Jump to content

Leaderboard

Popular Content

Showing content with the highest reputation on 12/20/2017 in all areas

  1. We should have depth, and competition at every position next season. That will be a first for the Bowden era. The rebuilding is over. It is obvious we created separation from the MAC cellar in 2017, and it obvious we weren't yet ready for prime time. The days of taking steps backward are over. No excuses for 2018.
    3 points
  2. Pretty much everyone wanted to go with Kato Nelson. This is what you get when you go with an inexperienced QB. No surprises, here. I hope Alex Ramart makes spring ball a big competition. Not sold on Nelson.
    3 points
  3. How on earth did the Zips make it to the MAC championship this year? They have some of the worst stats in BCS football, they have no real notable names except for an inexperienced Re-read and A MAC preseason DPOY, and they have sustained injuries to the few players who seemed to breathe some hope into a team that was picked to finish 4th in the MAC East. If you have any familiarity with the Human Resources world, you might be familiar with Gallup's Strenthfinder model. The model relies on a study where 2 pools of people were taught speed reading. The first group was pretty poor at speed reading. The second group was decent at speed reading. Which group saw the biggest jump in speed reading proficiency? The group that was already decent at it. Gallup took these results and developed a model that helps people identify their strengths and encourages people to focus on developing their strengths, not their weaknesses. It seems that Terry Bowden and Chuck Amato have, at least to some degree, employed the Strengthfinder model and it has worked for them. They seem content to let stats be damned in favor of, "scoring one more point than the opponent" with a bend but don't break defense. They have won off of the efficiency of a few big plays by gaining enough of a small lead and playing to preserve that lead. We converted on third down, when it mattered, and our defense played good enough to stop the opposition on third downs and hold them to a kick. We had good enough kick return coverage to prevent run backs for TDs, but gave up a lot of field position in the process. The kicking game, pretty sketch at times, was good enough when we needed it to be good. From all accounts, the only player who really seemed to excel each week was punter, Nick Gassed, who's directional kicking ability and ability to punt with few touchbacks helped a Zips defense that seemed like a sieve, at times. The staff took some very fast receivers who seemed to have trouble catching the ball and somehow got them to a spot where they have started to make catches. We had a poor run offense but were able to run the ball at the end of big games when we needed yards on the ground. We did not rush the passer much, but when we needed to, we did so with a vengeance. And although we did give up points, we robbed more QBs with a tough secondary who seem to be ignored, all year. The Zips demonstrated a robust resilience in a whacky Sunday game against WMU and raw emotion with the MAC East on the line against Ohio where our defense got in the head of talented QB. We have had ugly moments, too. We had a stiff OOC schedule and it had yet to be revealed how good PSU and Iowa State would be when they soundly beat us. Toledo destroyed us, twice, and an improving Miami of Ohio beat us, taking advantage of our R-FR QB who was starting on 2 days notice. But, overall, the Zips did better than anyone thought they would. We won games we didn't expect to win and lost a game we didn't expect to lose. They clawed their way into the MAC title game, for the first time in 15 years in a year they were not supposed to and back to a bowl game, for the second time in three years, and only the third time, ever. The 2017 Zips are not your prototypical successful team and perhaps, that makes their season all the more glorious. We won and we defied the odds and now, suddenly, no one is discussing whether the coaching staff has a future in Akron as they defied the odds and are savoring the beaches and warm weather in South Florida and a chance for one more win. Go Zips!
    3 points
  4. If we were not willing to admit it after the Toledo game,we have to admit it now. This regime has not raised the level of the program to be able to seriously compete with the very top programs IN the MAC much less outside of it. I am speaking of course of conferences outside the 'Power 5'. Aside from the issues some see with the coaching staff there is just an obvious lack of speed and athletic ability at most positions to be able to realistically compete. There is a player here and there. But,there are not enough 'heres and theres'. This makes the AD's call on Bowden et. al tougher in my opinion. You can't show up on national TV and get embarrassed twice in the space of a few weeks. Neither the program nor the MAC benefit from that.
    2 points
  5. Do you think we were prepared on defense? Couldn't stop them from scoring on multiple 4th downs (nor bother calling a timeout to prepare) and didn't force a punt until the 4th quarter. Oh yeah, and we gave up 50 points. The pass that Amato gets amazes me.
    2 points
  6. Just leave out the first sentence and you probably would have been able to have a conversation about the game.
    2 points
  7. Oh well. I guess the game went much more like the FAU intruders predicted. Now, time to get back to work. This year was a year of progress. Build on it ... but not too much until after you leave Ames.
    2 points
  8. Put that in your pipe and smoke it, Kiffin! We do have a high class band, in all seriousness.
    2 points
  9. That’s what happens when you have zero balls and play not to lose. Should have gone for it instead of punting.
    2 points
  10. Thus team is no where near the level of Toledo.
    2 points
  11. Groce should hire him next time he has an opening on his staff. If Brian makes that 12 foot jump shot in the finals, Akron gets to the big dance, Ohio does not win any games in the NCAA tournament, and Groce never gets to Illinois. That missed jump shot made him a rich man. Also, Brian was one of the first Akron guards who could rebound, play good defense and always played smart. He would be a great asset.
    2 points
  12. @Blue & Gold beat me again!!!
    1 point
  13. I am in line with RowdyZip's opinion that these Zips seniors are the ones that bought-in on our program when it was coming off 3 consecutive 1-11 seasons. Can you really expect to compete with Toledo recruiting/athletes when you're strapped with that kind of baggage? Give Toledo Tom Wistercill and Rob I-and-II-o for three seasons and maybe it's a fair fight. We redshirted a lot of talented kids last year, and have a nice recruiting class shaping up this year. We're a solid, stable program now. We're beating the teams we should beat, and sneaking in another win or two when better teams overlook us. But we aren't at the level of a Toledo, and shouldn't expect to be in 2017. We should be good next season. 8 wins should be the bar, and we'll see if more wins are possible once we actually watch the product on the field.
    1 point
  14. Recruiting the past two or three years is light-years ahead of what it was before then in terms of talent. Fact is, we're still about two years away development-wise from being where we want to be and we won the MAC East because more than one team choked against us, as MAC East teams tend to do. We're not there yet, but we are headed in the right direction. Anybody that thinks this program has stalled hasn't been paying attention.
    1 point
  15. We lost our two best running backs early in the year. Our starting QB was not fully recovered from a shoulder injury. He also had some personal issues. The game last night was not good, but I think we are still on the right track. We just need some more Jimmies and Joes.
    1 point
  16. You needed a couple bottles to watch that game!
    1 point
  17. I don't want to make this sound simple, with the 2 recent blowouts. But...When you are playing teams that are capable of scoring a lot of points, you have to be able to make tackles that can end possessions. And on the other side of the ball, you have to capitalize on scoring opportunities. We had no chance in hell against Toledo or FAU because we could not do those 2 things.
    1 point
  18. We definitely enjoyed your bands performance. Our band needs a lot of work, they are good for the small size but we just do not support it financially.
    1 point
  19. I think that is the point of the sponsorship! I have heard it's pretty good actually especially with vodka!
    1 point
  20. There are multiple issues. We were on our 3rd and 4th RBs, eventually just our 3rd when Edwards went out. We were on our 2nd QB, making his 4th start. The line couldn't run block, and we had 2 okay receiving options, after the departures of Lane, Natson and the injury to MTB. And obviously, Milwee isn't great. I don't think he's as bad as some make him out to be, but when you put it all together, last night is what you get.
    1 point
  21. Exactly. This is like Christmas morning - or a wedding day - to these young guys. Today is THE big deal. Look at Western Michigan's twitter: https://twitter.com/WMU_Football?lang=en Bowl game should have ZERO to do with this. A week or two ago UA should have had a tweet ready to go for every recruit so today they could just have some intern (or even the janitor) tweet it out when we receive the LOI. I'm certainly absolutely positive they will do this. There is absolutely positively no way conceivable that they wouldn't. Right? :/ (Btw, I know Gavin Blunt isn't signing till 2:30 this afternoon.)
    1 point
  22. Others in MAC Basketball have made it to the Elite 8 in the NCAA Tournament. Others in MAC Football have made it to significant Bowl games. Our Men's Soccer team won a National Championship in the MAC. Blaming the MAC is a lame excuse.
    1 point
  23. Yeah. Here's Pitt's twitter, for comparison. Kids like this stuff https://twitter.com/pitt_fb?lang=en
    1 point
  24. Jared Embick is also trying. Perhaps not as vocal but certainly by action (as can be seen by Akron’s approach to the game). I credit Wake Forest as well.
    1 point
  25. The basketball to football similarities (and disparities) are stunning! The similarities are that Dambrot and Bowden both seem to have figured out a way to win enough in the MAC but not enough at the national stage. Another similarity is that majority of the fans have/had issues with assistant coaches - not so much the head coaches themselves. The difference is that most fans supported Dambrot because he is better than Hipsher. We seem to be forgetting that Bowden is (a tiny teeny bit) better than Ianello Dambrot was the coach for what? 12 years? And while a lot of people (including me) talked about his program stagnating, I do not remember seeing anyone calling for his job. This is only Bowden's 5th year. The seniors we have on the team this year are players that Bowden had to recruit to a 1-11 team!!! Can you imagine the type of recruits who will talk to you when your team is 1-11, not only that year, also the year before... and the year before. How can we forget so fast? I am not happy with the last two blowout losses. They stink... but this program has not yet stagnated. It is still growing and it will be a shame to blow it up and start over. Bowden started his era with teams of mostly transfers and JUCO kids. They got us out of the basement of the D1 world. He started recruiting freshmen. Then we won a bowl game. Now better recruits are willing to talk to him. But not too many true freshmen contribute to a football team. You have to be patient. If I was the AD, I will extend Bowden's contract for another 2-3 years. There will be no big raises and Milwee's performance must be discussed... Only if I was the AD
    1 point
  26. Somehow, Princeton had enough left over to defeat the Trojans in overtime 103-93, which Bill Walton said is probably a school scoring record for a team known for 58-56 or similar results. Tigers shot 52%, made 14 of 36 three-point attempts. For USC, Chimezie Metu is a BEAST! 25 points and 10 rebounds tonight for the 6-11 power forward. First round NBA selection. Hoping to attend Zips practice session in the morning...
    1 point
  27. Said it before and ill say it again I could care less about the MAC. I HATE THE MAC I wish we would leave the MAC. Hell the MAC is the reason why our Basketball coach left us for a no name mediocre program. Yes we won the MAC East but if we continue to be unable to score a Touchdown on the National Stage what does that say about our program and the MAC East
    1 point
  28. Nah, he has enough ego to survive even this beat down.
    1 point
  29. Team arrived safely in Honolulu. Shame they didn't go to practice gym instead of watching football game! ?
    1 point
  30. A lot of FAU "fans" have been leaving since 34-3. Why wouldn't you stay if you were enjoying your team administering a beatdown? Kiffin going for 2 is being a total @$$#0/€. Other coaches need to remember that and take advantage when they can to put him in his place. It is not necessary and shows the kind of person he is.
    1 point
  31. Am at the game. Zips band is much more powerful and just better than FAU's. How was the targeting not targeting? Every replay on the big screen seemed to confirm it, never mind seeing it live. Giving up 3 TDs on 4th and goal is brutal. Only thing worse has been not being able to run out the half. Sigh. Official said the booth buzzed them about 4th down call, so no challenge. Doubt we get that benefit of the doubt.
    1 point
  32. Let's play soccer! Clap clap clapclapclap!
    1 point
  33. Radio guys said band got a standing ovation for halftime show. FAU band has less than 50 members.
    1 point
  34. Ok. I'm done. See you over in the basketball forum!
    1 point
  35. Commercial breaks are ridiculous.
    1 point
  36. Last time I had a deer in the cross hairs of my rifle scope I was not targeting either.
    1 point
  37. What BS. Nelson, you can hurl the ball into the stands when you're out of the pocket.
    1 point
  38. Well we now know why he hates kicking field goals. Go Zips!
    1 point
  39. Missed FG. "Terry Bowden's Zips are fired up!"
    1 point
  40. Well now we know what he was doing instead of utilizing his extra practices these past few weeks.
    1 point
  41. There's enough soccer fans on this board and at UA in general that a Rocket League team could do reasonably well. For the old-timers, Rocket League is soccer, but with cars instead of players. Matches are fast-paced and the acrobatics on display can get pretty crazy.
    1 point
  42. ESPN just basically gave FAU on screen fellatio.
    1 point
  43. ESPN is doing lots of Lane Kiffin puffing leading up to this game. I pray that after the game they are talking about the Zips.
    1 point
  44. I absolutely loved that he had that attitude. Edit: Just to add, that night we played the Suckeyes, and we asked everyone to turn in their OSWho gear, that was the best promotion ever !!
    1 point
×
×
  • Create New...