Game Four (Duquesne) Thoughts

[catdaddyp]

QB:

Most of the criticism I have from yesterday’s game could be viewed as nitpicking, but there are still a few concerns. Finley played fine overall, but he wasn’t as consistently accurate as I expected given that he faced no real pressure and a secondary that’s struggled this year. Maybe he’s still working on timing with some of the receivers, but we’re four games in now and they’ve had all summer and fall camp to get on the same page. The interception he threw was eerily similar to one earlier in the season where he also failed to recognize a linebacker sitting underneath.

Johnson was used in nearly every short-yardage situation and, from what I recall, converted at a 100% rate. He also got several series as the true backup quarterback. His throwing motion is noticeably different than Bullock’s, but his accuracy looks to be about the same. That said, the playbook seemed a bit restricted during his time on the field.

Roggow got a series with the starting offensive line and did some nice things for a redshirt freshman. I was hoping we’d see Broughton as well, but he didn’t get any snaps.

 

RB:

Gant looks fully healthy now and more like the player he was at Tennessee State. He’s a patient runner who gets downhill in a hurry once he picks his spot, and we’ve seen it two weeks in a row now. Against UAB it showed, and this week he finished with 161 yards and 3 touchdowns, with 69 of those yards coming after contact. He averaged an eye-popping 12.4 yards per carry.

Patrick had a few moments where it felt like he was close to breaking a big one, but similar to last week, he was kept from many explosive plays. Even so, he still averaged 4.7 yards per carry and added two catches for 34 yards.

M. Williams got a few carries in mop-up duty, as did some walk-ons. I also noticed Colgate transfer Chris Gee was still not dressed out. Not sure what his status is for the year, but if he can get healthy, he could provide a nice power element to the backfield.

 

WR:

The receivers created separation all game, but the frustrating part is they still had three drops. I still believe this is the most talented group of receivers since Moorhead’s arrival, and hopefully they start living up to that assessment soon. Through four games the corps has already been credited with 14 drops. The drops were manageable against a team like Duquesne, but won’t cut it once conference play begins.

Adams saw the field in a backup role but didn’t have a ball come his way.

 

TE:

Newell and Cravaack mostly had their way up front against the Dukes. Duquesne clearly made it a priority to take the tight ends out of the passing game, with Cravaack getting the only reception of the night.

 

OL:

The offensive line dominated what was supposed to be a strong FCS defensive front. They opened up plenty of room for the run game and didn’t allow a single sack. In fact, they surrendered only five pressures all night, even with the backups in. That hasn’t always been the case against FCS opponents during Moorhead’s tenure.

 

DL:

The defense completely dominated outside of two busted runs that went for 74 and 34 yards. Dall was nearly unblockable, piling up a sack, six hurries, and another pass defensed. At some point, opposing offenses are going to realize Dall and Laventure are the only two linemen consistently winning their one-on-ones in the passing game and start adjusting their protection to deal with it.

 

LB:

Cooper and Boswell got the start, while Summers wasn’t dressed—I’m not sure if that was injury-related or a disciplinary matter. I thought Cooper, Boswell, and Spriggs formed a solid trio. Hocker and Benenge got some run late in the game.

 

DB:

Cornerback play was excellent, but safety play left something to be desired. I’m pretty sure it was Hunter who flat out missed two tackles in the open field. He’ll bounce back, but it’s worth noting he had some struggles against UAB too. What really stood out, though, was how physical our secondary was against Duquesne’s receivers. Reed, DeWalt, and Kamara definitely looked the part.

 

ST:

Special teams were excellent in every phase. Not much else to say here.

 

 

Final Thoughts:

Akron actually looked the part of an FBS team against an FCS opponent, with just about everything clicking on offense and the defense having its way. That hasn’t always been the case, so it was good to see the Zips handle a game I thought would be a little more competitive. Both lines of scrimmage were controlled, and this should serve as a confidence boost heading into conference play.

 

 

QB:

Finley

Johnson

Roggow

Brookhart

 

HB:

Patrick

Gant

M. Williams

Reed

Macon

 

WR:

Walker

Mason

Louis

 

WR:

M. Williams

Grear

Monteiron

Witherspoon

Hazuda 

 

WR:

Polk

Adams

Hills

 

TE:

Newell

Cravaack

Whisner

 

LT:

Motley-Simmons

D. Johnson

Mann

 

LG:

Archer

McManus

Fox

George

 

C

Lyons

Morris

Mobley

 

RG:

K. Davis

Archer

 

RT:

A. Jones

King

Ndaiga

 

 

DE:

Dall

J. Frazier

 

DE:

Durham

D. Frazier

Murphy 

 

DT:

Hull

Murphy

Musika

 

DT:

Laventure

Mixon

 

LB:

Cooper

Spriggs

 

LB:

Boswell 

Benenge

Hocker

 

NB:

Al. Branch

AA. Branch 

Wondolowski 

 

CB:

Reed

Kamara

K. Johnson 

 

CB:

DeWalt

T. Thomas

 

S:

Hunter

Somerville 

Stepney

 

S:

Di. Johnson 

Flowers

T. Davis

 

 

Top Rated Offense (20 snap minimum)

HB - Gant

RT - A. Jones

LT - Morley-Simmons

WR - Walker

LT - D. Johnson 

 

Top Rated Defense (20 snap minimum)

CB - DeWalt

CB - Kamara

LB - Cooper

DE - Dall

CB - T. Thomas

[MangoZip]

Is Shor still on the team? Injured? Haven't noticed him or seen him mentioned all year.