving a touchdown and a BG field goal right before the half.  I also give him an honorable mention for his penalty for yelling at the refs and turned a 2nd and 10 into a 2nd and 25 that led to the punt where BG took possession at the 11.  We were driving the ball up until that penalty.

 

 

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I don't blame Coach for that penalty. The no call by the officials was egregious. The defender had tackled the receiver before the ball got there. I also thought Coach, while getting after the ref, wasn't anything more than you normally see after a call. So the refs doubled down on bad calls.

[GoZips88]

Taking Akron > 3.5 Ws. 😞

[1981 grad]

I think JoMos decision to punt from the 30 yard line and the ball going into the end zone netting 10 yards sort of sums of this season of futility.  Had he gone for it on 4th and 12 and made the first down, game over.  Consider that our kicking game has had problems all season, what was he thinking.

[LZIp]

  On 11/15/2023 at 3:11 PM, 1981 grad said:

I think JoMos decision to punt from the 30 yard line and the ball going into the end zone netting 10 yards sort of sums of this season of futility.  Had he gone for it on 4th and 12 and made the first down, game over.  Consider that our kicking game has had problems all season, what was he thinking.

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It's an odd call in general, but I don't hate the call considering our situation. I hate the execution. The slim chance we get it (either converting or making the FG) gives them good field position. He was playing the field position game. 1) The gunners couldn't find the ball for some reason, allowing it to go into the end zone and 2) the punter should be able to kick a coffin corner... He was relying on a defense who is the better unit, played well most of the game. Unfortunately they folded in crunch time.

 

Special teams has been a disaster this year. We talk about changes, the ST coach is one who comes to mind.

[GP1]

  On 11/15/2023 at 3:11 PM, 1981 grad said:

I think JoMos decision to punt from the 30 yard line and the ball going into the end zone netting 10 yards sort of sums of this season of futility.  Had he gone for it on 4th and 12 and made the first down, game over.  Consider that our kicking game has had problems all season, what was he thinking.

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The odds of making a first down on one play for 12 yards are extremely low given the offensive line can't hold out the defense long enough to let the receivers get that far down field. If U gets sacked, which happens too much, it would give EMU at least 10 extra yards to start the drive. A pick six would be a killer. A QB fumble would be a disaster. I think the Akron offense was out of tricks at that point. 

 

If one player on the Akron punt team turns around to his right instead of his left, the ball is downed inside the five. It was a pretty good pooch punt. 

 

I would have crossed my fingers on a long FG. A six point lead , that late in a game, with no timeouts would have made EMU more one dimensional and easier to stop. Instead, they were able to mix in a running game early in the drive and keep Akron off balance. 

[Reslife4Life]

It is crazy to think, Jackson has been the kicker for only one game this season and it was the IU game. Wiley's line drive in OT last night would've gone through the uprights for a win

[MarkWiley]

Tired of this kicker talk. I know this place isn’t a great place to be for a player parent and I’m 100% comfortable with player criticism. But let me just defend Owen. He missed one kick this year that was his fault, the other was so poorly blocked on the edge that the Buffalo player was standing in front of him when he kicked. It’s maddening because he routinely wins the weekly “kick off” by making all of the kicks that Moorhead refuses to try in game. Yeah he had a squeaker in OT, but box score shows it went in. 
 

What should be talked about, is kicking is 80% mental. And you can’t have confident kickers when they know if they miss just one, they are out and rotated. No kicker is perfect. The Georgia kicker started the year terribly, the coach publicly and privately backed him and he’s a Groza semi-finalist right now. 

 

Dante is a good kid, and a good kicker, but the decision to start him in Indiana shocked all of us, including Dante. Moorhead put him in that position last minute. Not Tucker. 
 

I watch my kid make those kicks in warmups, in pressure kicks at practice, and to not go for the kick and instead punt from your 31 is just incredible to me. How do you preach finish and don’t give your players the chance to finish. 
 

This coach, the announcers, all talk about the kicking issues and meanwhile my kid has missed one. A 47 yarder into a stiff wind. The holder and the snapper are very good. But no kicker will succeed in this environment. 
 

 

[Let'sGoZips94]

@MarkWiley The decision to have Dante kick the would've-been-game-winner vs Indiana will forever be a stain on JoeMo's resume. The concerns with Wiley were distance related from 45+ from what I had seen at the time, not accuracy. And I'm not even sure if distance is an issue, simply speaking based on my memory of his kicks. 

 

Instead of being 2-2 in the OOC portion with a win against a Big Ten school, we were 1-3, and the lack of finishing was set into motion. 

[Hilltopper]

Not going for the 2 point conversion after we scored in the first overtime. We had momentum. Play to win! 

[zippy5]

  On 11/15/2023 at 3:36 PM, GP1 said:

The odds of making a first down on one play for 12 yards are extremely low given the offensive line can't hold out the defense long enough to let the receivers get that far down field. If U gets sacked, which happens too much, it would give EMU at least 10 extra yards to start the drive. A pick six would be a killer. A QB fumble would be a disaster. I think the Akron offense was out of tricks at that point. 

 

If one player on the Akron punt team turns around to his right instead of his left, the ball is downed inside the five. It was a pretty good pooch punt. 

 

I would have crossed my fingers on a long FG. A six point lead , that late in a game, with no timeouts would have made EMU more one dimensional and easier to stop. Instead, they were able to mix in a running game early in the drive and keep Akron off balance. 

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it was 4th and 7, not 12

[1981 grad]

  On 11/15/2023 at 4:09 PM, MarkWiley said:

Tired of this kicker talk. I know this place isn’t a great place to be for a player parent and I’m 100% comfortable with player criticism. But let me just defend Owen. He missed one kick this year that was his fault, the other was so poorly blocked on the edge that the Buffalo player was standing in front of him when he kicked. It’s maddening because he routinely wins the weekly “kick off” by making all of the kicks that Moorhead refuses to try in game. Yeah he had a squeaker in OT, but box score shows it went in. 
 

What should be talked about, is kicking is 80% mental. And you can’t have confident kickers when they know if they miss just one, they are out and rotated. No kicker is perfect. The Georgia kicker started the year terribly, the coach publicly and privately backed him and he’s a Groza semi-finalist right now. 

 

Dante is a good kid, and a good kicker, but the decision to start him in Indiana shocked all of us, including Dante. Moorhead put him in that position last minute. Not Tucker. 
 

I watch my kid make those kicks in warmups, in pressure kicks at practice, and to not go for the kick and instead punt from your 31 is just incredible to me. How do you preach finish and don’t give your players the chance to finish. 
 

This coach, the announcers, all talk about the kicking issues and meanwhile my kid has missed one. A 47 yarder into a stiff wind. The holder and the snapper are very good. But no kicker will succeed in this environment. 
 

 

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happy to read your post.  I would prefer a field goal attempt from 46 over a punt from the 30.  However, a 6 point lead with 2 minutes left and a team that continues to lose games is not ideal.  If they make the first down.  Game over.   

Edited November 15, 2023 by 1981 grad

[GP1]

  On 11/15/2023 at 5:52 PM, zippy5 said:

it was 4th and 7, not 12

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Ok. Still very difficult. 

[MarkWiley]

  On 11/15/2023 at 6:12 PM, 1981 grad said:

happy to read your post.  I would prefer a field goal attempt from 46 over a punt from the 30.  However, a 6 point lead with 2 minutes left and a team that continues to lose games is not ideal.  If they make the first down.  Game over.   

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Not my first choice selfishly, but going for it would have been far better than punting.