Captain Kangaroo

If you are a redshirt, or a transfer, or injured, you can't participate in games but you can still practice and be under scholarship.

If they were dismissed from NC State in April 2016, I don't see any way they are eligible for the Zips in 2016. The only players not on the roster are ones not academically eligible. If academics are good, but they transferred, they can still be shown on the roster.

Nice job, Rob.

Big win still paying dividends 10 years later?

Others interested in Moris include...

I think he learned it here. Nice report by George. But I wish he'd have also mentioned, in addition to him getting kicked off Michigan's team, that he graduated in only 3 years. That's why he has 2 years remaining.

Will the Zips see a familiar face when they play Georgia Southern?

He seemed to be a very likable kid in his Coach's Show appearances last year. From what I understand, smart too? I guess if he's going NAIA, that pretty much tells you why he left. I wish him a great college career.

Doubt it. He'll make an impact. We're going to have 3-4 wideouts at any given time. If he's at the TE position, who covers him? He's not the traditional lumbering TE that an LB can cover. I think he's really going to put the pressure in the opposing defensive coordinator to pick his poison. Go small on the line (safety or corner) and try to contain MTB. In that instance, a big back like Ball will have an advantage. Or, go big on the DL...and the quicker MTB is going to catch some screens/slants and run a long way. On paper, MTB's work in the weight room should give him the ability to hold his own blocking on the line vs LB's, and flatten MAC safety's and corners. We'll see how it plays out on the field.

I agree the casual Akron fan doesn't know the difference between Valpo and American, but those "fans" wear Ohio State gear and don't come to games anyhow. To the real Akron fans, the ones that actually buy tickets, attend games, and fund the Program, they know Valpo would be an awesome opponent: 20+ wins, year-in-year-out. NCAA appearance 2 of the past 3 seasons, with the lone "miss" being an NIT appearance where they made it to the finals. I can't imagine how excited I'd be about Zips basketball if we could have a 3-year run like that one. I know...Valparaiso doesn't have a football team...blah blah blah... We could get a home-home with Valpo if we wanted it. So there must be another reason we don't play. Reviewing how Valpo's fared over the past 3 seasons with the Zips recent post-season resume...I can probably guess what it is.

Just curious...how many App State fans would you expect to make the trip to Akron. 300? 1,000?

USA Today's Take Not sure what you learn about the Zips in the piece, but you do learn a little about the rest of the MAC.

Addressing the 5 points as follows: 1.) I feel bad that I experienced a lot of meaningless post season pride when the Zips traveled to Boise and beat Utah State in a bowl game. In retrospect, what a meaningless post-season exhibition it was. I watched the replay a couple nights ago. Too bad those Zips players and coaches...the suckers that they are...took pride in that win. They should realize the only games that count are the championship finals. We should have stayed at home with the Kent fans. 2.) I will be the first to admit - I was on the sidelines for the BG/UA tilt. I was really impressed by BG, and wrote a fairly detailed account of the game...in all it's gory detail...with the summary that BG was a high-level MAC program on a roll, that steamrolled the not-ready-for-prime-time-Zips. I'll stand by that Game Day critique. That said - that regular season game has little to do with the bowl game vs. Georgia State. When coached by a substitute teacher, anything can happen. GS was motivated, and BG seemed discombobulated/unmotivated. They were up at halftime, and then had two turnovers deep in their own territory in the 3rd qtr. They couldn't recover. That's football. Tough to excel when your dad leaves the family for another woman. It kinda bums you out. Props to Georgia State on a meaningless exhibition win for their program. 3.) I've never seen a MAC fan look down on another conference. No one would be that stupid. 4.) If the Zips turned 1-A after winning a couple 1-AA championships, we'd have had a much bigger bandwagon...one like ASU. But we have shot ourselves in the foot for a quarter century instead...and no one should be shocked that the stands are empty. Thank God Bowden took a chance on the Zips. Kiss the guy's feet the next time you see him because he turned water into wine for the first time in about 2,000 years. <Insert footnote>: ASU won the D1-AA Championship three consecutive seasons 2005, 2006, 2007 before they beat Michigan. Compare that to any stretch of Zips football...ever. Yes, even the vaunted 2010-2012 Zips seasons. 5.) I would love to see a strong App State road crew at InfoCision. That makes for a fun college football environment! That's what it should be like every fall week in Akron...if you compete for championships and win bowl games. Big fan of K92. Look forward to some stout this fall. But I can't hit the "like" button on the post. My opinion differs. I thought Bowden did an awesome job getting the 2015 Zips better week by week. Even in the October losses, you could see the team was on the cusp of turning the corner. In November, they did. And in December, they made history. Can't wait for the 2106 season to kick off!

Curious to see what our resident Graphic Designers have to say about this one

Sayles Stats His HS team looks like it went 5-17 last season?

He has a track record of that behavior.

I think he meant was referring to my post, which was particularly scathing and disrespectful:

Hopefully at the season's end, we're in 1st place in the East...like the predicted 3rd place team in the West always ends-up.

Looks like he's dropped some additional weight? And, a new hair cut.

Don't buy this beer. I have 5 of them left in my refrigerator and don't know how I will suffer through them. Squeeze watermelon rind juice in a Fat Tire and you'll get an idea of what this nasty swill is all about.

How will that help the MAC and it's football members? Saving 22 scholarships is a wash when you compare it to the loss of TV money and exposure. Probably worse... What benefit is 1-AA football to Toledo?

Watch out

I’ll give 8 quick thoughts – 1.) Interesting that Ball is listed as the #1 back already. That’s exciting to see. He must have made a good impression since he arrived on campus. 2.) In passing situations, we can have 5 wideouts, including – Lane, Natson, Wolf, Traylor-Bennett, and <insert next best wideout here>. That will be awesome. 3.) NOW we finally have some line depth. And a ton of Juniors. That really bodes well for next year. Hope we bring in a lot of Freshman OL’s in the ’17 class and redshirt them. Then we’ll really have some solid long-term depth for the future. 4.) Kicking position scares the bejeebers out of me. 5.) I’ll be disappointed if Jones doesn’t overtake Hope for the starting FC job. 6.) Our DL looks awesome. 7.) Junius has the leg up on Bell? That’s another battle that bears watching in camp. 8.) I love our secondary. Linebacker still seems to be a glaring weakness. Hopefully we get some pleasant surprises. The PT is there for the taking for whomever wants it.

What about Swenson's?