By John Agovino, Associate College Football Editor
2009 SEASON IN REVIEW: Following a four wins campaign in 2008, the Zips came into the 2009 season looking to make a move in the right direction. However,
that was not the case for Akron, which suffered through a miserable season.
After opening the schedule with a 31-7 setback to Penn State, the Zips
rebounded with a 41-0 victory over Morgan State. Defeating Morgan State did
not get the ball rolling for the Zips however, as the team dropped its next
six contests, and five of those losses came by double figures. Akron was able
to snap the six-game slide with a tough, 28-20 victory over Kent State, but
the losing continued for the Zips, who dropped their next two matchups against
Temple and Bowling Green by a combined 92-37 margin. The Zips were able to
close out the regular season with a 28-21 victory over Eastern Michigan, but a
three-win campaign and a fourth straight season with a losing ledger led to
the dismissal of J.D. Brookhart as head coach. Brookhart, who was the 2004 MAC
Coach of the Year, finished with a 30-42 record.
2010 ANALYSIS:
OFFENSE: The Zips were miserable offensively this past season, so the return
of just four starters isn't necessarily a bad thing under new head coach Rob
Ianello. Ianello, who is a former assistant from Notre Dame, brings a pro-
style offensive scheme that should definitely fit sophomore Patrick Nicely's
skill set.
"On offense, we're going to base out of a multiple pro set and, for a lack of
a better term, the very same system we ran at Notre Dame, which for the last
five years was very successful," said coach Ianello. "It's the same system the
(New England) Patriots run and the (Kansas City) Chiefs run and the (Denver)
Broncos run. It's a multiple system and one that I'll fit to our personnel as
opposed to us having to fit personnel to our system. That gives us a lot of
flexibility in that regard."
Nicely, who stands at 6-4, showed plenty of promise in his first season under
center and should be much more comfortable under center in 2010. Last year
Nicely built a strong relationship with receiver Jeremy LaFrance, who finished
the year with 43 receptions. The combination should only blossom under the
guidance of Ianello, who has done a tremendous job with receivers in his
career.
The rushing attack however, has plenty of question marks entering the year,
but with three veteran linemen back in the fold the unit should improve on its
94th ranking a year ago. Handling the running back duties is another mystery,
as Alex Allen and Broderick Alexander will likely get the first crack at the
starting job, but do not count out freshman Erick Howard, who is an
outstanding talent.
DEFENSE: Last year's lack of success was not solely the fault of a weak
offensive unit, but also a porous defense. Akron, which surrendered 28.8 ppg
in 2009, does however return eight starters, and hopefully with a new 4-3
scheme the unit will be able to make positive strides.
"On defense, we'll run a 4-3, which is different that we've done in the past,"
said coach Ianello. "That will give us a chance to hopefully be stout against
the run and give us all the nuances, the pressures and blitzes that go with
that."
Stopping the run will be key for Ianello and defensive coordinator Curt
Mallory. Last year the Zips were gashed for 171.9 ypg on the ground, but the
change in formation and the return of front line talent such as Almondo Sewell
and Hasan Hazime give this Akron squad the capability of lowering that number
dramatically. While the front line looks solid, the linebacking corps is
chock-full of talent, beginning with Brian Wagner, who averaged 11.0 tackles a
game last year. Mike Thomas also returns, while Sean Fobbs and Troy Gilmer
battle for the weak-side spot. What could be a major problem for this defense
is the lack of experience in the defensive backfield. Manley Waller is the
lone returning starter for Akron after Jalil Carter moved to the wideout
position.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Kicker Bronko Rogovic returns for the Zips, but his
underachieving performance a year ago (7-for-15 on field goals) puts his in
jeopardy. Coach Ianello has the luxury of using LaFrance and Carter in the
return game, both players are elusive and possess the speed needed to make a
game-changing play.
OUTLOOK: Usually when there is a coaching overhaul the first season could be
deemed a transition period, but considering the Zips won just seven combined
games over their last two seasons, coach Ianello is not going to let his first
year in Akron turn into a test run.
"As I said from day one, we're building a championship program and not a
championship team," said coach Ianello. "There's a big difference between the
two. The championship team has one good season and the championship program
has a good season and never looks back. I want this season to be about how
Akron is going to play."
There is definitely some talent on this roster for coach Ianello to work with,
but with a new offensive and defensive scheme, the Zips are likely in for
another rough campaign. On top of getting settled under their new coaching
staff, the Zips will also have a daunting road schedule which includes SEC foe
Kentucky, as well as conference matchups at Ohio and Temple.