Rasor on the Zips

Three new scholarship offers

mrasor — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:55:17 +0000

Football

As I mentioned last month, I'm not neglecting recruiting coverage; there just isn't anything to report.

Dejarrius Adams, wide receiver, El Camino C.C. (Calif.)
Offers: Akron and Memphis
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 205
Speed: 4.5
Notes: Adams also has interest in Kansas State. With the success of Deryn Bowser and, to a lesser extent, Dashan Miller, it should be no surprise that J.D. Brookhart is going back for more juco receivers.

Derrell Bell, wide receiver, Asbury Park, N.J.
Offers: Akron
Height: 6-3
Weight: 185
Speed: Not listed
Notes: Rivals says that Bell isn't particularly fast, but he runs good routes, has steady hands and a nice vertical leap. He sounds like a great candidate for fade routes. Several Division I-AA schools have interest in Bell, too.

Hiram Atwater, safety, Garden City C.C. (Kan.)
Offers: Akron, Iowa State and Alabama-Birmingham
Height: 6-0
Weight: 200
Speed: Not listed
Notes: Rivals calls him the No. 77 junior college player in the country and gives him three stars. He will look at teams' depth charts to decide where to go. Because Bryan Williams is gone after this season, Akron will probably be an attractive choice.

Akron will play at Penn State next season, according to a Pennsylvania newspaper.

Ball State cracked the Top 25 this week after beating Toledo 31-0.

The morning after

mrasor — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 18:13:08 +0000

Football

The more I think about it, the better that game was. Even Kent fans have to admit that the fans got a great show. For me, it was certainly the most exciting football game since the MAC Championship in 2005.

Akron fans were great. I sat with the giant AK-Rowdies crowd. They were surprisingly educated about the team (at least 20 of them were putting five fingers in the air to signify the need for Matt Rodgers, who wears No. 5). There was a beach ball, but my key put an end to it. When they patched the ball, Kiel Fleming grabbed it and I went Joe Pesci from Goodfellas on it. (Although we were in Kent, it's not a hippie concert. No beach balls at the Akron-Kent game. That's my policy. I will reimburse the owner if he so pleases.)

I was also impressed with Kent's renovations to Dix Stadium. It looks like a legitimate place to watch college football. Good for KSU.

Quarterback – Chris Jacquemain played a horrid first half with three interceptions. Besides two important completions, he was only average in the second half. In essence, he steered the ship into a field of icebergs, then he successfully navigated through a labyrinth of them. It takes a whole lot of guts to change quarterbacks after a rivalry-game victory, but J.D. Brookhart MUST give Rodgers a couple of series per half. Jacquemain has looked very good at times this year, but he did last year, too. (Remember his 80 percent completion percentage in the first quarter?) This offense has too much talent not to determine whether Rodgers is the better player. Grade: C-

Running back — Dennis Kennedy ran for 23 yards on 15 carries. Why didn't we see more Joe Tuzze? I commend the coaches for not tossing Andrew Johnson into the game if he wasn't healthy enough. But if his injury persists, then the redshirt MUST come off DeVoe Torrence. Akron has the talent this year to win the MAC East. No one in the division is any good. You can't plan for Torrence's future when a division title is on the line. With Kennedy and Jacquemain in the backfield, this team will win no more than five games this year. I promise you that. This grade would be an F, except for the fact that Kennedy didn't fumble. Grade: D-

Offensive line — Sitting in the end zone showed me that Kennedy DID have holes. Rather than plowing through, he pussyfooted. So the line deserves some credit. Also, Jacquemain was sacked only twice and the line committed only one penalty (a Chris Kemme false start). Grade: B

Wide receiver – Deryn Bowser caught one of the biggest passes in team history. Despite the MAC referee's best effort, it counted. Andre Jones also caught a touchdown. The two combined for 162 yards. The combination is one of the MAC's best. Bowser needs to work on his focus early in the game, however. The past two weeks, he has dropped a lot of passes in the first half. Grade: A-

Defensive line — Almondo Sewell and Shawn Lemon will be cornerstones of Akron's defensive line for the next two years. Despite them playing out of position (they are 4-3 defensive ends, not 3-4 tackles/ends), they are playmakers and operate with great energy. Eric Lively's full return was nice to see, too. The starting linemen combined for 17 tackles and 4.5 for loss. Grade: B+

Linebacker – Kevin Grant, Doug Williams and Mike Thomas each played OK. They had a total of 25 tackles, but Kent State still moved the chains too easily. Julian Edelman is almost impossible to tackle, so I don't fault them for that too much. But Jacquise Terry and Andre Flowers seemed to get about six yards every time they touched the ball. Grade: C+

Secondary – I want to talk about Jalil Carter for a moment. This kid will be a stud. He has size, speed and aggression as a ball hawk. Against Kent, he seemed to always around the ball. Carter and Manley Waller will be to the secondary what Lemon and Sewell are to the line. Miguel Graham and Bryan Williams played well as usual yesterday, too. Grade: B+

Special teams – I don't know if anyone will agree, but I think John Stec has had a pretty good season. He has consistently put a good boot on the ball. Bryan Williams returned two kicks nicely. The real game-turning plays, however, were the punt return fumble recovery by Tyler Campbell and clutch kicks from Igor Iveljic. This unit won the game for Akron. Grade: A

Coaching – The team showed good effort and discipline again. However, I have these complaints. 1) Personnel problems — You can't rely on Kennedy and Jacquemain. If they are the only options, then OK. But there is a good chance that Rodgers has All-MAC talent. There is a good chance that Torrence is the best ball carrier in the MAC. 2) Play calling — Kennedy had struggled all game, yet he was still getting the ball with five minutes to go. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, according to Albert Einstein. I'm sure he was talking about football. 3) The 3-3-5 is a terrible use of Akron's personnel, particularly against Kent State and Edelman. The next time Akron plays a run-oriented offense, this should be the starting lineup: DE — Sewell and Lemon, DT — Lively and Dan Marcoux, LB — Thomas, Grant and Doug Williams, CB — Graham and Waller/Anderson, FS — Carter and SS — Bryan Williams.Grade: B

In the next couple days, I will break down Bowling Green, which lost to Eastern Michigan on Saturday. By the way, I'm not getting e-mail notifications of comments on my blog. If you have a question for me, e-mail me at mike_rasor@yahoo.com.

Martin opened his mouth again

mrasor — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 23:54:57 +0000

Football

Kent State coach Doug Martin just can't help himself.

Following Saturday's game, the kook added to my quote collection…

Date: Today
Topic: Today's game
Quote: ”I’m very proud of our team that they played with class and they showed class after the game, which can’t be said about everybody and I am just really proud of them.” … "Done with it."
Comment: Well, if you can't win the game, you can always claim a sportsmanship victory. Martin didn't back up his wild allegation with any support. He was just "done with it." If Akron's players were jerks, then that's sad. Patrick McManamon's column suggests otherwise. Doug, it is a waste of everyone's time to throw childish barbs out to the media. You sound like a sorer loser than Chuck Amato.

Date: Today
Topic: Today's game
Quote: "Statistically, we dominated that football game in every phase."
Comment: Every phase except that one that actually matters (the score). This guy talks like a total loser. It is a RIVALRY GAME. Have you ever heard a losing coach defend his stats after a rivalry game? Me either. Maybe this is why Martin is 1-4 against Akron. If he uses stats as a crutch, there's no reason for his players to do any different.

Like I said, this guy has an excuse or exaggeration for every situation. If I was a Kent State fan, I would have called for his head months ago. Being a fan of Kent State's rival, I hope he keeps his job for another five years.

If you want to wash the sour taste of Martin's hogwash off your pallet, check out Phil Masturzo's outstanding photos from the game. Wow. That guy is talented.

Zips win thriller over Kent State

mrasor — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 20:31:03 +0000

Football

Akron beat Kent State in double-overtime 30-27 thanks to a fourth-down touchdown that was first ruled incomplete and two clutch field goals by Igor Iveljic.

After three first half interceptions, Kent State took a 21-10 lead into halftime. The Zips clamped down on defense in the second half, allowing only three points the rest of regulation.

The Zips, however, faced their final play with about 1:30 left in the fourth quarter. Akron was losing by four when Deryn Bowser leaped over a Kent State defender to haul in the fade-route pass. The referees called the play incomplete. J.D. Brookhart challenged the play, and it was reversed to give Akron a three-point lead.

The problem was that Julian Edelman still had more than a minute to operate. On fourth-and-9, he scrambled for more than 30 yards and got his team in field goal range. Nate Reed tied the game for KSU, and the game went to overtime.

The teams traded field goals in the first overtime. Iveljic hit a field goal in the second overtime. Reed was poised to do the same from 23 yards, but he shanked it right, and Akron kept the Wagon Wheel.

Despite the win, the Zips played poorly in several facets. Dennis Kennedy ran for only 16 yards on nine carries. Jacquemain's three interceptions each led to Kent State touchdowns.

On first blush, some of the better performances came from Jalil Carter, who played fantastic coverage and made important plays, and Shawn Lemon, who was consistently cutting down on KSU's running game. Also, Iveljic and Bowser made crucial plays to give Akron the win, too.

I will grade the team tomorrow morning. At this point, however, I can't imagine keeping Matt Rodgers and DeVoe Torrence on the bench.

Andrew Johnson is doubtful for Kent State

mrasor — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:36:44 +0000

Football

Andrew Johnson has been upgraded to "doubtful" this week.

Last week, he appeared to be in serious trouble. An ambulance took drove onto the field and took him away on a stretcher.

Diagnosed with dual shoulder stingers, Johnson feasibly could take some of the load off Dennis Kennedy. From what I hear, he has already been cleared to play. It's just a question of whether the coaches feel it's worth the risk to use him.

One source is giving me a thumbs down on the likelihood of DeVoe Torrence playing this season. Athletically, he's ready to go. Playing on the scout team, Torrence is plowing through the Zips defense. However, he needs to learn the offense a little better. Also, it's five games into the season and the Zips still have decent running backs who are healthy.

The following players are "out" against Kent State: Alex Allen, Ryan Bain, Sean Fobbs, Evan Laube, Paul Simkovich, Cowles Stewart and Brandon Williams.

The Record-Courier's Dave Carducci gave his opinion on the Akron/Kent rivalry. Although he's getting some crap on ZipsNation.org, I don't see anything terribly wrong with the column. (That was my monthly pitch for ZipsNation.org. If you think you're a Zips fan, and you don't read it, then you're probably not a Zips fan.)

The spread is still Akron minus 3.5. Take the Zips and win some easy money while you can.

Tom Gaffney wrote a good story about what the Wagon Wheel game means to Akron players.

Terry Pluto wrote an equally good column about the preparations for the game. (I personally remember hearing J.D. Brookhart yell at practice: "Fourth-and-1 AT KENT!" In essence, he wanted to use Kent State to give his players some extra motivation at the end of a scrimmage.)

Kooky quotes from Doug Martin

mrasor — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 17:48:02 +0000

Football

Kent State coach Doug Martin has always struck me as being kind of eccentric.

I have seen several quotes in the paper that make me say, "What?!" Laing Kennedy has assured the media that Martin has job security heading into this season. Still, every time he talks to a reporter, it sounds like he's about to get canned. Excuses and exaggerations abound.

I compiled some of them for your enjoyment. Perhaps he can use my compilation as a scrapbook of sorts…

Date: Sept. 9, 2008
Topic: On the new NCAA play clock rule
Quote: "I just hate that the game is being shortened because you want your players to decide the game."
Comment: …Because it's someone else's fault when you can't get lined up in time.

Date: Sept. 6, 2008
Topic: On scheduling
Quote: "I don't mind playing BCS teams at all, but I'd love to start off with a I-AA game to start the season. Just to get a better idea of where we are instead of still going into a game like Iowa [State] with a few questions remaining and some uncertainty."
Comment: Yeah, those I-AA teams really give you an idea of "where you are," considering your entire season is played against I-A teams.

Date: July 30, 2008
Topic: On last season's 3-9 season
Quote: "I think we are really close. I think we were there last year if we don't have the injuries at quarterback."
Comment: Yikes. One position can be the difference between 3-9 and a MAC East title??? I would focus more on the defense giving up almost 30 points per game.

Date: Nov. 28, 2007
Topic: On two KSU players receiving All-MAC awards
Quote: "Our talent level has greatly improved and these awards validate that fact even more. The best part is that we'll have 19 starters back next season."
Comment: Hellooooo, McFly!? You went 3-9 after winning six games the year before. If the talent level is improving, that means something is regressing.

Date: Sept. 2, 2006
Topic: On the spies within KSU's football program
Quote: "We're not going to comment on any injuries, period. I'm not doing that anymore. Too many things have been leaked out."
Comment: Martin lamented that someone within his program has been leaking information to MAC rivals for the past two years. Funny, this angry quote came after a 44-0 loss to Minnesota. So what does ole' Martin do? He shuts down practice to the media, who could not possibly have been the internal source of leaks. Also, if you talk about injuries, aren't you limiting the amount of leak-able information? KSU needs 007. I'm surprised Martin, in his fury, did not call up Sean Connery to solve this caper. Here's a funny one-liner from the ABJ's column: "Besides, no photographer wanted to play paparazzi for a team that went 1-10 last season."

If you have other nominations, please post them.

By the way, Kent State fans… Before you start whining that Martin is a swell guy, realize that I'm just as hard on J.D. Brookhart. No football coach should get a free pass in the media. They're paid too much for that.

The Zips are now 3.5-point favorites on Saturday with the over-under at 50.5. I would take Akron with the spread and the under. I see this as a grinding, low-scoring game. My prediction of 28-21 is probably on the high end, scoring-wise.

MACReportOnline.com mentions that the Zips' turnover differential of +1 is No. 18 in the nation. Also, the Zips are third in the MAC in redzone defense. Those are two key stats that make your defense a lot better than it looks. No one would say the Zips defense is a brick wall, allowing few yards. But certainly, it is not a unit that allows a team to march up and down the field.

The PD's Elton Alexander reports that Bryan Williams has been itching to play offense again.

Elton has some good stuff in his blog. He mentions that DeVoe Torrence has been getting more reps in practice. A few days ago, I said the coaches should burn Torrence's redshirt. Now, I'm not so certain. If they can get five to 10 carries out of Williams, Gary Pride and/or Jeremy Bruce, it should be sufficient. But if the coaches aren't confident in that trio's ability to produce (and Torrence is looking good in practice), there is no point in looking four years in the future. Who knows if Torrence will even be here then? Who knows if Akron's recruiting stock will increase by then? There are too many "ifs" to be preserving a player at this point.

The ABJ's Stephanie Storm reports that the Akron game is much-needed for the Flashes, who are 1-4 and possibly need some motivation.

In the Record-Courier, Julian Edelman mentions my high school (Stow) and says Saturday is a one-game MAC Championship for Kent State.

Video: Kent-Akron preview

mrasor — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 03:17:14 +0000

Football

Here is my Kent State/Akron preview with Jonas Fortune…

Hear audio of the complete, 10-minute uncut version of the preview.

Looking ahead to Kent State

mrasor — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:20:47 +0000

Football

You can run on Kent State, and they will try to do the same to you.

Eugene Jarvis and Julian Edelman are scary runners out of the Flashes' backfield. They take comfort away from third-and-long.

Problem is, Jarvis probably won't play. The star running back has a high ankle sprain, according to Jonas Fortune's blog.

It is Edelman's feet that make his arm look serviceable. His scrambling essentially forces defenses to devote a player as a quarterback spy, which means there is one less defensive back. Shawn Bayes has been the only receiver worth mentioning so far. He has caught three touchdowns and almost 60 yards of passing per game.

Edelman is a creative offensive player. He can strike and make you hurt. However, it will be very difficult for Kent State to consistently move the chains without Jarvis' four or five yards per carry.

On defense, the Flashes' linebacker corps is suffering a similar problem as Akron's defensive line. KSU's three starting linebackers are hurt. If Akron's offensive line can make holes, it will be smooth sailing for Dennis Kennedy and Joe Tuzze into the secondary.

The Flashes also have allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 65 percent of passes, securing only one interception. With the Zips' backfield thinning, it would be good to incorporate more short passes to Jeremy Bruce and Dashan Miller to keep the clock moving and rest Kennedy.

The Flashes' greatest hope is that these rivalry games rarely proceed how we think. Two years ago, the Flashes pulled a stunner on Akron, derailing what Zips fans thought to be a follow-up on their MAC Championship. Last season, KSU beat Iowa State and held high hopes for the rest of the season. They came to the Rubber Bowl and lost, then dropped seven of their next eight.

Truth is, you never know. If motivation plays a role, you might give the edge to Kent State. I remember hearing some serious anger about the spray-painting incident. Unfortunately, that kind of motivation wears off after a few series, so the Flashes must find a better edge than that.

Zips open as 4-point favorites

mrasor — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 20:50:25 +0000

Football

Oddsmakers picked the Zips to beat Kent State by four.

That probably will motivate the Flashes, considering they're at home for a rivalry game. Oh, and the AK-Rowdies (allegedly) tuned up their stadium with spray paint this summer.

I'm going to research KSU some more tonight. At this point, I think Akron will cover easily.

The morning after

mrasor — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 17:19:18 +0000

Football

Quarterback – It was an up-and-down game for Chris Jacquemain. He kept the Zips in the game, at least. Fans will remember the penalty and interception on the last drive. The refs should not have called the penalty. Dennis Kennedy was in the vicinity of the pass. The refs called "intentional grounding" based on intent, but every time I've seen that play occur, the ref keep the flag in his pocket. The interception was a desperate toss-up. (I don't think I was the only Zips fan hoping that Matt Rodgers would stay around for that final drive.) Grade: C+

Running back — Cincinnati was the first team to stuff Akron at the line. Kennedy and Joe Tuzze now lead a weakened running back corps. Andrew Johnson was moving all of his limbs after his injury on fourth-and-1. That does not mean he will be healthy enough to play anytime soon. J.D. Brookhart will have to look at burning DeVoe Torrence's redshirt. I think it's a wise idea. Grade: B

Wide receiver — Deryn Bowser overcame some early drops to catch 10 balls for 72 yards and a touchdown. Andre Jones had another solid game, too. Grade: B+

Offensive line — I think Tom Gaffney's complimentary article jinxed this crew. Jacquemain was sacked three times. Several shotgun snaps were too high. On running plays, the line got almost no push against Cincinnati's defense. At least there were no holding or false start penalties. Grade: C

Defensive line — It is a beautiful thing to limit Cincinnati to 17 points only a week after they dropped 42 on Miami. The defensive line set the pace by plugging holes. No single lineman's statistics stand out, but I remember Shawn Lemon making important plays, in particular. Grade: A-

Linebacker – Kevin Grant continued his strong season with 11 tackles, including two for a loss. Mike Thomas and Doug Williams also played well. Grade: A

Secondary – One of the cornerbacks got beat on the 67-yard touchdown. They also gave a big cushion to Cincinnati's receivers, which kept a lot of Bearcat drives rolling. Still, they made some plays. Bryan Williams is going to be a professional. His tackle on fourth-and-1 proved that to me. Jalil Carter, Brandon Anderson and Miguel Graham each broke up a pass, too. Grade: B

Special teams — Yuck. Igor Iveljic's errant foot cost Akron five points: one missed field goal, a missed extra point, and a missed two-point conversion that the team would not have attempted if the first extra point was good. The roughing the punter penalty kept Akron's defense on the field for almost five more minutes and cost the Zips about 50 yards in field position. What's with Jones taking kickoffs when Bryan Williams was just as close? John Stec played one of his best games, though. At least the Titanic had a good piano player. Grade: D+

Coaching – In a close loss, the coaches take more of the blame. In fact, however, Brookhart and Co. should be praised for this close loss. Yes, there are some decisions that, in hindsight, look bad. But the team was well-prepared and gave a great effort. After five games, I'll give Brookhart a 95 percent chance of being back next season. Grade: B+

Next up is Kent State, who suffered another beatdown on Saturday. (I don't know how many more curb-stompings that bird's beak can take.) It's a rivalry game, though, so you can't just assume an easy win. KSU blogger Jonas Fortune and I will discuss the game on an Ohio.com video on Tuesday. Watch for that.

Below is a picture of Ray Siler about to force a fumble in the fourth quarter, courtesy of my classmate Scott Garnick.

Ray Siler forces fumble