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A final thought on Kentucky - I dunno how many fans they had at the game...maybe 55,000? Their stadium seats 61,000 and routinely sells out. Our parking space sold for $200 on Stub Hub. I can't imagine what a space goes for when Tennessee or Alabama rolls into town. The lots were full of RV's, trailers, HD TV's...all their fans wore either white, or blue. There were literally thousands of incredibly attractive women in form-fitting dresses, tank tops, white cowboy boots...it was something to behold (ditto for Tennessee last year, NC State in the past...southern schools game days can be quite the fashion show). So in a nut shell, game days in Lexington are a big time party. Millions upon millions of dollars generated by the school. In Akron we get a few thousand fans on a given Saturday. Our average ticket price is at least $100 less than a UK ducat. Our game day parking, directly behind the goal post, is included with our $100 season tickets. Yet we were down only 14-3 midway through the 4th quarter? If resources controlled the outcome, we should have lost by 60. Kudos to what Joe and Co. are building at UA with a ham and cheese budget. Speaking to a UA official in the lot, apparently Kentucky is trying to get out of the return game in Akron next year. Akron is receptive to the buy-out, because "We don't want them filling our stadium with blue and beating us by 30." That comment saddened me, as it is small-time thinking. Joe will have the program competitive next year. We'd have a good chance of hanging with them. The Infocision lots would be full of RV's, music, fans...it would be an awesome game day in Akron for maybe the 3rd time since it opened. But it probably won't happen. I told the official as much..."So what are you going to do...replace Kentucky with Bethune Cookman? That sucks." He said "Oh no, we'll get someone good." No chance. If we play Kentucky in Lexington in the future, make the 5 hour trip down 71. Lexington is a really fun city. The Kentucky fans are very nice. Distilleries abound. It's a great weekend.

I’m not sure how accurate this is, but it’s interesting. South Carolina tracks all their players’ speeds in practices and games. Shane Beamer said they actually didn’t have Legette running as fast as the internet analytics claimed, but Legette routinely hits between 20-21 MPH. Btw, Legette also currently leads the nation in receiving yards. Hopefully, we see more opportunities for Lingard to keep making this list in the coming weeks.

One of my grandsons and I make one trip a year to a P5 game. This year it was Kentucky. I completely agree with the Captain and Mark. There was a day when I got around a bit better that the distilleries and a weekend stay would be the thing. This time down Saturday and back on Sunday morning. I have been to several P5 games and this one impressed me immensely. Fans treated us very well, got questions from the Kentucky users about the TD Tire. Ushers dressed very well in Blue Blazers, black tie, white shirt and black pants. The tailgating was awesome, and we made it to the Akron tailgate in green lot. I hope Kentucky comes to Akron. WE got several comments from Kentucky fans about Akron being much better than was thought. GO ZIPS. SEASON STARTS SATURDAY

Hey don’t disrespect the marathoners I finished in 2022 🤣😭

Chase Blackburn is the Special Teams Coordinator for the Rams. He got destroyed on Pat McAfee today for a fair catch that occurred in last night's game against the Bengals. *Warning: Language*

It is sad because it is small time thinking. Below is my reasoning. First, if KY wants out, don't let the door hit you in the caboose. These contracts tend to have buyout clauses and if they want to exercise it, that was the agreement. Bye. Why is it sad? The official frames the situation as presented. When talking to a fan and especially one who owns the fan board, put a positive spin on the situation. Say you wish the game remained the same but you believe the athletic department will put together a game and game day experience that will be just as good for the athletes, students, alumni, fans and general community as it would for KY.....and then freaking do it. The idea that our destiny lies in the hands of P5 schools is one that I dislike the most. It's the small vision the MAC has for itself and it absolutely reject it out of hand. It's the idea that what KY fans may do that defines a successful day that I dislike. Our success isn't defined by KY flags and fan counts. It is defined by Akron using a football game to benefit the athletes, students, alumni, fans and general community that defines success. That can also be accomplished by playing any G5 school.

Well, that's nothing to brag about if you started in 2021.

Maybe we'll get some Kabbash Richards sighting!

He noted Kindred has been injured (which I wasn't aware of), and that Blanchard could be back this week. Good sign there as he looked to be in pain after getting injured at Indiana. Thought that might have been a season ender.

An acceptable answer would also have been - vs. Cincinnati at the Rubber Bowl. The Zips had a chance to take the lead very late in the game and ran an end-around with Jeremy Bruce at the 2 yard line. UC blew it up...Bruce fumbled...and we lost shortly thereafter. Jacquemain was the QB. I'm still pissed they called Jacq for an intentional grounding as we were moving the ball downfield in the final seconds. It essentially hit Biggs in the feet, yet the refs insisted no receiver was in the area. 😡 Lots of "close-but-no-cigars" over the years, for sure.

I imagine some marathoners might think the same thing about Zips football fans. 😉 One thing they both have in common is they need to FINISH.

It was great seeing DJ dominate the game and obviously we should have won the game but being the Zips, I knew that we would miss the field goal and lose the game. I am usually an optimist but I had the same feeling when the Zips were beating UCLA in basketball and somebody put up an analytic that we had a 98% chance of winning but I knew it just never seems to happen. The same feeling when the Zips were beating a bad Ohio State team in an NIT basketball game in Columbus and we still managed to lose. However, for those long time Zips fans, I remember a game when we were in a hugh stadium and our quarterback was having an amazing game like DJ and we got the ball down to the one yard line to win the game with a minute left and we turned it over on downs or fumbled. When the other team got possession they had a 99 yard pass play or run to seal the game. Does anyone remember that game and can tell me who we played and name our quarterback?

Again Akron is all over the map with wild swing of where they are ranked this week. Sept 25 2023 Top Drawer Soccer Top 25 #17 Akron https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/college-soccer-national-rankings/men Sept 25 2023 College Soccer News Top 30 #5 Akron https://collegesoccernews.com/college-soccer-news-mens-top-30-national-poll-week-ending-september-23-2023/ Marshall still holds the top spot for both polls but SMU now in at #2.

The "Field of 68" puts out an incredible comprehensive preview almanac. I'm probably biased since they are very high on the Zips, but it seems like, somehow, they put in the homework on all 360+ D1 teams. Best $20 I spent this year. They have Akron winning the MAC too. They have the Zips #4 in their preseason mid-major top 25. No other MAC team is in it. They have Enrique Freeman as their #4 Mid-Major player to watch. Again, no other MAC players made the cut. Some snippets from their Akron review: "The 2022 NCAA Tournament appearance is still fresh in the minds of Zip nation. Usually, it’s a stretch to draw parallels between teams two years apart. However, there are some déjà vu vibes brewing with this 2024 rendition." "As a coach, it’s not always wise to look backwards and fixate on what worked in the past. Today, competitors adapt, players change and the game itself continuously evolves. For John Groce, however, a stroll down the 2022 memory lane may illuminate a proven path back to the NCAA Tournament in 2024." "The boomerang transfer return of Ali Ali will light the way, as will the impending return of Mikal Dawson, a quasi-starter on the 2022 squad who missed last season with injury. The reunion of Ali and Dawson is a storybook backdrop to what could be a special season for the Zips. " "Don’t let Sammy Hunter get lost in the frontline shuffle, especially after his coming-out party in March." "Rookie Darrion Baker is a man-child in the middle and may be plugged in to bigger bully lineups. If he played anywhere else in the league, Baker could be a fringe starter." "In short, Akron’s combination of depth, talent and experience is second to none in this league." "In the team’s foreign tour this summer, Freeman displayed a newfound comfort zone along the perimeter, including shooting 3s off movement. That’s a scary proposition for the rest of the league, assuming he can convert at a high clip. The same goes for Dawson, who must regain his shooting stroke and shake off a year’s worth of rust." "Don’t dismiss this perimeter nucleus. There are question marks, sure, but Groce’s hit rate with freshmen and transfers deserves the benefit of the doubt. " "The bedrock of the backcourt is Greg Tribble, a defensive specialist who sets the tone for Akron’s coverage. Tribble’s offensive limitations can be frustrating, but his defensive value more than outweighs those flaws. He’ll be asked to run point in spurts this year, though his upside as a lead creator is limited by his rim-or-bust shot diet." "Another guard on deck is Ryan Prather Jr., a former three-star recruit who redshirted last season. It’s not often three-star prospects are slapped with the redshirt tag in this conference, further proof of Akron’s depth and robust internal competition. Groce said Prather was still nursing an injury over the summer, so he may not be cleared to play until fall." "The rocketship that is Hunter, coupled with the return of Dawson, gives Groce an endless supply of wings and forwards to play with." "The roster imbalance, however, portrays the perimeter as the Zips’ weakness. Whether that’s actually true or just a misnomer, comes down to Thornton, Scott, Tribble, Nate Johnson and Tavari Johnson. Collectively, this quintet runs the gamut of prototypes — but none is a bona fide scorer." "'Guys like Xavier Castaneda, and (Loren) Cristian Jackson — those guys were scorers,' Groce said. 'Our scoring this year will be carried from the frontline. We need the point guards to make open shots, but their primary job will be facilitating for others and defending.' On that note, role acceptance will also be pivotal this season."

Agree that Moorehead must get out of his pass first philosophy for good. The O-line blocks better on the ground. The point about too much 'yapping' has never been addressed by a succession of coaches. Sit somebody's ass down if he does it. Still can't decide who the 'real' DJ Irons is. No time for a letdown. Don't get cute on offense. You have 2 winnable home games coming up. Until they win a meaningful game they won't learn how to win.

Me neither

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