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Here's an interesting article about how the rest of college football is becoming the farm system for the P5- https://sports.yahoo.com/as-college-footballs-elite-is-engulfed-in-a-power-struggle-g5-left-just-trying-to-survive-we-are-a-farm-system-140058685.html

I'm most confident in Ali figuring it out within the next month. Mainly because he has shown in the past that he can be that player and isn't coming off of any major injuries. I don't think he'll be a .400 3P% shooter moving, but .350-.370 is serviceable. Especially since he's been very efficient inside the arc. We'd probably have another 3-4 losses right now had he not returned. We really need one of the other guards to step up and provide some floor spacing. The longer this drought continues, the more aggressive teams will become at clogging the paint and double teaming Freeman. You just aren't going to win games that matter if you can't make 3s in today's college game. It's way overpowered.

Hunter - maybe. Tavari - yes. Everyone else...Bad. We're 25 games into the season and Dawson, Scott, Ali, Tribble and Thornton (for the past month) make me cringe when they hoist a three. Ali brings a mid-range game to the table, and has a knack for run-stopping buckets. Tribble's floaters also help us ride out some dry spells from beyond the arc. If the other guys are struggling from 3, they don't bring much else to the offensive side of the table.

I'm at the Texas vs Kansas State game. Worried about Zips attendance? Texas has its entire upper deck covered with screens they project images upon.

Akron should do that on the tarps at the Florida neutral site football games.

I do not bet on basketball but if there were a line on Dawson taking and missing the first 3 of the game, money in the bank.

Some end up going JUCO and some go to lower levels of football. For a large portion, if they aren’t on a new team by summer, their football playing days are over.

Tavari!! Tavari!! Tavari!!

As much as the Zips three point shooting hasn't passed our collective eye test, the team is 6th in the MAC in three point shooting percentage and second in three pointers made. They are also first in three pointer defense, which helps ease the pain a little.

Akron hasn't won at Toledo since Zeke Marshall blocked 9 shots (IIRC all in the first half) in a 71-56 victory in January of 2013. Many of the games haven't been close, either. At one point, Akron had a similar drought against Buffalo but 11 years is pretty wild considering everything Akron has done over the years. Maybe we're due. I hope so.

This part was interesting to me. The NIL recruiting landscape is casting doubt, too, on the value of a scholarship. Multiple Group of Five coaches tell Yahoo Sports that Power Five programs, having hit their NCAA-mandated 85 scholarship limit, are adding players as “walk-ons” with collectives footing the bill for a scholarship through NIL. The NCAA permits at least 30 walk-ons. One Power Five collective director, in fact, acknowledged this trend, telling Yahoo Sports that they often “layer on top” an extra $50-60,000 to cover a walk-on’s tuition, books and fees. “They’ve got to make up what a scholarship covers. I get it. It’s smart,” Chadwell said. “But the NCAA needs to create a rule requiring players to sit out a year if they are not on full academic scholarship.”

Thornton doesn't belong in the same discussion as those guys. He is a classic 2-way PG who makes the most of his minutes as a distributor and defender. His numbers, though with limited minutes, reflect that. Scott has been the biggest disappointment. Dawson has at the very least had some moments, but Scott's shot has not come around. 29% in MAC play. He has also, save for the dunk vs. WMU, come up empty on fast break attempts repeatedly. The thing about each of these guys that still keeps them dangerous is the threat they are to make shots. It's not like we're surrounding Freeman with 4 Shaqs. While Akron lacks a 3-point sharpshooter, Hunter, Dawson, Scott, Ali, Tribble, Tavari, even Thornton all have shown the capability to be shooters. The archetype for the player Akron is "missing" wears #21 for Toledo. Keeping him in check back on 2/2 won Akron that game.

Great article. Thanks for posting. Like someone in the article mentioned, I don’t think the competitive divide at the top of G5 is as great as the monetary divide. At least, not yet. Purely speaking to the instances of P5 players wanting more playing time, we have some instances of that ourselves - Anthony Whigan, Alex Adams, Daniel George, Lorenzo Lingard, Shockey Jacques-Louis, KJ Martin, Curtis Harper. There are others that have contributed, but 5 of the 7 listed went on to be All-MAC. I was just talking with someone the other day and mentioned this has been the oddest offseason I’ve ever seen. Between an incredibly lackluster National Signing Day in February (that might as well be scratched at this point) to several head coaches willingly leaving their posts for either coordinator or positional jobs at P5s. I’m guessing this is just the beginning of what will soon become the new norm.

It's a way of saying taylor swift night and not getting the crap sued out of you

ah so, that makes sense... I was looking here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Akron_Zips_football_team?wprov=sfla1

Prather had two "hustle plays" that really stood out in the Buffalo game. The latter was a tip-away to stop a Buffalo fast break...he hauled ass down the court and prevented a wide open transition 3. I'm all for giving him minutes and putting some pressure on the guys who've been above him in the pecking order. Or, taking their place.

I don't think we know yet when our home games vs. away games are on the schedule. They've only let us know who our 4 home opponents and who our 4 away opponents are.

12 Questions Going Into Spring Ball 1) Who will be the starting QB? Chances are California grad transfer Ben Finley will be the starter upon completion of spring ball. He has proven experience at the P5 level and has been brought in to compete for the starting job. However, he has also been turnover prone and that particular issue could hold him back. Tahj Bullock has all the physical traits to be an elite QB in the MAC (if he ever puts it all together). That being said he must dramatically improve his decision making and accuracy. Otherwise, Bullock will continue to be a situational player. Will Steele Wasel be ready to toss his name into the conversation? He’ll have a chance to display his development going into his 2nd full spring. If none of the QBs are up to par, the staff may venture back into the portal. Keep in mind, Bullock was not signed until after spring was completed last year. 2) How will the carries be divided at RB? It’s almost a complete overhaul in the RB room. Gone are Lorenzo Lingard, Drake Anderson, and CJ Price. Only redshirt sophomore Charles Kellom and senior Blake Hester return (although, Hester is mostly used on special teams). Michigan State grad transfer Jordon Simmons has the most experience and will likely start. This may be the year Charles Kellom receives significant snaps. He will be pushed by Minnesota transfer Marquese Williams. Talented freshman Sean Patrick will not arrive until after spring concludes. 3) Is the WR room complete? After originally thinking this room was complete, it would not be a surprise to see more player movement due to staff changes. Veteran coach JD Brookhart knows what he wants from his players. That, coupled with a new offensive coordinator, may lead to some changes being made after the spring. As it stands, Alex Adams could be All-Conference again if fully healthy. Adrian Norton is set for a breakout year. There is plenty of returning talent, plus incoming JUCOs, to potentially make this a highly productive group. 4) Who will emerge at TE? Redshirt sophomore Jake Newell has All-MAC potential and will be the starter going into the spring. Mizzou transfer Max Whisner was running with the Tigers’ 2nd team at this time last year. The staff has kept snaps fairly balanced at TE, so it’s safe to expect both of the aforementioned to see plenty of snaps. Redshirt freshman Conner Cravaack redshirted, but has high upside and may carve out a role. 5) What does the OL look like? The offensive line usually takes the longest to develop in turnaround situations and it has been no different here. There is far more talent on the roster than when Joe Moorhead arrived and only one holdover from the previous staff (Colin Lyons) going into 2024. A number of combinations could take place, but best guess going from left to right will be Blanchard, K. Davis, T. Williams, Seymore, Kindred. Coach JRod is going to play 8-10 linemen per game and the depth is easily the best it has been. Regardless of what the starting lineup looks like, the OL will have size and athleticism. This should be the year the OL takes a significant leap. 6) Who will step up on the DL? The only major loss on the interior of the DL is Terray Jones to graduation. Lama Lavea is back, as is true sophomore Marcus Moore. Grad transfer Nathan Kapongo will immediately push for starting snaps as well, giving the Zips an impressive rotation of interior DL. CJ Nunnally returns, but may be hard pressed to replicate his 7 sacks due to the increased attention by offenses. Bennett Adler is back for his senior year and will be pushed by LaJoshua Jackson, Kabbash Richards, and Kam Cheatom. When asked about Cheatom last season, Moorhead said “Cheatom is going to be a star in this league.” 7) Is this the best LB corps in the MAC? Almost all of the linebackers that were voted All-MAC in 2023 are gone, while the Zips have their most productive players returning. Miami can probably lay claim to best linebacking corps going into the season, but Akron is not far behind…if behind at all. Former JUCO Antavious Fish finished the season with 94 total tackles, while junior Bryan McCoy collected 95 total tackles and was voted All-MAC Third Team. Former Illinois transfer Shammond Cooper became a vital piece of the defense and proved to be an excellent blitzer. Former JUCO Gage Summers, redshirt freshman Melvin Spriggs, and freshman Rich Benenge will see if they can lay claim to significant snaps. This room is flat out loaded. 8} How will the secondary shake out? The secondary is wide open with the only returning starter as Nickelback Darrian Lewis. Redshirt juniors Joey Hunter and Devonte Golden-Nelson should get first crack at the Cornerback spots. However, they have both yet to play a full season due to injuries. JUCO transfers Iesa Jarmon and Justin Anderson will arrive physically ready to contribute. Silas Proby, Zayden Laing-Taylor, and Catrell White redshirted last season and will have an opportunity to compete for snaps. Terence Thomas looked the part in the spring last year, yet did not see any defensive action as Darrian Lewis and Corey Thomas collected all the snaps at Nickel. All the starters are gone from Safety, meaning this will be a revamped group. Senior transfer Paul Lewis will likely be one starter as he was voted All-Conference at Cornell. Aman Greenwood was a part-time starter at Syracuse and will likely fill Corey Thomas’ role splitting snaps between Safety and Nickel. Oregon transfer Daymon David will also have an opportunity to collect starting snaps. This will be an important spring for redshirt juniors DiMarco Johnson and Neal Roach to find their footing on the depth chart. They will have redshirt freshmen Darius Owens and David Jester pushing them. 9) Which kicker will lock down the starting spot? Noah Perez has the most game experience and was 9 for 9 on PATs, but struggled with FGs beyond 30 yards. Owen Wiley was perfect down the stretch going 3 for 3 on FGs and 7 for 7 on PATs. His only two misses on the season came from beyond 40 yards. Ideally Dante Jackson will be left to just kicking off and punting. Competition is a great thing, but what cannot happen again is the musical chairs act that occurred last season. 10) How much different will the offense look in 2024? Probably not substantially different, but new offensive coordinator Taylor Housewright will certainly bring some new elements. Last year’s offense struggled through much of the season and was a disappointment compared to the year before. If a change was going to occur, this off-season was the right time to make it. 11) Can the defense continue to improve? The defense has improved in nearly every statistical category since Tim Tibesar’s arrival and all coaches on the defensive side of the ball return. The defensive front 6 (7) should be just as good, if not better, in 2024. If the secondary gels quickly, there is reason to believe the 2024 defense will be the best we’ve seen under the current staff. 12) How many wins should be expected? To start out, I’m guilty of ramping up expectations for what turned out to be a disappointing 2023. It’s hard to win many games without an adequate quarterback. DJI never returned to form, while Bullock and JU were inconsistent. 7 games were decided by one score and we only managed to win 2 of the 7. That’s tough. I’m not sure if there’s another team in the nation that has played, and lost, as many one score games as we have over the last two seasons. It’s time to get over the hump. Almost every team in the MAC will role out a new starting QB in 2024. If there was ever a year the MAC was wide open, 2024 would be it. Playing at Ohio State, South Carolina, and Rutgers seem like 3 losses on paper. If that turns out to be the case, 9 wins would be the max. On the flip side, I believe 6 wins and a bowl appearance should be the minimum.

we need Nate Johnson more than I thought we would

Saturday March 9, 5 pm, Michigan St at Akron Sunday March 17, 5 pm, Akron at Michigan Friday March 22, 7 pm, Akron at BUGS Saturday April 6, 5 pm Dayton at Akron Saturday April 13, TBD, Akron v TBD at Historic Crew Stadium

This is really all about football so I'll put it here. https://sports.yahoo.com/sec-big-ten-uniting-to-tackle-pervasive-issues-in-college-athletics--pressures-are-mounting-172832810.html G5 schools had better get together and come up with their own solutions, because whatever comes out of this won't benefit them.

Of course, the inability to draw a big crowd has everything to do with the cost of sodas and not the 9PM start. I can't imagine how uninterested I would be in going after working my butt off all week, coming home exhausted, having to haul my butt off to dinner, going to a late starting game and then not getting home until almost midnight. I'd probably give my tickets away to someone who actually would use them.

In essence, the athletic depart is subsidizing the cost of parking through cheap season ticket prices.

White hot. Dawson is 2-16 in his last three games.