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For those unfamiliar with Barstool, here’s a taste. It’s very intellectual, and a lot of very mature and smart people enjoy their content!

If you weren't already a season-ticket holder, a Zip die-hard, or someone who attends a few games per year, I don't think the game was marketed very well. We don't currently have a marketing department or anyone to run it, which I understand. But there's got to be some better way to get the word out. I don't want to have the discussion about promotions and different marketing strategies. But I put myself in the shoes of Joe Akron and really thought about it, did the U do anything to go to the general public to inform them? I don't think so. With that said, I do love the fans who show up. That place can get loud! I don't see the energy of the old days where the Zips could go on a little run and everyone would get on their feet. It takes quite a bit to sustain that type of energy these days. But moving the students to where they are now has brought new life to the lower bowl. I've adjusted my expectations from 10-15 years ago and I realize we won't be getting 3-4k for most games, and we'd be lucky to hit 2.5k a lot. It's a shame, the product is so worth it.

Huge opportunity here. I think this game will be a pretty good barometer for where this team is extremely early in the year. I'm not trying to discount the SDSU game, but there were a few early-season jitters for both of those teams, despite it being an unbelievable opener. The Zips win in the JAR a lot, I'd like to see the same energy carry over to an empty NBA arena in Philly, where Akron is the closest of the 4 schools competing. What was sustainable from the performance Monday? The same things that always are--effort, attitude, toughness, teamism. Dating back to last February, this program has played 10 consecutive games where they've lived up to that mantra and culture. I feel like inevitably, there will be some moments and some games where they let their guard down, but with how they have performed since the mid-season departure last year, maybe this is something that will stay at a high-level in perpetuity. What isn't sustainable? Well, as much as I would love to see X shoot the ball from the perimeter at a 67% clip all year, I don't expect him to put up an 8-12 number too often. Not to discredit SDSU's guards, but MSU will likely be a bit bigger and perhaps tougher and stronger, and they will see on the film that you can't go under screens on X. That bit SDSU a few times. I also don't think Hunter's shooting woes are sustainable. If they continue, I will become extremely concerned. That last shooting transfer we brought in was billed very similarly--as a big-time shooter that didn't put up good numbers at the last school, but doesn't miss in practice. If that is the case, I do like his game in other facets as well, so it isn't a total loss. I also have faith in Clarke, I feel he was very jittery. I know he can shoot it consistently well, he missed so badly on Monday it almost had to be the yips. I'm also surprised to look at the Monday box to see that Hankerson only made a pair of 3s, it seemed like he was on fire. I absolutely love his game, and he reminds me quite a bit of Channel Banks. I also want to see a bit more out of Tribble. I also like his game, but I was hoping for better finishing around the rim. He still does a lot of the same things he did the last three seasons on offense. Get the ball deep inside, use the crazy hops to fire up a wild shot hoping it goes in. He could be a reliable bucket-getter if he could put this together he simply hasn't. He put up a Sincere Carry Special on Monday (2-11 from the floor). Mississippi State is in a rebuilding year. They're rated 48 in KenPom after a 63-44 win over Texas A&M CC. They really struggled in the first half, but pulled away in the second. Their leader after one game is Tolu Smith, a 6'11 245lb forward, who could present a multitude of problems tonight on the interior. Freeman has been getting in way too much foul trouble as of late, dating back to last season, and he played quite a bit after picking up his 4th on Monday. We need he and Hunter big time to shut this guy down, because they aren't a great shooting team. They are big, strong, fast, and physical, but they don't yet have the program that Akron has. We know we are a good mid-major, but are we a good enough mid-major that is capable of beating high-majors that we are more than capable of beating? That's an important thing we will learn tonight. Groce vs. a redeemed drunken pervert! Come on, Coach! Go Zips!

Toledo and Akron open as 5-point dogs in the Barstool event.

Football is the middle of December I believe, somewhere around there.

Incredible that we are 0-6 in this dumpster fire.

I’m 50/50 on that one. I can see how it could go either way, I’m not an expert but I was definitely surprised in real time that they let it go. I’d be curious to hear other replay officials’ opinion. I think a little before that, EMU was ruled down on the field but the ball came out, and it was reviewed and it stood. On that one, you could see the ball moving before the knee hit, and by the time it did hit, he wasn’t possessing the ball, it was just sitting on his arm loose. If they hadn’t blown their whistles and let it play out, that one would have stood as a fumble at midfield, Zips ball. It may have even been the same drive. I use the L word so much, so I’ll call EMU fortunate to have had those game-changing calls go their way.

I noticed Bubba did not partake in the Sr. day festivities. I wonder if it's confirmed yet that he has another year, and that it will be at Akron. I hope so, I feel we're on the cusp of a handful of wins, and that guy deserves to be a part of it. To me, the offense let the game come to them instead of forcing the issue when unnecessary. That goes for Joe & Co. as well. They saw how EMU was playing up front and took advantage instead of trying to continue to force the issue with JU. I wish I understood DB play more just so I could comprehend how bad they are. They simply do not look like D1 athletes a lot of the time. I don't really see them being out of place, they are just a step behind on routes and get beat. I do not love Irons, but he is certainly the best QB for this offense at this time, and that became clear last night. If the injury continues (I heard it was shoulder, still have 1.5 weeks before Buffalo), I would love to see what Jennings has to offer. At least throw him out there against a Buffalo team that you don't stand a great chance of beating as opposed to waiting until the final game against an NIU team that's playing like they're tanking for the first pick. All in all, same script, different day. 3 Saturday home games for the fans absolutely blows, and for 3/4 home losses to be gut-wrenchingly close doesn't feel great either. It does feel much better than 2018, 2019, 20, and 21 though, and it was nice to see some improvement in person. 10 months from today the Zips host the Morgan State Bears, hopefully fresh off a great opening win at Lincoln Financial Field against former UA HC finalist Stan Drayton!

In true UA fashion, this link is buried deep on GoZips.com https://opendorse.com/akron-zips You can select through all of the athletes to request appearances, autographs, videos, etc for different prices. Kind of cool.

It’s truly unbelievable. So many obvious blunders this year, bad drops, muffed punts, botched exchanges. Just not meant to be.

Tell me you haven’t seen the play without telling me you haven’t seen the play. As I have said all year, this team isn’t good enough to overcome missing out on the 50/50 bounces, and that’s perfectly okay right now. That is just the way things are.

The luck I am referring to is from things like a fumble on a strip-sack against CMU rolling OB, the EMU RB dropping the ball behind the LOS and bouncing perfectly back into his hands, 2 weeks in a row a punt hits a blocker running backwards square in the head. Of course, this doesn’t mean I’m referring to some higher power, it’s just that the Zips have been so far behind in every facet that they cannot overcome these things or take advantage when the opportunities present themselves. And when I talk about bad teams lucking into a win, I like to emphasize the game against Bowling Green last year. Akron had no business winning that game and was by far the inferior team, but even they on the right day could pull one out of their behind. Just a tough year for Joe, I genuinely feel bad because he’s set guys up for so much success, constantly.

I just….ugh. This team. They play their hearts out. That’s all I can really say. There’s such a lack of depth, playmaking, physicality all over the field. It’s getting better and will improve in the coming seasons, but I just can’t believe they haven’t gotten lucky in a single one of these one-score MAC games. Like I’ve said a few times, even the worst of teams have usually gotten lucky enough once or twice. We’re kind of like the bizarro 2021 NIU—can’t win a close game and you just come to expect to lose close. How many times this year has Joe had something beautiful drawn up and the ball has just fallen to the turf? Or in an important game situation, the single worst Murphy’s Law event takes place? I guess you create your own luck, and with skill comes more luck. It’s just beyond frustrating at this point. You just kind of have to laugh it off sometimes. You really take yourself out of it when you throw 2 picks inside your own 20. Also, the EMU RB dropping the football, it bouncing right back into his hands and runs it for 20 more, along with another EMU fumble that bounced right back to him. Saw a couple picks go right throw the hands of Akron defenders (aside from Bubba’s ELECTRIFYING pick). 2 missed wide open deep balls. George dropped one in his hands on the sideline, JU underthrew Shocky a bit on the sideline once wide open, Wiley dropped wide open potential go-ahead TD. It’s just crazy to me. It really is. All this crap to lose by just 6. Shoutout to Wiley and the run blocking though. The 55-yarder was Dollard-esque. I wish I knew football better to understand why we weren’t able to do just half of what we did today on the ground all year. Oh well. On to Buffalo. But first, beat Mississippi State!

Setting NCAA records for most blown wide open big plays this year. Poor JoeMo.

WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT DID YOU DO WITH CAM WILEY

A punt hitting a guy in the head like that once—okay, sure. Weird but okay. Two home games in a row?!?!! We need an exorcism of this stadium.

A….a turnover?!?!?

Existence is pain

DJ is so….okay. He can run the offense, but he’ll never be spectacular. I really want to see a transfer or Wasel push him next year.

Seriously. Cursed stadium. Someone needs to burn some sage.

Definitely a tough loss, but not the end of the world. Didn’t get a ton from the bench, and I do worry about the depth. Sunday should be a great game.

Agreed. He’s much bulkier than I was expecting. I don’t see any reason he can’t play some impactful minutes in MAC play. How about Kyle for SDSU? That was his first college game! He played like a seasoned veteran, and played better than Freeman a lot of the game. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a freshman big finish at the rim with so much success like that. What a team, what a game.

Winnable for sure. I was just doing a little scouting and I somehow forgot that they just hired old friend Chris Jans. Gonna be a fun one in Philly!

First half X was stripped and the ref said it went off his leg out of bounds. It missed his leg by more than a foot.

Not enough adjectives in the dictionary to describe that one, holy smokes! Good-not-great all around. I was pleased with the defense overall, hell of a possession to end regulation, but my heart literally hurt when he missed it. Felt like the football game against CMU! I liked what I saw from Hunter, reminded me a lot of Xeyrius Williams, I have a good feeling about him! X looks so different. He looks in a bit better shape, and he had a look in his eye tonight, WOW! What an opener for him. And Hankerson, all I could think about the whole game was how much of his career was wasted at NIU, that dude killed it on both ends! Definitely a work in progress, but there’s no better way to start then with a W! On to Mississippi State, do it for JoeMo!!!!