Sunday afternoon was a different story.

The Golden Flashes, unable to get timely hits, left base runners stranded throughout their 8-2 loss to the Broncos at Schoonover Stadium on Senior Day. They also committed four errors in the loss.

The Golden Flashes left 12 men on base for the second consecutive game, leaving the bases loaded in the second and fifth inning.

“I’m just disappointed in the way we played,” coach Scott Stricklin said. “To come out and play like that on Senior Day isn’t representative of our program. To make four errors, to make mental mistake after mental mistake, it’s just really disappointing.”

“We have to go on to the next game, but, yes, it’s certainly something to be concerned about. Our guys are tightening up in scoring position. We haven’t had good at-bats. We’ve had great at-bats with no one on base, but when guys get on base, guys struggle and it’s been going on all year. It’s not just the past couple of days.”

Stricklin said that the problem is more of a mental issue as his players are trying to do too much in those situations.

But that wasn’t the only challenge the Golden Flashes (27-21, 14-7 MAC) faced. Although their offense struggled, the Chippewas got a home run by Dylan Goodwin in the top of the seventh inning. Mostly, they sprayed hits throughout the game that weren’t exactly powerful.

Conversely, Kent State hit the ball hard and hit it directly to fielders.

“(The Chippewas) battled and found a way and we threw a ball away in the first inning,” Stricklin said, “…which can’t happen and it did. And it happened later in the game. It’s one thing to make a mistake, it’s another thing to make a mistake twice.”

That manifested itself in the first inning when Central Michigan (20-25, 9-12) scored first courtesy of two bloop singles and a wild pitch by the Golden Flashes’ Casey Wilson.

The Chippewas produced three runs in the top of the third. Chippewas second baseman Tom Lally had a one-out single and center fielder Nick Regnier reached on a fielding error. Wilson then hit third baseman Jordan Adams, loading the bases for first baseman Cody Leichman, who smacked a double down the right-field line to drive in two runs.

The inning sealed the Golden Flashes’ fate and left them with work to do as they trail the Buffalo Bulls in the Mid-American Conference’s East Division by a game and a half with six left.

“In order to be the team we want to be, we’re going to have to do things the right way,” Stricklin said. “We’re going to have to play with a purpose. We’re going to have to have better approaches at the plate, on the field and on the mound. Everything we do we’re going to have to do a better job at it.”

Stricklin referred to the season as a roller coaster because of series such as the one against Central Michigan.There are times, such as Friday night, when Kent State looks unbeatable.

Other times, it’s almost the opposite.

“We were two different teams,” Stricklin said. “In order for us to be a championship team, we’ve got to find a way to be consistent. Right now we’re just an inconsistent baseball team.”

George M. Thomas can be reached at gmthomas@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/GeorgeThomasABJ and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sports.abj.

The Golden Flashes (27-20, 14-6 Mid-American Conference) rode the groove of pitcher Tyler Skulina (4-3), who retired 11 consecutive batters, and first baseman George Roberts, who went 4-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored.

However, the Chippewas (19-25, 8-12) kept it close until the eighth inning because the Flashes left 12 batters on base, including two innings where the bases were loaded.

“From the first inning on, we did a poor job,” Kent State baseball coach Scott Stricklin said. “We left way too many guys on base. We had opportunities to score runs and we just didn’t do it. We allowed them to hang around. … We were very fortunate.”

Stricklin would have welcomed some of those runs in the top of the seventh inning with the Flashes holding a 4-2 lead and Skulina showing signs of wear. Chippewas first baseman Zack Fields hit a double to center, and moved to third base on a passed ball. He scored when teammate Morgan Oliver hit a sacrifice fly that cut the lead to 4-3.

That was enough for Stricklin to turn to his bullpen. Pitcher Dan Kopcak arrived with Chippewas right fielder Randon Henika at second base, courtesy of a double. A passed ball moved Henika to third before Kopcak retired the last two batters to get his team out of trouble.

Skulina, a Walsh Jesuit product, gave up four hits and three runs, two earned, striking out eight in 6· innings.

Stricklin said he didn’t know what happened to Skulina’s rhythm.

“He might have hit a wall,” Stricklin said. “He only threw 90 pitches. He got out of his groove. He was throwing really well.”

Fortunately for the Flashes, the Chippewas’ defense committed five errors, including one at a critical moment in the game.

Shortstop Sawyer Polen began the bottom of the eighth by reaching on a throwing error. A sacrifice bunt moved him over. Sensing trouble, Central Michigan coach Steve Jaska went to the bullpen.

Kent State first baseman George Roberts ripped a double to center, driving Polen home and eventually moved to third on a throwing error. Moments later, a wild pitch brought Roberts home, giving the Golden Flashes a 6-3 lead.

The victory gives Kent State its longest win streak of the season, and it arrives at just the right time with only seven MAC games left.

“I just think we are playing with more confidence. We played back on our heels early on [in the season],” Stricklin said.

But the coach is far from satisfied.

“This wasn’t a masterpiece by any stretch,” he said. “We had a chance to score a lot of runs and we didn’t do it. We’ve got to get better. To be a championship team, you have to play like one all the time, and we didn’t play like one. We were fortunate to win, but we didn’t play like a championship team.”

George M. Thomas can be reached at gmthomas@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/GeorgeThomasABJ and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sports.abj.

The Zips (11-31, 6-13) played like it Friday with a mix of desperation and poise. Spotting the Broncos (14-30, 7-11) a 6-1 lead, the Zips rallied for a 7-6 comeback victory.

Given the way the Broncos scored — two runs in three of the first five innings — a long afternoon appeared to be on the Zips’ agenda.

It certainly didn’t help that starting pitcher JT Brubaker contributed to the problems as his control left much to be desired.

Things were only exacerbated when Joe Cochran came in to relieve after four innings. Combined, they accounted for the Broncos’ success.

“JT has struggled,” UA coach Rick Rembielak said. “He’s a freshman and his last two outings really haven’t been good. He hasn’t gone deep, he’s losing control.”

Three hit batters and three wild pitches told the tale as the Zips fell behind 6-1 by the top of the fifth inning. Few teams can endure that many mistakes to come home with a victory. To the Zips’ credit, they did.

Catcher Brady Stewart had the game-winning hit as he went 3-for-4 with two RBI, and center fielder Devan Ahart was 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored to lead the Zips’ comeback.

“We need to have [Devan] come through; he’s got to be that spark,” Rembielak said. “I still think he could have a lot more good at-bats.”

Ahart came through in the bottom of the fifth inning to give the Zips some semblance of life. His bases-loaded double down the right-field line scored left fielder Tyler Begun and second baseman James Sheltrown to begin a four-run inning. Moments later, shortstop Mark Rembielak scored on a grounder by third baseman Matt La Rocca to cut the deficit to 6-4. Right fielder Jared Turocy then delivered a single past the Broncos shortstop to score Ahart, a run that Rembielak called the turning point because it brought the Zips within 6-5. Turocy also scored the winning run.

“That’s something we haven’t seen a whole lot of,” Rembielak said. “For us to end up doing something like that is a huge step for this ballclub. It’s huge for a lot of young guys on the team who haven’t been playing.”

But as much as the offensive effort deserves praise, the bullpen, especially reliever Zach Beaver, deserves just as much.

After relieving Cochran, he pitched three shutout innings to allow his teammates to get back into the game with Samuel Trecaso closing.

“In the last couple of outings, our bullpen has done a great job,” Rembielak said. “Zach Beaver came in and shut them down in relief. It’s really because of Zach [that we won]. He really sparked the offense even though he’s a pitcher on the mound.”

George M. Thomas can be reached at gmthomas@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Zips blog at http://www.ohio.com/zips. Follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/GeorgeThomasABJ. and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sports.abj.

There was one thing on his mind — impressing New England Patriots coaches.

The Patriots hold their rookie minicamp today and Saturday, and it’s difficult not to root for Hines to make a good impression.

“They said they were happy to have me,” Hines said of the Patriots, who envision using him on special teams to start.

Hines never really seemed to fit into the Zips’ plans after coach Terry Bowden took over the program last season.

Given that Hines was a senior brought in by the prior coaching staff, that’s understandable. Bowden arrived at UA looking to build a sustainable program. It’s difficult to do that without developing talent. Because of that, it’s not difficult to understand why two freshmen — Conor Hundley and Hakeem Lawrence — received most of the playing time behind starter Jawon Chisholm.

But Hines got a chance to show an occasional glimpse of what he was capable of doing, most notably in the game against Tennessee when he ripped off a 75-yard touchdown run.

But it’s the freakish workout stats Hines posted at a regional combine held in Berea and a pro day at UA that really put a shine on him.

At the pro day, he ran a 4.34 40-yard dash, showed a 42½-inch vertical jump and had a broad jump of 11 feet, 3 inches. Nine teams contacted him about joining their organization, and he elected to go with the Patriots, which ultimately could prove to be a wise move.

Coach Bill Belichick has a track record of giving players, regardless of draft status, a fair shot. Hines should look to Patriots quarterback Tom Brady for the prime example. Hines has talked to Belichick twice.

“[Belichik] said that they can’t wait to get me on the field and see my speed,” he said.

Coming to the NFL as an undrafted rookie is never the easiest way to make a team, but if Hines’ effort matches those freakish numbers, he could open some eyes.

On solid ground

With the Mid-American Conference Championship set to start today at the par-72, 7,243-yard Longaberger Golf Club in Nashport, Ohio, Zips coach David Trainor has every reason to be optimistic about his team’s future.

So far this year, three freshmen have impressed with their play. Louis Birchell, Ryan Harris and Carr Vernon will likely continue to lead the way for the Zips.

But Trainor realizes with their youth comes inexperience and mistakes. The latter they hope to minimize not only over their careers, but this weekend as well. That involves fewer risks on the course and forgetting mistakes once they are committed. Charlie Bull, arguably the team’s best golfer, agreed.

“We’re going to hopefully have those three guys and the exact same lineup this time next year,” he said. “In my three years here, we haven’t had that many underclassmen in the MAC Championship lineup. Maybe not in my time, but their time, they’re all going to play in MAC Championships. Looking forward, I think it’s huge that we have that many freshmen going this year.”

Williams gets shot

Former Zips quarterback Dalton Williams will return home to Texas. An undrafted free agent, Williams signed a contract with the Dallas Cowboys, who will reportedly have up to six quarterbacks in camp, according to reports.

George M. Thomas can be reached at gmthomas@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Zips blog at http://www.ohio.com/zips. Follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/GeorgeThomasABJ.

Bull, a junior who hails from London, continues to have the best year since his arrival with the Zips.

He captured his first tournament win at the Kenny Perry Invitational during the fall season, and he’s only finished out of the Top 20 once all season. Additionally he’s in line to score a spot on the first team All-MAC team and is on the verge of breaking the school’s scoring record.

“The team around me is a lot more consistent. We have a consistent lineup,” Bull said during a Tuesday interview in the golf team’s offices at the Stile Athletics Field House. “We have become very close to each other. It’s having a close group of friends together on a trip makes everything so much easier.”

The team has stability in its lineup that includes three freshmen — Louis Birchall, Ryan Harris and Carr Vernon — something that Bull likes. And there is a greater bond with this year’s team.

Coach David Trainor agrees that despite the contradiction, who composes the team and how they interact can make a difference.

“You have to room with another team member,” Trainor said. “You have to eat dinner with the other team member. You have to eat breakfast with the other team member.”

In short: animosity can creep in and affect morale. But as the Zips prepare for this weekend’s MAC Championship in Nashport, it isn’t a problem.

Trainor said Bull has found a sense of balance, and combined with his continued maturation, he has continued to develop. He has learned just as a quarterback has to forget his most recent interception or a pitcher his most recent home run, there are things he has to put behind him when he’s in competition.

“He understands that bad shots do happen, missed putts do happen,” Trainor said. “You accept what the golf course gives you then you move on. He has done a phenomenal job with that.”

For Bull, the difference in his game comes down to several factors.

“Everything to do with my game, my body, my life has been a lot more consistent. I haven’t had problems physically, which has helped me a lot,” he said. “I’m working out the same more unlike last year when I was waking up and my body was in some kind of different pain.”

That, obviously, contributes to his improved play, but it has also given him confidence, which he doesn’t mind talking about leading up to the weekend.

“If I can play like I’ve been playing, maybe get a little bit more heat in the short game, then I think it would be nice to be out there and have a chance,” he said. “If I give myself a chance, I think my game can hold up against any of the other guys in the conference.”

But his thoughts also turn to the team and its overall chances.

“We’re going to have to play the best golf we’ve played in the last two years,” he said. “We have a very strong championship individually and teamwise. I think all of them — quite a few teams and quite a few individuals.”

Indeed, Kent State is the prohibitive favorite (as usual), but there are teams that can make a run, including Ball State, Trainor said.

But he likes the way Bull is thinking.

“That’s why we play the game,” Trainor said. “As we’ve seen this year, a lot of guys have won. Kent State and Ball State are very good. Can we challenge them? I’d like to think so, yes. Are we going to have to play good golf? Yes.”

The key to that for the Zips?

“It doesn’t mean we lead the field in birdies,” he said. “It means we lead the field in not making others or doubles. If we make a mistake we have to take our medicine and get it back in play and minimize the damage. I think that has been our Achilles’ heel top to bottom this year.”

While ultimately the team’s youth might be a challenge, that doesn’t mean they won’t be competitive, especially against Kent State.

“These kids don’t know who Kent State is. They don’t know that [Kent] is supposed to win,” he said.

George M. Thomas can be reached at gmthomas@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Zips blog at http://www.ohio.com/zips. Follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/GeorgeThomasABJ and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sports.abj.

Hines, who saw limited action with the Zips gaining 194 yards on 35 carries for a 6.5 average was one of 16 free agents that the Pats signed. He grabbed the attention of NFL teams with freakish numbers in his pro day at UA in which he ran a sub 4.4 40-yard dash and had a standing long jump of more than  11-feet.  He reports to the Patriots in two weeks.

Presumptive starting quarterback Kyle Pohl connected on 16-of-24 passes for 144 yards in the win and running back Jawon Chisholm caught five passes for 35 yards.

“I saw enough things that I really liked,” coach Terry Bowden said. “I saw a little more consistency and ability to run our offense by our first string than I did last spring, especially the consistent drive down the field against our defense.”

Pohl looked comfortable in the offense, directing the first team to a touchdown to open the scrimmage with a 75-yard drive that culminated with a touchdown pass to tight end Anthony Ritossa.

Pohl played calmly and coolly during the drive, which promptly woke up the first-team defense.

The first-team defense turned the tables and asserted itself after the first touchdown.

The first-team offense can thank the second-team defense for giving them a short field with which to work in the first half. The second-team defense intercepted three passes from backup quarterbacks Dalton Easton and Steve Franco. Unfortunately, the first-team offense wasn’t able to capitalize in a significant way, turning those turnovers into just three points.

“Maybe more important is the second offense put the defense in bad situations and they didn’t give up another touchdown,” Bowden said.

The second-team defense continued its thieving ways in the second half when sophomore cornerback Bryce Cheek intercepted his second pass of the game at the White 15.

With Pohl leading the way, the first-team offense appeared to be on its way to another touchdown before Pohl took a hit that forced him from the game.

Easton was brought in to try to finish the drive.

The second offense didn’t play well, especially the quarterbacks, pointing to a problem that Bowden and his staff will face in the fall unless Easton or Franco makes a big step forward during the summer.

If the Zips go into the season with just the three quarterbacks, a problem could present itself with a Pohl injury.

“I think I would say publicly right now, we are very receptive to a Division I graduating senior quarterback if one might show an interest — just because there’s some development behind Pohl that has to come,” Bowden said.

Should someone with the necessary resume come in, Bowden said he would have the opportunity to compete for the starting job.

“You’re not going to get a good one if you tell him he doesn’t have a chance to beat out Kyle,” he said. “Kyle needs to prove that he can win that position. He also needs competition. He needs to win his position. He’d better be pretty good because I think Kyle is a pretty good quarterback.”

Solidifying the offensive line will be necessary to ensure that Pohl doesn’t end up out due to injury for a prolonged period.

Zips quarterbacks took five sacks in the game and were hurried on many occasions.

“I don’t have to look at the tape,” Bowden said of the offensive line play. “We have to get more depth.”

That depth will likely arrive over the summer with the arrival of freshmen that Bowden expects to increase the level of competition for playing time.

Notebook

Running back D.J. Jones (Ravenna) took advantage of playing time running for 53 yards on 11 attempts for 4.8 yards per carry. … Kicker Robert Stein booted field goals of 58 and 54 yards but missed some shorter ones. … Linebacker Jatavis Brown dominated with 10 solo tackles, followed closely by John Rachal with seven. … Defensive end Albert Presley had six solo tackles, including two sacks.

George M. Thomas can be reached at gmthomas@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Zips blog at http://www.ohio.com/zips. Follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/GeorgeThomasABJ and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sports.abj.

After seeking input from two forums — one for faculty, staff and students and the other for the general public — the department has part of what might be a broader blueprint for how to expand the Zips’ reach in Summit County and beyond. It’s part of the school’s Vision 2020 plan, which sets college goals for UA to reach by that year.

The forums produced a laundry list of ways to improve the UA sports experience.

“What I got is that people have a great passion for Zips athletics and they have great passion for the university. We’re doing good and we need to do better. We need to be great,” Director of Athletics Tom Wistrcill said after meeting with a group of fans before the start of the annual spring game. “They see this as an opportunity here to build on this great stadium, build this great football program and use athletics as this kind of shining star in Northeast Ohio.”

Those same people also recognize the challenges involved after delving into data UA received from a survey conducted in March, identifying several factors that need attention for UA athletic programs to reach their goals.

They range from the obvious to the surprising.

Football and basketball are listed as “threats” in one category of the survey.

Football is not a surprise. Three consecutive 1-11 seasons will dampen enthusiasm. With the facilities, including InfoCision Stadium, and a quality coach in Terry Bowden, it seems likely that the program will eventually turn around.

But for basketball to be on that list is puzzling until learning antiquated Rhodes Arena is a main drag on the program. Wistrcill knows the problems with the arena and he knows what he has in coach Keith Dambrot, who is on the verge of turning UA into another Butler or Virginia Commonwealth. He’s confident something can be done — be it renovation, a new arena on campus or an arena in downtown Akron.

But as the Athletics Department begins the process of planning its future, student engagement remains a problem. Even with the modern dorms on East Exchange Street giving UA the feel of a more traditional college campus, changing the label of “commuter” school isn’t easy.

“What you have is people who didn’t live on campus. Most of them didn’t hang out on campus 24 hours per day. We continue to create those long relationships,” Wistrcill said. “Now our students are spending more and more time on campus than they were 20 years ago. I think that’s part of what we have to build — their deeper connection to the university.”

No matter the plans, they come during a time of economic issues. The school faces a projected budget gap of $26.7 million, and no department will escape cuts. The Athletic Department will lose approximately 6 percent of the $19 million it receives from the university, according to Wistrcill.

“It’s an issue for all of us. We’re a strong university. We just have to make some decisions and keep building,” he said.

George M. Thomas can be reached at gmthomas@thebeaconjournal.com.

“You’ve got a chance to go out there in a game-like situation and show us you can play,” Bowden said after a walk-through Friday. “Show us what you can do with a coach not standing behind you telling you what to do.”

That task sounds simple, but the players will have to prove it so.

Bowden and his staff will look at how evenly matched units perform against one another. They want to see the first-team defense against the first-team offense and so on.

“I think some are solidified, but I think that some are tight enough where [today] could be a difference maker for several positions,” Bowden said.

The quarterback position is solidified, but there are plenty of other issues facing the Zips in their practice game.

• The offensive line continues to be an issue because of the loss of the entire right side from last year and trying to integrate Jarrod Pughsley and Cedric Brittnum into positions there. It hasn’t helped that Pughsley has been unavailable in recent days because of an ankle sprain.

• The backup quarterback position seems set for now. Dalton Easton seems to be confident in what he has done on the field, and he has shown enough to merit the No. 2 designation. But by no means is that etched in stone. Easton and teammate Steve Franco haven’t done enough to push starter Kyle Pohl. It wouldn’t be surprising to see a transfer come in to fill the backup role. Easton and Franco have to show something.

• The third player in the running back rotation will be perused. Sophomore Hakeem Lawrence recovered from an injury, but Ravenna’s D.J. Jones, a freshman, opened some eyes. Lawrence has shown the burst of speed in recent practices, so this could be a battle.

• With a rotation that features a plethora of wide receivers, none has really stood head and shoulders above the others. That could change with this game.

The players who perform well and go into summer practice on the first team will have an advantage.

“Everything we can do to solidify a position allows us a better opportunity to develop the use of that position,” Bowden said.

When the class of 2013 arrives on campus, there are players that might come in and make their presence known. Mykel Traylor-Bennett and Austin Wolf both stand 6-foot-4 and could make great targets as outside receivers.

Junior college transfers are expected to bolster the Zips at linebacker and on the defensive line.

“We’re looking for guys to give individual effort and for everyone to play hard,” Bowden said of today’s game. “ It’s another opportunity to see which guys are going to make a great block, a great tackle or great throw or catch and make something happen.”

Seeking advice

The UA Athletics Department will hold the second of two forums seeking input into its direction before the spring game at noon on the FirstMerit Foundation Club Level of InfoCision Stadium. Director of Athletics Tom Wistrcill will attend.

George M. Thomas can be reached at gmthomas@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Zips blog at http://www.ohio.com/zips. Follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/GeorgeThomasABJ and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sports.abj.

Quarterback play:  Sophomore Kyle Pohl is the starter, but pay attention to whether he's comfortable running the offense and if he's developed any chemistry with receivers.   Behind him look at how Dalton Easton, the No.2 quarterback for now and Steve Franco, No. 3 play. 

Receivers:  Any one looking to get significant playing time needs to play with some want, some aggression.  There wasn't a lot of that until recently as Jerrod Dillard, Andrew Pratt, Zach D'Orazio and Dee Frieson begin to find some degree of consistency. 

Running back: The top two slots in the three-back rotation are filled by Jawon Chisholm and Conor Hundley, respectively.  The battle is on for No. 3.  Ravenna's D.J. Jones has taken advantage of Hakeem Lawrence missing time due to a hamstring injury and occupies the slot now.  Lawrence will need to make an impression in the spring game and summer training camp.

Cornerback  Senior Seth Cunningham has been on the left side of the field for most of the spring with Malachi Freeman taking over on the right side because of the loss of Avis Commack. Bowden has said that Cunningham needs more consistency.

Defense overall: Watch to see if they're able to maintain dominance over the offense.  That has been the storyline of the spring as the Zips defense hit hard most days, swarmed to the ball and generally played hard-nosed football.

A couple of times defensive backs and wide receivers got into it after the play. It followed a familiar pattern from spring practice sessions. There has been tons of clashing among the titans on the line, but the defensive backs and wide receivers have done their share of getting after each other too.

The defensive backs could very well be becoming the complementary unit of a well-rounded defense.

There won’t be any way to tell for certain until the season begins, but so far the Zips have one lockdown corner in Malachi Freeman, who transferred to UA last year, and Medina’s Seth Cunningham.

“If you say there’s one corner that stands above,” Bowden said, “it’s Malachi because of his athletic ability and speed with some others showing they’re close by.”

One of those is Cunningham, a player who got some playing time last season, but not to the degree he has this spring.

“Seth Cunningham has stepped up and shown the maturity to play within his ability,” Bowden said.

What Bowden and the defensive staff would like to see from Cunningham, a Lakewood St. Edward graduate, is more consistency.

“Cunningham played a good bit, but got hurt and was inconsistent,” Bowden said. “He has the talent, the speed and the size.”

The coaches also like what they have seen of the safeties.

Bowden mentions senior Anthony Holmes, who has played well all spring, along with junior Bre Ford, who has stepped up for injured junior safety Johnny Robinson.

They like what they see, but Bowden said that the coaches have worked to curtail a trait that Holmes in particular has displayed.

“Anthony Holmes has done a lot less talking and jabbering and a lot more playing football,” Bowden said. “He’s really committed himself to not trash talking, but playing football. When you’re 1-11 three years in a row, trash talk is really phony. It’s arrogant, so we’ve told them let’s go out there and talk with our play.”

Wide receivers recover

Injuries slowed the progress of the wide receivers early in the spring but despite getting healthier lately, they have had trouble getting open with any consistency.

That criticism must have hit home because they caught their share of passes in Thursday’s practice.

Senior Jerrod Dillard turned a couple of short passes into decent gains with some good running after the catch and sophomore Andrew Pratt pulled in a 30-yard pass.

The entire offense produced at different times, a fact that could stem from some of the confrontations on display between the two units.

Notebook

The University of Akron Athletics Department will hold a public forum at noon prior to Saturday’s spring game on the FirstMerit Foundation Club Level of InfoCision Stadium. Director of Athletics Tom Wistrcill will discuss the future of sports at UA. … Today’s practice will be primarily organizational for the spring game. The first-team offense is scheduled to face the first-team defense and the subsequent units will match up with their counterparts.

George M. Thomas can be reached at gmthomas@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Zips blog at http://www.ohio.com/zips. Follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/GeorgeThomasABJ and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sports.abj.

Offense:  It looked better today for several reasons, the first being that the quarterbacks got time to throw courtesy of the team’s offensive line.   That had been a problem in recent practices as presumptive starter Kyle Pohl and his would be back ups got the chance to show what they and the receivers could do.  Of particular note:  fifth-year senior Jerrod Dillard made a couple of nice catches and tacked on some yards after the catch in the process.  Andrew Pratt made a nice grab of a 30-yard pass from backup Dalton Easton as well.  That’s progress and had the offensive line not provided the time to scan the defense it might have been a different story. 

What else did they do?

In the running game, Jawon Chisholm continued to go strong.   He not only made a couple of nice grabs in the flat, but he got through a few holes that the offensive line provided him.  Additionally, running back Hakeem Lawrence saw the field for a few plays.  In one of those instances he out ran the defense around the corner to make a decent gain.  The offense produced several big plays, including one where wide receiver Zach D’Orazio connected on a 45-yard pass to one of his receivers.  Overall, the receivers looked substantially better than they had in recent practices., diving for passes that may not have been completely on the mark.

Defense:  That in no way means that the defense played sloppily.  They produced a couple of picks, including one on an overthrow by Pohl that safety Devonte Morgan picked out of the air.   What continues to be the most important factor related to the defense is the intensity level they continue to show.   There were a couple of shoving matches during the course of practice and members of both squads gave and got. 

Of note:  The University of Akron Athletics Department will hold a public forum at noon prior to Saturday’s spring game on the FirstMerit Foundation Club Level of InfoCision Stadium.  Director of athletics Tom Wistrcill will discuss the future of sports at UA.

“I don’t want to say anyone played harder or anyone played less,” Bowden said Tuesday. “They just have a little better defense. We just have to get better.”

Getting better has to come in two areas, the first being wide receiver.

The coaches tweaked the lineup by moving L.T. Smith from outside to a slot position and adding Jerrod Dillard into a starting role. Ultimately, that could change, but Dillard impressed the coaching staff throughout last season, eventually leading the receiving corps with nine touchdowns.

Dillard, who stands 6-foot-5, should be able to out-leap the Mid-American Conference’s Smurf-like defensive backs, but he shows little sign of that. In practice Tuesday, he had the opportunity to score a touchdown in the red zone offense but didn’t make a play on the ball.

“He’s got to learn to be a little more aggressive,” Bowden said. “Dillard’s the senior. He’s got to continue to strive and reach up for that ball at the highest point.”

Dillard is a bit of a conundrum in that he didn’t make a lasting impression last spring or summer.

“You hardly knew he was there,” Bowden said. “When we got into the season, he was our big playmaker and our touchdown maker. I wish he would be a little more aggressive when attacking the ball. He’s 6-4, 6-5; he needs to utilize that.”

Bowden added that Andrew Pratt of Green High School should concentrate on doing the same when the opportunities present themselves. With two receivers who stand 6-foot-4 apiece in Mykel Traylor-Bennett and Austin Wolf, there will certainly be more competition.

The competition for receiving opportunities will grow fiercer this season as Bowden plans to use the team’s tight ends more.

Last season they were expected to block and little more as tight ends caught a total of 21 passes. For anyone paying attention this spring, they are getting chances more frequently even with senior Will Fleming out after having foot surgery.

“We’re trying to get [tight ends] involved. If you have an eligible receiver who’s not getting the ball thrown at him, it reduces the ways in which you can attack a defense,” Bowden said. “We’re trying to at least make them cover those guys. Anthony Ritossa and Jon Root are doing a good solid job out there.”

Of course there’s that benefit to having the tight ends in for blocking purposes.

“If you want to run the ball better, you have to block with some tight ends,” Bowden said. “And if you have them in there you have to be able to throw it to them when defenses don’t respect them.”

Draft update

Former quarterback Dalton Williams has heard from a number of NFL teams but has been unable to gauge whether he will sneak into the latter rounds. At bare minimum, however, he expects to be an undrafted free agent. If he has no future in the NFL, he’s willing to try his luck in the Canadian Football League, he said. If that league doesn’t pan out, he said that a career in coaching may be in his future.

George M. Thomas can be reached at gmthomas@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Zips blog at http://www.ohio.com/zips. Follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/GeorgeThomasABJ and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sports.abj.

Offense today:  There wasn’t much in the way of sustainability.  Although there were a couple of plays that stood out, including a strike over the middle from backup quarterback Dalton Easton to D.J. Jones, for the most part the performance proved bland.  One of the problems is lack of consistent play from wide receivers. It’s noticed in players such as fifth-year senior Jerrod Dillard who grabbed nine TDs last year, but isn’t a player who excels in practice.  Case in point: on a pattern to the end zone, had Dillard leaped for the pass over a DB who was at least five inches shorter than he, the offense would have had a TD.  It’s one of those nagging things the Zips will have to work on.

Defense today:  This unit continues to dominate whether it’s the second team or first team.   Take away one thing from all of this that those who come to Saturday’s annual spring game will see a hard-hitting unit that works hard, moves as one and punishes.

Of note:  D.J. Jones continues to stand out. If he does in fall camp what he did in the spring, it will be difficult for anyone to supplant him at that No. 3 running back position.  Right now he’s No. 2 because Conor Hundley sat out with an injury.

Draft update:  Everyone knows that former Zips running back Quentin Hines has produced otherworldly number in route to trying to get into Thursday’s NFL Draft.  Former quarterback Dalton Williams has heard from a number of teams, but has been unable to gauge whether he will sneak into the latter rounds.  At bare minimum, however, he expects to be an undrafted free agent at minimum.   If he has no future in the NFL he’s willing to try his luck in the CFL, he said.  If that league doesn’t pan out, he said that a career in coaching may be in his future.

After the offense got the better of the defense in Thursday’s scrimmage, the tables were turned in Saturday’s practice at Stile Athletics Field House. The defense recorded two safeties and recovered three fumbles, never allowing the offense to get in any sort of groove.

“I told our team today that it was as dominant a performance that I’ve seen the way our defense played. They won every series but two,” Bowden said.

The reason for overwhelming the offense? No big plays. In Thursday’s scrimmage, running back Conor Hundley ripped off a 55-yard touchdown run that ignited the offense. No such play appeared Saturday.

“It was just the opposite of the last scrimmage,” Bowden said. “The defense responded with great effort, great intensity and a desire to never let it happen again.”

With power running teams such as Northern Illinois in the Mid-American Conference, Bowden knows that the Zips’ defense still must improve, primarily in size, and that could come with transfers. But there is much to like in the defense.

“Right now, they’re starting to play fast and reckless, but we’re still 205- and 210-pound defensive ends,” he said.

It’s enough to be optimistic, but it’s something he wants to see on both sides of the ball.

“Now the offense has to respond. ... Big plays create excitement all over,” he said. “We have to learn from that today.”

The offensive line remains a work in progress, Bowden said.

Jarrod Pughsley is out with an ankle sprain, and offensive linemen Micah Lio and Joe Petrides (who’d been injured) have to step up. Bowden said that there are numerous people on the offensive line who he wants to see get a lot of reps in the last days of spring practice leading up to next weekend’s game. The Zips will hold their annual Blue-Gold Spring Game at 1 p.m. Saturday at InfoCision Stadium.

“Above all, the most improvement and needed growth needs to be the offensive line,” he said.

Back from oblivion

Running back Hakeem Lawrence was in pads, but didn’t see any action in Saturday’s practice. He’d been out for a couple of weeks with hamstring issues. During that time, freshman running back D.J. Jones, who starred locally at Ravenna, has shown that he could be productive.

“When you’re not a solid No. 1, you don’t protect your position when you’re injured,” Bowden said of Lawrence. “[We’ve] got three guys. You have to start at the bottom and work your way up. When he’s ready, he’ll fight with D.J. Jones. I’d like Hakeem to play, but I’m comfortable with D.J. at three.”

Wide receiver Dee Frieson had been among the walking wounded as well, but did see action. His performance proved mixed as he scored a touchdown on a run, but on another play, he fumbled after getting hammered by a defender.

Showing off

Judging from the 90 to 100 high school players in the field house, it’s difficult to remember that the Zips had a 1-11 season last year.

The players attended the scrimmage as part of Junior Day. Attendance was up significantly over last year when about 60 attended. One notable prospect: Paryss Marshall, a 6-foot-2 receiver from Northampton, Pa., who caught 40 balls for 827 yards for a 20.7 average with 12 touchdowns. Adding to the stats: He played both ways and intercepted nine passes for Catasauqua High School. He has the size that Bowden appears to like, and the numbers speak for themselves. What’s to draw him to UA other than superb facilities and a chance to play? His father, former Cavaliers player Donyell Marshall, still resides in Northeast Ohio.

George M. Thomas can be reached at gmthomas@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Zips blog at http://www.ohio.com/zips. Follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/GeorgeThomasABJ and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sports.abj.

CLEVELAND – University of Akron senior guard Brian Walsh was named to the Mid-American Conference Academic All-MAC team, the league office announced on Friday.

Walsh, who graduated last spring with his bachelor's degree in business administration, boasts a 4.0 GPA while working towards a master's degree in sports administration. The Academic All-MAC honor is the second for Walsh in as many seasons as he became the second UA player to earn two Academic All-MAC honors (Andy Hipsher, 2003 and 2004).

During the 2012-13 campaign, Walsh averaged 7.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 39.5 percent from the field and 36.0 percent from behind the 3-point arc. He recorded his first collegiate double-double, a 14 point, 10 rebound performance against Oklahoma State on Nov. 15. He appeared in 32 of 33 games, making 29 starts.

“We need to play outside because we play games outside,” Bowden said.

The controlled environment in the field house is nice, but the weather Thursday provided some things the team had yet to face this spring season — such as gusty winds. Despite temperatures hovering well into the 60s by 9:30 a.m., not all was pleasant because the wind gusted consistently, and occasionally with a kick.

“The wind affects throwing. It affects catching. It affects some things we have to be able to go through,” Bowden said. “I’m glad we were finally able to get outside, and we’ll spend as much time out here as we can the rest of the spring.”

Talking QBs

The weather seemed to invigorate starting quarterback Kyle Pohl, a 6-foot-3, 212-pound redshirt sophomore, who looked crisp operating the offense. He threw the ball well, showed what he could do with his feet in designed run plays and generally kept his cool. Bowden said that he’s liked his decision-making and play-making abilities.

“I just think he was hot today and focused,” Bowden said. “For the drill work we did, they hadn’t seen any wind. The receivers weren’t adjusting. The quarterbacks weren’t allowing for it. When we got to scrimmage, it just seemed to all work.”

Apparently things are now working for redshirt freshman quarterback Dalton Easton, who is getting most of the work with the team’s second-unit offense.

“Dalton Easton is our backup right now. He made mistakes and we threw [Steve] Franco [another redshirt freshman] back in, and he went out and threw an interception,” Bowden said. “Right now I think we need to give Dalton Easton a lot of reps to see if we have a No. 2.”

Whether through a lack of experience or something else, one thing is clear to Bowden at this juncture: Neither Easton nor Franco is a threat to Pohl. And that is probably not an ideal situation. Whether different personnel might come in for this season to help bolster the experience at quarterback remains to be seen.

“It’s Kyle Pohl, I think, who must push himself because I don’t think he’s getting pushed,” Bowden said.

Breaking through

While the Zips’ offense showed potency at times last season, what it lacked in general was big-play capabilities. The primary reason that the offense showed some life Thursday came from the feet of sophomore running back Conor Hundley.

Hundley, a 5-foot-10, 215-pound runner from Cincinnati, took a handoff and bolted 55 yards for a touchdown.

“That sparked the offense because from that point forward, the offense made plays and, I thought, controlled the scrimmage. The defense had their way the past couple of weeks, but not so much today,” Bowden said.

Working back

Defensive end Albert Presley saw some action with the first team Thursday. He had been working with the second team because the coaching staff didn’t appreciate how he worked in the offseason training program. Bowden said he still has work to do.

“Preparing to win is much more important than wanting to win on the day we come out here and play,” he said.

Quick hit

Former UA and Walsh University coach Jim Dennison will be the lead speaker at Bowden’s coaches clinic April 26. Dennison, who coached the Zips from 1973-85, watched practice Thursday.

George M. Thomas can be reached at gmthomas@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Zips blog at http://www.ohio.com/zips. Follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/GeorgeThomasABJ and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sports.abj.