Captain Kangaroo

Trust me...Elton Alexander is on our board daily. I hope he appreciates us linking to his column.Commenting on his column on the PD site won't change anything. Our coverage is what it is.

How do we know QB is bad? Maybe the guy has improved? I know...and monkeys might fly out of my butt too. But Jack is our QB, and he's had 9 months to mature. I'm going to see what he can do in 2008 before burying him. Maybe...just maybe he surprises us all?

"0" = 100% guaranteed loss. 1 = 100% guaranteed win.Wisconsin - 0.05Syracuse - 0.4Ball State - 0.45Army - 0.6Cincinnati - 0.4Ke.nt - 0.51BG - 0.6EMU - 0.5Toledo - 0.55Buffalo - 0.6OU 0.45Temple 0.45On paper that's 5.61 wins...I'll round it up to 6.To me, 6 wins is what we SHOULD get, based upon the highly complex algorithm utilized above. The only essentially sure loss is Wisconsin. Syracuse is at the lowest point in their history. We have a really good shot at them if we're healthy and prepared. Nothing would please me more than to see the home town Zips hang an "L" on Delone Carter's squad.We have a great shot at Cincinnati. But I am really dubious that we can score enough points, and sustain enough drives to beat them. Someone wrote that the hallmark of JD's era was the comeback. I think it is the ability to hang tough with decent teams...even stomp on them for the first quarter or two, then rack up astronomical amounts of 3-and-outs. We did it at Cincinnati a couple years ago. we did it at the Motor City Bowl, we did it at NC State, UConn, Temple...you could even throw the Ohio State game in if you were so inclined. We LOVE to compete early, then disappear. The only way we beat Cincinnati is if we don't offensively go stone-cold after about 18 minutes. We'll see what the staff can do about that.K.e.n.t sucks. Forget Phil Steele, forget whomever writes that, after 35 years of futility, THIS is K.e.nt's year. Ken.t blows, and we should beat them. But we blew the last time we played in Dix, so I'm leery. I hope JD pounds those hillbilly bastards. The K.e.n.t. loss was a watershed mark for Lee Owens. IMO - this is a game JD MUST win.BG lost 65-7 to Tulsa in a bowl game. That is the most embarrassing loss in MAC history. The Zips moved the ball with ease against BG last year...but Fumbles McLollypop yanked defeat from the jaws of victory at every turn. I don't see that happening in 2008. At home. On homecoming. In front of 4,000. I thing 50% of BG's defense in in jail this fall, and that will be a big help too.EMU - They're bad. But it is a road game. Flip a coin. We SHOULD win...if we're a good team.Toledo - They haven't been a factor in the MAC for a couple seasons. Too bad, because the conference misses having a "marquee" program very badly. But, "it is what it is," and Toledo is...bad. Buffalo - Those guys still suck. You know how JD was the hot coaching commodity 2 years ago? Then dropped off the face of the earth? Look for Gill to follow suit. No way Buffalo beats the Zips in consecutive seasons.OU - Maybe the team should stop in Lancaster to have some lasagna with the McKnight's on the way down to Athens? We always play like crap down there. If we were a good team, we beat them. OU won't be anything special in 2008.Temple - It is a coin flip game that's at their house. Gotta give the Owls the edge. That said - Temple stinks. We should have shut them out last season if our offense wouldn't have gone into the "prevent." Could be a big game for JD...7 wins is a "lock" to secure his spot running through the tunnel at Infocision in September 2009. The Temple game may be make/break for a contract extension, or termination.Lock-ti-up Prediction of the Season:Our defense will have three of the top 12 defensive players in the MAC in 2008. Bain, B. Williams and Sewell will be game-changers. Kevin Grant is on the cusp. 3-3-5...4-3-4...it doesn't matter. The Zips D will be awesome this year. No worries at DB whatsoever. Fattest Question Mark of the SeasonCJ11/"Jack" - If Rodgers is our QB this season...no offense to him...but we're in trouble. We need Jack to step up. He's a 4th year Junior. If a redshirt Fr. beats him out, that's bad.Jinx of the SeasonWe haven't been this stacked at RB since Hendry, Payne, Basch, Gray and Co.Long Shot "Impact" Freshman - Hassan Hazime. This kid can play. I didn't see any camp to know if he'll emerge this season or not, but he'll be awesome.Less of a Long Shot - Aaron Williams. He's an awesome athlete. We'll see how quickly he adapts to defense.Wish I could write more, but lunch is done. Maybe I'll finish tomorrow.

#1#2

Elton on a roll...

Me neither.

I'll tell you after Saturday.

Once again, we see mention of Andre Jones playing on both sides of the ball. This brings up a question in my mind. Will Andre still be returning punts given this increase in workload? And if he does, I sure hope he has the most endurance on the team.Dwight Smith saw spot action at WR, returned kicks and played full-time DB. The best players on your team can do that stuff. The more Jones is on the field, the better.

I've never seen someone directly copy what I wrote on our own board before. That's a first.

I made my 2nd consecutive golf outing. It was a GREAT time! Thanks to the U and staff for making is such a great event!All the coaches were out and about during the event...I ran out of questions to ask them...and I didn't think that was possible?The golf itself would have been a lot better if I didn't f-up my back earlier in the week. Playing with a wrenched back for 18 holes sucked. But I don't think anyone cares about that but me...Regarding the incoming freshman, KD really couldn't say all that much. There's no practice until October 15th, so other than hearing general scuttlebutt regarding some open gym performances, October 15th is going to be kinda like Christmas for him. It isn't until then that he has a real good idea what he's got under the tree.Steward is 100% healthy and doing great.The entire team is a lot bigger. Serious weight training has occurred since the end of the '08 campaign.The 2008-9 schedule is expected to become clearer this week. As some have already stated, there are too many tourneys, and not enough teams to fill them. Thus it is a game of chicken to see which ones will fold first. Then there will be a scramble to scoop up the newly-found "free agents." The existing "Eastern K.entucky" tourney is great, on paper, because the Zips would be guaranteed 3 neutral court games against solid mid-majors, plus Mississippi State. If that tourney falls through...and it may...the Zips schedule balance might get screwed up. Neutral court games vs. like-level opponents are eminently more appealing than playing away games vs. "major" or "high mid-major" opponents. Especially with the Zips being so young. We'll see how it all shakes out shortly, but schedule balance will dictate where and whom the Zips play. Wright State is in a similar situation as the Zips. If no tourney matches up with our needs, you might see them on the Zips schedule.The Zips all time leading scorer...former leading scorer in the nation...showed up at the Zips golf outing in...a North Carolina hat??!! To me, that's more egregious than LeBron wearing a Yankees hat. C'mon Joe...go to Lidz and spend the $20.00 on a nice Zips hat. Don't wear another college's logo on your dome at your alma mater's alumni golf outing.The only worse clothing faux paux than Joe's was the guy inexplicably in a K.e.n.t. golf shirt??!!KD thinks the downtown arena will happen. But no idea when. He said "I'm not going anywhere anyhow, so I'll be here when it ultimately arrives."There was a Nate Schindewolf sighting. He's teaching in Manchester.Nick Dials left Sunday to begin his pro career in Germany.Futch is back on campus finishing his degree.I won the silent auction to sit on the bench during a game. Get to go in the locker room, rub elbows with the big donors like ZipWatcher in the Tommy Evans lounge...pre-game warm up and locker room access...should be pretty sweet.Nice steak and potato lunch and all the beer you could drink. Unfortunately I can't drink all that much at 7am! Maybe that's for the best?Generally speaking, the ZipsNation relationship with the staff and University seems to be approaching the level of cooperation we had with Mike Waddell. There was definitely a feeling-out process during the first couple years of the Mack-era, but the Nation seems to have earned everyone's trust. If I think of anything else, I'll let you know. Next year's outing is the 3rd Saturday in August. Mark it on your calendars...it is the only place where you can discuss "Kirene Johnson or George Phillips? Scott Patterson or Ken Cullifer? and get 10 different, educated opinions!

One glaring mistake: Zips punt and KO returners, Jones and Williams, are two of the best in the nation.

Thanks for checking in. That's great stuff. I'll be in Madison Friday afternoon. Hope you guys stocked up on beer..the local supply will take a hit Friday night!Conversely...the 11am start time puts a real crimp on Saturday tailgating.

If this is Jeremy Bruce, then I foresee some NCAA sanctions in our future.

You didn't see the entire shirt. It really wasn't all that bad?

Kids will always grouse about playing time, coaches & trainers will always leave if there's an opportunity for career advancement and there will always be family-type disagreements that erupt when you combine the testosterone and competitive drive of 20 athletes+coaches into close quarters for months at a time. It is no more complex than that. It's the same in the work place, its the same with any family.It was interesting to attend the post season banquet for the first time a few months ago and heartening to see the genuine love the guys had for the program and their time at UA. I think all 5 seniors have graduated, or will graduate very soon. Ced has returned as a grad assistant. That's all pretty awesome.I'm actually a little disappointed in myself for extending this thread by commenting on the topic, but it seemed to merit a response.

I can't wait until they begin installing the giant field-level lighting poles. They did keep that innovative design from the old Rubber Bowl, right?

I was told last night that his availability for Wisconsin "is still up in the air." Ditto Bowser.As much as I want to give Wisconsin our best shot, if there's any chance either of these two could aggravate their injuries in Madison, JD can't play them.

So if Ryan Bain is injured...the cornerstone of our 3-man front, you can't say anything because it is an "excuse." Lively is out...that's now 2/3rds of our starting DL out...but JD is supposed to ignore it? Gheez...Bowser being out is also a killer because he's one of our top 2 WR's. But that's no big deal...sour grapes if he mentions it.If everyone were healthy and JD were really grousing about Kennedy's injury, then I'd say it's a big joke...Kennedy hasn't been a factor for 2 years. But losing Bain, Bowser and Lively sucks. Bain by himself is worth two extra wins this year, IF he's healthy. DL's like him come through the MAC only a few times a decade.If you want to throw out hyperbole, then say JD has brought the program down to the level of Faust's last season. Or if you choose, you can pine for the mediocrity of Owens. The simple fact is Faust and Owens had 9 years. JD has had FOUR. I'll reserve my coach evaluation for the seasons end. It's really tempting to cry for the guys head after 3 weeks of summer camp and a few excerpts from and ABJ column...but call me a shill...I'm going to hold off until I see what we've got on the field this season. August 21st is a bit too soon to call for the coach's head.Our QB situation is as bad as I can remember. But what if Frye was hurt in his Junior or senior year? How would Owens' Zips have fared with Micah Fahler or Jonathan Gill leading the team for multiple games? It would have been a freaking train wreck. Matt Cherry would have been #15 on the Zips all-time WR list instead of #2.How would Owens have fared if Dwight Smith blew out his ACL in his senior season? I'll tell you...we'd have been lucky to win 2 games. But it would just be making excuses if Owens mentioned such injuries in an interview. Injuries to key players suck. And they inpact a team tremendously. Especially a MAC team, where depth is much thinner than a BCS program. Discussing major injuries with the ABJ beat writer isn't making excuses, it is stating facts.Unlike ITZ, I think this team is WAY better than the later Faust era squads. Like ITZ, I agree that the MAC East is pretty pathetic, and 5 years into any coach's tenure, if he's any good, he gets things rolling. Sub .500 would be unacceptable. Even .500 may be unacceptable depending upon the losses, and the trend at year's end.Time for bed.

How do you get excuses out of his comments? How much more straightforward can he be? Man, if the guy blew anymore smoke up our butts it would be coming out our ears!

As a Vikings fan...I'd take Frye in a heartbeat.

Thanks, Kim.

Look for Stephon Fuqua to stretch the field in 2008!

Cover the teams and I'll be interested. Don't cover the teams and I could care less. Hope you like their wire report on the Wisconsin game.BTW - I'm heading up to Wisconsin. I'll write about it. And I won't ask the ABJ for a dime.

Say you are a battered wife. For 10 years you are beaten with regularity. Your husband won't acknowledge there is an issue. He won't attend counseling. He just beats on you for 10 consecutive years.You decide enough is enough. You terminate the relationship.Two weeks later the husband says "Honey...I've changed. Trust me. Please come back. Look at these chocolates I bought you."Sorry -- One shitty box of chocolates doesn't make up for 10 years of being a jerkwad. See ya.I'll make a deal with the ABJ -- The Zips have a game against a Big 10 opponent to open the 2008 season. BIG TIME game vs a Top 15 opponent. Direct flights into Madison can be had for less then $250 round trip. Hotels are less then $100.00. If the ABJ is serious about their coverage of Zips athletics, they'll send a writer to the game. Not rent some freelance clown...not a blogger...they'll spend the $450.00 it takes to send a reporter like Gaffney (Zips Beat Writer) to Madison to give an eyewitness report of the game. If they do that, I'll ease up, and admit things may be changing at the ABJ. If they don't send a writer to the Zips opener against a Top15 team, then they still suck.

If this has to happen,this is actually a good time to happen. He will have all season to get healthy and be 100% for next fall.Hey...if you're looking for silver linings, it drops the chances of a de-commit (to a bigger school) too.