Akron, OH - J.D. Brookhart looked out of his office in the new Summa Field at InfoCision Stadium, looking over the field where he thought he would be coaching. However, Tom Wistrcill, the incoming Akron athletic director, decided that Brookhart was no longer the answer that the Zip football program needed. Brookhart was hired by Wistrcill's predecessor, Mack Rhoades, before the 2004 season, and went 27-33 in five seasons.
"At this time, Coach Brookhart has been let go," said Wistrcill in a press conference, "We have begun search for a new head coach. We'd like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Brookhart for his work here at Akron."
Brookhart started out at Akron, and found success immediately, posting a 13-11 record, including an appearance in the Motor City Bowl, ending in a 38-31 loss to Memphis.
"Well, I can't blame Tom. The last three seasons, the team underperformed, and when that happens, there's only one person to blame. I loved my time here at Akron," said Brookhart in a statement to the local papers.
There have been no announcements on who the Zips are looking for, although, there are rumors that Akron boosters are looking heavily at Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster, UL-Lafayette head coach Rickey Bustle, and former NFL head coach Scott Linehan.
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The GIGGAS 09:17 PM 09-15-2009
Akron, OH - When the Akron Zips ended last season on a 3 game losing streak, many fans of the program saw the writing on the wall. When J.D. Brookhart was dismissed yesterday, a new problem arose: who will be the next Akron head coach?
Some of the candidates mentioned before have publicly made their intentions clear. Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster has turned down the coaching job, stating that "it just isn't the right time for me to leave Blacksburg." Rickey Bustle also turned down the coaching job, saying that "it just wouldn't be right to leave the kids at ULL."
Scott Linehan, former St. Louis Rams coach, however, has not said anything publicly about the Akron head coaching job, although it is thought in the Akron fanbase that it would be a long shot.
One player that has shown up on the radar is a young graduate assistant for the Virginia Tech Hokies, Michael Snider. After graduating in 3 years from Radford University, he came to help Bud Foster's defense as a graduate assistant. "I really want to be a head coach, and if Akron comes calling, I won't turn them down. It would be an amazing opportunity for me."
If Snider is to be the new Akron head coach, he would be the youngest ever coach of a college football team, at age 21. It is expected that Snider would bring a run-first, Virginia Tech-style offense and a 4-3 defensive look. A representative for the Akron athletics office had no comment.
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The GIGGAS 09:36 PM 09-15-2009
Akron, OH - Akron must have had their candidate pegged and ready to come in when they fired J.D. Brookhart, because they announced his successor today in a surprise press conference.
"I know that some of you thought we were crazy when we fired J.D. Brookhart," said Akron athletic director Tom Wistrcill at the press conference today, "but we have found the face of Akron football for years to come."
At this point, a decorative curtain dropped. All of the reporters' jaws did the same.
Standing behind the curtain was 21-year old Michael Snider, former graduate assistant for Virginia Tech. By assuming the open Akron Zips head coaching position, he becomes the youngest head coach in the history of college football.
"Coach Snider! Do you think your youth will be a disadvantage?" Akron Beacon Journal reporter Tom Gaffney asked of the new coach.
"Absolutely not, Mr. Gaffney. I can identify with the players here at Akron, and I believe that they'll respond to the way I want to run this program. I would like to put all of the other teams in the MAC on notice. My offense will smash you in the mouth. We will run the ball down your throat. I challenge everyone to attempt to stop it."
This change in philosophy will probably not work in the Zips' favor, at least for this season, as the roster is tooled around J.D. Brookhart's spread offense. But Coach Snider is upbeat.
"These kids may know the spread inside and out. But I talked with the running backs and the offensive lines, and they really like what I want to do. They love that grinding game where it is really on them to knock opponents in the dirt. Alex Allen will be the centerpiece of this offense, and he has let me know that he's ready for the opportunity. We've also got some great youth in our running backs, and we'll be able to coach 'em up and make them into the players that not only will excel at the collegiate level, but also in the NFL."
This change has not pleased some players on the team, however, as Senior QB Chris Jacquemain displayed his displeasure: "This offense is vanilla, and we will not be able to win this way. I'm not happy about how the athletics department has handled this situation."
Coach Snider, however, has fired a warning shot, using Jacquemain as an example.
"Yes, I've heard Chris' comments, and that kind of thing will not be tolerated here at Akron. I have suspended him for half of the season. He will be re-eligible to play with the team after the Buffalo game. Until then, Matt [Rodgers] will be the leader of the offense."
Coach Snider also released a list of redshirted players after the conference:
HB Dale Martin (SO, 75 ovr)
SS Shawn Lemon (JR, 73 ovr)
SS Tyler Campbell (JR, 73 ovr)
QB Patrick Nicely (FR, 72 ovr)
WR Troy Eison (JR, 71 ovr)
WR Jeremy LaFrance (JR, 70 ovr)
CB Emmanuel Lartey (FR, 70 ovr)
HB Broderick Alexander (FR, 69 ovr)
DT Phil Tonga (JR, 68 ovr)
FS Will Fleming (FR, 63 ovr)
TE Grant Williams (FR, 61 ovr)
LE Deni Odofin (JR, 60 ovr)
TE Jon Root (FR, 54 ovr)
The Akron athletics department has also changed their schedule. Instead of playing Morgan State in week 2, the Akron Zips have inked a home and home deal with the Florida State Seminoles, who will not be facing Jacksonville State that week. This year, the Zips will travel to Tallahassee, leaving the schedule to look like this:
Beat Kent State
Receive a Bowl Bid
Beat Penn State
Comment:
Akron fans are expecting great things from you this season. Don't disappoint them.
Preseason Rankings
1. Florida
2. Oklahoma
3. Texas
4. USC
5. LSU
6. Alabama
7. Ohio State
8. Penn State
9. Oklahoma State
10. Virginia Tech
11. Ole Miss
12. Oregon
13. Georgia
14. Boise State
15. Cal
16. North Carolina
17. BYU
18. Georgia Tech
19. TCU
20. Florida State
21. Nebraska
22. Iowa
23. West Virginia
24. Utah
25. Kansas 100. Akron
MAC Conference Predictions
East:
Buffalo
Temple
Bowling Green
Kent State
Miami (OH) Akron
Ohio
West:
Central Michigan
Western Michigan
Ball State
Toledo
Northern Illinois
Eastern Michigan
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Thanks guys. I hope to have the first real update either on Sunday or Monday. I am probably going to get shellacked by the Nittany Lions.
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The GIGGAS 07:48 PM 09-20-2009
SF: It's Gameday! Welcome to ISP Sports. I'm Steve French, the voice of the Zips, and with me, as always, is Frank Stams.
FS: Thanks so much Steve. Looking forward to football being back!
SF: Agreed, Frank. Akron comes into this big game with a new identity, a new look for the offense and defense, and a new coach.
FS: That's right, Steve. Michael Snider was announced as head coach of the Zips earlier this offseason, and he made waves with his very first announcement as head coach: the suspension of QB Chris Jacquemain. Chris comes off an amazing season as the QB for the spread offense Zips, having a QB Efficency rating of 125.27, and threw for 2,748 yards and 20 TDs with 14 INTs. The starter will be redshirt sophomore Matt Rodgers.
SF: That's right. Rodgers hasn't played yet here at Akron, but he won't have an amazing amount of pressure on him, as Coach Snider brings a run-first offense to Akron, contrasting with J.D. Brookhart's offense.
FS: And that means the keys to the offense has been handed to one Alex Allen. He only played in 3 games a year ago, rushing for under 200 yards, but got to the endzone 3 times. He has some tools, though, and he's got a lot to prove as a Senior.
SF: And he'll be trying to run against a very good Penn State Nittany Lion defense which is led by mike linebacker Sean Lee.
FS: He's the defensive captain, and slated to be an All-American. He's looking to make a big recovery from a knee issue a year ago, and he'll be looking to sniff out Alex Allen when he's on the field.
SF: Let's not look past the #8 Penn State offense, Frank. On paper, Penn State looks to have an offense that will strike fear into opponent's hearts.
FS: That's for sure, Steve. Evan Royster is the workhorse of the offense, and he'll be looking to slice and dice defenses this season. I'm sure he's looking to get Penn State into a Big 10 championship and the Rose Bowl, if not National Championship.
SF: Let's look at some other big games this week. We'll start with the ISP Game of the Week, #17 BYU at #2 Oklahoma.
FS: That game is going to be a matchup between two of the best quarterbacks in the nation, BYU's Max Hall against Oklahoma's Heisman-winning QB, Sam Bradford. I think Bradford leads the Sooners to the win.
SF: Alright, Frank, what about #12 Oregon at #14 Boise State?
FS: This is a big game for both schools. Boise State won the game last year in Eugene against Oregon, and they'll have to win again to make sure they have a shot at the BCS. I think Oregon knocks off the Broncos.
SF: Sounds like a decent pick, Frank. #13 Georgia goes to Stillwater, Oklahoma, to face the #9 Oklahoma State Cowboys. Who wins?
FS: Well, these are two of the best teams in the nation. Dez Bryant is a great wide receiver, and I think he leads the Cowboys to a win.
SF: OK, Frank, we've only got time for one more pick before kickoff. In the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game, #10 Virginia Tech is going to face the #6 Alabama Crimson Tide in the Georgia Dome, in Atlanta.
FS: Wow, what a game. I think the Alabama defense will be able to stop Tyrod Taylor from being too much of a weapon, but the Virginia Tech special teams will keep it tight. I say Alabama wins in a squeaker game that neither team should feel bad about.
SF: Thanks Frank. We'll check on those picks next week, and after we come back, get ready! Akron heads to Happy Valley to meet the Nittany Lions!
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The GIGGAS 12:32 AM 09-21-2009
Penn State Opens Season with Blowout of Akron, 59-14
State College, PA - Penn State started out its season like everyone expected them to. Evan Royster had a punt return TD to start his day, and ended it with 143 yards rushing on 19 carries with 2 rushing touchdowns, along with 118 yards receiving on 4 catches, adding another touchdown. He was named Player of the Game by the ESPN2 crew calling the game.
"I'm just glad to get back on the field," said Royster, "It's nice to be able to get out there and do what I do best. Coach Paterno has told us to get ready for Syracuse next week, and that's exactly what we'll do. I'm glad I was able to make a big impact on the game today. I'll have to keep doing that as the year goes on."
Royster wasn't the only player to have a great game for Penn State, as Daryll Clark played well, connecting on 16 of his 21 passes, for 331 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions, for an efficiency rating of 252.3.
Derek Moye breaking the plane for a receiving touchdown
"I'm glad we got the win, but I need to make sure that I cut out all of the mistakes. I only missed on 5 of my passes, but 2 of those misses turned into interceptions," Clark stated, "I'm just frustrated that I made those mistakes. Hopefully I can play a better game against Syracuse next week."
The Penn State defense caused problems to the Akron offense. On one of the very first offensive snaps of the game for Akron, Matt Rodgers bruised his shoulder, which will keep him out of games for 4 weeks. That forced redshirt freshman Jared Wackerly into the spotlight. He performed admirably in such a hostile environment, connecting on 17 of his 30 passes, gaining 237 yards, while throwing for 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. But it wasn't all roses for Wackerly, as he was sacked three times and fumbled the ball 4 times. Akron would lose 3 fumbles to the Nittany Lions.
"Well, I need to keep the ball safer, of course," Wackerly said in the post game press conference, "But other than that sort of thing, we played well. I wasn't expecting to play today, but you know, I go into the game and play as well as I can... If I can do that, I feel good about my performance. I feel very good about my performance today."
Troy Gilmer picking off a Deryll Clark pass; Gilmer was named Akron Player of the Game
Alex Allen, although highly touted as the Akron feature back, was not able to display his talent as much as Coach Snider would like. He only rushed 14 times, gaining 69 yards, for a 4.9 YPC. He also caught two passes for 14 yards, and a touchdown.
"The game worked in a way that just wouldn't allow me to run as much as I would like. I got some good carries, though, and I'm going to be ready for Florida State next week. I'm very excited about getting another chance to be a big part of an Akron win," said Allen as he was running into the locker room.
Coach Snider was disappointed at his post game press conference, but he was also excited about the future of the Zips program.
"There are a ton of positives that arose in this game. For my team to still play hard in the 4th quarter and not give up, and get that touchdown, I'm very happy about that. Our defense needs some work, and we generally need to be a lot better holding onto the ball and keeping it safe. I think this team has a lot of good players on it. We just need to be able to put everything together, and I'm quite confident we can do it in MAC play," said Snider, "That's where we need to shine. Out of conference wins are nice and all, but MAC play is what we're looking forward to."
Akron will lick their wounds and head down to Tallahassee, FL, next week to take on 0-1 Florida State after their loss to their in-state ACC rival Miami Hurricanes. Penn State will stay in State College, and welcome the 1-0 Syracuse Orange, off of their big OT win over the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
4:56 - PSU - 72 yard punt return by Royster (Wagner kick)
1:01 - PSU - 11 yard pass from Clark to Powell (Wagner kick)
2nd Quarter
Sean Lee picking off a Jared Wackerly pass intended for Deryn Bowser
2:52 - PSU - 30 yard pass from Clark to Moye (Wagner kick)
0:00 - PSU - 49 field goal by Wagner
3rd Quarter
4:49 - PSU - 73 yard pass from Clark to Royster (Wagner kick)
3:38 - Zips - 14 yard pass from Wackerly to Allen (Iveljic kick)
2:13 - PSU - 12 yard run by Royster (Wagner kick)
4th Quarter
5:50 - PSU - 52 yard run by Royster (Wagner kick)
4:50 - PSU - 39 yard fumble return by Latham (Wagner kick)
4:34 - PSU - 33 yard pass from Clark to Moye (Wagner kick)
0:12 - Zips - 7 yard pass from Wackerly to Jones (Iveljic kick)
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