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The lack of wins thus far in 2023 is profoundly disappointing. And, I'm as beaten down and any remaining fan over the abject futility I've witnessed during my support of the program for the past 5 years. But I have zero doubt Joe Moorhead will turn this around. He has been incredibly successful at every stop along his college coaching career. Akron will be no different. He inherited the worst program in Division 1. If we were #130, we were lightyears behind #129, let alone #78. Joe needs to figure out an offense that can be effective with the talent he's got. And he needs to figure it out soon. It doesn't help that his QB room is now missing Irons, and stocked completely with unprovens and underwhelmers. But that's the cards he's dealt. We have very good WR's and RB's. That should be enough to win our share of MAC games. I love our defense. People forget that is was an achievement when Arth's teams could force a punt over 4 quarters. We've come such a long way on that side of the ball. I remember when MLB pitching coach Roger Craig was once asked, when his pitchers were getting shelled over an extended stretch, "As a 'pitching guru', how are you going to get your arms back on track?" Craig replied "Guru? Right now I ain't gooruin' worth a damn!" I have to believe Joe feels the same way about himself, and the Zips offense right now. He has higher standards than the results produced by that side of the ball so far. I'd hoped it was possible for Joe to completely pull us out of the Arth Abyss in 17 games, but apparently it may take a few more. It sucks, but I 100% believe he'll get it done.

Over the past 5 or 6 years I can't tell you how many times I've been in Lot 9 and had people in suits and dresses come up to me asking "Is this Hummel Funeral Home"? I always reply - "First, I'm sorry for your loss. And, no, this is actually an Akron Zips football game. Hummel is across the street."

Another heartbreaking game in which we find a way to lose. The issues that drive me nuts i.e. discipline, QB play, play calling, OL play and running the ball, keep coming back to one source, coaching. If we had a decent QB we would have 2-3 more wins. This staff knew DJ has gimpy going into the season. Did they plan for that? Did they prepare Taj, Jennings, Wassel or just work with Undercuffler? What they have done so far is terrible. Looking ahead Undercuffler cannot win against good MAC teams. For Joe having a rep as an offensive genius we have yet to see any sign of that. Our play calling does little to help the OL or put the ball in Lingart's and Anderson's hands. This is even though Joe has talked every week about the need to increase their touches. Who does he need permission from to make that happen? He answers only to himself and this issue is squarely on him. In this he is failing. Joe shows signs of cleaning up the discipline issue. Compared to the Indiana game, the Buffalo game was a huge improvement. Yet it was a lack of discipline penalty that gave Buffalo their only TD drive, even though we had stopped them. I predicted a 6-6 season. I now feel 4-8 is all the progress we will make this year. At least we have funnel cakes, soccer and basketball.

Congratulations to Jason Shokalook Big East Offensive player of the Week https://www.instagram.com/p/Cx5-2agPiVm/ Jason was also deservedly picked by College Soccer News for their team of the week https://collegesoccernews.com/college-soccer-news-mens-national-team-of-the-week-week-ending-october-1-2023/

No atmosphere exists because the program stinks and nobody shows up. Winning games leads to fans in seats which leads to a fun atmosphere. Not sure what all we're expecting admin to do here.

This is so damn true. The combination of the Catalina Wine Mixer atmosphere (suits walking around shaking hands, kissing babies) combined with a Rick Pitino recruiting trip (night club music constantly played) is not a good mix for a college football gameday. The stadium announcer continues to be awful. The marketing is stale. And the football is awful. I've been quite complimentary of Guthrie up to this point, but he is missing some key details to elevate the Akron experience.

This week's advanced box score: https://collegefootballdata.com/boxscore/401532412 (Postgame win expectancy based on box score and results: Akron-89%) As with most of the regulars on this board, I'm an Akron football die-hard. This team is my favorite team in sports (MBB a close second, basically 1B). I have proudly said that for most of my life at this point. I can take these losses with the best of them. But Saturday took more out of me than just about any loss I can ever remember. I still haven't been able to bounce back and I don't really have any interest in reading or watching any content this week. All of the national rankings/MAC rankings/Bottom 10s will have Akron at the very bottom once again, and I just don't think I can stomach that anymore. In 2021, Ohio came in at 0-4 with a home loss to Duquesne on their record, and they rolled over Akron as a 10-point favorite. This year, a Buffalo team that gives up 1.5 Million points per game came to InfoCision Stadium as an underdog, and handed Akron a nasty, ugly, embarrassing loss. Even as someone who wasn't that confident coming into the game, I was appalled. The blowout losses over the years are what have kept Joe Akron away, but repeated losses like this one are what could potentially drive me away. Along with that OU loss in 2021, I would put the BG and Miami losses of 2018, the BG loss of 2016, the OU loss of 13. Now, we have a new entry. There is no excuse for the display of ineptitude our poor souls witnessed on Saturday. Buffalo didn't look half as good as Morgan State, and Akron's defense put up one of its best performances of the last decade vs. an FBS team. Granted, they failed to force a TO, which led to losing the turnover battle 1-0, plenty enough to be the difference in the game. And I don't even want to get started on the late hit penalty that led to UB's only TD. I just can't even comprehend why a player would do that. You could give that young man from now until the rest of eternity to write a paragraph explaining his reasoning to do that, and he would never be able to come up with anything. Now, maybe they don't call that a penalty 10-15 years ago, but still. What in the name of our Lord and savior are you thinking?! While this team could fairly easily be 3-2 or 4-1, they have looked every bit of 1-4, or worse, between the boneheaded mistakes and utter incompetence offensively.

In the first half I noticed a knee brace and a limp, he must be dealing with a injury... possibly all year could be the cause of his low productivity

I’m planning on it. Wanted to make the Morgan State game, but that fell through. Hopefully all goes well this week. Next season will head down to the South Carolina matchup. Can’t wait for that one.

FWIW .... found this on Xavier website re: prep team shootout at the school this summer. "Keep eyes on Eric Mahaffey for Moeller. Super young senior (still growing) but is coming into his own!! If I'm a low/mid major I'm throwing that kid an offer."

Not to my knowledge. It could happen, but the only position I’d be worried about losing at this point is the running back due to lack of attempts our current RBs are receiving. None of the current commitments committed to a program with a winning record. Nor has the 2023 team been blown out by anyone (unless UK is counted as such, but that could be spun to 14-3 late in the third quarter). I’m sure part of the pitch is they will be the class to come in and turn things around. The more likely scenario in losing some of the commitments would be to P5 schools if the recruits have big senior years.

Akron a lil more stable in this weeks rankings unlike the last few weeks. Oct 1st 2023 Top Drawer Soccer Top 25 #9 Akron https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/college-soccer-national-rankings/men Oct 1st 2023 College News Soccer Top 30 #4 Akron https://collegesoccernews.com/college-soccer-news-mens-top-30-national-poll-week-ending-october-1-2023/

Game day atmosphere and event management at Akron has always been an issue. I used to think that they (athletic administration/Marketing) didn't get it. Now I believe they don't want to get it. There is no one in the stadium and they still play the music incredibly loud. So loud that a friend sitting two seats away couldn't hear me and vice-versa. Just go to the freaking control board and turn it down. Why is no one doing that? The damn music even plays over the band. That tells me no one is even monitoring the game during timeouts. No college atmosphere exists. No excitement. No fun traditions. Whoever in athletics is responsible for the game, as an event, needs to be replaced. MBA marketing students would do a better job. Be shameless, borrow what works from other schools. It is no wonder attendance is less than 3,000 butts in the stands.

I was there and aside from it being a tough loss, the game was incredibly boring. I'm not sure what the answer is, but the gameday experience as a whole just isn't anything that is going to bring people out.

If Wassel or Taj are showing anything in practice it's time to move on from Irons. If they aren't showing anything I'm worried about the future of this program. You're only as good as your QB, especially in the MAC. Akron hasn't had a good one since Getsy. Coach needs to figure this out immediately. Very happy with the strides the D made this year. DL is passable. You have an above average back half. The sky isn't falling but I am starting to get anxious.

"I guess I will be going to the church picnic next Saturday. 🥴" At least you will be holy and well fed, which is more than I can say for most of us! 😈

We may have a case of AOC. That is where the Akron air sucks all of the imagination out of the Offensive Coordinator. Combine AOC and a QB with a penchant for poor decision making and an inability to fling an accurate long pass and you've got trouble.

Alex Adams was I full uniform but I don’t think he ever saw the field. He’s the guy I really felt would dominate this season and he’s been almost invisible.

Living in Georgia, I only get to see a few men's games in person. I do not get to see any women's games in person. Thank you for providing an update on what you saw from women's soccer. Coach Simonetti got a very late start in her first year. I have been told that she has great passion when you talk with her in person. I am glad that you are seeing some positive signs. It would be fantastic to see women's soccer doing well. Cancer is such a devastating disease/major health issue. I give you great props for your donations over the years and your support of the previous womens soccer games and women's basketball games where breast cancer awareness was given the excellent treatment that it deserves. It is great that the women players for both teams were able to honor family members in the past. One of my favorite moments of the major league baseball all star game is when every player and every fan holds up a card honoring a family member or friend that has been heavily impacted by cancer. I am very glad to hear that women's basketball has been consistently doing well with this needed special day I went to the Akron Athletic department web site . I clicked on Athletics and then clicked on Athletics Staff Directory. I then clicked where it said all offices to try to sort by department. I went down to the M's to try to find marketing. I ended up needing to go to Athletic Communications and Marketing. https://gozips.com/staff-directory#athletics_communications_and_marketing I do not honestly know if the previous pink recognition days were primarily done by the marketing department or if the SID's or the women's coaches were the major driving force. When I read the biography of Seth McFall, I see that he has only been in his job since June 2023. From what you described, this important recognition and fund raising day was done super poorly this year. I believe that women's basketball will have a new coach next year...who might not be aware of the excellent pink days that have been done by women's basketball. To make sure that women's soccer does much better next year for pink day and that women's basketball continues their great work, I would suggest that you send an e-mail to Mr. Guthrie, Mr. McFall, Mr. Palchick and Ms. Simonetti to let them know that the University of Akron did very poorly this year with women's soccer Pink days. Cancer is devastating and we need to continue to raise money to fight cancer. You are not "nit-picking" at all on this issue. I would guess that Mr. Palchick and Mr. McFall should be the 2 people that will need to work together to make sure that "pink Day" in fall 2024.....sees tremendous improvement.

6'5" SG from Cincy Moeller. Not seeing other offers. Looks pretty athletic. Also looks taller/longer than 6'5".

Back in Akron for the weekend, and loved the Men's game on Friday night, and went to the women's game on Sunday. First off, the women are playing spirited soccer, and have had so many close losses it's gotta be tough. They play gritty defense, just haven't seemed to find an offense yet. I've been super-critical of Women's soccer, I know. But I was impressed by what I saw. It would be easy to fold up the tents for themn, but they haven't. Now my beef...I know and you know I'm a nick-picker, but...I went to the game mainly because it was the program's Pink Day, when they honor breast cancer victims and surviviors, raise money for research, etc. The only reason I knew it was Pink Day is because the PA announcer at the men's game said it was going to be. Being a cancer survivior myself, I have six Zip's pink tee shirts I either donated money for or were given at past Pink Days, and whether you liked Noreen or not, there was always a moment for women from both teams to honor family members who were victims or survivors, a moment of silence for the victims, tee shirt sales and donation opportunities. Women's basketball also does a heckuva job with their Pink games. Today was a Marketing disaster. This has nothing to do with the women's team, but everything to do with whatever Marketing department there is at Akron. The only reason you would know it was Pink Day was the team wore pink stockings. There was no display, no mention of American Cancer Society, no sales or giveaways for breast cancer awareness, and not a peep out of the PA announcer about why the team was wearing pink, or that it was even Pink Day. I asked the two marketing GAs at the entrance, where all the cancer awareness things were, and they looked at me like I was from Mars. They gave scarves to students attending the game, not Pink one's but some give-away to try to lure them out of their dorms. Whoever the head of Marketing overall or the head of marketing for women's soccer should apologize and or be reprimanded by Mr. Guthrie for this egregious oversight. Don't do us any favors, and stop having Pink games if you're not going to recognize their importance.

i don't see the DB's getting beat!

I love this site, and I love the passionate Zip fans, but it doesnt matter how bad we suck, theres always stats or whatever thrown around about how close we are. By "we are close" I just now translate it to "we suck but I'm such a big fan that it hurts to admit the truth, so I'll just say something positive"

So, to summarize, we are making progress by sucking less.

I know this statement might be unpopular but so be it. When I would watch Akron under the Arth era, it was so bad that I would usually turn it off at half time because of the ineptitude. When I went to the occasional game I never stayed for the end because it was that bad. The defense was non existent and in most games we would be out of the game at half time. At least this year, we have been leading or could have won all the games but one game. I look at it as a murder mystery, instead of a who dun it, I just think to myself how are we going to blow it. At least it has been watchable football with a good defense. But for the ending, the Indiana game was an enjoyable game and DJ played his best game in some time. I know that it sucks to lose, but I will probably return to the stadium this Saturday because I know some day we will have a surprise ending and win a close game in the 4th quarter against a division 1 team. (Also, the fried dough is worth the price of admission)

Behm was in a walking boot on the sideline.

Lingard needs to touch the ball more than 15 times a game

Say what you want about the coulda, shoulda won and lost but I just feel like I've watched four lousy football games between bad football teams. And I'm a lifelong fan like a lot of us and my interest in watching more this year is at an all time low. I guess I will be going to the church picnic next Saturday. 🥴