Football
I have never seen a game in which fan reaction is so inconsistent. Some are thrilled Akron kept with Ohio State for the first half. Others are irate the offense couldn't capitalize on five turnovers.
In my opinion, both are right.
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Here are my grades…
Quarterbacks: Is it time for Matt Rodgers? I don't think so. Chris Jacquemain needs a better play calling package. Carlton Jackson needs solid playing time (and not one where an overwhelmed offensive line is fending off a deep top-10 defense). If we are having the same conversation about quarterback incompetance after the next three games, then the coaches should consider Rodgers. In terms of a grade, I refuse to give the QBs a mark lower than a C when they avoid turnovers. Grade: B-
Running backs: This was ugly. It wasn't all the backs' fault because the Buckeyes are outstanding at stopping the run. But three rushing yards??? Three??? This offense was supposed to feed off the run. Awful performance. Grade: F
Wide receivers: It's hard to say. They had few chances to make extraordinary plays. Upon catching a ball in the flats, the Buckeyes immediately swarmed them. Grade: C-
Offensive line: A young offensive line allowed only three sacks to James Laurinaitis and Co. Not bad, but the passing plays often were quick shots to the flats, so the line didn't have to hold for long. Run blocking was atrocious. The backs were tentative, but line didn't do them any favors. Grade: D
Tight ends: Another week of minimal offensive inclusion (two Merce Poindexter receptions for 10 yards). I don't watch blocking enough to know if they were effective in that regard. Grade: D+
Place kicker: Matt Domonkos put a solid boot on the game's opening kickoff. That was the only time Akron used a placekicker. Grade: C+
Defensive line: Almondo Sewell and Nate Robinson each had a tackle for loss. Somehow, Eric Lively played the entire game without recording a tackle. However, the linebackers each played well, which is a partial indicator the line did its job. Grade: C+
Linebackers: John Mackey, Brion Stokes and Doug Williams should request a tape of this game from the Big Ten Network. Pull out the tape in 20 years and tell your kids you may not have gone pro, but you expended every bit of effort against Ohio State on Sept. 8, 2007. Kevin Grant also played well. Grade: A+
Secondary: If there were any doubters about Reggie Corner and Davanzo Tate, hopefully they leaped off the Y-bridge. Andre Jones led the team in tackles, too. Grade: A
Punting: All the special teams work paid off Saturday. The punting game, in particular, kept Akron in the game. Hopefully, John Stec can recreate that performance for the rest of the season. Grade: A
Coaching: The players were prepared. They executed to the best of their ability. My only concern is the offensive playcalling. To me, it appeared the coaches wanted to preserve a close loss, rather than win. When you're down two scores, why not take shots down the field? Passing to the flats clearly wasn't working for more than a couple yards at a time — assuming the pass was accurate. I can't justify continuing that strategy in the fourth quarter. Grade: C
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Media clips from today:
The AP wrote a terrific game recap.
The same goes for the Plain Dealer's game story.
Ohio State's Kirk Barton says next week, the Buckeyes will face "men" in the Washington Huskies. I didn't realize they were playing a powder-puff game Saturday. And Barton's offense certainly didn't do much against those non-men from Akron. Here's hoping the Buckeyes drop the game in Seattle.
The ABJ's David Lee Morgan pointed out that Stec set a school record with 14 punts.
Aside from the safety, the play of the game was Chris Wells' stiff-arm on Tate. The Plain Dealer discusses the play.
Chris Kemme tells the Columbus Dispatch about how difficult it was to block OSU's front seven and deal with the crowd noise at the same time.
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Your grades are more generous than I would award. The J.D. "strategy" (if you wanna call it that) was to keep the game close, then try to win it in the 4th quarter. So what, Coach? Does this mean you don't try to score points in the first three quarters? You and every person involved with the offensive plan for this game need to be dismissed. You are not a winner. You play to "lose close." Face it, this UA team would be beaten by any number of I-AA teams. Does any fan look forward to suffering thru this and 2 more years of "the C.J.'s" at QB? Get real. You have recruited subpar talent, even with some of the MAC's best faciliities. This one is ALL ON YOU, Coach. We're not going to pay good money to watch dull, ineffective offense with no imagination. We can get that on Sundays with the Browns.
Take away last year's last-play win (with a lucky disputed TD lunge) at NC State . . . and an even luckier MAC championship game the prior season, when a wide-receiver was somehow allowed to get behind every defensive back and catch a dying quail pass.
Then ask yourselves: Is this Zips program really headed in the right direction? Yesterday set us back to the Lee Owens era.
"Then ask yourselves: Is this Zips program really headed in the right direction? Yesterday set us back to the Lee Owens era."
The Lee Owens era would have scored 20 points while giving up 90. At least Brookhart's "team" has a great defense. Is it too late to make JD the defensive coordinator and bring in a trained monkey to call the offense?
Owens' team put 2 TDs on the board vs. a better OSU team. And Zips were in that prior game, possibly more than yesterday's fiasco. Who can ever forget, though, with UA trailing 28-14, and a short 4th-down play decision: With the Zips needing nothing but a TD, Lee Owens sends in the FIELD GOAL TEAM (which promptly missed the kick). Lee Owens, now there's a real football genius for you.
Brookhart actually is more offensive minded than defensive. He was the receivers coach at Pitt, but did bring along his 3-3-5 plan to combat the difficulty in recruiting DL.
Most importantly, one QB must WIN the job the next few weeks. WIN does not mean tie. It does not mean sharing reps. It means, "Here's the clipboard, d-bag. I'm the starter."
In the words of Sean Connery: "Your best? Losers always whine about their "best." Winners go home and (bleep) the prom queen."
Congratulations to the Akron Zips! You exceded the number of punts the Hawai'i Warriors made in the entire 2006 season (12) in just one afternoon of football in Columbus.
I know that he has an offensive background, but I am curious to hear what he thinks, looking back in hindsight and watching the game on film, about the play calling.
Mike – Does Brookhart call the plays or does the O coordinator do so?
I agree that if we dont have a clear cut QB between Jackson and Jacquemin after the Kent game, then why not give Matt Rodgers a shot?
Think about this: The Zips had the chance to pull the biggest upset in the history of the program, and just squandered it by playing patsy-cake on offense. There is no "killer instinct" with this program, and hasn't been for as long as I can recall.
UA will never, repeat, NEVER, have an opportunity like yesterday–with a "down" year for OSU, coupled with a tough UA defense. This was no moral victory, it's an indictment of how little progress has been made on the point-scoring side of the ball.
Haha! You guys are judging the quality of a MAC program based on its performance against the nation's best regular season team from a year ago.
I think Appalachian State has you guys confused. Did you go to sleep the night after that Michigan game with dreams of Zips players arms raised at the Horseshoe, dancing around in slow motion with magical Ju Ju Beans pouring from the skies as the team celebrated its last-second victory over the Buckeyes — after the game Jim Tressle declaring that the Zips have a shot at the national title?
Come on now.
Rasor, good assessment. Brookhart, OK job. Zips players, I'm glad no one died during this money-making throw away game.
Now get ready and TRY to upset Indiana then turn it on for the games that matter.
I read with interest the fan ready to enter a bar to watch the Akron/OSU game and saw OSU garbed fans in the parking lot and they were either Akron graduates or affiliated with UA in some way. How is it in this state that you can go to one school and yet pull for another? My friends in South Carolina define "Ohioan" in just that way. "Pull for a school you did not attend." I hate to say this, "gag" but I hope Kent State beats the crap out of the Buck Nuts! There, I'm an Ohioan. I'm going to pull for a school I didn't attend…but just for this one time!
I personally think that CJ should be the starter. He made some accurate throws while under tremendous pressure. But I don't think you can judge either based on what they faced yesterday.
I agree that the offense was probably too conservative to have a realistic chance at beating the Buckeyes, especially in the second half. I, however, see that more as the exception rather than the rule in Brookhart's time with the Zips. It will be interesting to see the offensive gameplan unfold in Bloomington this weekend.
As far as comparing this game and these teams to the ones that squared off in 2001, I'm not sure that that OSU was better than this one, and even if it was their defense certainly wasn't as good as this year's defense will be.
I actually agree pretty much with what Hix said above except for the part bout the JuJu beans and that this was simply a money making throw away game.
The gap between the traditional "haves" and "have nots" is getting smaller. Given that and the fact that Akron lies right in the middle of some pretty prime recruiting territory I do believe that the Zips will have shots at pulling off big wins over ranked teams in the future. In order to pull off a "shocker" though you will likely have to have a pretty experienced team on BOTH sides of the ball.
I think you'll see a much more exciting offense this week, at least in terms of play calling.
I would hope so, or Brookhart can join Romeo in the job hunting line. Really, I just don't understand why teams in this area don't understand the value of having an explosive offense. Zips, Browns, Cavs…the emphasis always seems to be on the most boring aspect of the game, defense. Sure it's important. But not at the expense or neglect of scoring points. Why not go ON THE ATTACK and force the other team to play catch-up, for once? Until these teams develop some killer instinct and a nose for the endzone (or hoop), they're going nowhere fast.
Have our coaches seen who wins titles? USC, New England, Pittsburgh, Florida…notice the trend? They SCORE. Then they SCORE SOME MORE.