Week 7 (WMU) Thoughts

[catdaddyp]

500 yards of offense and we still find a way to lose….

 

QB:

Finley may have only thrown one interception, but there were four other times where he could have been intercepted. He did throw some beautiful passes and can clearly make most throws - finishing with 395 yards passing. That said, just because he can make a difficult throw doesn’t always mean he should attempt to make that throw.

Bullock was a factor and was used in a variety of ways.

 

RB:

The backs were more of a threat in the passing game than in the run game. However, Simmons ran hard and still collected 4.8 ypc and a touchdown. He finished with 160 yards of total offense. Kellom’s fumble hurt and led to another WMU score.

 

WR:

Norton absolutely torched the WMU defense. He finished with 168 yards on 8 receptions. Norton also had two receptions called back that may have been phantom penalties. The other receivers were fine, but there were opportunities left on the table as not all catchable balls were brought in.

 

TE:

Even though Cravaack saw the majority of action at TE, Bullock started. Cravaack wasn’t overwhelmed and did ok. He’s just a redshirt freshman and still has some work to do before becoming consistently productive like Newell.

 

OL:

Hopefully, the OL naysayers will rein in some of the negative OL rhetoric. No team collects 500 yards of offense without a decent OL. No, our OL is not elite and they could be improved in the run game, but they have done a solid job the past few weeks and the talent is certainly there. Akron has never had the top rated pass protector in the MAC (in the PFF era) and Blanchard is firmly holding down that spot in 2024.

 

DL:

We started out using a 3 man DT front and had WMU’s run game corralled until the turnovers occurred and the score flipped. Once that happened, WMU became more balanced and we went back to our Nickel defense. WMU’s RBs were able to gash us on a few big runs and key 3rd downs from there. 

As good as we were for a period of time against the run, we struggled the entire game to put consistent pressure on the QB.

 

LB:

McCoy was lights out good.  He and Fish played nearly every snap. I believe they missed a single tackle between the two of them.

 

DB:

D. Lewis started at safety, and again, was really good. He’s having an All-MAC caliber season. P. Lewis had an up and down game. Outside of one snap, these two played every snap at safety. 

Golden-Nelson was excellent outside of one play, where he allowed the WR to get behind him for an explosive play. Reed got his first start and saw extensive action at the other CB spot. He was targeted twice as much as Golden-Nelson and held up well. Reed has an incredibly high upside and likely won’t relinquish the starting role unless injuries dictate otherwise.

 

ST:

What a disappointing day after the special teams have been excellent all year. I thought ST would be an area where we had an advantage as WMU has struggled all season. Instead, a muffed punt steam rolled into 4 turnovers.

 

Coaching:

The positive: A+ for the gameplan going into the contest on both sides of the ball and for in-game play-calling.

The negative: Untimely penalties, not taking advantage of timeouts, and simple fundamental issues (catching punts, ball control, etc.) was our achilles heel.

Penalties are going to happen. In fact, some of the best teams in 2023 were also the most heavily penalized. The difference is those teams didn’t have many pre-snap (false starts, delay of games) or post snap (personal fouls) penalties. While we didn’t have a ton of penalties this game, the ones we did have were untimely, sometimes avoidable, and quite simply just more of the same.

 

 

I can’t recall a team gaining 500 yards of offense (100+ more than the opponent) and losing the turnover battle 4 to 0. I thought for sure we’d at least force one turnover and get things back on track, but that didn’t happen. It’s another disappointing loss and another display of the talent level being on par with a MAC opponent. Our opportunities to collect some wins and change the perception of the program are dwindling. 5 more chances in 2024…

 

We now have a much needed bye week and will hopefully get the majority of injured players back for EMU.

 

 

 

QB

Finley

Bullock

 

RB

Simmons

Kellom

 

WR

Norton

P. Davis

 

WR

Golden

Rush

 

WR

Polk

Granger

 

TE

Bullock

Cravaack

Whisner

 

LT

Blanchard

Shor 

 

LG

Morris

Seymore

 

C

T. Williams

 

RG

K. Davis

Burrell

 

RT

James

D. Thomas

 

 

DE

Adler

Dall

Richards

 

DE

Nunnally 

Cheatom

 

DT

Moore

Brockington

 

DT

Kapongo

Madden

 

DT

Lavea

 

LB

Fish

 

LB

McCoy

Spriggs

 

(NB)

Greenwood

T. Thomas

 

CB

Golden-Nelson

DeWalt

 

CB

Reed

Hunter

 

S

P. Lewis

Roach

 

S

D. Lewis

 

 

Top 5 Players Offense:

ATH - Bullock

WR - Norton

RB - Simmons

LG - Seymore

LT - Blanchard

 

Top 5 Players Defense:

LB - McCoy

DE - Adler 

NB - Greenwood

CB - Reed

S - D. Lewis

Edited October 13 by catdaddyp

[exit322]

OK so...if I had to choose between "Tuesday home games in November" and "MAC After Dark" - I think I'd rather have random 10 PM kickoffs.

[catdaddyp]

9 minutes ago, exit322 said:

OK so...if I had to choose between "Tuesday home games in November" and "MAC After Dark" - I think I'd rather have random 10 PM kickoffs.

I don’t know, judging by that game, the refs may be so tired they can’t actually tell if a field goal is good or not.

 

Edited October 13 by catdaddyp

[exit322]

2 hours ago, catdaddyp said:

I don’t know, judging by that game, the refs may be so tired they can’t actually tell if a field goal is good or not.

 

It won't be as bad when you know from the jump that it's a late kick.

[dre22era]

Wagon Wheel game will be unwatchable 

[clarkwgriswold]

1 minute ago, dre22era said:

Wagon Wheel game will be unwatchable 

 

The under/over is 7.5 combined turnovers.

[kreed5120]

1 hour ago, dre22era said:

Wagon Wheel game will be unwatchable 

Movable object vs stopable force

[72 Roo]

Zip football is maddening for anyone to watch, but it is heartbreaking for anyone who wants to see the Zips win. Under Joe I ask myself why do we find ways to lose? He is a knowledgeable, good coach. He has assembled quality talent vis-a-vis the rest of the MAC. He has a good staff. The culture seems to be getting better. Yet we find ways to wrestle defeat from the jaws of victory in unbelievable fashion. 

 

You may not agree we with, but I have come to believe it's all about discipline. Joe expects discipline from his players, but he does not demand it. All winning coaches demand commitment to discipline. They are almost maniacal about it. There is a right way to play and when things go haywire, if you stick to doing things right, that discipline will somehow carry the day.  How can these unfathomable mistakes still keep arising on this team? I'll answer that by quoting a coach I respect who said when the same negative issues keep coming up "You are either tolerating them or coaching them. " It's time to start correcting them. There is no curse here. This team should be winning.

[GP1]

10 hours ago, exit322 said:

OK so...if I had to choose between "Tuesday home games in November" and "MAC After Dark" - I think I'd rather have random 10 PM kickoffs.

I hope it doesn't get to the point where I have to make this decision. 

[GP1]

3 hours ago, dre22era said:

Wagon Wheel game will be unwatchable 

I'm a huge fan of comedy. 

[GP1]

3 hours ago, clarkwgriswold said:

 

The under/over is 7.5 combined turnovers.

I'll take the over. 

[Zipmeister]

11 hours ago, 72 Roo said:

Zip football is maddening for anyone to watch, but it is heartbreaking for anyone who wants to see the Zips win. Under Joe I ask myself why do we find ways to lose? He is a knowledgeable, good coach. He has assembled quality talent vis-a-vis the rest of the MAC. He has a good staff. The culture seems to be getting better. Yet we find ways to wrestle defeat from the jaws of victory in unbelievable fashion. 

 

You may not agree we with, but I have come to believe it's all about discipline. Joe expects discipline from his players, but he does not demand it. All winning coaches demand commitment to discipline. They are almost maniacal about it. There is a right way to play and when things go haywire, if you stick to doing things right, that discipline will somehow carry the day.  How can these unfathomable mistakes still keep arising on this team? I'll answer that by quoting a coach I respect who said when the same negative issues keep coming up "You are either tolerating them or coaching them. " It's time to start correcting them. There is no curse here. This team should be winning.

 

Just spit-balling here. Do you think the lack of discipline has anything to do with the team's heavy reliance on the portal?,

I know other teams use it, but I'm uncertain how many have the player turnover experienced by the Zips.

P.S. The current culture can't hold a candle to the D2 days under Gordon Larson (local kids, playing in a pathetic stadium, who would run through a wall for the team).

[catdaddyp]

23 minutes ago, Zipmeister said:

 

Just spit-balling here. Do you think the lack of discipline has anything to do with the team's heavy reliance on the portal?,

I know other teams use it, but I'm uncertain how many have the player turnover experienced by the Zips.

P.S. The current culture can't hold a candle to the D2 days under Gordon Larson (local kids, playing in a pathetic stadium, who would run through a wall for the team).

It’s not the portal or roster turnover. 
 

Gathings moved on to UCONN and hasn’t had a single flag thrown on him this season.

 

Miss. State’s QB missed the bowl game in 2019 due to a black eye. A teammate felt bold enough to punch the QB just days before the bowl game.

 

Don’t get me wrong, fights happen at practice. It’s football. But players know which lines are acceptable to cross and which aren’t.

 

[Head coach Huell Jackson]

28 minutes ago, catdaddyp said:

It’s not the portal or roster turnover. 
 

Gathings moved on to UCONN and hasn’t had a single flag thrown on him this season.

 

Miss. State’s QB missed the bowl game in 2019 due to a black eye. A teammate felt bold enough to punch the QB just days before the bowl game.

 

Don’t get me wrong, fights happen at practice. It’s football. But players know which lines are acceptable to cross and which aren’t.

 

Yep, one of the biggest critiques of Moorhead's tenure as head coach at Miss State was horrible culture and lack of discipline. There was a reason he was fired only 2 years into that deal. 

[catdaddyp]

1 minute ago, Head coach Huell Jackson said:

Yep, one of the biggest critiques of Moorhead's tenure as head coach at Miss State was horrible culture and lack of discipline. There was a reason he was fired only 2 years into that deal. 

I’m not in the locker room, but I don’t think culture is an issue. The players seem to generally be good guys and they play hard.

 

Discipline is there to an extent. It’s just not where it needs to be in my opinion.

[blueandgold]

No team is going to win by giving up 4 turnovers and creating none!

[Akron1]

The game changed when the Special Teams Coach sent a return man out on the filed for a punt, while it was hailing and we were up 17 - 0 in the 2nd quarter. 

Our returner attempted to field the punt on the 5 yardline...while being pelted with HAIL!  

The ball was fumbled and it rolled into the endzone.  TD WMU.  

Unacceptable decision.  Worse case scenario is should have been - we have the ball on the 1 yard line up 17 - 0.

[MangoZip]

28 minutes ago, Akron1 said:

The game changed when the Special Teams Coach sent a return man out on the filed for a punt, while it was hailing and we were up 17 - 0 in the 2nd quarter. 

Our returner attempted to field the punt on the 5 yardline...while being pelted with HAIL!  

The ball was fumbled and it rolled into the endzone.  TD WMU.  

Unacceptable decision.  Worse case scenario is should have been - we have the ball on the 1 yard line up 17 - 0.

Every year I’m amazed how often this team tries to fair catch a punt inside the 10yd line (and often f*cks it up). It should be such an easy decision to get out of the way and let it go into the end zone. 

[egregiousbob]

On 10/14/2024 at 9:55 AM, catdaddyp said:

I’m not in the locker room, but I don’t think culture is an issue. The players seem to generally be good guys and they play hard.

 

Discipline is there to an extent. It’s just not where it needs to be in my opinion.

 

 

I think discipline is a bit loose.  Consider the Undercuffler penalty for f-bombing the ref (caught on live TV) from the sidelines.  He was not disciplined to any extent from what I have heard.  Was disappointed by the lack of sportsmanship at Ohio this year. Multiple cases of players flipping off the fans as they ran on to and off the field. They also engaged in a lot of sideline trash talking with fans.  Most coaches would shut that s*it down right quick. 

[72 Roo]

No one coaches to catch the ball inside the ten. Still players do it. Sportsmanship and character issues still plague this team. Why? The answer is simple. No discipline. There are no consequences for violating behavior issues (think Gaithings all last year). You can correct the punt fielding, player control fouls and unsportsmanlike penalties by having no tolerance and showing those players the bench. A soccer coach I learned under said his best assistant was the bench. Players learned real fast what was expected. 

[Hilltopper]

Since the advent of NIL and the portal, the inmates now run the asylum. Especially at the lower rung programs. 

[lance99]

On 10/13/2024 at 11:22 AM, exit322 said:

OK so...if I had to choose between "Tuesday home games in November" and "MAC After Dark" - I think I'd rather have random 10 PM kickoffs.

I been pondering 'MAC After Dark' since Sunday and the MAC Brass would be crazy enough to try it...

[exit322]

3 hours ago, lance99 said:

I been pondering 'MAC After Dark' since Sunday and the MAC Brass would be crazy enough to try it...

Right?  It's definitely something they'd consider.

[GP1]

Fundamental plays are a victim of the transfer portal. There is no time to effectively practice the basics. Catching a punt inside the 10 is one. Tackling is atrocious. Understanding the game situations is horrible. College football is becoming a bad product. 

Edited October 18 by GP1

[kreed5120]

17 hours ago, GP1 said:

Fundamental plays are a victim of the transfer portal. There is no time to effectively practice the basics. Catching a punt inside the 10 is one. Tackling is atrocious. Understanding the game situations is horrible. College football is becoming a bad product. 

 

Things like planting your feet at the 10 and letting any ball over your head go was preached by coaches even when I was in middle school. They should know basic fundamentals even before putting on an Akron jersey. Why they choose to disregard them? Who knows.