There's been one central theme throughout spring practice for Akron. New coach Terry Bowden has put a big emphasis on intensity and changing the attitude in the Zips program.
Several players have commented about the difference from the past regime, plus a general more positive attitude after combining for a 2-22 record the last two seasons.
"It needs to be intense every day; we only have a few of them," Bowden said of spring ball. "But we really want our players to know they have to be intense every day on that field. There shouldn't be a different level."
Sophomore running back Cody Grice said the new coaching staff is a big change for the players.
"We love the staff," he said. "We barely know them, but just from interacting with the coaches, it's way different. It's more intense. It's more relaxed, too. It's not so much that if you make a mistake they're going to (yell) at you. They're going to coach you through it and talk to you."
Bowden spent the early spring practices installing a no-huddle offense with an emphasis on increasing tempo. The Zips have struggled scoring points and finding playmakers the last few years, but Bowden's offense might change things by putting more pressure on opponents' defense.
The Zips have an open competition for the starting quarterback position. Dalton Williams, Clayton Moore and Patrick Nicely are all vying for the starting spot. Williams has worked mainly with the first-team offense, but Moore is fighting to keep his starting position. Williams, a senior transfer who ran the spread offense at Stephen F. Austin State University, is benefitting from his experience in the offense during the spring. Currently, the Zips have seven quarterbacks on the roster in the spring.
"I give everything to the quarterback, and he has to put everyone in place. I give him the entire (offensive) line blocking scheme, running back movement, receiver adjustments, the signal cadence and he has to decide what to change it to," Bowden said. "I have to have someone who can grasp and comprehend the system. He's got to be a pretty bright guy."
Bowden opened up competition at all spots, with tailback Jawon Chisholm responding to the challenge with a productive spring. Chisholm ran for 961 yards on 218 carries for a 4.4 yards per carry average as a freshman last year, but tailed off at the end of the season.
"He runs hard, there's no question about it," Bowden said of Chisholm. "He runs hard and he catches well. I think he's showing us the reason that he was No. 1 last year. Some others have done well, too, but that's something that has stuck out."
Akron's defense is benefitting from new defensive coordinator Chuck Amato and defensive line coach Todd Stroud.
"He's the veteran of our staff, and I think what he's trying to show them, and the other coaches, is that we can't expect intensity out of the players unless we show them -- that is if we don't show them how urgent we are. We don't want to wait to get better," Bowden said of Amato.
Williams top candidate at QB
--Senior QB Dalton Williams is the leading candidate early in the spring to win the quarterback starting job. Williams transferred to Akron from Stephen F. Austin State University. He had planned to join coach Terry Bowden at North Alabama, but followed Bowden to Akron.
--Redshirt freshman Zach D'Orazio is being converted from a quarterback to wide receiver. D'Orazio was caught up in a numbers game with seven quarterbacks on the spring roster. At 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds, D'Orazio has shown good hands and been physical early in spring practices.
SPRING MOVERS:
DE Albert Presley -- The junior college transfer is opening eyes with his aggressive play. Presley has been impressive in the first week of practice. His speed and making plays has caught the attention of Akron's staff.
QB Dalton Williams -- The senior transfer from Stephen F. Austin State is familiar with the spread offense. His experience has helped let him spend the majority of the early spring practices working with the first-team offense.
RB Jawon Chisholm -- Nearly rushed for 1,000 yards last year, but looks stronger and more motivated his spring. Chisholm's been running with a purpose, not wanting to lose his starting position.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "He better be able to do it all. We're asking him to be able to catch the ball out of the backfield. He's got to be able to run. He has to be able to block. But I think, really, in this offense, we've got to be able to go get positive yards. This is a fast tempo offense. We want to get the ball out to the receivers, but when we call a run, the running back is going to have to do positive things in the run game. In this offense, when you touch the ball, we're looking for a five-, six-yard gain or better." -- Akron running backs coach Trent Boykin on sophomore tailback Jawon Chisholm's worth to the offense.
Strategy And Personnel
2012 OUTLOOK: The Zips have fallen on hard times in recent years, winning two games in the last two years. But first-year coach Terry Bowden has infused the program with a new attitude coupled with his colorful personality. The change has been a welcome one, helping bring some positivity and hope for the Akron program. The Zips have switched to a no-huddle spread offense hoping to push the tempo to offset a shortage of playmakers on offense. The Zips have emphasized intensity and forcing turnovers on defense. The Zips, on paper, should struggle to win games in 2012, but the intangibles with a new coaching staff should translate into a better season.
SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: The Zips have lacked playmakers on the offensive side for the last three years. A lack of players capable of putting pressure on the defense has led to just two wins in the last two years. New coach Terry Bowden installed a no-huddle spread offense looking to speed up the game and put pressure on opponents. The Zips have yet to name a starter at quarterback, but senior transfer Dalton Williams is the leading candidate. RB Jawon Chisholm is showing signs of becoming a 1,000-yard back, with the coaching staff giving him more responsibility in the new offense. The offense averaged 14.2 yards per game last year. Expect those numbers to improve in 2012.
SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: The defense suffered a major blow in the offseason when leading tackler Brian Wagner transferred to Arizona. Wagner led the Zips in tackles in each of the last three seasons, finishing with 13.4 tackles per game last year. Veteran coach Chuck Amato was named the defensive coordinator. His experience should provide an immediate help for the defense. The Zips have struggled stopping teams from making big plays and not forced many turnovers in the last few years. Those are areas that need to improve for the 2012 season. Considering that the defense allowed 38.5 points and 427.2 yards per game last year, the Zips have plenty of room for improvement.
SCOUTING THE SPECIAL TEAMS: Special teams coach Jeff Bowden is in charge of turning around a weak area. The Zips' have to find a replacement for punter Zack Campbell. One of the best punters in the Mid-American Conference, Campbell averaged 38.1 yards per punt last year. The Zips are young among their returnees with kickers A.J. Fox and Robert Stein both sophomores. Fox made all eight of his field-goal attempts last year. The Zips will have an open competition at kickoff and punt return, with A.J Price and Tyler Williams the leading candidates at each position.
TOP NEWCOMERS:
QB Tyrell Goodman -- One of seven quarterbacks on the spring roster, Goodman has been solid in limited duty. His accuracy in the spring has stood out among the other quarterbacks.
DE Albert Presley -- The junior college player is getting plenty of praise and attention from the Akron coaching staff. His ability to make plays and speed on the edge has been a positive for a defense looking for playmakers.
ROSTER REPORT:
--Nick Rossi has been working with the linebackers after playing at fullback in 2011.
--Cody Grice has taken a few reps in spring along the defensive line after playing fullback last year.
--Zach D'Orazio has been solid in new position after moving from quarterback to wide receiver in spring practice.
