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I'll post photos in the morning, long day, I'll leave you with one for tonight...

Some observations on our progrum, not necessarily the game: TB earned an extension of at least 2, and probably 3, years. Wilson wants stability and TB gives him that. TB, to his credit, has recruited better than ever and we now have youth and depth. All due to him. We are not playing good football. We are winning, but I doubt we have the fundamentals to beat the really good teams like Toledo. Milwee is still, and has been, a substandard OC. Our special teams suck and they won't get much better until TB gets them a new coach. I can't figure out our OL. I feel they are inferior. Is it talent or is it coaching or is it a combination of the two? TB does not coach, he manages the team. He delegates to his OC, DC and special teams coach. That is not a value judgement. It is just a statement of fact. If he can win that way it tickles me plum to death. Kato is clearly our QB. I have not been a TB supporter, but I very much respect the man because he made this hard decision which told TW that you must put the team first and TW's actions did not do that. Toledo will probably beat the hell out of us in Detroit. I will be taking 10 people there to support the Zips despite this. Miracles do happen. Recruiting and our future look very good. Good Lord! I never get tired of beating Kent. Well done Zips. The better team won. 7-5 feels real good. Find a way to win in Detroit.

My son's helmet last night prior to the game as we waited for senior night recognition.....passing the torch...

I forgot to mention this: Winningest Record in Infocision Stadium History. 5-1 at home this season. Go Zips!

Maybe we should send them flowers, lol.

From today at the JAR.

If that was the case why didn't Akron run more? Or at the very least work in more bubble screens? They made no adjustment against press man coverage. Rvr'd the game and the commentators were also suprised. Playing it safe is not chucking low percentage bombs most possessions.

Got our tickets for the game this morning and booked hotel this afternoon. See y'all in Detroit! Oh and, I was successful in getting my hands on the FULL ROO helmet after the game. I had to return it to its rightful owner of course but I nonetheless got a pic of me in that sucker! EDIT: Hey, I'm 46 but I'm still a kid at heart!

I've been saying we need a "Turnover Tire"

I know...I'm just trying to get excited here...

Though we won the MAC East, I think everyone knows we're really not that good of a team. But coming into this year, I just wanted to survive this year, as I think we're going to be substantially better next year. The recruiting really picked up last year... I should say the recruiting REALLY picked up last year... and has continued into this year. In my lifetime I've never seen a Zips' recruiting class fill so early in the season with such quality verbals as this year's recruiting class did. We have such a strong list of verbals ready to sign that for the first time I can ever remember I couldn't have cared less about what recruits were in attendance at last night's game. Recruiting is a program's lifeblood. I think the future looks really bright.

Watching Woodson on the sidelines he did not seem disengaged. If TB calls his number, he will be ready. The cat video was horrible. We never need to see that, again. Why did it take so long to play Sweet Caroline? I think they are running a very limited playbook with Kato. Kent has a not terrible defense and plays pretty good man. The combination made it pretty easy to shut down Kato. He became rattled. We have to either go with Woody or fix this over the next 2 weeks.Tgere were some passes that could have been caught, but overall, the accuracy was not there. It seemed like he was trying to do too much, again. Gilbert played lights out ball. One of the first times we have sent him to rush the backfield. I think the D continues to improve every week. I am not sure why we did not try to block their punts. Their LS was terrible and the ball just floated back to their punter. Gasser had some tremendous punts last night, and put the ball right where we needed him to put it. He won't make the Ray Guy list, but he gets the job done for us. The guys kept their heads against some pretty cheap shots from Kent, and I was glad to see it. Kent was obviously a team that was beyond frustrated and a coach who knew he was done. Bowden has been able to keep this team focused on their goals and they are as emotional as I have seen a Zips team in the last 4 years. They believe they will be MAC Champions.

I think we can surprise the MAC in Detroit, we've showed up for big games as of late! First MAC title on the line for Bowden, get 'em dadgummit. Great season Zips, couldn't be prouder!

Odd stat night, Dustin Crum leads the game with 77 yards rushing. Not a single member selected him, so no poll winners. But all Zip fans are winners. See you in Detroit.

6 sloppy wins = bowl eligible and MAC East Champions. I'll take sloppy wins every-day-of-the-week if it means those two things. Go Zips.

Meanwhile in Athens...."sickening." http://www.bobcatattack.com/messageboard/topic.asp?FromPage=1&ForumPID=6&PID=248522

Yep, I see what you're saying there. A bird with teeth doesn't make a lot of sense. But I knew I had seen that somewhere before. And here you go, the Iowa Hawkeye mascot has teeth as well. What is this world coming to?!

Yessir! Tough, resilient bunch of young men!!

I had my serious doubts about our season as early as week 1 against Penn State. Bowl eligible and MAC East Champs I never expected it I am Damn proud of this team.

Can't Read. Can't Write. Can't hand-the-ball-off-and-successfully-drain-the-clock-without-fumbling. Cant State.

Why why why does KSU hurry the snap, to beat the clock and run that play.....a freaking handoff to. 269 lb RB? Was he gonna run for a TD?? Thank you Kent, for being so so stupid and not just letting the clock run out.

I can see myself in this picture...though pixelated...

I agree with Zippy5 that attrition is likely. Groce usually will commit to 2 years initially and after a player proves himself he will be rewarded the full 4 year ride. I doubt that is an official policy, but it's what I have observed. Obviously, off the court issues could factor into this and something I am not used to seeing is guys being poached by bigger programs. That has to be frustrating to coaches and fans alike. After watching only 2 games the guy on this list who has me concerned is Virshon Cotton. And that's only because I know what Groce needs out of a point guard. He might want to tie that hair up for starters. Time will tell for all of these guys.

Meh, if they had a defense as good as Kent's they might have grounds for whining

My god NIU has dominated the MAC Championship game. Good lord. I almost wont to face Toledo because good lord letting NIU have another crack at it is just depressing. And my god, Toledo has been a GOOD West team for years but has yet to crack a MAC C berth? Goodness! And I don't feel bad AT ALL for Ohio. They were in the MAC C just last year. Their fans can get over themselves.

I'm still making my way through past comments. This one I feel needs to be addressed, because integrity does matter. First of all, Groce runs a tight ship. He treats his players like men and expects them to act accordingly. He can't be with them around the clock even if he wanted and sometimes 18 to 22 year old student athletes act irresponsibly. When they do violate team rules they will sit. I have seen Groce sit a guy just long enough to break his consecutive string of starts and I have seen him bench a leading scorer for 3 games. This sort of thing is almost always kept in-house between Groce, that specific player and maybe the team, but he demands a culture of discipline and accountability. As a fan it can be frustrating because we want to win and there is our best player riding the bench for being habitually late for practice. Now when events off the court become a legal matter, Groce will initially take the wait and see approach. So much is out of his hands at this point. However, he will work with the Athletic Director to gather the facts and determine how to best support that player through the legal process. Depending on the charges, they may try to work with the court to negotiate a resolution which is appropriate for the community, university and student athlete. It is usually after the court has rendered it's verdict that the Athletic Director and Groce will lay down their punishment. And there will be consequences for one's actions, it's just a matter of degree. For example, Leron Black, a power forward at Illinois got into a dispute with a club bouncer he thought was being disrespectful to his girlfriend and pulled out a pocket knife. It appears he realized pretty fast just how stupid that decision was because he tried to ditch the knife. That was the first offense on Leron's record so he received probation. I believe he also had to make public apologies, Community Service, fines and he was suspended 6 games at the start of the following season. Leron is currently a redshirt Junior at Illinois and a starter. That whole experience seems to have scared him straight. https://247sports.com/college/illinois/Article/Grace-Changes-People-The-Leron-Black-Story-74948839 Kendrick Nunn and Jaylon Tate were close friends and teammates at Simeon High School, Chicago. So they were tight and always together on campus. And it's not a surprise that they got into trouble together. However, long story short it was Kendrick Nunn who was guilty of domestic violence and Jaylon Tate was falsely accused. The whole thing dragged out all Summer long, but the average fan could have solved that mystery. Nunn is intense and was our enforcer on the court (See video link below of Nunn retaliating for something that happened earlier in the game to teammate Malcolm Hill). Nobody was going to punk our Illini teams with Nunn around and we loved his toughness. But turning that temper on your girlfriend is not exceptable and he was eventually released from the team. Jaylon Tate on the other hand is just a super nice guy and would never hurt anyone. The only thing Tate was ever guilty of was not being able to shoot the basketball. His charges were completely dismissed. That leaves us Darius Paul. I wrote earlier about Coach Groce learning from poor judgement. Some in Illini Nation will say that the whole Darius Paul chapter was one huge mistake because he ended up getting arrested on two separate occasions and costing us 3 years of scholarships while never playing in a game. You may remember Darius Paul because he played power forward his Freshman year for Western Michigan. He is the younger brother of former Illinois guard Brandon Paul who is currently playing for the San Antonio Spurs. Darius was a late bloomer coming out of high school, but put up some solid numbers while at Western Michigan. He then transferred to Illinois and during his sit out year his substance abuse problem surfaced. He was given plenty of warning and most players would have been sent packing after that first arrest on campus. But this is where it gets complicated and everybody will have to answer this question for themselves. It comes down to this, how loyal are you? First of all, Coach Groce is very loyal. Second, the Paul family are awesome people. And third, Brandon Paul as a senior bought into Coach Groce's program that very first year and as a result excelled to whole new level (Meet Brandon Paul below). Darius got a second chance based on the relationship his brother and his family had formed with Groce and the basketball program. He agreed to being sent down to Texas for a year to get cleaned up, face his challenges with mentoring and play ball at the Junior College level. He was then granted the second opportunity and came back to Illinois the following year. Unfortunately, he then got himself arrested again on a pre-season trip to Europe which finished his time with Illinois. This one hurts because it was such a wasted opportunity for everyone, but especially for Darius. You can decide if you think Coach Groce was too loyal. I thought the Paul family was worth doubling-down on at the time. But in hind-sight this is just one more thing that piled up against Groce and his program. I learned something through that whole explosion of off-court drama myself. There is a popular belief that winning cures everything. And there is definitely some truth to it because fans will gladly turn a blind-eye to infractions when their beloved is on a roll. But sometimes a lack of success on the court/field actually leads to problems off the court. The cases outlined here other than for Darius Paul's addiction issues occurred right after a basketball season had ended again without a trip to the dance. These are guys who are used to winning, for whom basketball has become their sense of identity and self-worth, playing for a University of Illinois that expects to make the NCAA Tournament annually. This was the third straight year they would be denied and to no fault of their own. Each year they left it all on the court. They were talented enough to make the post-season 4 out of the 5 years Groce was coach at Illinois, but a rash of injuries and tough breaks were too much to over-come. And it was something different every season. The pressure and frustration surrounding these guys was off the charts. There is never an excuse for beating a woman or pulling a knife, but sometimes context matters. Something that Coach Groce who was dealing with the pressure himself was trying to get across to these young men was that their lives are bigger than the game of basketball. Getting good grades and pursuing a career, doing community work, being a good friend, family member and teammate are all things that ultimately define us as people. It's my opinion these guys were caught up in the moment and it got really, really ugly. I know this post was long-winded, but I needed to write it even if nobody spends the time to read it. Unfortunately, off the court issues are going to happen. It's ultimately how the players, coaches and staff handle those issues that really matters. Thanks much.

If Kato got unseated he would make a great RB

Look at those battle scars on that thing - AWESOME! We'll grab that torch man!!

Ticket office really didn't have much info (like you said) other than, "yeah, they'll be some food, etc." I gave him my CC # and got the tix and party pass anyway I figured the cost of the party would just be a donation to the cause. Oh, I thought y'all knew. He's a freshman, redshirting this year, plays a position that starts with the letter Q, he's significantly taller than me BUT, I'm much better looking That being said, I'm TEAM first; I believe the coaches will make the right decisions for the team when the time comes. We believe in Alex and what he brings to the table and will hold off on commenting on QB play as to not cloud personal agendas. I think there will be a good, healthy QB battle come spring but right now our attention is on Dec 2nd and the MAC Championship game! GO ZIPS!

+1

@Dr Z - exceptional work behind the lens last night! ALL the thanks to you on this Thanksgiving week for giving us such great shots of the Zips in action!

^^ I would be lying if I said I wasn't curious of who your kid is. Does anybody know what all this pregame party entails? I called a ticket rep and he didn't seem too sure. Maybe some appetizers and a cash bar? $35 seems excessive for just that.

Just going to leave this here (in case you miss it from the MACC game thread): Me wearing the FULL ROO after the game last night. I had to return it to its rightful owner of course but how sweet is this thing?

Just awesome! Your photos really take the content of this site to the next level. Thanks Dr Z!

Be creative, like Zach. ?

Current forecast has temps in the mid-40s, dry, and manageable wind (10 or so). Looking forward to a great Saturday doubleheader - men's NCAA tourney soccer followed by men's basketball on the tube from Dayton. Go Zips!

Guys, we will be playing on Championship Saturday on ESPN. There is almost no competition that day. We will be on at every establishment that has more than 1 tv.

I think this is the truly amazing part, honestly. We have been able to minimize offensive mistakes by gaining a lead, and let our defense step up to win games while we played conservative second half offense and milked the clock. There have been a lot of complaints about this gameplan and I understand because it is not a lot of fun to watch, but Bowden found a way to win and hat's off to he and Amato.

I thought Kent's pants looked like the players just got home from their day jobs working baggage at the airport!

Huh?

Toledo. If it's a three-way tie, NIU is out by virtue of losing to CMU in the last game. Toledo would be in by virtue of beating CMU earlier in the year. Unfortunately for CMU, there is no chance of getting to the MAC C at this point. The only two possible teams are Toledo and NIU.

Had a great time last night! Got some lower reserved seats behind the Zips bench & loved the view! Crowd was great in lower reserved. Seemed like a good crowd overall. The student section was jammed. Loved it! Go Zips!

Wooohoooooooo. Now let's come out in the second half, step on their necks and put this away.

The lights wash it out on camera.

Watching the game in the California desert and the black keys just came on

This game is pissing me off. Kent State is hot garbage We should be blowing these fools out

Cheering for two wins over KSU teams this week. Yours tonight over Kent State. And ours on Saturday over Kansas State. We really like the fact that you guys have turned it on and are competing for the MAC championship. P.S. See my post in the Iowa State thread about our chances to be in the Big 12 championship.

I was thinking about this yesterday. Soccer, basketball & football putting up W's after W's after W's. Man, it's good to be a Zip!

Wave at Camp Pendleton for me while you’re out that way.