10 Questions (and some answers) Post Spring

[catdaddyp]

Who is QB1?

I don’t think there’s much doubt Finley is the leading candidate. Finley makes quick decisions and throws a catchable ball. He also has enough mobility to be effective in the run game and when scrambling. Finley has played at a high level in the past, so there shouldn’t be many overwhelming moments for him at the G5 level.

Bullock has not developed as much as I hoped. My take is that he is mentally processing too slowly because his physical tools are not lacking. He is still an asset to the offense due to his bruising running style and should be utilized in short yardage/goal line situations.

 

Will Akron have much of a run game?

Purely speaking about the running backs, the answer is yes. There is not a RB on the roster with the makeup of Lingard, however, all of the backs are made for RPO type offenses. What I mean by that is they have a rapid burst once the ball is in their hands and catch the ball well out of the backfield. They can make the first defender miss and have enough speed to create explosive plays.

 

Who will replace All-MAC receivers George and Gathings?

The first choice would be Norton. The true sophomore has the make-up to be an all-conference player in just his second season. If Adams is healthy, he will return to his role in the slot, leaving the typical third receiver position up for competition. It’s possible that player is not currently on the roster. Multiple offers have gone out during the spring.

 

How about the OL?

It’s still a work in progress, but the starters will likely resemble most of the first combination displayed in the Spring Game. They were facing a defensive front that is reasonably one of the better defensive fronts in the MAC, so it’s hard to say how much improvement has been made. What was clear was the increased athleticism as the offensive line (especially the tackles) were able to climb to the second level of the defense and give the run game room on the speed options and perimeter plays. Inside runs were harder to come by in the Spring Game.

 

Is there a better defensive front in the MAC?

Maybe, but not by much. Miami has one all-conference defensive lineman and two all-conference linebackers returning (Zips have Nunnally and McCoy), so they can lay claim to this title in the pre-season. Zips have impressive depth at defensive tackle and linebacker. The only question is at the backup defensive end spot. The 2023 JUCOs could step up or perhaps one of the redshirt/true freshmen will see significant time.

 

How’s the secondary looking?

Long, athletic, and physical. Coach Renna and former CBs coach Bell have done an excellent job recruiting and developing talent. The downside? There is a void of actual game experience outside of Golden-Nelson, D. Lewis, and a few of the transfers. There may be some growing pains early in the season, but this is a talented group that should be assisted by the excellent defensive front.

 

What’s the status of the Special Teams?

Jackson returns at punter and was solid in that role in 2023. Wiley was strong down the stretch on FGs and PATs. Zips received a commitment from an FCS Freshman All-American kicker in March. New long snappers will also be arriving soon. 

 

Is the roster complete?

No. By my count there are currently about 5 open scholarships. Most of the recent offers have gone out to wide receivers and offensive linemen. The roster is in the best place it’s been since Moorhead’s arrival and this year’s spring portal options are much deeper than last year’s. There is a good chance a difference maker or two will be signed.

 

Who are the new coaches?

QB - Michael Shuster (Duke Grad Asst.)

WR - JD Brookhart

CB - Kresean Reed (Northern Arizona CBs)

ST - Ryan Matviko (Offensive Analyst)

 

Which MAC team has been hit the hardest by the portal?

Ohio. The Bobcats have also brought in some players who should be quality replacements, but they will be heavily tested this year. A substantial drop off in wins from the previous two seasons would not be a surprise.

Edited May 2 by catdaddyp

[Blue & Gold]

Simply excellent stuff, @catdaddyp. Thank you!

[LZIp]

@catdaddyp, have to think the staff will look to bring in another QB with Wasel transferring out, right? Finley appears adequate. Behind him you'd have Bullock who in my mind is a gadget QB, and then a true freshman in Raggow.

 

With our meat grinder schedule to start the season, have to have some insurance there.

Edited May 2 by LZIp

[catdaddyp]

1 hour ago, LZIp said:

@catdaddyp, have to think the staff will look to bring in another QB with Wasel transferring out, right? Finley appears adequate. Behind him you'd have Bullock who in my mind is a gadget QB, and then a true freshman in Raggow.

 

With our meat grinder schedule to start the season, have to have some insurance there.

I would think so. Going into the season with only 3 scholarship QBs (one of them being a true freshman) is definitely not ideal. The question is how does the staff feel about Bullock? If they feel he has progressed enough to win some games, we’ll probably see someone with 3-4 years of eligibility signed from the portal. I imagine no matter who it is will be further along in their development than Wasel.

Edited May 2 by catdaddyp

[Zipsfan10]

I wish I had the confidence in Taj and Roggow  that y’all seem to. Definitely see him as a gadget QB as said previously. 
 

I saw little improvement with Taj. Roggow just seemed adequate. Nothing great, nothing bad. Just couldn’t make much from it at this point, other than he throws a good ball. 
 

Finley will need to stay healthy. I haven’t seen much at all on the walk-on this spring. 

Edited May 2 by Zipsfan10

[UA1996MAENG]

10 hours ago, catdaddyp said:

Who is QB1?

I don’t think there’s much doubt Finley is the leading candidate. Finley makes quick decisions and throws a catchable ball. He also has enough mobility to be effective in the run game and when scrambling. Finley has played at a high level in the past, so there shouldn’t be many overwhelming moments for him at the G5 level.

Bullock has not developed as much as I hoped. My take is that he is mentally processing too slowly because his physical tools are not lacking. He is still an asset to the offense due to his bruising running style and should be utilized in short yardage/goal line situations.

 

Will Akron have much of a run game?

Purely speaking about the running backs, the answer is yes. There is not a RB on the roster with the makeup of Lingard, however, all of the backs are made for RPO type offenses. What I mean by that is they have a rapid burst once the ball is in their hands and catch the ball well out of the backfield. They can make the first defender miss and have enough speed to create explosive plays.

 

Who will replace All-MAC receivers George and Gathings?

The first choice would be Norton. The true sophomore has the make-up to be an all-conference player in just his second season. If Adams is healthy, he will return to his role in the slot, leaving the typical third receiver position up for competition. It’s possible that player is not currently on the roster. Multiple offers have gone out during the spring.

 

How about the OL?

It’s still a work in progress, but the starters will likely resemble most of the first combination displayed in the Spring Game. They were facing a defensive front that is reasonably one of the better defensive fronts in the MAC, so it’s hard to say how much improvement has been made. What was clear was the increased athleticism as the offensive line (especially the tackles) were able to climb to the second level of the defense and give the run game room on the speed options and perimeter plays. Inside runs were harder to come by in the Spring Game.

 

Is there a better defensive front in the MAC?

Maybe, but not by much. Miami has one all-conference defensive lineman and two all-conference linebackers returning (Zips have Nunnally and McCoy), so they can lay claim to this title in the pre-season. Zips have impressive depth at defensive tackle and linebacker. The only question is at the backup defensive end spot. The 2023 JUCOs could step up or perhaps one of the redshirt/true freshmen will see significant time.

 

How’s the secondary looking?

Long, athletic, and physical. Coach Renna and former CBs coach Bell have done an excellent job recruiting and developing talent. The downside? There is a void of actual game experience outside of Golden-Nelson, D. Lewis, and a few of the transfers. There may be some growing pains early in the season, but this is a talented group that should be assisted by the excellent defensive front.

 

What’s the status of the Special Teams?

Jackson returns at punter and was solid in that role in 2023. Wiley was strong down the stretch on FGs and PATs. Zips received a commitment from an FCS Freshman All-American kicker in March. New long snappers will also be arriving soon. 

 

Is the roster complete?

No. By my count there are currently about 5 open scholarships. Most of the recent offers have gone out to wide receivers and offensive linemen. The roster is in the best place it’s been since Moorhead’s arrival and this year’s spring portal options are much deeper than last year’s. There is a good chance a difference maker or two will be signed.

 

Who are the new coaches?

QB - Michael Shuster (Duke Grad Asst.)

WR - JD Brookhart

CB - Kresean Reed (Northern Arizona CBs)

ST - Ryan Matviko (Offensive Analyst)

 

Which MAC team has been hit the hardest by the portal?

Ohio. The Bobcats have also brought in some players who should be quality replacements, but they will be heavily tested this year. A substantial drop off in wins from the previous two seasons would not be a surprise.

Thank you for this spring assesment. I'm hoping for the best as I don't think Moorhead survives another 2-10 year. Do you think this team can win 5-6 games?  Is that enough to keep Moorhead?

[catdaddyp]

6 minutes ago, UA1996MAENG said:

Thank you for this spring assesment. I'm hoping for the best as I don't think Moorhead survives another 2-10 year. Do you think this team can win 5-6 games?  Is that enough to keep Moorhead?

I think the heat would be turned up if this team went 2-10 again, although I don’t see that happening. Last year, there were 7 games decided by one score or less and only 2 of those went our way. The year before, 5 games were decided by one score or less and only 1 went our way. Moorhead has this program on the cusp and is close to breaking though. I thought that breakthrough would happen last year and it didn’t (I won’t rehash the multitude of reasons behind that). Unfortunately, this year’s non-conference schedule is brutal, so that doesn’t help.

 

I think 4-5 wins should be the minimum expectation with the possibility of more if things go our way. The reason I say that is no team in the conference is ahead of us talent wise anymore (except maybe Toledo). 

Taking a look at the MAC teams we play:

Ohio - Blistered by the portal. Still have talent, but how will it all fit?

Bowling Green - Holes to fill in a number of areas outside of QB. If injuries hit, it will be an issue.

WMU - Questions at QB and depth is still an issue in a number of areas.

EMU - There is plenty of young talent, but almost a complete rebuild on the OL, DL, and at LB. Not to mention a new QB.

Buffalo - New staff. Questions almost everywhere except RB.

NIU - Concerns at QB.

Kent State - Almost like another rebuild in year two.

Toledo - Lost several All-MAC players, including at QB. Plenty of talent, but low on experience.

 

I’m not saying the conference schedule will be easy, but wanted to point out almost every team we play is beatable due to their own issues they are attempting to figure out.

 

 

 

 

[Let'sGoZips94]

You're a legend, @catdaddyp. Thank you for this rundown. 

[catdaddyp]

1 hour ago, Zipsfan10 said:

I wish I had the confidence in Taj and Roggow  that y’all seem to. Definitely see him as a gadget QB as said previously. 
 

I saw little improvement with Taj. Roggow just seemed adequate. Nothing great, nothing bad. Just couldn’t make much from it at this point, other than he throws a good ball. 
 

Finley will need to stay healthy. I haven’t seen much at all on the walk-on this spring. 

I don’t have confidence in either Bullock or Roggow winning games for us this year if they are pressed to fill for substantial snaps. Unless one of them takes a major leap over the next few months. I’m just not sure how the staff feels about the situation right now. They may feel better about it than we do? 
 

I agree, at the moment the offense rides on a healthy Finley.

Edited May 2 by catdaddyp

[Let'sGoZips94]

15 minutes ago, catdaddyp said:

I don’t have confidence in either Bullock or Roggow winning games for us this year if they are pressed to fill for substantial snaps. Unless one of them takes a major leap over the next few months. I’m just not sure how the staff feels about the situation right now. They may feel better about it than we do? 
 

I agree, at the moment the offense rides on a healthy Finley.

 

With one of the 5 open scholarships, is there a chance we bring in another QB, especially with Wasel's departure?

[72 Roo]

1 hour ago, UA1996MAENG said:

Thank you for this spring assesment. I'm hoping for the best as I don't think Moorhead survives another 2-10 year. Do you think this team can win 5-6 games?  Is that enough to keep Moorhead?

This is a sobering question because it points out how bad the program has been and how much time it will take to turn it around. I do not think we have much of a chance to win more than four games this season. We have too many questions to solve (start with the OL & backup QB).  So the turnaround continues and Joe will keep his job primarily because he is doing the right things in building a sustainable, winning program. 

[UA1996MAENG]

10 minutes ago, 72 Roo said:

This is a sobering question because it points out how bad the program has been and how much time it will take to turn it around. I do not think we have much of a chance to win more than four games this season. We have too many questions to solve (start with the OL & backup QB).  So the turnaround continues and Joe will keep his job primarily because he is doing the right things in building a sustainable, winning program. 

My big fear not only for UA in particular but for the Group of 5 in general is that the Transfer Portal has made a difficult job even more difficult if not impossible.  For many programs in G5, any level of team or individual success results in the gutting of the team just at the moment it's making progress.  Hearing Saban basically admit to tampering with a Toledo player I think is indicative of what's going on now and this will only get worse. It seems that every G5 program has to rebuild each year as they do not have the NIL money to keep their best athletes.  It's a shame.  I'm old so it all seems very mercenary to me.

[ZippyRulz]

4 hours ago, LZIp said:

@catdaddyp, have to think the staff will look to bring in another QB with Wasel transferring out, right? Finley appears adequate. Behind him you'd have Bullock who in my mind is a gadget QB, and then a true freshman in Raggow.

 

 

And the other guy who occupies a roster spot but will never play for us.

 

Edited May 2 by ZippyRulz

[LZIp]

25 minutes ago, ZippyRulz said:

 

And the other guy who occupies a roster spot but will never play for us.

 

As is the case for nearly all walk ons.

[catdaddyp]

1 hour ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

With one of the 5 open scholarships, is there a chance we bring in another QB, especially with Wasel's departure?

I’d think so. I’m just not sure where the staff stands as far as how they feel about Bullock being able to win games for this team. Do they go after a QB that comes in and competes for the starting spot? Or go after a guy with 3-4 years of eligibility left that’s more advanced than Wasel, but not quite ready to be given the reigns yet?

[ZippyRulz]

1 hour ago, LZIp said:

As is the case for nearly all walk ons.

 

Seems like an opportunity to save some money on uniforms and team meals.