By Alan Gerould, Senior Columnist
Western Michigan University opens its abbreviated 2020 football season on the road, traveling to Akron to face the Zips. We are fortunate to kick off this season's edition of Behind Enemy Lines with George Thomas of The Akron Beacon Journal who covers Akron athletics in addition to a myriad of other assignments. We're happy to have you this week. George, you are now on the BroncoBlitz hot-seat.
BroncoBlitz: Tom Arth is in his second season after an 0-12 start in his inaugural campaign. Bronco fans need only look back to 2013 to remember that first year Coach PJ Fleck was 1-11 in his first year with many wanting to shoo the young coach out of town. Three seasons later, the Broncos go undefeated and win the MAC. While I'm certain that most Zip fans don't expect those type results from Arth, expectation of improvement over year one is just as certain. How do you read Zip Nations faith in Coach Arth and how long a leash does he have in Akron?
George Thomas: As can be imagined, there are plenty of naysayers who want to give Tom Arth similar treatment. I don't know how you justify that after one season when we're discussing college football. He needs at least three seasons to turn what has been a perpetually struggling program around. I don't necessarily read fans. They, for the most part, tend to possess unrealistic expectations. Right now, Arth has to show improvement to the powers that be, whether that's winning a game or more. To be honest: in the current COVID-19 environment and a six-game schedule, I don't know if any expectation is realistic.
BroncoBlitz: The Zips offense only managed seven points a game last season and this season, the quarterback position seems to be a bit uncertain. Kato Nelson is the veteran, but is coming off shoulder surgery. Zach Gibson and T.J. DeShields have also taken their share of snaps in practice. Has anyone emerged as game time looms? What does each of them bring to the Zips offense?
George Thomas: I think a lot of this hinges upon Nelson's shoulder and how it responds. The last time I saw him practice, he'd not begun throwing significant distances. If he's healthy, he's the veteran and Arth has said that matters. But reality says: all three of these guys have the same amount of time in Arth's offensive system. I suspect this battle will go on as long as possible. Additionally, like any coach, Arth isn't prone to giving more information than is absolutely necessary.
BroncoBlitz: The Zips offensive line is a work in progress with a lot of new faces. They are going to need to come together if this offense has any hope of scoring enough points to keep up with other teams in the East. Is there anybody special in the running backs or receivers room who you expect to make a major impact this season?
George Thomas: That, as you stated, hinges on that line. They allowed 57 sacks and only rushed for 1.8 yards per carry. If that offensive line is doing nothing, what the receivers and running backs do doesn't matter. That being said, the WR room has a bunch of vets in it and a couple of guys - Jeremiah Knight, Nate Stewart, Andre Williams, Jonah Morris and Julian Hicks - have potential. OK, that's more than a couple, but you get the point. Knight can be deceptively fast and Morris and Hicks have the size, while Stewart and Williams are the wily veterans.
BroncoBlitz:The Zips defense was vulnerable last year to both the run and pass yet still managed to keep Akron competitive. Tackling phenom Bubba Arsianian is back but some key pieces have graduated. Where do you expect the Zips to be stronger this year. What segment do you expect opponents to exploit?
George Thomas: Realistically. I. HAVE. NO. IDEA. Even when I asked about this recently Arth and defensive coordinator Matt Feeney couldn't really give me a position group assessment. I do know they LOVE Arslanian and, defensively, he's their prototypical player with respect to attitude and play. They also have a couple of OLBs that they speak highly. The Zips' defense was the best part about the team last year, but eventually you can only stay on the field for so long before you get worn down. The line generated just 10 sacks and they lost a few players in the defensive backfield.
BroncoBlitz: Opening up an abbreviated all MAC schedule is difficult and leaves little margin for error. Western Michigan was hit heavily by graduation and is certainly vulnerable. That being said, the Broncos will clearly be the favorite in this contest. What must the Zips hope to do to make this a close game? Along those lines, what do you expect the key to the game being? Finally what do you expect the scoreboard to read at the final gun?
George Thomas: Without having a read on Western Michigan, I cannot really say. The Zips, a team that's about 70 percent underclassmen, need to grab the opportunity to showcase what they've been learning. I have no doubt the team is hungry based on practices. They have to show some offensive development to help keep that defense off the field. As for the final score: I learned long ago to never make predictions on sporting events.
