Re: The Legacy of Tyler Kozlov
Cody Grice led defense aids fourth quarter rally, Zips stun Herd
vs 
Coming into this game, most of the hype surrounded this Marshall offense, but the big question mark was the right side of the line without injured starting right tackle, Clint Van Horn. This question was answered by the statline, 5 sacks on Gunnar Holcombe, a terrible number with four sacks coming off the right side as the team clearly opted to attack the weakspot left by the lack of the starting lineman. This spelled difficulties for a Marshall offense which struggled throughout the game at times despite clearly showing signs of being potent.
Marshall had the momentum that much was true and on the very first play, they achieved their first of seven sacks on Chandler Kincade, who left the game twice with pain but would return by the time the ball came back to the offense. It did appear that the ankle injury that plagued him was evident as he showed difficulty planting and throwing the football as obvious pain set in and it led to a few bad plays including three interceptions, one in the first, third and fourth quarters. After the final one, Coach Tyler Kozlov brought his struggling quarterback to the side.
"Ignore the scoreboard, ignore the past three quarters. This is your game. We still have an entire quarter, settle down and stop forcing things. We won't come back with one big play, if there is one make it, but don't be afraid to make smaller plays. That guy under their center is just as frustrated as you, the only difference is, his defense scored and his kicker hit the field goal. Settle down, we are in this."
The words permeated the quarterback whom infact settled down and made a set of beautiful plays to lead his team downfield and finally into the end zone for the first time, on a pass to Zach D'Orazio on a slant, a key score for a team that just needed some form of motivation. An interception later and the ball was right back with the Zips, who ran a play action and found Jeff Parker streaking, the pass would be a little short but Parker would reel it in and barely outrun the corner into the end zone, making it 13-17, a missed extra point proving to be a decisive matter.
Another stop gave the Zips the ball with two time outs, a good chunk of field to go and needing a touchdown, it was win or go home due to the missed extra point and it would appear that it would kill them.
Twice the team would be caught up on fourth down and long, a figure they hadn't converted up to the final offensive drive. Fourth and ten from the forty-four the Zips quarterback would find his massive target in Jordan Matthews and connect with the freshman tight end, and at the twenty-three it would be the tight end again in the seam pulling in the reception with contact, setting the Zips up.
On the next play, Jeff Parker brought the ball to the goal line, for a final first down, four downs to punch the ball in with 27 seconds to go. The first play, a hand off up the middle would get smashed at the line and the team would orginally appear to run a no-huddle before calling a time out with 12 seconds to go. This time the team went for deceit. On second and goal, in the goal line formation, the team bunched up the middle, only to pitch it to the outside, Connor Hundley would barely cross into the end zone before being tackled from behind and the Zips soon piled on their junior halfback.
Akron with just seven seconds to go, took the 19-17 lead. Opting for two in order to ensure no chance of losing without a touchdown being score, the Zips would complete a pass to Jordan Matthews in the flat but the tight end would get wrapped up and dragged down for no gain and it came to the kick off.
The Zips had previously lost due to a kick off return and you could guarantee coach Kozlov was preaching the need to defend this kick, of course they wouldn't kick it deep. The squib went to the Marshall thirty before being brought back to the 38. With just a few seconds to go, Gunnar Holcombe heaved the ball downfield and as time expired, the Zips swatted the ball down harmlessly, as the Smurf Turf began to be coated in confetti, a few men coming from the tunnels carrying the Zips prize, the Idaho Famous Potato Bowl trophy.
The Zips improved to 9-4 on the season, with a second victory over Marshall that solidfied this season, the programs first trophy for their cabinet as they win their first ever bowl game, jointly it would be Tyler Kozlov's first bowl victory as a head coach as well.
Cody Grice led defense aids fourth quarter rally, Zips stun Herd
vs 
Coming into this game, most of the hype surrounded this Marshall offense, but the big question mark was the right side of the line without injured starting right tackle, Clint Van Horn. This question was answered by the statline, 5 sacks on Gunnar Holcombe, a terrible number with four sacks coming off the right side as the team clearly opted to attack the weakspot left by the lack of the starting lineman. This spelled difficulties for a Marshall offense which struggled throughout the game at times despite clearly showing signs of being potent.
Marshall had the momentum that much was true and on the very first play, they achieved their first of seven sacks on Chandler Kincade, who left the game twice with pain but would return by the time the ball came back to the offense. It did appear that the ankle injury that plagued him was evident as he showed difficulty planting and throwing the football as obvious pain set in and it led to a few bad plays including three interceptions, one in the first, third and fourth quarters. After the final one, Coach Tyler Kozlov brought his struggling quarterback to the side.
"Ignore the scoreboard, ignore the past three quarters. This is your game. We still have an entire quarter, settle down and stop forcing things. We won't come back with one big play, if there is one make it, but don't be afraid to make smaller plays. That guy under their center is just as frustrated as you, the only difference is, his defense scored and his kicker hit the field goal. Settle down, we are in this."The words permeated the quarterback whom infact settled down and made a set of beautiful plays to lead his team downfield and finally into the end zone for the first time, on a pass to Zach D'Orazio on a slant, a key score for a team that just needed some form of motivation. An interception later and the ball was right back with the Zips, who ran a play action and found Jeff Parker streaking, the pass would be a little short but Parker would reel it in and barely outrun the corner into the end zone, making it 13-17, a missed extra point proving to be a decisive matter.
Another stop gave the Zips the ball with two time outs, a good chunk of field to go and needing a touchdown, it was win or go home due to the missed extra point and it would appear that it would kill them.
Twice the team would be caught up on fourth down and long, a figure they hadn't converted up to the final offensive drive. Fourth and ten from the forty-four the Zips quarterback would find his massive target in Jordan Matthews and connect with the freshman tight end, and at the twenty-three it would be the tight end again in the seam pulling in the reception with contact, setting the Zips up.
On the next play, Jeff Parker brought the ball to the goal line, for a final first down, four downs to punch the ball in with 27 seconds to go. The first play, a hand off up the middle would get smashed at the line and the team would orginally appear to run a no-huddle before calling a time out with 12 seconds to go. This time the team went for deceit. On second and goal, in the goal line formation, the team bunched up the middle, only to pitch it to the outside, Connor Hundley would barely cross into the end zone before being tackled from behind and the Zips soon piled on their junior halfback.Akron with just seven seconds to go, took the 19-17 lead. Opting for two in order to ensure no chance of losing without a touchdown being score, the Zips would complete a pass to Jordan Matthews in the flat but the tight end would get wrapped up and dragged down for no gain and it came to the kick off.
The Zips had previously lost due to a kick off return and you could guarantee coach Kozlov was preaching the need to defend this kick, of course they wouldn't kick it deep. The squib went to the Marshall thirty before being brought back to the 38. With just a few seconds to go, Gunnar Holcombe heaved the ball downfield and as time expired, the Zips swatted the ball down harmlessly, as the Smurf Turf began to be coated in confetti, a few men coming from the tunnels carrying the Zips prize, the Idaho Famous Potato Bowl trophy.
The Zips improved to 9-4 on the season, with a second victory over Marshall that solidfied this season, the programs first trophy for their cabinet as they win their first ever bowl game, jointly it would be Tyler Kozlov's first bowl victory as a head coach as well.
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