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The Beacon sports page is up to 7 pages?! I'll assume 6 of them are ads for ED treatment?

Figured this deserved it's own thread. Will bring a lot of artistic entertainment options to the heart of downtown.

I thought that, until Irons was injured, it was the best a Zips team had looked since we beat Northwestern. Great offensive play calling and execution (sans turnovers, of course)...fast and aggressive on defense. We looked like we belonged on the same field as a solid Big10 team, for an extended period of time. I wasn't too keen on seeing more of Irons running. Not because he isn't a great running QB, but because he's not proven to be the most durable Zips QB. And he's our key to a competitive season. I was so encouraged by how we looked to begin the game...and by the beginning of the 4th quarter I had to turn the TV off. I've seen how that type of beatdown plays out too many times over the past few years. You get tired of repeatedly hearing the opponent's fight song, and seeing the opposing fans mugging for the camera and dancing in the stands. Undercuffler has less arm strength than Irons, less pocket awareness, and can't run nearly as well. It is a big step down. I hope Irons is healthy by MAC time. With him healthy, we are a solid MAC team, and can win at least 4 MAC games. Without him, I don't know how much Joe can coach up a kid who's glory days were 3 years ago, against the likes of Central Connecticut State, Bryant and Lafayette. If anyone can, it's Joe. Maybe we run the wishbone against the Vols next week? 😁 I'll be in Knoxville. I've seen the Zips lose every game they've played against a P5/G5 opponent not named BGSU for the past 4 calendar years, so waiting another week or two for Joe and Co to start seeing results of their work in the win column ain't no big thing. 🦘💪

It makes me so happy to see them so miserable 🥰🥰🥰🥰

Purpose of this topic is to discuss games during the ongoing 2022 season. Last weekend was awesome for college football on a multitude of levels. Recommendation. Full Ride is about to air on XM Radio 84. Rick Neuheisel is a brilliant commentator. It's about to start. If you can listen and aren't, adjust your schedule.

I was there in 2012, Bowden's first year, when we jumped out to a 7-0 lead on a pick six, took the lead 23-20 in the second quarter on 70 yard run by Quentin Hines, and were only down 30-26 into the 4th quarter. I felt like I was the only Zips fan in the entire stadium that day (went with some Vol fan friends) and boy was I making some noise. They pulled away at the end for a final that didn't reflect how close the game was, but man, 100,000 people dead silent listening to you go nuts is an incredible feeling.

Are you listening to the former Sun Belt commissioner discuss the conference? The MAC could learn a lot from the discussion. My biggest takeaway is the importance of university presidents in that conference buying into changes in scheduling that don't result in teams starting the season 1-3 every year, and how that leads to more winning and the importance of winning over money. Basically, money doesn't create winning. Winning creates a momentum the results in more winning. Success in college football for G5 schools is about winning, not gobbling up money. MAC schools have scheduling all wrong. In fact, how the MAC schedules is in direct contradiction to winning. What was the key to scheduling changes for the Sun Belt you ask? Easy..... They encouraged schools to abandon the following scheduling method: 2-3 money games and one FCS team to start the season. Replaced that failing model with: 1 money game, 2 G5 games and one FCS. Georgia Southern has a schedule like this that creates a winning culture....how did that work for them last weekend? Marshall has a schedule like this that creates a winning culture.....how did that work out for them last weekend? App State has a schedule close to this.....how did that work out for them last weekend? Sun Belt Conference membership model does not involve admitting teams just because you think it's a good idea or the fans are bored with the current state. It purposefully brings in teams specifically in the footprint of the southeast with the exception of Marshall. The MAC is a midwest conference and with the exception of Buffalo, who could hit the bricks and nobody would care, the conference should stay that way. If you want a successful midwest conference at the G5 level in the midwest, keep Western Kentucky and MTSU out of the league. Get rid of Buffalo and shrink the size of the league and it will be better off for it.

Probably Zips fans wearing blOSU gear. 🤬We see too much of it on our own campus.

I wish we were facing them with our starting QB, and the team we saw for the first 1.5 quarters (3/8th's) of the Michigan State game. But I'm not too confident that will be the case. Regardless - The wife and I will be in Knoxville to cheer on the Zips. I was there 33 years ago when they had Carl Pickins, Chuck Webb, and a host of other NFL-caliber players. It was a great time. I think we lost 52-9, but that was irrelevant. 😁

Day to day for Irons is certainly encouraging. Just save him for Liberty if he's good to go or even just MAC play honestly.

Best interview I’ve seen with JoeMo so far.

Marshall is in the Sun Belt now. And I’m out on loading the schedule with power houses. It’s fine to have years where you play a couple, but every year would be exhausting. Especially when the Zips are opening at home and then on the road for 3 in a row, potentially returning home very injured for the homecoming game. I listen to a MAC football podcast today and was very interested by one of the hosts points on this matter. In 2016, WMU beat both Northwestern and Illinois in nonconference play em route to their undefeated season and appearance in the Cotton Bowl, where they went down to Wisconsin. If they had traded NW and ILL for bigger paydays, they would have in all likelihood lost those games and never would have even given themselves a shot at playing in a bowl game like that. Look at OU’s schedules. They almost always have a home-and-home. They schedule winnable P5 opponents (Kansas, NW, etc.). They’ve hosted schools like Texas State, they opened with a home win over FAU this year. And how many consecutive bowl games did they go to, simply by scheduling winnable games? They even beat Penn State one of those years and have earned a top 25 ranking. It may not be perfect, but I’d like it a lot more than what Akron’s been doing lately.

I remember a "dancer bar" in Norton called The Nest. They always ran advertisements in the ABJ and I laugh about them with a guy here in the Carolinas from Norton. He clearly remembers the ads said, "Swings, Polls. My Girls Do It All".

Can we at least score a touchdown this week

That was indeed a hell of a team. It served notice that Stu Parry had built the program to compete on a national level.

With the right coach they can be right back in the thick of playoff contention. If anything they're situated better now than in the 90's with all the B10 revenue.

I don't know.

OK folks, take a deep breath. Akron was not going to hang with MSU(the check is in the mail). They are not going to hang with Tennessee(the check is in the mail). The Liberty game might be closer,but not going to be a win. If the BGSU game goes south then there is more of a problem than we thought. Relax until 10-1-22.

I really liked the concerted effort to have Irons run yesterday. He looked comfortable and in command of the offense. It’ll be disappointing if he misses a considerable amount of time. Best case scenario Undercuffler gains confidence and becomes a reliable option by the time conference play rolls around as Irons heals up. Hooks just isn’t getting it done. I wasn’t watching that closely in 4th quarter but from what I did see, we don’t have many (or any) better options right now. That doesn’t mean someone else won’t develop as the season goes on, but the notion that our secondary is a strength (according to the media) is false. Yes, there is some talent that could develop, but no depth at the moment ready to help. That being said, I did notice Threatt on a few plays near the end, so maybe he will get a look at some point? It’s become clear why JoeMo was hesitant in answering the question about the roster looking like an FBS roster. We do at certain starting positions, but the productive depth is lacking. I feel good about our front 6 on defense (7 if Lewis is included in that Nickel front) so that is improvement over last year. Plus, one CB spot is locked down. DT depth is ok. We need for either Behm, Boateng, or Fish to take a major leap forward and not have LB play drop substantially when they enter the game. Our two P5 safety transfers have disappointed so far and need to start playing like P5 players. JKP saw more snaps than either of them last game and probably should be starting in one of those spots. I liked Woods activity at S for his limited snaps, so maybe he will help down the line?

At Indiana this last Friday I personally saw adults wearing Ohio State Soccer garb. I assume these were folks scouting both teams. Ohio State witnessed how Akron struggled in Midfield. We should expect the same defensive pressure, especially in Midfield, when Buckeyes visit. A similar effort from Zips will garner a similar result, possibly even worse. Quite a bit rides on Tuesday's match.

Much of the disappointment on here is driven by unrealistic expectations coming into the season. The Zips now have an FBS level staff that can build a program, but it isn't going to happen overnight. Top kids are not going to rush to a program with the recent record of the Zips. Also, every school is utilizing the transfer portal and while it helped the Zips fill some holes every other school benefited as much or more from the portal. This team won 3 games in 3 seasons coming into this season. A three or 4 win season would be a vast improvement to the last three years. I'm confident Morehead's the guy to get it done but we need to recognize that he's a coach, not a miracle worker. I'm not going to judge Undercuffler just yet. The kid was unexpectedly thrust into his first FBS game in a Big 10 stadium in front of 75,000 hostile fans with limited practice opportunities with Akron's first offense.

Sadly, you are correct. It's not just the $ they are worried about losing. None of the bigger programs want to risk losing to a mid-major on the mid's court. Think about it, would you rather have a cupcake come to your arena (and keep the revenue) or travel to Akron to face a very good team in a bandbox gym. Akron's long term success at home makes scheduling a nightmare. Throwing 2 away games with a home game is not nearly enough to get it done.

I joined the Husker board today. They are still blaming the canceled Zips game as the beginning of the demise for Frost. I politely set the record straight.