Leaderboard

I was able to stop by campus and take in this morning's scrimmage. Here's what I observed - Golden was the #1 punt returner (although punting in the low-ceiling Stiles Center is impossible). hen a punt hit the roof, someone would toss a high ball to the returner who'd run it back. No tackling. It was a full 4-quarter offense vs. defense scrimmage. Undercuffler took 60% of the snaps. Dijon took around 25%, and Wassel took maybe 15%? DJ Irons was in attendance. In good spirits, with no visible injuries. Just progressing through the long rebab from his shoulder surgery. Hester got a lot of carries. He had fun today. He's a good RB. Probably not in the Top 3 in the depth chart, but he wouldn't hurt us at the position if we had a decent OL. He also still seems like the #1 KR. Gathings made a few nice catches. He played quite a bit. Dijon is a tiny QB. He's a full 6" shorter than Undercuffler. He didn't have a great day. To be fair, he wasn't playing with the 1st stringers. Bu I can't see him pushing for the starter's job. Undercuffler threw a couple TDs, and also had a couple picks. To me he still looks like a very capable back up, but not someone who can carry a D1 team. Walking out of the building, I overheard someone say "that was the worst our offense has looked all spring." #22 Kellom got some carries, and two TD's (one, a 70 yard run). He's apparently has had a good spring. Neither #99 or #44 distinguished themselves kicking FG's. Granted it is tough to judge kickers indoors when their kicking into a net with taped goal posts. 6' 8" German import Bruno Dahl was seen trying a few 50 yarders after practice. He's obviously played some soccer in his day. 😁 Lingard #27 broke a nice 30 yarder early in the practice. He can go from a standstill to full speed on a dime. He was talkative and engaged the whole practice. Seems like a good kid. He also ran back a KO later in the practice. He could be a dangerous return guy. Wassel didn't look like he'll break any of Charlie Frye's records this season. If anyone was expecting him to push for a starting job in 2023, based on this scrimmage, I'd say you'll need to be patient. He has the tools, but will need time. #20 Price was in sneakers and a tee shirt. He had a little limp. Didn't play. #93, #95, #97, #9 were our primary DL's. #99 and #54 played a lot too. It was difficult to get a gauge on the defensive line play. The stands were folded up to allow the baseball team to hit in a cage, so you had to watch the entire scrimmage at field level. KJ Martin made a nice high-point catch in traffic. Jax Smith caught a pass from his HS teammate Steele Wassel Myles Walker got the nod as the #2 punt returner Wassel threw an endzone pick on a long pass to Dakota Thomas. Thomas told Wassel on the sideline "That was a great pass...not your fault." Thomas also had a potential deep TD catch ruled out of bounds (by a 1/2 step). Joe spoke to the team after the scrimmage and told them he was happy with the physical effort. He said it was the best he'd seen since he took over. "I'd rather ask you guys to dial it back than to beg you to play harder, so keep it up!" I can't attend the spring game next week, so I look forward to reading everyone's observations!

I hope on his senior day the Zips are beating Kent 51-0 and coach Moorhead, fresh off signing a 10-year contract extension, let’s Bruno kick an XP.

You asked some good questions that we should watch for next week. You also mentioned these 👆two players whom I'm anxious to watch next week. Other players I want to take note of next week include: OL's Colin Lyons & Jourden Hale-Frater DT's Kiwan Murphy & Terray Jones (assuming he's practicing), and CB's Devonte Golden-Nelson & Joey Hunter (assuming they're practicing)

That is absolutely beautiful! Love 22.

We also had a glimmer of hope when Bowden took the Zips to Boise and beat Utah State for the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. That was a sweet game and we had hope, which went to the gutter until Joe arrived.

He stepped up big during the end of the season just like Hunter did for us and he did it without anything close to Freeman or X on the court with him. He could make a monster jump into his sophmore season. Seeing Mr. Pinky bring in Sincere a few years ago and now this is not how I like spending the off season.

And apparently received an offer. Now has offers from us and Eastern Michigan.

I don't recall seeing any of the 4 defensive players you mentioned. They may have played, but I don't recall it. Dontae Pollard played quite a bit in the defensive backfield, and Darrian Lewis did too. #2 A. Williams didn't play. The RB's I mentioned were the only ones to see the field today. #54 Tyhler Williams did play. I like him! He's a tough kid...the kind that will get a push in goal line situations. I don't recall 56 playing, but he very well may have. I should have written down the OL groups. I'm out of practice.😡

The day in the sun is coming my friend!

+1. He's my favorite player on the team. LOVE his attitude.

You're correct. How'd I omit that? Okay, two good years in my lifetime 😭

Correct. We won’t see anything about his signing if he’s a PWO. Some other MAC schools will announce someone has signed when it isn’t clear if it’s scholarship or PWO. I’m just speculating that George could be PWO, but I don’t have any inside connections to the program to validate that.

Well one thing I'm learning about our new coach, absent an organized public appearance, is that he's pretty tall. Judging from his tweets with Riley and the 6'5" Taponen he looks to be at least 6'6". 🤔

We Zips football fans have been beaten down and dragged through the mud for... really our entire lives. There was a one-year respite in 2005 but then we fizzled again after that. And we haven't just been sub .500, we've been absolutely abysmal. Most folks around town think you're nuts if you're a Zips football fan. But in Coach JoeMo we trust. A glimmer of hope: In 2005 we won the MAC East, won the MAC Championship Game in Detroit, and then a few weeks later ~30,000 Zips fans drove back up to Detroit for the Motor City Bowl. So... hope springs eternal.

Heard through the grapevine- Lingard looks to be a significant upgrade to the RB position. Very fast, North/South runner. Strong too. Wasel looks to be as good as advertised. He makes the expected Freshman mistakes but he has all the tools. Dakota Thomas is turning heads at WR. He’s been a very pleasant surprise. I know it isn’t much. Hope to get more tomorrow.

Here are the updated HS/JUCO rankings at Rivals. The majority of players that still need ratings at this point are JUCOs. I know we still aren’t done with 2023, but how is everyone feeling now? Im in the process of going back in the system and updating previous years for comparison, but keeping track of all the current movement has taken up most of my free time. Forgot to add that these rankings still include some verbal commitments that will not sign with their respective teams. So the rankings may change some in the coming weeks.

The MAC, not good enough, the Big East, too good, maybe KD can find him a roster spot and he can play in the A 10, just right? (LOL)

College of Engineering

Wherever he ends up, I hope he finds true happiness. #Foreverazip...#ForeveraBulldog...#Foreverintheportal