xu9697

Nice article. I think with the Cunninghams and maybe D'Orazio, there might finally be some nice size at the Safety positions.

I find two things interesting: 1. His first highlight in the cutup is an interception. 2. He plays under center a lot= hard to find in HS football lately, and you can see why Ianallo wanted him. He also throws off his back foot in one play, throws a low one to the RB and throws some high ones with some great catches by his WRs! He does some nice things on there as well, but it isn't the best cutup in the world. I find it more funny than accurate....if those other schools were looking at him, I'm sure he is going to be fine.

From that ESPN write-up (what is offered for free): ESPN Analyst Updated 06/08/2011 Boyd is a really savvy, good football player that you just wish was a little bit faster for the position. He has adequate height and is a well built athlete with some functional strength at an early stage. He is a tremendous pass catcher and specializes in making the acrobatic.... Sounds like a perfect MAC recruit...and LOVE the "tremendous pass catcher".

Thanks for posting. Always fun to hear him!

No matter what someone thinks specifically about what is right or wrong with the current uniforms, we need something new. A new coach with this much new energy and 3 years of watching the players in those uniforms...just time for some change. We can throw out the old ones as the worst 2+years of UA football.

Personally, I like the addition of gray but still feel a sliver of gold should be located somewhere. Also, screw that article: Xavier at least, by wearing gray, is wearing their school colors!!!! Dadgum!!!

Though it is rare, Boston College has had two corners in the last few years who were 6'4. Lenny Walls is the most prominent, but Jim Noel has played there as well (and played safety). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenny_Walls

No way. It will be held in Detroit!!!

Agree with others= I appreciate your research and keeping us up-to-date. You go, ZTZ!!!

It has to be the worst design I have EVER seen. It can be tough choice= do I want my back to kill sitting on seats without a back or do I want my view blocked the whole game. Seriously, this is not a matter of "I don't believe in the 'build it and they will come'" scenario. The fact of the matter is the JAR has to be one of the worst designs for a Division 1 program out there, which leads to "no way am I going to a game there."

Exactly. Especially in this day of 60 inch HD TVs, the question often becomes, "why go to the game when it looks exactly the same on my TV as it does in person?".

Yeah...personally, I would have much preferred starting a new thread! Honestly, with a guy Bowden, I think a bit of flash is needed on the unis. While it is funny what another poster said about tire marks (showing that we have been run over), I still think it could be a cool idea. Despite what CK says, something like that is becoming common...duck wings for Oregon, turtle shell for Mayrland, even stained glass for Boston College. And just look at Nike and what they do with basketball unis at Duke, Ohio State, UNC, etc. Celebrating tires and blimps is better than canal rats and hamburgers!!!

I live on the West side of Cleveland and go to 3-4 CSU games a year and about 1 Akron game at the JAR every 1-2 years. If a more comfortable venue is built for UA basketball, I can see myself going to 2-3 games PER YEAR, replacing 1-2 CSU games. It never is one or the other. Football has a great venue but a terrible team= poor attendance. Basketball has a good team consistently but a terrible venue= lackluster attendance. Soccer has a championship team and a great venue= great attendance.

If we want to go the Oregon/Maryland route, we will need to think about tire marks on our shoulders or kangaroo paws somewhere. Or rubber tire helmets! Or something with the blimp. Get creative! Cincinnati does the claw marks on football pants and basketball unis. I think traditional with a bit of flash would be a nice reflection of what we are and what we want to be (we being UA, NE Ohio, Akron, Bowden).

G-mann hit it right on the head. This isn't going to be like InfoCision. If this was strictly going to be a UA project, it might take 10+ years or require consistent sell-outs. It is more about what the city, investors, developers, etc. see going on in Akron with downtown and university development and how it could potentially support such a project. If UA was doing it..bball only. But I think we have to accept that this will be about a lot more than UA. Maybe not the most ideal situation, but I believe it can work and work well for UA and Zips basketball.

And based on the offense that was run, the fact that he was a high recruit that came here...that did make sense. I would hope the kid takes the advice of Bowden/Amato and plays the position that he is best suited for and that is best for the team.

Winning! Duh!

I am a uniform junkie!! Definitely prefer the more traditional look, but like some of the newer looks. I really like what Oklahoma State did this year. I also really like the matte finish that Baylor, Cincinnati and others have used with their helmets. I think the white helmet thing might be overdone a bit, so I prefer not to do that...though it would be a good look. A blue matte alternate helmet might look really nice with a gold jersey and white pants (home). Otherwise, an updated gold/blue/gold at home and maybe gold or blue lid, white jersey and white or gold pants at home. Please stay away from chrome/non-school colors in general, BUT the new grayish/silver color the basketball team uses is nice. Speaking of that...it is still a hinderance and, I believe, quite an anomaly in today's world to have different brands for all sports vs. at least one sport....really need to get it all under one brand!!!

I have suggested just that same thing in other threads. Really, how could he not? I haven't looked at Bowden's offense enough, but I can't imagine a FB is used too often. And nothing says that he can't still play FB situationally (I have seen it before with Boston College playing one of their best LBs and RB/FB in short yardage situations a few years ago).

I think the bigger issue with Nicely succeeding, if anyone "in the know" here is right, is that he doesn't command the huddle. Perhaps a guy like Bowden can help his confidence and get him going in the right direction. I have not watched the youtube videos of Bowden's O yet, but I will say this (if QBs remain the same next year): If the QB is not going to be asked to run much, I think Nicely very well could be the starter. If it is more of a mix, than I think it becomes a battle between Moore and D'Orazio. Not sure how much film Bowden will watch from last couple years on Nicely and Moore. He might be the type of coach that doesn't bother with that and makes his opinions based solely on what he sees in HIS offense in the Spring and Fall. I think there is little doubt that in today's college football, it is harder to find a QB for a mostly under center/pro-style offense because SO MANY HIGH SCHOOLS use the spread and/or shotgun almost exclusively it seems. So getting these 2 guys back into an offense they are probably more familiar with will prove beneficial. Perhaps not MONUMENTALLY beneficial, but it will be better.

TOTALLY agree! Seriously, though...21 year old kid from Springfield, OH...chance to go live in Arizona for "free" for a year and play the sport he loves. Chance to see LA, the Pacific Northwest, etc. Every school has hot chicks, but, c'mon...it is summer ALL THE TIME in AZ. Ladies in bikinis, tank tops, etc. for 9+ months. Brian...you have done your time at THIS UA. Go get them, my man! God speed!!!

I will be shocked if Wagner makes it as anymore than a special team player in the NFL. I would LOVE to see him in the NFL, whether he goes to UA, UA, OSU, UC, etc. Again, I think this is about more than the NFL.

They play the 3-3-5 (RichRod does), so Wags would be familiar with that from JD's first year. Can't blame a kid for leaving Ohio for a year in Arizona.

In all honesty, if he truly wants to transfer, his best bet is going to Cincinnati. He is from Springfield, UC might be down next year but still would be hard to not be 6-6 and bowl team. UC is a similar type campus (urban) and they have a good coach with good defense and a positive environment. I am not ENCOURAGING him to go at all, but based on his background, UC's background, the situation...UC would be near the top of the best type of place for him.

I am a bit confused about all this. What do we really know? I did not go bach through every post in this chain, but my understanding is that Wagner has put in whatever paperwork that he wants to be "eligible" to transfer. Other than that, Rasor mentions wants more exposure for NFL and some Buckeyes' forums mention getting him. Could it just be that he wants to go to a progam that is likely to get wins and go to a bowl next year, which means NOT Akron and NOT Ohio State and, really, NOT NFL focused.