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Zips seek second place in East, bowl eligibility
By Tom Gaffney
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Friday, Nov 28, 2008
Coach J.D. Brookhart has little trouble rattling off reasons why he believes that his University of Akron football team will play well today in its finale against Temple in Philadelphia.
''For the seniors, it's a big game. It's their last game. We owe them a lot for what they have done for the program,'' he said. ''You also want to have some momentum going into a new stadium.
''There are a lot of reasons . . . the love of the game, You see these guys, they play their tails off. And we are still playing for second in the East, which is a way to mark improvement.''
The Zips (5-6, 3-4) lost a chance to win the East Division of the Mid-American Conference last Friday when champion Buffalo edged Bowling Green 40-34. The next day, UA saw its slim bowl hopes grow even slimmer in losing at Ohio 49-42.
A Zips' win over Temple (4-7, 3-4) and a Toledo victory over Bowling Green would mean sole possession of second place in the East behind Buffalo. It also would mean a .500 finish and bowl eligibility, although an invitation is unlikely.
That would be an enviable accomplishment for a UA team that was 4-8 in 2007 and was picked to finish last in the MAC East.
''I have said from the beginning that the best thing I like about this team is the character and the chemistry,'' Brookhart said. ''That hasn't changed at all. They fight together.
''I know people picked us for dead last. We never thought we would finish dead last. There were a lot of question marks, and a lot of questions got answered.''
Relying on offense
In the Temple game, which will be played on the grass of Lincoln Financial Field (home of the Philadelphia Eagles), the Zips again will rely on an offense that is ranked fourth in the MAC in total yardage.
However, the Zips defense is 12th out of 13th MAC teams and will be severely tested by an Owls offense that has welcomed back senior quarterback Adam DiMichele.
DiMichele, whose career has been hampered by injuries, missed three game after being hurt against Penn State on Sept. 20. He has been back for four games and had his best performance last Saturday in throwing for six touchdowns in a 55-52 triumph over Eastern Michigan.
''He looks really good. This is the kind of player we knew he could be,'' Owls coach Al Golden said. ''Nobody has endured more in terms of injuries. He is playing his best football right now.''
That does not bode well for a beleaguered Zips defense that allowed Ohio junior Boo Jackson to throw for a school-record five touchdowns last Saturday in that Bobcats' win.
Problems for Zips
The Zips have been torched by quarterbacks all season, and the tendency is to blame a rebuilt secondary that has five new starters.
But Brookhart said injuries and inexperience on the defensive line also have contributed to the problems. The Zips are 12th in the MAC in sacks with just nine in 11 games.
''We have not affected the quarterback very well at all this year. That makes it tough,'' Brookhart said. ''Injuries have obviously been a piece for us that hasn't helped.
''A number of defensive linemen went down, and we changed some people around, putting them in other positions. Not putting pressure on the quarterback has affected our coverage a great deal.''
Back with a vengeance
Temple, which also has been slowed by injuries, opened with a 35-7 victory over Army, but then lost four in a row. Since the return of DiMichele, Temple is 2-2 and is averaging 33.5 points per game.
''When he [DiMichele] came back, they have just exploded,'' Brookhart said. ''I thought coming into the year, they probably were the most talented team in the league and I thought he was one of the best quarterbacks. He is proving that now. No question, they missed him.''
Tom Gaffney can be reached at tgaffney@thebeaconjournal.com.
Coach J.D. Brookhart has little trouble rattling off reasons why he believes that his University of Akron football team will play well today in its finale against Temple in Philadelphia.
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Comments
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Posted 09:34 AM, 11/28/2008
Brookhart must go. His teams can never win the games they're supposed to. His teams will always show promise, but finish in the middle of the pack. He is not a good recruiter, and misses a lot of local talent. Local fans will come out to see local talent. Instead Brookhart spends his time in western PA and the DC area, picking up mediocre talent, that fans in Akron can't get excited about. Time for a new coach for the new stadium.
Posted 12:06 PM, 11/28/2008
Akron U in division 1 must go. They are wasting $60 million to build a stadium for a bad football program. They play well one year and they got to go to a bowl game in Detroit, Michigan (whoopie). Two years ago they were the only D1 team with a winning record that didn't get a bowl bid. Why does this not tell them something. So this year they have a chance to win 6 games and there is talk about getting a bowl bid. What bowl would invite AU to play? They couldn't get people to go to a game in Akron much less get people to travel to see them play. It isn't the coach. It is the idea that they think they can get a good program going. What a joke!!! I'm an alum who was called asking for money a few weeks ago. I told them to spend the $60 million on education and to not call me anymore. They will never get another donation from me.
Posted 04:58 PM, 11/28/2008
Robert, you are a moron... perhaps the biggest one on here. You sound like you know nothing about division 1 football, the bowl system, or the zips so stop taking up space here with your awful posts.
JD should be fired though
Posted 04:58 PM, 11/28/2008
ps...do you even know how sports bring in money for education? Probably not, you probably didnt even go to UofA, you sound like an uneducated Can't State hippie to me.
Posted 10:02 PM, 11/28/2008
Robert, you, too, must go, along with Brookhart. You have no idea what you are talking about. People like you can never see the forest for the trees. Do you realize what a boost that stadium will be for the local economy? You have to spend money to make money. A new coach could lead the program to prominence, fill the new stadium, and actually create a program that deserves a following. If they can do it in places like Pittsburgh, Cinci, and Tulsa, they can do it in Akron.
