Captain Kangaroo

MAC offensive and defensive numbers Rushing #1 Defense – Akron #13 Offense – CMU You would think the Zips can completely shut down CMU’s running game? It’s interesting that CMU leads the MAC in Time of Possession, despite being last in the league in rushing? Defensive Sacks #2 Akron #13 CMU Will Woodson have all day to throw, especially considering we return 2 starting OL’s and Williams this week? Passing Offense Akron #12 Passing Defense CMU #1 If passing against BG was tough...passing against these guys might be even tougher. 4th Down Conversions CMU #1 Akron #12 BG’s 4th down conversions 2 weeks ago were backbreakers. It would be nice to move up for the #12 spot after this week. We’ll need to convert a couple to beat CMU. Red Zone Offense #1 – CMU #11 – Akron I don’t like that one bit. CMU’s Cooper Rush is the #2 rated QB in the MAC behind Matt Johnson. But he’s a distant 2nd. Hopefully facing the #1 QB so recently makes facing the #2 this week a little easier. We can only hope...at least CMU doesn't have a "Lewis" at WR.

How many years/decades will need to pass before an Ianello joke, or costume, would be considered funny? I'm guessing an Ianello costume in Lot 9 would generate a response similar to Santa at an Eagles game.

Clipboard in your pants.

Any decent themes for a Halloween tailgate?

It's a valid statement. Obviously it was not directed to "national" blogs like Hustlebelt, but to team-specific, "local" sites like ours. Probably not "like" ours...probably specifically ours.

Thanks to you and MD. I'm glad you liked it. I will try to do more in the future! I was talking to someone at UA and they said they were not allowed to deal with blog and message board sites under the previous administration. But now under Larry Williams, "we want to take advantage of any and all possible avenues to help fill our stands." Thanks to you, and scores of others, I think ZN.o has built up a good reputation as the "go-to" site for Zips-related information, news and discussion. That gives us credibility if we ask for media access. If we do a good job, I'm sure it will continue.

I may start a Free Throw Thread once the season begins. It will be NBFT, 24/7 (Nuthin' But Free Throws). We can discuss individual FT techniques, tendencies, righties vs. lefties, calculating the ideal number of bounces before a shot... even the controversial topic of Lane Violations is fair game. If free throws are going to increase, we need to embrace it.

Chipps Picks

Dr. Z and I traveled to BG to cover the game. We were both given credentials from the BG Athletic Department. You've already seen Doc's excellent photos. Below is my story on the game day. It was my first attempt at game day coverage beyond the scope of a standard ZN.o post. In hindsight, I can already think of 1,000 things I'd do differently. The implementation of some simple pictures would be first and foremost, perhaps in a traditional "blog" format. Writing from the press box instead of field-level would help too. Does any Zips fan want to relive a 59-10 beat down? Probably not. But if I spent an entire frigid Saturday in Bowling Green watching it...dammit I'm gonna post about it. With apologies for missing my post-game editorial deadline by over 1 week, here you go: Falcons Take It To My Beloved Zips...Again. (click to read) SAT OCT 17, 2015 by Captian Kangaroo — ZipsNation.org

“It’s hard to see yet because we’re mauling each other every day,” he said. “We haven’t made any adjustments. We talked a little bit more about keeping hands off. Other than that, we’ve spent very little time. Thirty seconds to me — we fling it up so fast it’s not going to matter. So we’ll see as it goes how it all plays out.” One thing to expect, Dambrot said, is more fouls to be called. “They’re going to call them from Game 1 to the end of the season,” he said. “I know that to be the truth, so we’re going to have to do a good job making sure we don’t foul because that is the great equalizer in the game.” Oh Joy. Just what the fans have been clamoring for.

I hope he went to Ohio State for the education, and not just to play football.

Other than a potentially close Buffalo/OU game, seems like an easy week for the MAC's upper-echelon.

Considering the state of our program only a couple years ago...where it was a legitimate question whether we could go .500 with a Division II schedule...I don't see getting waxed by Top 30 programs in 2015 as all that unfathomable. I wish we were more competitive against Top 30 programs, but we aren't there yet. We whipped ULL on the road, and whipped EMU on the road. Considering where we were at in 2012, that's substantial progress. Barring major injuries, we should win 4 more games this season. There's no way a 7-5 regular season is a disappointment.

It wasn't more than 2 years ago that those crappy teams beat the Zips. Often by embarrassing margins. Now we are beating them by embarrassing margins.

Nick's Picks Has the Zips winning. Historically, he's pretty accurate. Better than most.

Lane has the tools to the the best WR in Akron history. Size + speed + hops, and elusive in the open field. The fact that Pratt ( ) , Davis and Wolf have also become viable receiving options will help keep the Jerome's coverage honest. McNeil is also starting to see some balls thrown his way. The 2015 Zips have an offense? Who'da thunk it?

So they tore up a sorry, lame duck UMass program. Big whup. Zips key is pressure on the QB. And not hanging their heads if BG gets a big play or two. Accept the fact that BG will get a couple big splash plays, and focus on the winning the war. We held a good OU offense scoreless for 3 quarters, and suffocated ULL and EMU. If the Zips play solid D, they'll hold BG to 31. And I know the Zips can post 38 or more against a defense like BG's. If Woodson is on...and he has been as of late...his passing opens up the run. And we'll have a nice day on the ground. Between him, Hundley and Alexander, 151 yards is a given. Holding Johnson to less than 399 is tough. I think 400 was a good over/under number. But Coe will swat a few down, Marcus and Brown will be in the backfield plenty, and I think we can do it. There will be no stat-inflating garbage time in this game. Zips 38 BG 31

BG 28 Buffalo 22 That score gives me confidence that the Zips can beat BG.