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Nice little story in Zips Line today. Read the La A QUICK STORY I WANTED TO SHARE Our 13th-ranked Rifle team competed Saturday at the University of Mississippi, earning a hard-fought and -shot 4.601-4,591 victory over the No. 17 Rebels. That’s a great win for our program, but what made this trip particularly memorable was a man in the crowd wearing a Zips shirt. Although there are Zips fans all over the world, Oxford, Miss., is not exactly a hot-spot for UA alumni, so it was a pleasant surprise to see someone there wearing our gear. After 36 years as our Head Coach (following his time as a UA Rifle team member), Newt Engle knows everyone associated with our program. Since this gentleman wasn’t related to one of our current student-athletes or a former Rifle letterwinner, Newt walked over to introduce himself to a smiling stranger who was waving and cheering for our team. His name is Perry Arrington, and he’s the brother of our late Football Assistant Head Coach, Alan “Tank” Arrington. An Ole Miss grad, Perry is from Mississippi and lives there today. He told Newt that it was the first time he ever attended an Ole Miss event wearing the colors of another school, but he wanted to cheer for the Zips because of how much our school and athletics department meant to his brother and family. We all miss Tank every day, and we think often about Perry, Tank’s wife Gail, Tank’s mother Gale, and their entire family … it means a lot to us that we still have a Zips fan in Mississippi, especially because all of us here in Akron who had the honor to know Tank always will be lifelong Arrington fans.

This is my own opinion and I do agree that some of the responsibility falls on the coaches and I do feel Coach KD takes responsibility when needed. But it also depends on the player and if that player has what it takes to get to that next level. A coach can take a player as far as a player will allow himself to go. With that said players have to be willing to put in the time and I feel that this year despite all that has happen that we have a group of young players that are willing to do whatever they need to do. Yeah... we are going to have some ups and downs and struggle at times. This is a team that will be good once they get through some of the hiccups. These players are coach-able and they want to win. Everyone has seen what they can do...hopefully by MAC conference play they will be ready to do what they need to do get to the BIG dance. I know that my son still has a lot to learn but what I've seen so far I know he will do whatever it takes to help himself and the team win games. Also, I really don't care what school you go to if you are good they will come calling. Coach KD has built a great program with a great fan base. I'm so thankful that Kwan chose to come here. On a side note his sister was just accepted to Akron a few days ago and we are very excited about her attending school with her big brother. GO ZIPS!!!! We are happy to be apart a GREAT PROGRAM

Just wanted to say THANK YOU for all the support you gave to the team and the coaches!!! I wish I was able to attend the game but that week we were finalizing the move back in our home (we had a house fire back in Oct 2014) But we watch all the games and I follow all the Blogs and news that was out there regarding the Men's Zips Basketball. As a parent and fan I was so PROUD what this team was able to accomplish through all the adversity they went through. After the game I told Kwan hold your head high because you were able to prove to yourself and everyone out there you guys could do it. No one ever thought you guys would even get this far alone getting to win 21. I just let him know that what you went through this year will prepare for next season. I'm looking forward to the next season because this team will go further than you could ever could dream of. This team actually has a brotherhood that you don't see too often in a basketball organization. I love it and I'm a PROUD mom and fan - Thanks again to all the fans I met over this season we look forward to meeting more of you guys in the next two years. See you next season - GO ZIPS #2 ZIPSMOM

Last time I checked, we are 8-3 in our last 11 games. We gave Michigan a scare when nobody thought we had a chance. We played right with Penn State and beat Pittsburgh. We have the most talented team that we have ever had and next year looks to be even better. We have Terry Bowden and Chuck Amato as coaches. We have the most beautiful stadium and facilities in the conference and they can stand up to almost anyone's in the country. My family and I have a blast every game tailgating in lot 9 with a small group of the best and most loyal fans that I wouldn't trade for any other group in the country. I tout these things to everyone I meet when the topic of college football pops up. For me, things are bright! I will continue to bring friends to meet the great people in lot 9. I have never brought anyone that didn't have a great time tailgating with them. Lord willing they get to follow that up by watching a fun product on the field. That is all that I can control as an alumni and fan and that is what I will continue to do. I will continue to put my faith in coach Bowden and staff because I believe that the sky is the limit for this program. This thread is completely depressing. All I hear is doom, gloom and defeatism. I want to put a different spin on this so people can see why we can truly be thankful! Many alumni and Akronites will eventually hop on board with continued success. It is their loss for the one's that don't. In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy the ride with coach Bowden and enjoy every gameday.

Proud to turn my son over to this Man for the next 4 years !!! http://www.ohio.com/sports/zips/ua-football-assistant-todd-stroud-works-through-rare-blood-disorder-stem-cell-transplant-1.603911?localLinksEnabled=false

I've wrote multiple times on ZN (as others have), that I would like to see set plays run for McAdams. It's finally starting to happen. So last night Frenchy asks KD about it after the game, and KD responds "Yeah, if the head coach would have gotten his head out of his rear end a long time ago we could have been doing this all along." For those of you that continuously write "trust KD", or "KD knows better than you", you might want to consider that some ZN members have the ability to evaluate and discuss things that might be good ideas.

The Zips lost their guts with Tree and their brain with Noah. All they have left is heart.

I prefer to call the new edition the A K Sleepies. Not a lot of passion there these days. Needs to change for sure

Here are a few recruiting-related tidbits I recently stumbled across. Jacob Harrison, the 2016 QB recruit was offered early after a standout performance at the Zips summer Camp. Milwee apparently loves him, and Jacob likes the opportunity to be a passing QB in such an air-centric offense. Donterio Fowler and Jason Williams are both in Prep Schools and expected to enroll at UA next year. Matt Blaha, the 6' 4" 365 lb OL prospect recently spotted on the Zips sideline, is indeed walking-on with the Zips. Jerry Klue, the Medina/Northwestern DB...we hardly knew ye. He has already left the team. The "soft verbal" of Ronnie Hoggins is more porous than ever. Don't expect to see him in a Zips uniform. Shipman, Dixon, Dunkleberger and Jan Johnson remain solid verbals. The confirmed transfer list for the 2015 season includes: Jamal Marcus (Ohio State) TreVon Chapman (Ashland/Pitt) Larry Hope (Miami Fl) Rodney Coe (Iowa State) Donnell Alexander (Colorado State) Demarco Haynes (5' 8", 160lb WR - Northern Michigan) AJ Coney (Weber State) Travonte Junius is a 2015 grey shirt, as is K'von Wilson. Look for 6' 4" TE Josh McNeil at Tuesday night's BGSU game. This well-traveled, highly-recruited TE will be having an official visit with the Zips. Hopes are high that he'll be in the Blue and Gold next fall. BJ Bonner is another recruit high on the Zips list. Lunch time's over. Apologies up front for any typos. More updates will follow!

Dear Abby, Still trying to get over the trauma of my New Year's Day experience. The holidays should be a time of joy spent with family and friends but I am feeling left out. I got a chance to spend some time with my Uncle (BGSU grad), his son/my cousin (Akron grad), his wife (CMU grad) and my brother-in-law (Akron grad) which should have been a good time but I was the infidel elephant in the room not participating in their Big Ten lovefest while the MSU/Baylor game was on. I even tried to engage my cousin's wife in conversation about the Bahamas Bowl but she looked at me like I was speaking Martian. Am I the only MAC fan who feels this isolated from not only the mainstream but my own family? What should I do, Abby? Signed, Alone in Ashland

After all the years of getting overly excited about Zips hoops, this was one preseason where I tempered my enthusiasm. Now, after 4 games, the Zips have suckered me in again. Bastards. USC proved the don't completely suck, as they finished the tournament respectably. And we absolutely whupped 'em. Going into the state of South Carolina and beating the Gamecocks? Beating them essentially wire-to-wire? Watching them choke-away free throws and be forced into late-game turnovers? Awesome. Dr. Z is correct. Best ball movement I've ever seen from a Zips team. Robotham is a legit threat the drain a 3, or dribble-penetrate. So was Abreu, but his paella-addled belly prevented in from playing any defense. Noah plays great D too...I've wondered for years who'd be The Next Eric McLaughlin?" and I think he's finally arrived. Forscythe was an absolute force. And that's without any Tree to share the load. I never saw that coming. I never saw Cheatham's contributions coming so soon either. Every game he seems to be taking big strides forward. Especially in the post. Deji seems to have grown from liability (year #1 and #2) to a high-percentage 3-point shooting guard and defensive specialist (year #3) to a confident kid who, on top of everything else, is now finishing at the rim, hitting his FT's. I can't get too down on Gladden. He looked like a manic trainwreck for most of his game minutes. But he has the game and athleticism to contribute good Freshman minutes once his pulse slows down a bit. Antino had some good learning moments this past weekend. He's a baller. He just needs minutes under his belt to improve his game. Big Dog? He's gotta give Forscythe a breather. I know his hand was injured, but OMG was his "plus/minus" scary. And man was he slow to get up-and-down. There should be a great deal of confidence and swagger on display as the Zips take the floor against Penn State. They're on a roll. Win this one, and people will start talkin'! And as a final note - I hope this Tree situation comes to a quick conclusion. I'm already tired of seeing his face on the TV screen and hearing the story. He has his right to a fair and speedy resolution. It isn't fair to anyone that he twists in the wind for weeks-on-end.

That is the best half of soccer that I have seen from the Zips since the 2010 year. The young players have shown great improvement. Very happy for Jared Embick and the entire team. Go Zips!

I'll keep this list as up-to-date as possible as recruiting season goes on. Tyler Shipman, 6-1 230lb DT, Buford HS, Buford, GAESPN profile, Hudl profileJaquavis Dixon, 6-2 177lb ATH, Hagarty HS, Oviedo, FLESPN profile, Hudl profile, 247Sports profile, Rivals profileChris Bivins, 5-11 185lb CB, Highland CC, Highland, KSESPN profile, Hudl profile, 247Sports profileKefa Cort, 5-11 159lb WR, Erasmus Hall HS, Brooklyn, NYESPN profile, Hudl profile, Rivals profileVince Lockett, 5-11 190lb SS, St. Vincent St. Mary HS, Akron, OHESPN profile, Hudl profile, 247Sports profileMichael Means, 6-2 200lb WR, Scottsdale CC, Scottsdale, AZESPN profile, Hudl profile, 247Sports profile, Rivals profile, Scout profileRichie Kallay, 6-5 287lb OL, Clearwater Central Catholic HS, Clearwater, FLHudl profile, 247Sports profile, Rivals profile, Scout profileJoe Tupta, 6-1 256lb FB, Walsh Jesuit HS, Cuyahoga Falls, OHESPN profile, Hudl profile, 247Sports profileAvery Cagle, 6-4 227lb TE, Riverside Military Academy, Gainesville, GAESPN profile, Hudl profile, 247Sports profile, Rivals profileVan Edwards, 5-8 195lb RB, Island Coast HS, Cape Coral, FLHudl profile, Scout profileUlysees Gilbert, 6-1 225lb LB, Trinity Catholic HS, Ocala, FLESPN profile, Hudl profile, 247Sports profile, Rivals profile, Scout profileJoe Riggins, 6-2 205lb S, Cardinal Gibbons HS, Fort Lauderdale, FLESPN profile, Hudl profile, 247Sports profile, Rivals profile, Scout profileMitchell Hlay, 6-7 275lb T, Revere HS, Richfield, OHHudl profileBrandon Junk, 6-3 228lb HB, Clearwater Central Catholic HS, Clearwater, FLHudl profileRichie Cooper, 5-10 171lb WR, Hallandale HS, Hallandale, FLESPN profile, Hudl profile, 247Sports profile, Rivals profile, Scout profileMontel Jordan, 6-4 310lb OL, Deerfield Beach HS, Deerfield Beach, FLESPN profile, Hudl profile, 247Sports profile, Rivals profile, Scout profileRay Ray Smith, 5-11 191lb ATH, Apopka HS, Apopka, FLESPN profile, Hudl profile, 247Sports profile, Rivals profile

This forum and social media are perfect examples that most people (general public, prospective students, prospective benefactors, prospective sponsors, not to mention $$ALUMNI$$) do not understand the complete definition of "polytechnic". That is why the rebranding is a very bad idea. And a PR nightmare. Not to mention the constantly backpedalling Scarborough, or his son making an ass out of both of them.

Temple Ponders New Stadium Wistercill proclaims (Laughably): 1.) No, people aren't flocking to ESPN3 to watch MAC football. No one watches it. While there is some merit to the argument that modern television is sapping a small sector of college football's game day attendance, that point is absolutely irrelevant to Akron's attendance issues at InfoCision. 2.) Why doesn't he mention his hiring of Rob Ianello as a contributing factor to InfoCision's poor attendance? I did a little more research that the lazy reporter from Philly and from what I can tell, Rob Ianello's pigskin holocaust was the #1 reason the stadium has been 80+% empty. November Tuesday night games with 7/8pm starts placed a distant 2nd. I am confident that Bowden will do the impossible and make Akron a winner in football, as long as UA doesn't do anything stupid to impede him. Thank God a search committee reached out to the guy. It just sucks that he was given such a big hole to fight out of.

Down 2, the "9" were still attacking as well as defending. Should have had a PK on a flagrant (obvious to everyone except the ref who a short while afterward "lost" a contact lens) handball in the penalty area. Zips also had a number of other good chances. Most of the last 15 minutes seemed to be a barrage of Carinals attempts at goal, but the "9" Zips' defense was outstanding. Very impressive work by the "9" (not actually 9 since there were subs). Also impressive Richie Laryea's goal when the Zips were down 1 man. EDIT: Someone behind me commented the Zips must be so agressive because Lolla used to be our coach and he's been so successful at Louisville. I turned around and said absolutely not. The Zips won a National Championship after he left. How many has Louisville won in his 9 seasons here?

How difficult is it to remain "Elite in the MAC"? I'll define "MAC Elite" as finishing in the Top 4 slots 4-out-of-every-5 years. There are so many downtrodden MAC programs that you really need to be completely inept not to do so. The MAC's regular season champ lost in Round #1 of the NIT. Our tourney champ lost in the NCAA round #1 for the umpteenth time. MAC basketball is at the level of the MVC... if you eliminated the MVC's top 3 programs. Buffalo's AD wants to be great. He fired a solid coach in Witherspoon to bring in Hurley. He fired his football coach in mid-season, after a bowl appearance in the previous season, because mediocre isn't good enough for him. If you look at Buffalo's sports gear, it touts "NEW YORK" in large font, and "Buffalo" in small font. Their AD isn't pandering to Syracuse by Tweeting #TeamNewYork, he's trying to BE TEAM NEW YORK. I admire that attitude. So while you're of the opinion that Buffalo is some flash-in-the-pan, I'll say that they are a legit threat to be an "Elite MAC Program." They already beat us annually in basketball and football, so if you consider the Zips "MAC Elite," Buffalo already meets or exceeds that lofty criteria.

Wonder if anyone from the Wichita State Athletic Department tweeted "we are all Team Kansas" today? # TeamKansas

If we grabbed a 5th year senior, Bowden would be admitting he has no clue how to recruit, or groom a quarterback. We have 3 Power 5 QB commits on our roster now, and the 4th QB has started about 30 D1 games in his career. One of those guys better be able to handle the job. We have so many holes...if we have an extra scholarship for a 5th year kid, it better be for a WR or OL.

Upset fans responded here I'm releasing a new shirt this spring.

This game should always be played on a weekend night, where I can get to the bar 3 hours before game time, talk about the match up with my buddies, get some food, and get in the mood. There's no excuse that an Akron / K.e.n.t game is held on a Tuesday. And please don't give me any crap that "It's on National TV." It's on ESPN 3. That's a joke. On Wistercill's long, long epitaph, one of the many passages will read; "I sold my soul for ESPN3." At the bottom will be: #TeamOhio

Truthfully, this whole business of ranking recruiting classes is silly. Some schools will need more recruits than others from losing kids to graduation. Second out of the thousands of kids who play high school sports, a couple of recruiting websites are entrusted with telling coaches who the best players are? Those websites don't give kids in smaller schools the time of day and size of the school might determine the quality of the program, but not the talent and athleticism of the kid. The Lemming Report was the go-to source before the era of web-based recruiting, but honestly, good coaches know what they need and what kind of player is the right fit for their team and systems, and even then, the chemistry between the coaches and players can make or break a recruit of any star level. It is not all the different front he NFL draft. How many teams go after these high dollar players only to have them bust? Look at a successful NFL team, like the Steelers and see how many MAC players they have on the roster: a bunch of them. This year seems like a very nice follow up to last year. It seemed to me that there was more of a sense of urgency and fire into he belly when Coach Bowden spoke yesterday and he seemed quite confident in the recruiting class.The breadth of his knowledge about our conference and the types of kids we can land and should land is reassuring. Our classes will improve as our record improves. He has done a very good job selling the, "be part of the Akron turn-around story" and he made mention of rebuilding generally being a 3-4 year process and the difference is very noticeable in that fourth season. It seemed, and perhaps it was just because they did a better job of marketing, that Coach Bowden himself was more involved in recruiting this year. He is the best salesman we have. One thing you hear from current players and recruits over and over is that they believe the coaches at Akron genuinely care about the kids. I think that speaks well of the program and if it is true, they are building a reputation of that within the schools where they are recruiting. And let me throw this out there about the uniforms and Tuesday nights - both are for the kids first, and the fans second. I get that we agreeing to build a fan base and the Tuesday nights really stunk for most people. However, when you recruit from FL and a kid can tell his friends and family they can watch his games on cable vs. ESPN 3, it makes a difference. RE: uniforms, we are all going to have our preferences and be convinced we are right, but it is really a matter of what the kids like and the coaches are pretty in tune with that, probably more than most of us are. If you have seen, both last year and recently when the pictures of the new uniforms and helmets hit Twitter, they generated a ton of buzz, pretty much all positive. For a school without a ton of money, I think they are doing a pretty good job making the most with what they have to make the kids happy and generate interest. What recruit doesn't want to Tweet a picture of a uniform considered cool by his peers?

The more money that's spent in college sports, the more it becomes like professional sports. When professional football, basketball, baseball, etc., had problems with the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer, they came up with things like the draft, salary caps and luxury taxes to create more parity. Now that we've reached the point in college sports where players want to be paid salaries and form unions and some college football coaches are being offered bigger salaries by universities than professional NFL coaches, it's fair to start considering similar measures for college sports. If the big universities want to be like the pros in terms of spending big money, let them also be like the pros in terms of having to abide by rules that reduce the ability of the rich to buy championships with cubic dollars and create more parity with the have-nots.

I buy the fact that the big schools are separating themselves from the non-Power 5 conferences. Even a K.e.n.t. grad can figure that one out. I buy that the cost of running a D1-A football program is escalating somewhat dangerously. UAB is tangible evidence. I don't buy Power 5 schools increasing scholarships and leaving table scraps for the non Power 5. Do you really want to be the 8th string DE at Alabama? Or the 6th string RG at Pitt? I don't buy that dropping down to 1-AA would do anything for the Zips long-term. 1.) You can still stink at the 1-AA level if you have a crappy coach hires and poor leadership 2.) You only save 22 football scholarships by going to 1-AA (vs. 1-A). 22 scholarships is a joke, even at Akron. The Zips need to start winning some football games. I wish you can turnaround a program as decimated as Ianello left us in 2 or 3 seasons, but is just isn't possible. Hopefully the new play makers we'll have at WR, RB and QB next season, and a solidified OL will bring the offense up to the defense's level and we'll start seeing the light at the end of the tunnel in 2015.

Yep. I'd be willing to bet the average St. M grad doesn't affiliate themself with Stanford, Cal, USC or UCLA. The average Akron alum is balls deep on a scarlet & grey dong.

For those Zips Mens Soccer fans who may not have noticed, this tidbit was included in the latest edition of Zips Line with Tom Witricill. Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 7 p.m. – Men’s Basketball vs. Western Michigan (which will include an on-court recognition and autograph session with former Men’s Soccer greats, including Evan Bush, Ben Zemanski, Darlington Nagbe, Mike Nanchoff, Steve Zakuani and more to come!) I'm beyond pleased to see our AD finally recognizing our own Zips professional greats. I know bobbleheads are a gimick, but if they do any in the future, I'd sure love to see any of these guys or Wil Trapp, Chad Barson, Scott Caldwell, David Meves, Teal Bunbury, DeAndre Yedlin, Perry Kitchen, Kofi Sarkodie, Chris Korb, Darren Mattocks, Caleb Porter, Jason Taylor, Dwight Smith, Dominek Hixon, Chase Blackburn, ...

What draws me to the women's basketball game is the authenticity of the game. The men's game can have the fundamentals of the game overshadowed by athleticism. Women's game has athleticism too(just look at Anita Brown's reverse layup-and-1), but they use that to improve their fundamentals. The men's game seems to use the athleticism to hide their lack of fundamentals. Call me an old soul, but the men's game just isn't pure basketball to me anymore.

Never expected that after losing 5 quality players - including a couple of all-timers. Kest must be a heck of a coach.

Today is a day for counting blessings and giving thanks. Family and friends are at the top of that list for me and I want to let all my Zips friends know how much I appreciate them. No matter what happens for the rest of our lives, we will always have the memories of the good times we have shared together and you can't put a price tag on that.

Wasn't quite sure where to post this, but this seems like as good of a spot as any. Was seated beside Kwan Cheatham at the team dinner on Saturday night and I just have to comment on what a terrific young man he was. Really polite, obviously very smart, good sense of humor, seemed very serious about both court work and classroom work, just was a really delightful guy to talk to. Love to see players like him on the team and really love it when they also start playing well. I will be rooting hard for this player for the next several years. Go Kwan!

Say what you want, but this, to me, is the ole square peg in the round hole scenario with Pohl Pohl is not the QB for this system .... Not that he is a bad kid (don't know enough), but he is not a leader and certainly does not have the swagger and confidence to direct "Bowden ball" ........ Thus square peg and round hole. There was talk that Pohl should transfer .... Agreed and if he can get another year and find a school, Bowden should help foster that (and may be for all I know) If Woodson is the future (not enough knowledge of the other QB's) .... Then I believe Coach Bowden has to make that decision and roll the dice now. Some thoughts: Not sure if Bowden has the trust in his offensive assistants ..... Defense has a vision (Identity) and a great mix of experienced position coaches and young GA's ..... Offense has a philosophy (Bowden ball), but no execution or personnel to perform at the level of the defense. Defense was on point until late when the were pretty tired and beaten down ..... If offense doesn't catch up to the defense level of play, going to potentially be internal team issues, Not educated yet on the young guys on the roster, but it's kind of obvious that the recruiting focus needs to be on the offensive side of the ball. I believe there may be a couple of transfers on offense (skill positions) that will have a couple years of time of UA, and the O-line needs to be established ... As I know more of the defensive side, the recruits and transfers coming on in defense fit the defensive identity (SEC type), the sophs and jrs this year have bought in. I think they will be in pretty nice shape. Need to get some bigger corners if possible, some pretty long receivers coming up in the conference Strength and conditioning program has been turned over .... More of a lean, quick and physical athlete. More SEC styled if that makes sense. Coach Stoud's philosophy (as the Director) is completely different than in the past and Coach Gildy and his staff are young with great backgrounds in winning programs (Mt Union and Oklahoma) .... An aspect that is every bit as important, but never discussed or considered. Facilities are top notched (for program size) and they are spending on strength and conditioning (all the way through the sports performance/training program) ..... again maybe not considered unless brought to point Third year of the five year plan ( 1-11, 5-7, 7-5 (6-6) ........ ) Obviously not where we as fans want to be ( or most of you as Veteran fans), but seems right on track For me (as I understand myself), ....as a fan I'm disappointed because of the way we have lost these games, not that we lost them. You have got to beat the teams that you should beat (at any level), and rise up to the level of the opponent in the big games and compete. As a parent of a kid coming into the program, it is still exciting as Bowden is right on track thus far in the plan he laid out to us .... Record shows the progress, 2014 and 2015 recruiting classes seem to be an upgrade, still need the transfers for the next couple of years. Just a different perspective ........ To say have patience is a joke to you veterans I know, but that's what it's going to take If we can say, we "should have won the game", then we can agree that it is a better position than a few years back when that was the hope and not the expectation ( As I understand from you all ) ........ LOL Keep the faith

It is interesting to me that so many people put the loss on Woodson playing vs Pohl. Pohl had no team activities for half the week. This would have included film sessions and team meetings. Pohl was unprepared to face Ohio, even if he was cleared midweek. That likely means Wednesday night. So he would have had Thursday and the Friday walk through to get ready. As opposed to Woodson who had the whole week to prepare. We lost an offensive lineman early in the game, so a sub has to come in. Pohl is known to be a slow starter. Woodson answered Ohio's opening score easily, then we stalled for the rest of the half. Would an unprepared slow starter have answered Ohio's score to stem the momentum? Unlikely. The only reason we lost this game is because the line couldn't get a push to create any kind of run game. Then the defense kept poo-ing down their leg every time Akron took the lead. To top it off, on the last Akron drive that mattered, Pratt fumbles the ball in our own territory forcing us to eat all of our time outs and forcing an inexperienced QB into a tough 2 minute situation. We lost to a very disciplined mid-level MAC school with the most tenured coach in the Conference by a whopping 3 points. And people are acting like A. Woodson has 0 talent and B. Bowden is throwing away the season because we've given Pohl opportunities to quiet doubts but has yet to deliver. Pohl performs better when he thinks his job is on the line, and we need a win against Ball State. So Bowden is telling him, your job is on the line, and I know we can win with Woodson. So perform or get ready to be the back up. In my opinion Bowden is doing the right thing. We need to stay above .500 if we want to go bowling this year. 5-3 means we only have to split the pair in the last 4 games. 4-4 means we have to take 3, and it's a tough 3 with BGSU, Buffalo, and UMass is putting up big points every week. 3-1 when it matters is especially tough when this team is not used to playing with something on the line.

High praise for Wil from Thierry Henry after the Crew defeated the NY Red Bulls yesterday. “Wil Trapp was outstanding today,” Henry said. “I know (Federico) Higuain usually gets all the (credit), their striker will get (some too) I’m sure because he scored two goals, and (Ethan) Finlay wasn’t bad either, but Wil Trapp is the key of that team. “Today, he was giving the tempo of the team, bringing the ball out from the back, Higuain doesn’t have to drop and get the ball, he will get it in a good position because Wil Trapp does his job. Difficult to stop. He has, hopefully for him, a good future. As Americans, you should be happy. “Today I thought he was the difference.”

All this back and forth is going to confuse the Bobkitten fans. To summarize the discussion to this point for their benefit....... Our first string quarterback has suffered either a head quadricep injury or an ankle MCL tear. His backup will be lucky to throw the ball within 10 feet of our receivers, and you don't even need to cover one of our receivers because he is so tiny he should be working in a circus. We don't stand a chance against you guys. Please be merciful..

Lift your glasses and help me say CONGRATULATIONS to Zeke for being named to the DLeague Digest All NBA Rookie 2nd Team! **I cant get the link to the article in here--uuuggghhhh***

One has nothing to do with the other. It isn't an either/or situation, but an "and" situation. Those of us who complain want KD to stay AND do some things differently that will provide the Zips with more than just winning a lousy conference and first round destruction in post season play.

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It absolutely amazes me that, with one sentence, Scarborough has completely deflected the blame for an empty InfoCision from where it actually lies (Wistercill/Ianello/1-11's/weekday November games), to -- "That stadium should never have been built." Now, the guy's off the hook for any attendance liability. HE would never have ok'd this stadium, so it isn't HIS fault. Wistercill was hired to fill the stadium and get the football program rolling. That was his #1 priority. He instead he spread napalm over Summa Field. I'm seeing too much damage control and negativity, and too little positive crowing about having the best football facilities you'll find short of the P5 programs. InfoCision and Stiles are absolute gifts to anyone with a freaking clue. Bowden probably can be included in the "gift" category too. UA needs to fight the association of Zips Football with the low attendance with aggression and facts. We hired the worst coach in college football history, and let that guy gut the program. And if you were dumb enough to want to watch it, you needed to do so at 8pm on a Tuesday night, vs. some of the worst opponents in D1-A. UA needs to OWN the fact that it made horrible football hires at a critical juncture in the Program's history. Not spin awesome facilities as some sort of liability. Stop whining and deflecting blame. Be proud of our football program. Take advantage of the riches you possess. Win games. Put butts in the seats. Scarborough didn't hire THAT AD who put us in this hole. But he can hire HIS AD, and get us out of it. Do it.

KD spends countless hours analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of his teams and individual players. If there was an area he thought he could improve upon, I am sure he has studied the pros and cons of a new strategy before implementing it or discarding it. Am I doing it right?

The player that has a chance to be our "go to scorer" sits on the bench more than half of the game. How can you ever mold/coach/teach someone to even have a chance at that, when he is handicapped by lack of experience? I don't have to read a newspaper article to figure that one out.

I have a sneaking suspicion that the recruiting rankings perceived correctness amongst the ZN.o faithful might be given a lot more credence if the Zips were ranked higher. Just a hunch.

I feel like this discussion is missing a healthy dose of narcissism from gp1. This is the perfect bait thread. He is probably fighting to stay out while lurking anonymously in the shadows.

I doubt we will see a change of OC and I don't think a change is necessary. Milwee was likely working under the guidance of Bowden and the blame that has been assigned to him here has likely been unfair. In his defense, it's hard to run a successful offense with receivers who seemed to drop more than they caught and the QB challenges that presented themselves. The season was nearly over when the O line gelled enough to run with any consistency (Sorry, I am not part of the "run no matter what" club.) Our receivers rarely had a height advantage, limiting what we were able to achieve. Pitt, obviously, came ill prepared and not prepared to stop the run. They were out-coached, and this seemed to lead many we were further along than we were. Yes, we can probably expect a better run game and balanced offense next year as the O line will have matured. I believe we will start to turn the corner next year with more Bowden recruits on the field. I understand people are tired of waiting, but you don't overcome years of poor recruiting in 3 years. President Scarborough is a huge football fan and likely has the good sense to not loose the best coach that could possibly be hoped for at UA. It is complete nonsense to even hint that there should be any consideration that Bowden 's job would be in any type of jeopardy. The fact that everyone was disappointed with the results last season is a testimony to the progress of the program itself.

It's hard to see putting $38M into the JAR vs. a 50% downpayment on a new building.

The coaching staff received a verbal commitment today from DC United center back Alonzo Clarke. This should prove to be a huge signing for Akron.

After watching last night, Buffalo may be just what the doctor ordered! They are awful. That said, my expectations after the 4-2 start and looking forward to being favored in just about every game, I was looking at a special 9 win season. Now, it looks like my preseason pick of 6-6 may be attainable. However, after three weeks of losing, injuries, inept offense and even general infighting amongst the diehards, time to shift directions and start looking forward to Zips hoops. As I have done for years, looking forward to my usual spot at the JAR where I get to watch the best player and team in the MAC and get to listen to the best broadcast/team in the conference. Beat Buffalo!

Not only do I know the words, but I have been singing it to my 2 year daughter every night before she goes to bed for the past year. She now asks me to sing "Close Beside" every night and sings right along. Start them early. My son turns 1 in May and his indoctrination into Zips Nation will begin shortly after. Go Zips!!!! And at the time of this past and in the future ... Can't State Sucks!!!!

I love the "Z." I hope it is our primary logo for the next 10 years.