Captain Kangaroo

I don't recall seeing any of the 4 defensive players you mentioned. They may have played, but I don't recall it. Dontae Pollard played quite a bit in the defensive backfield, and Darrian Lewis did too. #2 A. Williams didn't play. The RB's I mentioned were the only ones to see the field today. #54 Tyhler Williams did play. I like him! He's a tough kid...the kind that will get a push in goal line situations. I don't recall 56 playing, but he very well may have. I should have written down the OL groups. I'm out of practice.😡

I was able to stop by campus and take in this morning's scrimmage. Here's what I observed - Golden was the #1 punt returner (although punting in the low-ceiling Stiles Center is impossible). hen a punt hit the roof, someone would toss a high ball to the returner who'd run it back. No tackling. It was a full 4-quarter offense vs. defense scrimmage. Undercuffler took 60% of the snaps. Dijon took around 25%, and Wassel took maybe 15%? DJ Irons was in attendance. In good spirits, with no visible injuries. Just progressing through the long rebab from his shoulder surgery. Hester got a lot of carries. He had fun today. He's a good RB. Probably not in the Top 3 in the depth chart, but he wouldn't hurt us at the position if we had a decent OL. He also still seems like the #1 KR. Gathings made a few nice catches. He played quite a bit. Dijon is a tiny QB. He's a full 6" shorter than Undercuffler. He didn't have a great day. To be fair, he wasn't playing with the 1st stringers. Bu I can't see him pushing for the starter's job. Undercuffler threw a couple TDs, and also had a couple picks. To me he still looks like a very capable back up, but not someone who can carry a D1 team. Walking out of the building, I overheard someone say "that was the worst our offense has looked all spring." #22 Kellom got some carries, and two TD's (one, a 70 yard run). He's apparently has had a good spring. Neither #99 or #44 distinguished themselves kicking FG's. Granted it is tough to judge kickers indoors when their kicking into a net with taped goal posts. 6' 8" German import Bruno Dahl was seen trying a few 50 yarders after practice. He's obviously played some soccer in his day. 😁 Lingard #27 broke a nice 30 yarder early in the practice. He can go from a standstill to full speed on a dime. He was talkative and engaged the whole practice. Seems like a good kid. He also ran back a KO later in the practice. He could be a dangerous return guy. Wassel didn't look like he'll break any of Charlie Frye's records this season. If anyone was expecting him to push for a starting job in 2023, based on this scrimmage, I'd say you'll need to be patient. He has the tools, but will need time. #20 Price was in sneakers and a tee shirt. He had a little limp. Didn't play. #93, #95, #97, #9 were our primary DL's. #99 and #54 played a lot too. It was difficult to get a gauge on the defensive line play. The stands were folded up to allow the baseball team to hit in a cage, so you had to watch the entire scrimmage at field level. KJ Martin made a nice high-point catch in traffic. Jax Smith caught a pass from his HS teammate Steele Wassel Myles Walker got the nod as the #2 punt returner Wassel threw an endzone pick on a long pass to Dakota Thomas. Thomas told Wassel on the sideline "That was a great pass...not your fault." Thomas also had a potential deep TD catch ruled out of bounds (by a 1/2 step). Joe spoke to the team after the scrimmage and told them he was happy with the physical effort. He said it was the best he'd seen since he took over. "I'd rather ask you guys to dial it back than to beg you to play harder, so keep it up!" I can't attend the spring game next week, so I look forward to reading everyone's observations!

Heard through the grapevine- Lingard looks to be a significant upgrade to the RB position. Very fast, North/South runner. Strong too. Wasel looks to be as good as advertised. He makes the expected Freshman mistakes but he has all the tools. Dakota Thomas is turning heads at WR. He’s been a very pleasant surprise. I know it isn’t much. Hope to get more tomorrow.

Crazy to see Swimming and Diving, and Baseball out-pace Football donations? Thankfully Matt Kaulig stepped up with a 10k donation. I guess there are other avenues to donate, so Football is getting some money elsewhere? Basketball only made it 1/2 way? Kudos to the Soccer donors! And to everyone who donated...for a MAC Athletic Dept, $211,000 is nothing to sneeze at! Totals

With a board name like "LoyalZIP" you have to admit your steadfast support of Ali holds some irony.

Until ISO Ali starts crossover dribbling between his legs for 30 seconds and tossing up fadeaway 20 footers or losing the ball off his leg... If he returns, hopefully he's more humble, mature, and buys into the Groce-Teamism thing better than the first time around.

Wherever he ends up, I hope he finds true happiness. #Foreverazip...#ForeveraBulldog...#Foreverintheportal

Can the women's basketball team make a similar improvement? If so then Guthrie can begin puffing his chest out a little.

No eye-popping Year 1 Stats at EMCC I think he was a HS champ discus thrower?

That one hurts. Such is life in the Portal era...

He’s 6’7”, can jump out of the gym, finishes at the rim, plays great defense, hustles relentlessly, great head on his shoulders, has shown well against P5 competition…what’s not to like for an NBA team? Second round draft picks are like confederate money to NBA teams. I’d spend a late second rounder on Enrique and see how he could develop when he dedicates 100% of his time to hoops rather than 25% to hoops, and 75% to study tables. Fully immersed in basketball, with a professional coaching and training staff, he could develop into an NBA player. He has all the tools.

I wonder if he could become a "Mitch Cronin" and blossom with a bigger conference and budget?

I counted one A-10 team in the tourney this year? Even 25-8 Fordham, and 22-win Dayton were passed-over by the Big Dance committee. When Groce considers departing the Rubber City one day, how much weight will be placed on the fact that it's easier to win the MAC than is it to finish 3rd or 4th in many larger conferences? $600k+ per season, and a 30%+ chance to go dancing at season's end (he's perennially playing on Friday's and/or Saturday's in the MAC Tourney every year)? That's a pretty good gig.

I have to believe they are walk on offers?

Can I start a debate? 😄 To completely overlook the team Groce assembled in the COVID cancellation year because the didn’t make the NCAA tournament unfairly skews the coaching success comparison. That team would have lapped the field at Rocket Mortgage, and had the Zips best chance at a tourney win that we may ever see.

Thanks! They don't have him listed as a Pitt transfer on GoZips.

Who is the player George mentions from Pitt? It's loud in the background and I can't make out the name. Something like Jud Totinder?

Thank you very much for the kind words. I think is was roughly 18 years ago that we began ZipsNation.org. Seven of us met outside Porky's Shop and pitched in some money to get the site started. @Zip Watcher did the original heavy lifting to set up the server and work with Invision. He's also the guy that came up with the "ZipsNation.org" name. Now-a-days "XYZ Nation" is everywhere. Back then is was more novel...and pretty perfect. Although he doesn't post much anymore, he continues to help with the server updates and issues. And keeping the domain name valid. And probably some other stuff I'm unaware of. Beyond participating, @ZZZips helps fund the site, paying for the server. This is greatly appreciated. In addition to his stellar photography skills and posts, @Dr Z has taken over the technical side of things, installing the updates to keep the site modern and running smoothly. This is not his specialty...he has learned this side of the internet on his own and the site would not exist if he hadn't stepped up and volunteered to do this. I pay the bi-yearly Invision fees. And I am the "heavy" when things occasionally get out of control, or improper content gets posted. I'm happy that doesn't happen too often anymore. Which ties into the closing thoughts - At the recent March MAC tournament two different people whom I, at best, casually know approached me to say how much they enjoyed the ZipsNation site. And what a great community of members we have. This is a "community"...with are scores of "regulars" that keep the site fresh, informational and interesting. And there are several hundred "lurkers" who check-in daily. Keeping the discussions on a high/professional level is what I want. No "professional" like everyone should write like Grantland Rice, but that everyone should be civil and respectful. The class exhibited by this site's members allowed me and Dr.Z being able to work with UA on the athletics stories and photography up through the COVID era. Several coaches over the years have told me "I don't read ZipsNation, but I have people that do. And they tell me you run a nice site." Of course, when I asked newly-hired Rob Ianello if I could stop by his office and interview him, he stuck his open hand in my face and stated - "We had FIVE fans sites covering us at Notre Dame...FIVE!" In conclusion - thanks to everyone in this community for making the site fun and informational for 18+ years. Who knows how long it will continue, but those of us that fund and run it are grateful that so many of you enjoy it, and contribute to making it great.

That's the value of a great AD. The AD's that select a coach because he was from Notre Dame (Ianello & Faust)...the son/daughter of a famous coach (Will/Bo Ryan, Bill/Lisa Fitch)...a "NE Ohio" Girl/Guy...those AD's are a dime a dozen. They have no better acumen for selecting a coach that the everyday yutsz that calls sports talk shows all day long. How does Toledo reload year-in-year-out...coach-in-coach-out? Not just in football, but most other sports too. It's because they have high standards and great leadership. At best, that's been hit and miss at UA for the 38 years I've been in Summit County. Professionally - I've sat in on so many group interviews where the job candidate was poorly prepared, or lacked the acumen to do the job for which they were interviewing, and many other interviewers loved the candidate. Because they dressed well...spoke well...were from the same region or college...they never dug deeper than that. And the bums often get the job. AD's are no different. To me the jury's still out on Guthrie. We'll see how this hire goes. If he's a great AD, he asked the right questions in the interviews, called the guy's references and asked them the right questions, and went with a gut feeling based upon those discussions and what he knows are key elements to being a successful head coach at Akron...where your budget isn't big...you have scant NIL potential...and where your fan base is paltry. It seems really simple, but that's pretty much it. You need to be able to identify coaching diamonds in the rough at Akron. Jay Wright or Dawn Staley aren't knocking the door down to coach here. But "The Next Jay Wright or Dawn Staley" is out there and needs his/her break. A great AD will identify them. Then it's lather-rinse-and-repeat when they ultimately get hired away. If your mid-major athletic dept has high standards and great leadership, that's how it goes.

It isn't a discussion thread if someone espouses only their point of view, and won't listen to an alternate thought or perspective.

"A guy raised his hand and asked if I had any advice when it came to coaching women. I gave him a death-ray stare and said, 'Don't worry about coaching women, just go home and coach basketball'." -Pat Summit

Good call. The OL actually game him some holes at the end of the season. I hope Lingard makes an impact. I’ll keep my expectations low…he barely saw the field at RB during his long Florida stint.

I don’t remember him having one decent game. I wish him well, but…meh.