Captain Kangaroo

Being an old timer, I recall a Lee Owens team starting off a season something like 0-7, with horrific QB play, and Lee pulled Greg Gromek’s redshirt. And the Zips won their last 4 games. I’m hanging myself in my basement using a crudely assembled noose right now, so I can’t verify that exactly. But that was my late-90’s recollection. stupid electrical cord keeps breaking…guess I’ll have no choice but to go to the Kent game. 🦅 🦨

At least we know our preference is - Death By 1,000 Turnovers.

Pop goes the weasel…

Pop goes the weasel… Hes reached his 2-turnover limit. Tahj Time. Death by a thousand turnovers, or death by a thousand 3-and-outs? Tough choice.

You can crank on the Jack in the Box handle for only so long before the interception puppet pops out. It’s just a matter of time….

Strong wind at his back.

This gives me flashbacks to the NIU game...who knows how many yards Stewart could rack up? Does he hit 250? I'd start Undercuffler. Put him on a 2-turnover max leash. In goal line and short yardage situations, bring in Bullock...he's exceptionally good there. The Blake Hester led the Arth-era Zips to a blowout win against the Falcons a couple years ago, so anything is possible. If Tibesar can stop the run, the Zips could break through...but I won't bet the house on it. BGSU 31 - Zips 17. Zips offense scores on their first drive, and the defense gets a pick 6. Perez nails a 43 yarder. Other than that, Joe Dunn doesn't get many highlights for his show.

He'll be 24 in January...at some point college has to end.🙂

I was listening to the NFL Network a few months ago and Bill Polian was being interviewed. Speaking about drafting Peyton Manning, he said - "You don't want to know how close we were to drafting Ryan Leaf. It was a dead heat. In the end, Leaf didn't want to show up for a 3rd interview, and Peyton did, so we went with him." So even at the highest level of football, with miles of film, the combine, and personal interviews conducted by people whole's sole job is evaluating talent...it can be tough to judge between a complete loser, and an all time great.

If he was at Southern Utah, and Bandago, who was at Utah Valley, thrived under him, he definitely is an amazing coach!

NIL, SCHMIL… Our G5 competition isn’t shelling out big NIL money to get players. That’s for P5 programs. Pro teams like the Cowboys or Mets shell out huge money every year and win nothing. The Guardians are always competitive, with 1/3 the budget. You think if Kaulig donated 50k to UA we’d spend it on anything but a sack of beans and some shiny trinkets? The next Getsy, Frye, Johnson, Washington, Jacquemain, Woodson…Dalton Williams…whomever… is out there and it doesn’t take 50k to identify and develop them. Big off-season for Joe in the QB department.

Dumb dump passes.

After our TD, do we go for 2?

Never so happy to see a 34 yard punt.

Will our punt make it to our own 40 yard line?

Is the demoralized D invigorated by our offense showing a pulse?

If Undercuffler moves the ball whatsoever, make him the QB for the rest of the season. Bullock just can’t throw, and he’ll be a junior next year. It’s too late to learn. Make him a slot receiver next season, or he can move on. So unbelievably tired of watching inept football for 5 years.

The great thing is, when Groce leaves after this season, he can follow him without having to sit a year. I kid... Sort of... Is the year before a commit arrives on campus too soon to worry about him transferring? Or have I just been a Zips fan for too long?😄 🙃 Seems like a great catch. The reload after our 2024 Sweet 16 run looks to be fun too!

Crazy to have a soccer match on a Saturday night. I guess since Xavier doesn't have football, it makes sense. My son presently goes to UC. He may don his old Zips gear and make the 5 minute trip north for the match!

Wisconsin, Ohio, Miami (OH), Minnesota, Northwestern, Wake Forrest, Virginia, Kansas, Kansas State, Eastern Michigan, Duke, Kent State…all are teams with prolific droughts, spanning several years, that began winning. I’d list more, but I can’t justify the typing for someone who thinks Morgan State is in the SEC.

Here are a few random thoughts as we seemingly trudge into the second half of the season... The CMU game isn't a "must win." But is would be an "unbelievably a huge, uplifting win" game. Since 2018, any sort of Zips win has been followed with such a lengthy string of losses that you hardly remember it. We need a win in the worst way. Bullock is the obvious choice to finish the season. Undercuffler COULD win us a game or two...just as easily as he could throw us out them. Bullock has a chance to be the QB of the future, and this is the best opportunity for him to learn. And he does need to learn...he is far from a polished product. At least throwing the ball...running is a different story. He looks really good running the option near the goal line. And nifty when scrambling too. I'd LOVE to see him hit on a few long pass plays this week. I miss Alex Adams. He was such a difference maker last year. Drake Anderson is a good RB. But he doesn't break many tackles. I would love to see Kellom start getting some carries at Drake's expense. Like Undercuffler, Drake is a Sr and has had ample opportunity show his stuff. We're 1-5...time to get Kellom ramping up for 2024. Joe mentioned in his show that OL is the most difficult position to fill from the portal, since "everyone is looking for them, and there just aren't many out there." That why our OL discards were gobbled up by the likes of East Carolina and Liberty. If you're over 6' 2", 300 lbs, someone will take you. Losing Landers (grades) and Whigan (grad) didn't help us this year. I hope a lot of our incumbent guys stick around and get bigger/stronger for 2024. There's no guarantee anything worthwhile will magically appear in the portal. I still believe in Joe. Nothing in his past shows he won't turn this around. He can't be fired due to his contract ( I guess Kaulig could always buy it out). Guthrie would be a laughing stock if he fired such an accomplished coach only 2 seasons after undertaking The Mother of All Rebuild Projects. So he's back next year 100%. Heck...Faust and Owens got 9 years each. I knew a few guys from the Owens era. They always spoke of the frustration of the offense (who was always very effective), because the defense would be lucky to force 2 punts in any given game. "Do we have to put up 48 today to have a chance?" was a common jab at the defense by one OL. It's the opposite now. Other than a couple Irons runs, and maybe two Lingard breakaways...they've been really bad every week. No identity...no rhythm. No fun. What's the over/under on explosive plays by the Zips offense this week? I'd guess 1 or 2? In garbage time? That is the most puzzling thing about the 2023 Zips. This season has not been any fun. Ditto 2018 through 2022. A win against Kent, and either CMU or BG is the bare minimum I need to start feeling optimistic about 2024. Man, it would be nice to get a win in Mount Pleasant.

You could be right. Why not him? He’s been unstoppable.

A good reminder that, no matter how bad things get, there’s always someone worse off than you.

Cristobal could have used him tonight. What a colossal blunder vs GT.

They surrendered 280 yards and 4 TDs to a 1-4 NIU team’s running back on 13…yes, 13 carries. I can’t excuse that level of giving up.