Captain Kangaroo

Really? Those two holding calls on the Pitt WR were bogus? I, for one, am shocked.

They investigate this guy, but not the crew that did the Michigan State/Hawai'i game 3 years ago?

KC Thread from Last Month

I was at the game and took a photo. GoZips description was accurate.

I think the problem is finding 3k individuals willing to do this. If you have a family of 3 or 4, forking over $15k - $20k for Zips football is a tall order.

That pretty much sums up how I feel too. We're 7-2, and just got a lot deeper at guard.

If you're ineligible, there's no practice. You can't even attend practice as an observer. You'd like to think that Chris McKnight might have discussed the playbook with his little 'bro over Thanksgiving, however. In Steward's case, he practiced only briefly before the injury.

We're 7-2, and about to receive the infusion of three "impact" players for the remainder of the season. How soon can they adjust? Who's playing time is diminished?Will Ced get time to rest his knees?Which of the three will be "game-ready" the quickest?Look out, MAC, here we come!

In my opinion OU, Miami and K.e.n.t. are tops in the MAC at this time...not like that's going out on too big a limb. This is the best the top of the MAC has looked in at least 5 years. The Zips are in the mix if the Cavalry can contribute soon after their eligibility commences. Or the hip flexor heals.The MAC East is as strong and a lot of "Major" conferences right now. Even if we beat each other up in conference play, this could be the year we get back to being a 2-bid league.

It is now official. Ryan verballed to the Zips.Read about it in the Beacon in a couple months...

From what I understand, Bobby Petrino is going to be announced as the new Saluki coach tomorrow.

Easy Headline to Write - NIU Replaces Novak

BTW -- I confirmed our YSU friend's post -- he is officially "verballed."

How about one like Brian Williams?

Thanks for the update. He was on my "Hot List." The Zips have been recruiting him hard for several months.Although his JFK Eagles beat my McDonald Blue Devils 48-6 in the HS playoffs this year, I won't hold it against him.

Virginia Episcopal School began it's season at the highly competitive Atlantic Shores Christian Tournament. Nik was named to the All-tournament team, with stats as follows:18 points, 10 rebounds vs. Christchurch (win)19 points, 8 rebounds vs. Atlantic Shores (loss) 18 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals vs Cape Henry (win)Seems pretty consistent? FYI - Atlantic Shores and Cape Henry are two teams projected to play in the North Carolina HS Division 2 "Final Four" this year.One of the Tourney coaches had this to say regarding Nik's Virginial Episcopal School team: "What can you say? Coach John Windham continued to show this weekend why he's one of the absolute best in our business. The guy can flat out coach his rear-end off. They beat Christ Church on Thursday, lost a close one to ASCS Friday when Mr. Pledger decided to completely take over the game, and then beat a very good Cape Henry team in the 3rd Place Game. VES runs some of the best offensive stuff you'll ever see and play as well together as a team can. They know their strengths and limitations and play hard-nosed defense. Cvetinovic is a stud! Akron got a steal with this kid. He's a warrior. He can shoot, handle, and finish with the best of them. Just ask the ASCS and Cape Henry guys who he drove baseline and crammed it on."The next two Virginia Episcopal School games were part of the Robert Thomas Tourney @ Mountain State Academy. Nik's went for 20 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals vs Brunswick Academy (win) and followed it up with a 16 point, 5 rebounds, 4 steal, 2 assist game vs Mountain State Academy (also a win). Nik was named to the all-tourney team and was also named Tourney MVP!

Chillicothe opened the season with a loss to perennial State powerhouse Columbus Brookhaven. Two wins have followed:Win #1, Humpty Goes for 30Win #2, Hitchins Nets 18

I think Zips fans have known since early-season 2007 that Boo Jackson was going to be our 2008 starting QB because after every pass CJ11 and CJ7 threw you'd hear the crowd yelling "Booooooooooooooooo!!"

Ready to Begin the Season

You've posted this a couple times...so I'll bite on it.CJ11 is bad. He's better than CJ7...but he's still bad. Is he 100% horrible? No. I wouldn't mind him as a back up. But I see no way we can win a championship with him. Watching a QB, you see ones that have "it," and those who don't. I don't see "it" with CJ11. He makes too many game-changing mistakes. He locks on to one receiver. He got suspended. His evils outweigh his attributes, and after watching him for a full season I don't see the "upside" necessary to stick with him.How did he score 40+ vs. OU, yet 0 vs. Miami? Probably because OU isn't Miami. And Oxford isn't Akron. To give you an idea how bad OU's defense is: On the Zips first two offensive plays...when the Zips OL stood up to look at the sidelines (like we do on virtually every play)...the OU defense jumped off-sides. If you studied ANY film of the Zips, you know the OL stands up and looks at the sidelines for 90%+ of our offensive plays. OU was a terrible, terrible team in 2007. Miami didn't set the world on fire in 2007 either. But they are a solid defensive team and they were playing at home.Regarding the play-calling as the culprit -- You can look at it two ways. 1.) CJ11 was a great QB, and Moorhead was simply too conservative to let the guy show his skills.2.) Moorhead was stuck with a QB situation that was really bad, and had to drastically simplify things to even have a chance to move the ball.To me, it isn't black and white. I'm a Minnesota Vikings fan. I thought Tavaris Jackson S-U-C-K-E-D. I still think he sucks. But somehow the Vikings staff figured out a way to play to their strengths (Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor), while keeping the defense honest within Jackson's obvious passing limitations.Similarly/Conversely-- The Zips had two stud running backs in Williams and Allen, yet threw sideline pass after sideline pass...and punted...rather than play to their ground game strength. CJ11 doesn't appear to be a prototypical "spread" QB, so why didn't we stick with the West Coast this year? I don't think the Zips offense ever adjusted to their strengths, or limitations, in 2007. GP1 brought it up once...why would you ever fall for CJ11's ball fakes when you know he's never going to run? We were way too easy to defend.Interesting note: Through the OU game, CJ11 led the NATION in 1st quarter pass completion percentage. CJ11 was either awesome, or executing play calls that were WAY too conservative. I know CL11 wasn't awesome.Bad QB, ineffective scheme, slow to make adjustments, 4-8....time to start fresh in 2008. New QB, appropriate offensive scheme to maximize strengths and minimize weaknesses..I'd be happy with that.

I think that's physically impossible?

Bring their band, but keep their crappy football team at home. I felt so bad for those Howard kids. 65-0, and it wasn't even that close. Never forget LO putting starter Bobby Hendry back into the game to pound in that last TD. It was almost as classy a move as LO pulling the on-side kick against the other 1-AA team we played...Liberty...when we were up 41-14.

There are still 10-or-so scholarships left to give. Odds are another QB will be added to the class.

Why not? Is Idaho State all that enticing?

A couple JUCO WR's and DB's have a visit and the sky is falling? I don't get it?Hell yes we should be bringing in some JUCO WR's. You want to go into 2008 with Fuqua, Williams and Sandilands as #1, #2 and #3? Those JUCO's visiting are some great players. And we need some great players if we're going to have an offense that can move the ball in 2008. Are Freshman really less risky to pursue than JUCO's? Ask David Harvey and Jermaine Lindsay.And, if we can get an experienced DB to soften the blow of Corner and Tate leaving, all the better. In the end, we'll have a least 80% of the 2008 recruiting class entering as Freshman. That's fine.