Leaderboard

Give @Hilltopper and @clarkwgriswold a 2 million dollar accordion and tell me how melodic the tunes are when they squeeze it. Getting 2 million dollars in NIL money can be easy. Finding players that are worth a damn is a different story. The Mets had a massive payroll and stink this year. The Browns threw a bajillon dollars at a QB who couldn’t possibly have had more red flags. The Zips have gone 0-11 when they were playing with the same budget as the other MAC programs. Today we’re actually better than some teams that are outspending us. Joe is looking at a very realistic 6-6 season, where he’s had an on/off trading table to feed his Division 1 athletes, he was not allowed to travel and recruit this spring, he lost his on-line recruiting subscriptions, has the smallest staff and budget in D-1, allowed 25% fewer practices than his competition…one could argue this season is as miraculous as any in Zips history. This staff is here because they believe in Akron. Brookhart’s kids were born here. Moorhead is from less than 2 hours away and really values being close to family over a fat contract. Ferri is a local guy who loves being back in NE Ohio. Tibesar is a wizard when in comes to scheming to outwit opposing offenses with a random assortment of mercenary talent. Hope the AD doesn’t blow this and tell Joe he needs to win 7 games or he’s out next year. Support this staff who’s worked miracles in 2025 and see how it plays out. If we lose to Kent this week I have no problems accepting ridicule. But we won’t. Football is interesting and fun again. Go Zips! 🦘💪🏽

He's a career 20% three point shooter so I don't have high expectations for that aspect of his game but he contributes in so many other ways that I think he's going to be an integral part of the Zips' success this season. On top of it all, he's just a nice personable kid, as is Eric. As an aside, the other OSU transfer the Zips were rumored to be pursuing, Austin Parks, had 5 points and 3 rebounds in 18 minutes in Toledo's opening loss to South Alabama. We got the right Buckeye.

It's obvious that that this team has outstanding on field leadership - that will serve them well in BE tournament. Congrats, Zips. Such a fun game to watch.

Also - John Groce is a freaking legend. We are lucky to have him.

Awesome crowd of Zips fans celebrating with our team in Omaha!!!

There was some absolute dirty play by Creighton during this game that wasn't called. Now I'd like to see them out of the Big East tournament entirely.

Man Oggi is an unselfish player, had possible good shots but passed to a player with a better shot. Only 1 point but 7 rebounds and 3 assists.

Just came to post the same thing. Two “bigs” on the floor as versatile as them at the same time is going to cause problems.

Evan and Amani on the court together is pretty fun.

I'm out of town today. While you are all enjoying the game, I'll be chasing around a group of 5 year olds. Make sure to make up for my absence and please post a lot of updates.

I missed that comment, but I didn't miss the A flag flying when I approached the stadium. It was great to be welcomed by the large Budler contingent.

I’ll be doing my part bringing one more person than usual with me, might be a sell out because of me

JoeMo made an interesting comment in this week’s presser. Joe Dunn brought up how this is the first meeting between two former Fordham QBs coaching against each other (Carney played there), and Joe said “it may be the last”. Sounds like some politicking to me.

I’m calling it now- Amani Lyles first team all MAC.

Best Zips’ overall performance this season.

So many players had big games....... Captain Daragh Reilly might have had his best game in a zips uniform. Matthew Paiva was also awesome in back. Credit to the zips coaching staff. They changed the momentum of the game in the first half when they substituted Jack Sullivan for Remi. Stefan is so versatile. Stefan was able to move to the forward position and that allowed Thomas O'Rourke and Jack Roman to excel as the outside wingers. Phenomenal improvement this year for both Thomas and Jack. The coaching staff made a great decision at half time to stick with Stefan up top and the 2 youngsters at wingers. Jack Sullivan and Tyler Morck both made some excellent passes during the game. I liked the coaching staff decision late in the game to bring in another strong defender (Jamai Royer). Great game by the players and the coaching staff. Stefan Dobrijevic has to be selected to the Big East first team all conference. Stefan has had a great senior season. 11 shutouts this year for Mitch. Best keeper in the Big East. Finally, while I thought that several Creighton players (esp. #7 and #11) were thuggish and cry babies.....I do have to give Creighton broadcasters credit for interviewing Thomas O'Rourke and Coach Embick after the game.

Heck of a time for it!

Nice stadium with crap turf. I'll take our immaculate grass field.

Akron would lose out in a 3 way tie with UConn and Providence.... Under the scenario, you mention.........Akron needs St. John's to win as well as Seton Hall and Georgetown Akron would claim the 4th spot in a 4 team tie Let's make all of this moot !!!!! Beat Creighton !!!!

Meh. Sit on the sideline with the team & heaters.

Revenge Tour Update: JMU✅ Princeton✅ Milwaukee (Coming Soon) I never forget. Let’s go zips!!!!

Butter the popcorn @clarkwgriswold. You are going to enjoy watching the replay.

We might be pretty good

I know we are playing Princeton at home and they have a different roster, but I didn’t see this coming. We are so far ahead of where we were last year at this time.

Great to see so many Zips fans there cheering on our team in a tough place for visitors and celebrating the victory with them. Very cool. 💙💛

I’ll throw Oggy in there too. They all rebound on the defensive end and start the fast break themselves with the dribble.

I like that we played aggressively right to the very end of the half. Hopefully, stay as locked in after the break.

Fouling 3 point shooters drives me nuts.

That’s 3 times we’ve been on the floor trying for loose balls, I like it

Evan doesn't have a shot, but he has an offensive game. He can dribble drive with the best of them and that's going to be worth a lot of points this season. 28-13 Zips. 9 to go in 1H.

Lyles is setting himself up for a long European career. Big Stank is way more active this game. Love to see it. Princeton needs the 3 ball. Limit that, and Akron should win going away.

In the 2nd half Mass reminded me of past Akron teams that were totally outmatched at every position and almost every opposing play was a positive one and we would shoot ourselves in the foot when we did make a good play with a stupid penalty. I give the Mass. coach credit. They finally get a stop in the 2nd half and their defensive back gets a penalty for taunting and Akron keeps the ball. The coach sent the player to the locker room, do not stop at the bench, do not keep your uniform on, just head to the showers. How many times did we see stupid personal fouls from Akron players when the team was winless and getting killed. Taunting when you are 0 and 8 and down by 21 points. Hit the showers.

Rewatching this game I have to say Evan is a really good piece for us. It might not always show on the stat sheet, but he hustles on defense. Makes good passes. And does the intangibles. Because he has a physical stature similar to Lyles I was crediting the wrong guy at times. He did miss a wide open three, but I like that he didn’t hesitate in taking it. The form looks good too.

My sources say we'd get the waiver removed if we get to 6 wins

From BigSoccer.com (post by "RusskyHoya")... 😁 https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/big-east-2025.2136176/page-4 Akron 1 @ Creighton 0: We can consider this to be the true baptism - or, in keeping with the conference's Catholic tint, the final ordination - of the Zips as a member of the Big East. An edgy, chippy, tense affair decided by a goal 'in the paint' put away following a deflection off of a defender. A gritty win on the road, capped off by some Grade A taunting of the home team and crowd after knocking the Bluejays from their Division Champ perch coming in and ending their season. Now that's Big East attitude!!!

I would also like to see us go to a bowl. We have had such a long streak of losing that winning 6 games and going to a bowl is indicative of a successful season. I hope if we do win 6 we ask the NCAA for an exemption from their ruling we are not bowl eligable and that take them to court if they do not back down. My understanding is that Michigan is bowl eligable because the people who cheated are no longer with the team and the NCAA felt it was wrong to penalize the current team for misdeeds of the people who are no longer with the team. Using that logic, Akron should also be bowl eligible.

Shout out to TennZip for the great coverage this season. You showed out!

Creighton is a good team, no doubt. They have one of the best stadiums in the country, but not surfaces. They are also riddled with thugs and cry babies. They are not as quality of a program as I once thought. How sweet it was to win the division at their place, in front of their fans and end their season. Go Zips! on to the BE tournament and a high seeding in the NCAA's.

What a team what a game!

Payback for basketball 2 seasons ago. Such a dirty team. Enjoy staying home, Creighton! Go Zips!

I could really play a $2,000,000 kazoo or vuvuzela.

And a lot of our guys seem to be "falling". Lot of contact being allowed.

We have a nice stadium compared to many schools but this Creighton stadium is next level. My goodness.

nice to see Remi back in the starting lineup full season Starter Jose Pedro is not in lineup

UMass also just hired the AD from Rhode Island to be their 2nd AD for them. They're pretty much paying him ~$380k to just oversee football operations. Their current AD will oversee the other sports. They're very much stepping up financially to try to compete on the field. Hopefully the UMass football coach is as inefficient at spending his war chest of money as Frank Martin has been with his.

Evan is incredibly athletic

And yet there team work/chemistry does not at all seem to be an issue. The post-NIL skillset that is most important for a coach arguably entails being able to bring a completely new roster into a cohesive team in a matter of months. I already miss the days of four-year players.

Evan Mahaffey looking really good so far.