Football

The theme — Bowling Green loooooooves to pass. Its 300 yards per game was 12th in the nation. That said, their rushing offense hasn’t been much to speak of, until the Kent State win two weeks ago. KSU’s Doug Martin said, “I dare you to run.” And they won the game by doing it. So to say the Falcons can only pass is incorrect.

Key players — Quarterback Tyler Sheehan has entered the elite level of MAC quarterbacks, along with Nate Davis and Dan LeFevour. Sheehan’s downfall is turnovers. He has thrown 10 interceptions. Lately, freshman running back Willie Jeter has made the offense more balanced. Sheehan has three pretty reliable receivers, led by Freddie Barnes. The Falcons have also hit Jeter out of the backfield quite a bit.

How Akron can stop them — The Zips need to blitz a lot. Bowling Green doesn’t protect Sheehan that well. This will be a very important game for Davanzo Tate and Reggie Corner.

Notes…

The new depth chart is a colossal disappointment to me. Chris Jacquemain is still the starting quarterback. Here are some minor changes… Andre Jones and Phillip Morris now share the secondary kick return job. Bryan Williams remains the primary weapon. John Stec retook the punting job (not that he ever lost it) with an above average game at Buffalo.

The ABJ’s David Lee Morgan takes readers through John Mackey’s return. The only thing that would make his return more amazing is if Akron was still in the hunt (or somehow got back in it with consecutive wins).

Zippy leads by almost 800 votes over poor, defenseless Cosmo. Vote here.

Football

Key points from Monday’s press conference…

Dennis Kennedy hasn’t been running as well this year, and J.D. Brookhart says he doesn’t know why. That’s funny, because the coach was raving about DK to me during camp.

Chris Jacquemain has faded in every second half, Brookhart conceded. His overall grade is a “C.” I’d move that down to a “C-.” I guess no one asked him who would start Friday. I will have the depth chart today probably, though.

If you missed it, Zippy won again yesterday, moving to 7-0. Next up is Cosmo from Brigham Young. The Roo can clinch a playoff spot with a win, and she leads by 400 as of 12:25 p.m. Tuesday. Vote here.

Men’s basketball

The Buchtelite’s Adam Ferrise previewed the season and he’s pretty confident about making the NCAA Tournament.

He mentions a couple nagging injuries to Jeremiah Wood (strained hand) and Ronnie Steward (hip flexor, although I thought it was his groin).

By the way, I ran into Zips’ assistant Lamont Paris at a Halloween party on Saturday. I would recount some of our conversation, but it followed a marathon winning streak in beer pong. I do remember that Paris was dressed as Will Smith from Men In Black.

Football

Grades…

Quarterback – I’ve said enough about the quarterback situation. I may have been too harsh on Chris Jacquemain though. The wind was pretty bad. His receivers dropped passes. My main complaint is his complete lack of accuracy when the Zips had a chance to get back in the game. Grade: D

Running back — Bryan Williams ran for 100 yards. Alex Allen was good in relief. The only blemish is the dropped touchdown pass to Williams. Grade: B+

Tight end — Merce Poindexter caught a ball for an important first down. Grade: B-

Wide receiver — The Bulls took away Jabari Arthur, which was smart. As a whole, the corps dropped too many passes. Grade: D

Offensive line — The line continues to produce results: only two sacks and 171 rushing yards. Grade: A-

Defensive line — Jared Cecchetti played the best game of his career. Almondo Sewell battled through a nagging injury and still logged seven tackles. It would be nice to see what Deni Odofin can do. The true freshman had a tackle for loss. Buffalo’s James Starks could have done at lot more damage. Grade: A

Linebacker – The trio played pretty well and also should get credit for the successful run defense. Doug Williams finally made a big play. Brion Stokes continues to be the defensive cornerstone. Grade: B

Secondary – Buffalo’s Drew Willy threw only 14 times, but he connected on 11 of them, including three touchdowns. Grade: D+

Punter – Although the depth chart suggests a platoon, John Stec punted all four times. He averaged 39 yards per attempt. Grade: C+

Kicker – Igor Iveljic made a 25-yarder and missed from 35. He’s had a great season and was bound to miss a chip shot someday, I suppose. Grade: D+

Coaching – I liked Joe Moorhead’s play calling more this week than before. Problem is, he doesn’t have a quarterback that can execute it. The Zips could have cashed in on several opportunities if they had the right CJ on the field. Personnel errors fall squarely on the coaches. Grade: D

Media clips…

ABJ – The “punchless Zips” failed to score with the wind at their backs. I like that term.

Plain Dealer – Buffalo’s win was a triumph of a traditional offense.

Niagara Gazette — Buffalo’s AD speculates on Turner Gill’s possible departure to Nebraska.

Around the MAC…

Ball State allowed 324 rushing yards in a 28-17 loss to Illinois.

Kent State tore the redshirt off quarterback Giorgio Morgan, who threw three touchdowns and no interceptions against Central Michigan. (Un)fortunately, KSU’s kicker biffed two extra points and three field goals, and the Chips won, 41-32.

Miami gave up 290 rushing yards in a 24-13 loss at Vanderbilt.

Western Michigan’s once-mighty running game gained only 57 yards in a 19-2 loss to Eastern Michigan.

Toledo dropped a 70 spot on Northern Illinois. Yes, 70 points on 812 yards of offense. The MAC is so friggin’ bizarre.

Ohio’s Kalvin McRae rushed for 200 yards in a 38-27 victory over Bowling Green.

Power rankings…

1) Ball State
2) Central Michigan
3) Buffalo
4) Bowling Green
5) Miami
6) Toledo
7) Ohio
8 ) Temple
9) Akron
10) Kent State
11) Eastern Michigan
12) Western Michigan
13) Northern Illinois

Football

Is this rock bottom?

Losing to Temple and Buffalo in consecutive games was unfathomable in August. However, Akron is heading one direction. The Owls and Bulls are going another.

The Zips politely declined to take advantage of scoring opportunities throughout their 26-10 loss today.

Akron outgained Buffalo, 327 to 280. Buffalo snatched each possible point. Akron whiffed.

That’s the real story of this game. It’s analogous to quarterback Chris Jacquemain’s season. His stats aren’t bad, but he rarely completes the crucial pass.

I wondered to myself today, how many wins would the Zips have if they played their best player at quarterback? I think the answer is four, including the most recent losses.

Matt Rodgers, whom I heard had minor shoulder surgery, is no longer an option, and the team wouldn’t play him anyhow because it would result in the loss of a year of eligibility. But why, oh why, aren’t we seeing Carlton Jackson?

The team decided to start Jacquemain after camp broke. They founded the choice on a presumption that the running game would be enough to carry the team, and the quarterback must be a solid game manager who avoids turnovers. Whether Jacquemain fits that description is debatable. What’s certain is that Akron needs a playmaking quarterback to keep up. The running game cannot carry the Zips to wins alone.

I believe Jackson will start Friday at Bowling Green — not because I have any inside information, but because common sense mandates it.

The defense played well enough to win. The Bulls’ great running attack gained only 3 yards per carry. Akron’s running game was effective. There were no huge gaffes on special teams. Do you see what I’m getting at? I’m isolating this loss completely on the quarterback.

You can look at the coaches, too. At first, I thought the second-half disparity was coincidental. At this point in the season, you have to say there’s something else at work. Maybe other coaches are making adjustments while J.D. Brookhart sits on his hands. Maybe Akron isn’t deep enough. Maybe Akron isn’t well-conditioned for 60 minutes of football.

In all scenarios, the blame falls on the coaches. So does the quarterback decision. I refuse to praise Brookhart as a good coach one week, then a lousy one the next. Unless the Zips lose out and the team revolts, he should keep his job.

Although I’ve been critical of Joe Moorhead as the offensive coordinator, I liked his play calling today. He took chances and was creative.

As always, I’ll have much more tomorrow.

Football

J.D. Brookhart smartly says Akron has to stop James Starks to beat Buffalo.

On the other side, Turner Gill said his team will still focus its offense on the ground game.

The line is just about even now, according to bookmakers.

I think this will be a game that Zips fans will look back at and say, “Wow, that really defines the season.” That thought can go either way, of course. An Akron loss makes Detroit seem continents away. A win gives the team momentum and some wiggle room for a MAC East loss later in the season, which the Miami game appears to be.

I believe the Zips will win. As I wrote in my column, they will play their most complete game of the year thanks to the bye week, the motivation of John Mackey’s return and anger from the loss to Temple. Bryan Williams will rush for close to 150 yards and Akron’s quarterback will connect with Jabari Arthur at a frightening pace. The defense will hold James Starks to fewer than 100 yards.

Prediction – Akron 31, Buffalo 17

Men’s soccer

One-half of the job in Buffalo is complete.

Akron beat the Bulls 1-0 to take the lead in the MAC.

Steve Zakuani scored the deciding goal Friday night to give the Zips the conference lead.

The win will give the Zips the tiebreaker, which should make a big difference for the conference championship.

Football

The theme — Buffalo specializes in causing negative plays. If the Bulls sniff out the direction of the play, it’s probably not going anywhere. The Bulls have 50 tackles for loss in their seven games. Scoring wise, they have been pretty erratic. They allowed 49 to Ball State but only 10 to Ohio and seven to Temple.

Key players — Kareem Byrom was an Preseason All-MAC cornerback, but hasn’t done much this season. Although he’s second on the team with 56 tackles, Byrom has only broken up one pass and has no interceptions. The real thunder in the defense comes from linebacker Larry Hutchinson, who is third in the conference with 10 tackles for loss. Defensive lineman Trevor Scott frequently penetrates the line, as well. He has 9.5 tackles for loss.

How Akron can score — Like Temple, Buffalo’s defense doesn’t have a particular strength or weakness. I really think the Zips need to throw downfield more, like against Western Michigan. So what if Chris Jacquemain throws a few picks? What is really the difference between an interception 30 yards down the field and a 35-yard punt? Bryan Williams, as always, needs to play his best to suck in the defensive backs.

Notes…

Dave Hackenberg of the Toledo Blade points out that Akron has a chance to lose to Buffalo and Temple in consecutive games. Thanks, Dave.

I talked to Paul Simkovich and some of the 2007 recruits last night. Simkovich’s scar from the hunting accident is pretty wild. He said he decommitted from Michigan State because the Spartans fired John L. Smith, who was the kookiest coach in the land, but Simkovich liked him.

The Roo has a lead of about 700 votes as of noon Friday. Why don’t we just put Cocky away before the weekend?

Travis Kelce, whom Akron was recruiting as a tight end, committed to Cincinnati as a quarterback. The Cleveland Heights product had a ton of offers in basketball and football.

Andrew Smith, a defensive end target from Florida, committed to Miami — as in “The U.”

Two new offers…

Stephon Ball, tight end, Cincinnati
Offers: Akron, Cincinnati, Minnesota, Miami and Western Michigan
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 220
Speed: 4.58
Notes: The team clearly wants to grab a tight end in the 2008 class, especially since it didn’t last year. Ball plays at St. Xavier High School, one of the top teams in Ohio. His dad, Eric Ball, played in the NFL and at UCLA. The son doesn’t plan to make a decision until well after football season ends. Scout.com calls him a wide receiver. Both sites give him two stars.

Marquis Avery, wide receiver, Fullerton J.C. (Calif.)
Offers: Akron
Height: 6-4
Weight: 190
Speed: 4.45
Notes: Scout.com gives Avery four stars and says BCS schools are beginning to notice his ability. Other schools of interest include Kansas State, Mississippi, Utah, Washington State and West Virginia.

Men’s basketball

Coaches might just know more than the MAC media.

They ranked Akron at No. 14 in the Preseason Mid-Major Top 25 – the highest of any MAC team.

Kent State (15th), Miami (17th), Western Michigan (23rd) and Central Michigan (24th) are also ranked. Surprisingly, Ohio is not even close to being in the top 25.

Football

The theme — I’ve said Buffalo is one of the most consistent teams in the whacky MAC, mainly because the Bulls haven’t lost to any teams they should have beaten. Credit a consistent offense. The Bulls protect the ball and win the field position game.

Key players — Drew Willy has been one of the most surprising quarterbacks in the conference. He doesn’t throw many touchdowns or interceptions, mainly because he’s an accurate passer and Turner Gill keeps the ball on the ground in the redzone. That’s where James Starks comes in. He’s my favorite for All-MAC at this point in the season, considering what he’s meant to the division-leading Bulls. Willy has two favorite targets in converted quarterback Naaman Roosevelt and Ernest Jackson. The offensive line has done a decent job in pass protection, too.

How Akron can stop them — As I wrote in my column today, Akron has to make Buffalo win through the air. Stack the box, stuff the run, win.

Notes…

Speaking of that column, here it is. The target audience clearly isn’t the hardcore Zips fans who frequent this blog, but enjoy!

The Buchtelite’s Vincent Dorsey wrote an excellent game preview.

Zippy trails Cocky by 50. Let’s reverse that by the time I get out of clas at 2 p.m.

Men’s soccer

Akron lost in second overtime against Michigan Wednesday night on a goal that broke Evan Bush’s stint of more than 100 minutes without allowing a goal.

The Zips outshot the Wolverines 9-6, but UM’s Jake Stacy kicked the only ball that mattered.

The Zips will play at conference leader Buffalo on Friday in a game that probably will determine the MAC regular season champion.

Football

The PD’s Elton Alexander writes today that Akron will be in control of the MAC East with a win over Buffalo, to whom the Zips have not lost since 1999.

The ABJ’s David Lee Morgan wrote an interesting story about how the coaches grade players.

Football

John Mackey is listed as backup to Wayne Cobham at rover in the updated depth chart.

I don’t think he’ll play. Jared Cecchetti was on the depth chart for two weeks (if I remember correctly) before he got serious playing time. And he never tore his ACL.

Still, this is an emotional boost — even to me as a huge Mackey fan. I already feel more confident about the Zips’ hopes against Buffalo just by seeing him on that PDF.

Other changes…

John Stec and Andy Hildreth now share the punting duties. Stec almost singlehandedly kept Akron in contention at Ohio State, but he hasn’t done much since. The coaches are about three games late in seeing what Hildreth can do.

Brian Flaherty has assumed the role of place kick snapper, on top of his duty as punt snapper. Mike Schepp previously held the place kick snapper job.

Dennis Kennedy is completely off the depth chart. Alphonso Owen is Andre Jones’ new backup at punt returner. Somebody who has more time on his hands needs to write a story about what happened to DK.

The starting nose guard will be either Nate Robinson or Eric Lively.

The Zips are going with an all-true freshman rotation at defensive end. Behind Almondo Sewell is now Deni Odofin.

Yamari Dixon has worked his way into a tie with Jones at free safety.

Notes…

The Buchtelite’s Vincent Dorsey wrote an interesting feature on Michael Taggart, a walk-on linebacker from Green High School. Jim Fleming seems to like him. Recently, he has been getting some reps on the scout team at tight end, as well.

Akron is a 1 or 1.5 point underdog for Saturday’s game at Buffalo.

Zippy is leading by fewer than 400 votes as of 11:45 p.m. Tuesday. I’ll probably be reading until 2 a.m., so somebody should do my voting for me.