Ryno aka Menace

It's not a bad article, it's pretty much what you'd expect.Here is the link http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/story/5705506 It wasn't like Akron was fantastic in its MAC title winning season, but it was fantastic when it had to be.After not getting a deserved bowl bid in 2003 or 2004, the Zips took matters into their own hands and got an extra game by winning the MAC championship on a thrilling last minute pass to Domenik Hixon. It was a strange season with unforgivable losses to Army and Ball State mixed in with a home loss to Central Michigan and a blowout at the hands of Miami University. But when the Zips needed a win, it got one beating Northern Illinois twice and catching East rival Bowling Green without Omar Jacobs. Now J.D. Brookhart's crew wants to do even more, and it has the talent to do it with 16 returning starters led by what should be one of the MAC's best defenses. To get back to the championship game and earn another bowl bid, the Zips have to be far more consistent and get steadier play out of both sides of the ball. Akron Zips Team Information Head coach: J.D. Brookhart3rd year: 13-11Returning Lettermen: Off. 16, Def. 22, ST 1Lettermen Lost: 12 Ten Best Players 1. QB Luke Getsy, Sr. 2. DE Jermaine Reid, Sr. 3. NG Kiki Gonzalez, Sr. 4. LB Kevin Grant, Soph. 5. OG Andy Alleman, Sr. 6. OT Tim Crouch, Sr. 7. LB Brion Stokes, Jr. 8. SS Chevin Pace, Jr. 9. TE Kris Kasparek, Jr. 10. S John Mackey, Jr. 2006 Schedule 9/2 at Penn State 9/9 at NC State 9/16 at Central Michigan 9/23 North Texas 9/30 at Can't State 10/7 at Cincinnati 10/21 Miami (OH) 10/28 at Toledo 11/4 Bowling Green 11/9 Buffalo 11/16 at Ohio 11/24 Western Michigan -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- That won't be a problem for a defense with legitimate contenders for first-team All-MAC honors in guard Kiki Gonzalez, end Jermaine Reid, linebackers Kevin Grant and Brion Stokes not to mention four returning starters to a secondary that helped the Zips finish 16th in the nation in pass defense. Considering where the defense was a few seasons ago, to even be considered among the best in the MAC shows how quickly Brookhart and his staff have turned things around. The offense could be another story, at least early on, needing to replace the top receivers along with 1,000-yard back Brett Biggs. However, quarterback Luke Getsy should be able to build on a great end to 2005 and be one of the MAC's best passers, while all five starters return to what should be a top offensive line.If all things come together and the Zips get the play needed from all of their veterans, they're not going to need a miracle last second pass to win their second straight championship. The Schedule: It's a nightmare early with five road games in the first six and six road games in the first eight needing to survive non-conference games against Penn State and NC State before the MAC opener at Central Michigan. On the plus side, the big East games against Miami and Bowling Green are at home and three of the final four games are in the Rubber Bowl. The games against the West aren't all that bad missing Northern Illinois but playing Toledo on the road. Best Offensive Player: Senior QB Luke Getsy. He turned into a better passer as last season went on throwing for 868 yards over the final two games and finishing with 3,455 yards and 23 scores. He'll have to be even better this year with so much turnover in the receiving corps and in the backfield.Best Defensive Player: Senior DE Jermaine Reid and NG Kiki Gonzalez. The line wasn't always a rock against the run last season, but these two should be stronger with Gonzalez the MAC's best anchor and the 275-pound Reid a fearsome pass rusher. Key player to a successful season: Sophomore RB Dennis Kennedy. The Zips not only have to replace Brett Biggs' 1,230 rushing yards and ten touchdowns, they have to replace his 65 catches for 535 yards and four scores. The 209-pound Kennedy and fellow sophomore Alex Allen will bring a bit more speed.The season will be a success if ... Akron wins the MAC title. How do you shoot for anything less after winning it all last year? Even with seven road games a ten-win season is very possible as long as there's a second championship and a bowl victory.Key game: August 31st vs. Eastern Michigan. The Cardinals didn't win their first game last season until mid-October and didn't win their second game until almost November. Getting off to a great start with a win over a West Division foe like Eastern Michigan is a must; they can't afford to give away any home games.That last part makes no sense at all???!!2005 Fun Stats: - Second quarter scoring: Opponents 100 - Akron 54- QB Luke Getsy vs. Northern Illinois (2 games): 50-89, 819 yards, six touchdowns, one interception- Fourth down conversions: Akron 11 of 27 (41%) - Opponents 2 of 9 (22%)

I understand but what can we do if we don't have the money we don't have the money.....this ain't high school where you can have a car wash for some jerseys...according to people who are in the know we need millions...I understand we need to keep our coaches but we need to have elite facilities to keep elite players....this stadium need to happen and like now, there isn't gonna be a better time, after winning the conference and going to a bowl the only way it could get any better is by winning the bowl.

This sucks we start building and others start taking...I know it is inevitable but damn I know we should wish him well and all that but look at the bind this puts us in. I want publicity for winning not suppling the winners....and I think moving to IU is not a lateral move because it is the Big Ten and if Zook moves on inhouse people have first dibs on the new spot.

enough said!!!

Hmmm, I wonder what will be built in its place?

I think "big man" size is the one thing that really separates the "mid major" from the "major" in both basketball and football. Look at the difficulties we've had trying to get legit defensive linemen in football. The big boys get the kids with size and grades. We often get either:Grades, and hope they fill out to a decent sizeorDecent size, and hope they can make the gradesSometimes you get lucky with a Kiki Gonzales that was a prop 48, but subsequently got his academics squared away. Or a Jason Taylor, whom we go because bigger schools were afraid of his "home schooling" background. But you can hardly bank on that. LB's...RB's...DB's...even QB's are positions MAC schools can fill with talent that has a good mix of grades and skills. Being undersized isn't such a killer at LB, DB, RB, etc. When you play Penn State and you're undersized at DL, you're in trouble.In hoops, OSU gets the 7' 1" Parade all-americans. MAC schools need to get lucky and develop a John Edwards or Chris Kaman. NIU had a couple 7-footers on their roster this year and they were much closer to Matt Seibert than Chris Kaman. That's typically the rule rather than the exception.Maybe we get lucky with Bardo and he sprouts up a couple inches? That's the only way we'll ever get a solid 7-footer at Akron. But...I don't think we need one. You can win in the MAC with a 6' 8" center. And, if you're well coached and surround your 6'6" - 6' 8" front court with some good perimeter talent, you can win games beyond the MAC as well. Damn Captain..your on fire!!!

That is exactly my point, thank you.Also add higher quality home schedules, television exposure, more applications, higher quality students, more donations. We need the new stadium for all that to come into play. The Rubber Bowl is a primary contributing factor to poor attendance and low revenue.Winning team + new stadium = More fans, Higher ticker profits, More Parking Profits, more merchandise sales, More Alumni involvement on campus and subsequently more donations, more appeal to corporate sponsors, luxury boxes etc.You can only do so much with the 66 year old Rubber Bowl and it's fractured fiberglass seats. Even if you get 20k, the tickets are sold at a pretty cheap price w/a ton of giveaways and parking is $4.00. Damn, so once again we NEED this stadium project to get done!!!

I have a stupid question, with more wins = more ticket sales = more university income which in turn = more money for JD or is that wishful thinking.

Good point!! I didn't think of it that way....it's just I am sick of the Michigan and Penn States stealing Ohio talent. Hell ohio has kids going to Kentucky and Indiana just because of the conference they are in...and I feel they aren't any better than Akron. If we could get 20% of the kids that don't go to Ohio State we would be alot more competitive.NE ohio has fair weather fans when it comes to any team in the state except the buckeyes. Right now I think the biggest challenge will be putting people in the stands

1. We are not saying lets move right now, what we are saying what needs to happen to prepare us for "when" the Big East either breaks up or adds universities. - Like winning more MAC championships.2. We are talking about what we need to do to be a favorable choice. - Someone brought up a great point about media market and facilities.3. We are talking about when we "do" continue to have success and the opportunity is there "should we take it"I have alumni friends that feel they never want to go to the Big East no matter how well we do cause it is a conference that isn't much better than the MAC football wise (aside for WVU). Some see it as a minor step up with schools like Rutgers, UConn, and Syracuse. Some people would rather see us go to CUSA. I don't agree, personally feel that Conference USA isn't a step up at all. So what do you feel? Build up the conference we are in or move on? That is the question. I know...I know....lets not worry about moving lets worry about winning more MAC championships but last time I checked it was ok to set long term goals.So far I have heard GREAT comments, like media market, budget expense, travel demographics, being a single sport or all sport member. etc. This board is full of intelligent people, I just thought with all this intelligence there would be more optimistic views.Balki you may not wanna leave the MAC and that is fine, but do you wanna stay in the MAC if Toledo, Miami of Ohio, and BG leave?

Akron surprised everybody with their MAC title and first bowl game in like ... ever. Can you foresee an era of dominance from the Zips?-- Brett, Canton, OhioIt's all about quarterback play in the MAC, and the Zips have a good run going right now, first with Charlie Frye and now Luke Getsy, as well as a proven passing guru at the helm in head coach J.D. Brookhart. With the departure of Toledo's Bruce Gradkowski, Bowling Green's Omar Jacobs and Miami's Josh Betts, Getsy and the Zips have got to be right up there on the short list of title contenders once again -- but watch out for potential sleeper Eastern Michigan. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writ.../mailbag/2.html

I understand what your getting at by mentioning Media Market but what do you call Cleveland, and last time I check Virginia Tech, TCU, Boston College and Louiville are top 25 teams and they aren't located in a major market areas. Everyone can agree that California, Texas, Florida, and Ohio have the best football in the country...and you know what all the states mentioned have atleast 2 ta 3 teams that are in the top 25 at any given time except ohio.As far as taking Memphis before AU I would agree but right now that conference has only 8 teams, I bet they would add atleast 4 teams for a 12 team conference like most conferences...and we may not be able to compete in basketball right away but in football...syracuse, uconn, cinci, and rutgers are not that tough we could compete with any of those teams right now.

OK- everyone on this board I think at sometime has made a comment or suggestion concerning the Zips moving to the Big East. Some have the attitude that we should jump all over the chance and others have the attitude that "lets win more first or they are not in a hurry to be at the bottom of a different conference.My feelings about the scenario was split until i was enlightened by my 11 year old daughter. She overheard me talking about it with one of my buddies, and she simple said what i always preach to her. "You should take advantage of every opportunity because you may not get another." It is without a doubt gonna happen (the addition of more teams), we need to prepare ourselves for "advancement" whether it is in the Big East or the MAC.Lastly, NOTHING GETS ME MORE PISSED, then when people say Akron will always be a mid level school. I say that is BS. If you think small you will always be small.“If you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all that is left is compromise.â€

I say if JD beats Miami, one of the 3 BCS schools, and wins the MAC again or even comes close we make him the highest paid coach in the conference....By doing so I think we make a statement to our conference, fans, and the rest of the country that the ZIPS are for real and in due time will be the next big thing since pants with pockets. I think it is important that we have another successful season to proves last season was not a fluke. I admire JD and would like to see him be successful but lets be honest we did under perform against Army and Central Michigan, and for that reason I am not quite ready to just give him the farm. If he falls short or finishes second in the conference he gets a modest reasonable raise....Now IF he beats a BCS school, wins the MAC again, and wins a bowl game. I will seriously be worried then cause that is alot of progress in a short time and that is the recipe called "look'n 4 a new coach". No amount of money will keep anyone anywhere that's just the kind of world we live in, but you can atleast make him the highest paid in the conference if he is take'n it to em.

They are now they are in the Big East.

No, beating Ohio State would. But Penn State would come awfully close. Co-Sign that one!!! Beating the Buckeyes in football would thow the entire football universe out of wack!! It would be on ESPN for 3 weeks straight!!

I figured he already was already calling plays at the line, at the end of the year, that is why I thought the offense was running better. Oh well....I feel comfortable with this unleashing "as long as he studies game film". It doesn't do any good to know a bunch of audibles if you don't know when to call them. Sounds like JD is brewing up a plan to knock off Penn, Cinci, and NC State.

Maybe he will get moved to another position like WR

There is an article on Mack in the new alumni magazine. He speaks about the new stadium.I keep meaning to scan it and show it to you guys (who don't get the alumni magazine)I don't think it is offered online anywhere? What did he say about the stadium?

I don't think we will hear anything right away. For now lets just hope he gets invited to the fall work-outs.

THat is cool, He was gone by the time I got there but I heard he had one incredible leg.

http://proxy.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2438046and1. Which MAC team pulls the annual upset of a BCS conference school? It happens every season -- last year it was Ohio shocking Pittsburgh. This year, with more home games against I-A opponents and more BCS-level teams on the schedule than ever, there are a number of possibilities. Two jump to mind: Iowa had better be ready when Northern Illinois interrupts the Hawkeyes' Big Ten focus with an Oct. 28 visit, and NC State is forewarned for its Sept. 9 home game against Akron.http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2438487

Well everyone all doubt is gone who will be the starter for the Cleveland Browns.The San Francisco 49ers acquired a proven backup quarterback for Alex Smith, getting Trent Dilfer from the Cleveland Browns on Thursday in a trade for quarterback Ken Dorsey and, according to ESPN.com's John Clayton, a seventh-round pick in the 2007 draft.I am not worried about Frye losing his job to Dorsey because most Florida QB fizzle out in the NFLHere is a link to the story.Browns trade Dilfer to Niners for Dorsey, draft pick

didn't notice but i would of thought he would have been a third rounder must have had a bad combine performanceand what about Garrett Wolf is he coming back?

Great another reason to dislike the Steelers...Go Browns!!!