Game Two (Nebraska) Thoughts

[catdaddyp]

This will probably be my shortest postgame take of the year.

 

QB:

Finley was under pressure most of the night, outside of just a handful of snaps. He tried to hang in the pocket and deliver some throws. The problem was his receivers, who were credited with eight—yes, eight—drops. The silver lining is that some of the staple throws he hit consistently last year were on target again in this game.

 

RB:

Patrick and Gant took advantage of their chances whenever they weren’t being met in the backfield right away. I’m genuinely excited about what this duo can bring the rest of the season.

 

WR:

Just a brutal showing from this group. They did the work to get open but too often failed to finish the play. Not every throw is going to be perfect, but receivers can’t afford to drop the ones that hit them in the hands. There’s simply too much talent in this room to put out the kind of performance we saw last night.

 

TE: 

Cravaack was on the field for every tight end snap but spent most of the night being used as a blocker. It was a tough outing overall, and it’s clear Newell has been missed.

 

OL:

I don’t know the exact size, weight, or length differences between the two sides of the line, but we looked clearly outmatched in those areas. Our OL not only seemed physically undersized against Nebraska’s front, but we were also slow on pulls and often whiffed on the oncoming defender. On top of that, there were moments where we looked completely confused about assignments or couldn’t hold blocks long enough for the play to develop. The second half against Nebraska’s backups went better for obvious reasons.

 

DL:

The defensive line held its own for parts of the game but wore down as things went on. We weren’t able to generate much pressure in the first half, though once the game was out of reach, we did manage to flush or get to the quarterback a few times. The short-yardage stands we came up with, similar to last week, are a positive sign and bode well for this group moving forward.

 

LB:

The secondary falls into this category as well—we had some run fits break down and a few busted coverages. The linebackers struggled at times to shed blocks, and against a team like Nebraska, that’s going to lead to big plays. Tackling, once again, was solid early but slipped as the game wore on.

 

DB:

I thought Reed and DeWalt held their own throughout the game. The rest of the secondary, though, consistently had a tough time against an offense loaded with playmakers and a scheme that kept putting us in difficult situations.

 

ST:

When it rains, it pours. We had a blocked field goal, a missed field goal that drilled the upright, and an eleven-yard punt. If there are any positive takeaways here, it’s that Hills looks like a returner who has the ability to take one to the house against lesser competition.

 

Coaching:

No, we don’t have the horses to keep up with Nebraska. That said, going two straight weeks without a point—with an offense in its fourth year and the most overall talent at the skill spots since Moorhead arrived—is flat-out unacceptable. Defensively, Nebraska took advantage of any defender even slightly out of position. Once the depth rotations started, things were bound to get ugly. Just one guy out of place was enough to give up a big play, and it happened too often.

 

 

I know everyone wanted to see a better showing—myself included—but at the end of the day, this was a payday game and doesn’t mean much beyond another loss. Even with the lopsided score, we seemingly walked away without injuries and can now shift our focus to a winnable matchup next week. Hopefully, the staff can use the film to teach some lessons on busts, leverage, and the like, but outside of that, this one can be flushed.

 

 

QB:

Finley

M. Johnson

 

RB:

Patrick

Gant

Marq. Williams

 

WR:

M. Williams

Grear

 

WR:

Walker

Mason

Louis

 

WR:

Polk

Monteiro

Hills

 

TE:

Cravaack 

 

LT:

Motley-Simmons

J. Moore

 

LG:

McManus

Archer

 

C

Lyons

Morris 

 

RG:

A. Jones

K. Davis

 

RT:

King

Mann

 

 

DE:

Durham

D. Frazier

 

DE:

Dall

J. Frazier

Murphy

 

DT:

Laventure 

Mixon

Duncan

 

DT:

Hull

Murphy

Musika 

E. Davis

 

LB:

Cooper

Spriggs

Boswell

 

LB:

Summers

Hocker

Benenge

 

NB:

AL. Branch

Stepney

AA. Branch

 

CB:

Reed

Kamara

 

CB:

DeWalt

Jarmon

 

S:

Anderson

Hunter

 

S:

DiMarco 

AL. Branch

 

 

KO:

Wiley

 

K:

Wiley

 

P:

Castle

B. Johnson 

 

 

 

Top Rated Offense (20 snap minimum):

(QB) Finley

(RT) King

(HB) Patrick

(C) Lyons

(RG) K. Davis

 

Top Rated Defense (20 snap minimum):

(CB) Reed

(LB) Cooper

(CB) DeWalt

(NB) AA. Branch

(DT) Musika

 

Edited 7 hours ago by catdaddyp

[a-zip]

We need a QB that is a running threat 

[exit322]

7 minutes ago, a-zip said:

We need a QB that is a running threat 

Johnson didn't throw much but he did enough that I'd be glad to see him start next week

Edited 5 hours ago by exit322
I don't grammar good

[GP1]

11 minutes ago, a-zip said:

We need a QB that is a running threat 

Where is he going to run?

[a-zip]

20 minutes ago, GP1 said:

Where is he going to run?

It poses a threat.  Its another person you have to account for.  We are too easy to stop.  We don’t have dominant athletes.  

Edited 5 hours ago by a-zip

[Blue & Gold]

48 minutes ago, a-zip said:

We need a QB that is a running threat 

JoeMo's needed a QB who is a dual threat. DJ Irons doesn't count as he was an Arth recruit, so it's on Year 4 JoeMo he hasn't been able to land one in the TP.

 

Four years ago I was over the moon with us landing JoeMo... but it did cause me to raise an eyebrow when he wasn't even able to lure a 5th string walk-on Oregon QB to Akron with him.

 

This sucks.

We're demoralized.

I do believe that JoeMo is done - though he's got another year on his contract.

I'm more upset about losing the posts of Catdaddy than I am about losing the offense of JoeMo.

[GP1]

24 minutes ago, a-zip said:

It poses a threat.  Its another person you have to account for.  We are too easy to stop.  We don’t have dominant athletes.  

Where is he going to run?

[GP1]

5 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

Four years ago I was over the moon with us landing JoeMo... but it did cause me to raise an eyebrow when he wasn't even able to lure a 5th string walk-on Oregon QB to Akron with him.

 

I didn't raise an eyebrow. I came out and said it. My example was Dave Clawson bringing in John Wolford to Wake to start as a true freshman. The same John Wolford who went 3-9 both of his first two years. The same John Wolford who had non losing records his Junior and senior seasons with a big bowl win over TX A and M. Wolford saved the Wake Forest football program. 

 

If the next coach doesn't bring in "his guy" to start as a freshman, the graveyard of coaches will get another. 

[kreed5120]

1 hour ago, Blue & Gold said:

JoeMo's needed a QB who is a dual threat. DJ Irons doesn't count as he was an Arth recruit, so it's on Year 4 JoeMo he hasn't been able to land one in the TP.

 

Four years ago I was over the moon with us landing JoeMo... but it did cause me to raise an eyebrow when he wasn't even able to lure a 5th string walk-on Oregon QB to Akron with him.

 

This sucks.

We're demoralized.

I do believe that JoeMo is done - though he's got another year on his contract.

I'm more upset about losing the posts of Catdaddy than I am about losing the offense of JoeMo.

 

I was also excited about JoeMo at the time of hire. The fact is the same reason we were able to land him is probably the same reason he's not cut out for this job.

 

JoeMo said a big reason he choose Akron over being OC elsewhere is after a health scare he wanted to prioritize other things besides just football in his life, namely family. The reality is Akron has a ton of disadvantages it needs to overcome and frankly needs someone driven to do so. Someone who is busy finding solutions to make things work and overcome obstacles. Not someone who is constantly making excuses and trying to deflect blame. 

Edited 3 hours ago by kreed5120

[AkronAlumnus]

I don't think all the blame is on joemo but a lot of it is when he calls himself an offensive guru.

 

I think FB turns the corner under the current admin but shame it couldn't be this year bc we had the schedule and possibility of an injunction.  Sigh. 

[clarkwgriswold]

2 hours ago, a-zip said:

We need a QB that is a running threat 

 

I did some editing for you.

[Lee Adams]

Yesterday is another example of why I hate payday games. I see little value in them.Kids get hurt, discouraged. Hold on! I know Akron and others play these games for the big paycheck. That to ostensibly operate and IMPROVE the quality of athletic programs. Since we are talking football I ask, where has been the long term IMPROVEMENT in football? Ain't happening. Hasn't happened consistently here. You can't blame one or two people for what's going now, This has been a systemic problem with the football program for years. Apparently those payday funds have not been well spent at least as far as football is concerned. When I see OU beating WVA and being consistent year in and year out. I see Toledo, Miami etc.being competitive year in and year out. They can fire another coach. Bring in another 'savior' and where do we end up?

Time to look in a different direction for the program.

 

[GP1]

28 minutes ago, Lee Adams said:

Yesterday is another example of why I hate payday games. I see little value in them.

 

You're not an athletic director hoping to get a job someday at the school that kicked the crap out of you. It's all perspective. 

[catdaddyp]

4 hours ago, Blue & Gold said:

JoeMo's needed a QB who is a dual threat. DJ Irons doesn't count as he was an Arth recruit, so it's on Year 4 JoeMo he hasn't been able to land one in the TP.

 

Four years ago I was over the moon with us landing JoeMo... but it did cause me to raise an eyebrow when he wasn't even able to lure a 5th string walk-on Oregon QB to Akron with him.

 

This sucks.

We're demoralized.

I do believe that JoeMo is done - though he's got another year on his contract.

I'm more upset about losing the posts of Catdaddy than I am about losing the offense of JoeMo.

Thanks for the kind words. Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere regardless of Moorhead’s status. Sure, Moorhead coming to Akron and my family’s move to Ohio may have sparked my initial interest, but now I’m in it for the long haul. My kids look forward to going to an Akron game with me every year, and I’d be thrilled if any of them ended up attending Akron someday. It’s also been a pleasure meeting some of the posters here in person.

 

I’m going to go on a bit of a rant here with my disappointment on how things have gone since Moorhead took over. 

 

Like I’ve said before, there are certain turnarounds in college football I really enjoy following. The two other programs I’ve kept an eye on are South Carolina and Illinois. Forget for a moment that they’re P4 and Akron is G5—the similarities are still there. All three were sitting in the bottom third of their conferences when their current head coaches took over. None of them are near the top of their conferences in NIL money. And the general consensus from the media and most college football fans was that it was impossible to win at those schools. Fast forward a few years, and two of the three are sitting in the top 11 nationally, depending on which poll you look at.

 

All three schools have also assembled excellent staffs. Just the other day I was talking with a colleague who played at Bowling Green and later coached at Syracuse. We got on the topic of MAC football, and unprompted he mentioned what a great staff Moorhead has put together at Akron with limited funds. I had to agree.

 

The flip side is recruiting. Because without great players, it really doesn’t matter how good the coaching is—wins will always be hard to come by. I’ve coached for well over a decade and also worked on the recruiting services side of things. From my perspective, Moorhead has brought in a lot of talent, but it just hasn’t translated into wins yet. Recruiting services will disagree, but here’s some context: most analysts have little to no football background—they’re writers. They put too much stock into measurables and camp performances without pads. On top of that, programs with long track records of success almost always get the benefit of the doubt with rankings. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a kid commit to South Carolina as a two- or three-star, only to decommit, flip to Georgia or Alabama, and suddenly get bumped to four stars. Same story with Illinois versus Michigan or Ohio State.

 

I say all this because Akron football seemingly has what it needs in place to win right now—and just isn’t. I can’t explain why the offense looked like year one with a brand-new staff when this is year four with a returning starting quarterback who has the physical tools to make just about every throw at this level. I don’t have an issue with Moorhead being open about what the program is lacking financially. What I do have an issue with is the lack of wins despite a dramatically upgraded roster compared to when he took over and a really strong staff in place.

 

All that said, I’m still hoping this week is the spark that finally gets the long-awaited wins rolling—and that I look foolish for even posting this. It’s past time.