Captain Kangaroo

Random thoughts, as per usual: * Stayed at the Marriott, which was 1 mile from Campus...maybe less. Kid loved the pool. * Ate at Duff's, as recommended by a Buffalo visitor to our board. Great little wings-n-beer place. Highly recommended if you go check out the Zips hoops team when they travel to Buffalo this season. * Tailgated in a lot on campus. Several groups of Zips fans braved the cold to have some beers around the grill. * Buffalo campus is VERY nice. Beautiful dorms...small lakes...all very new. * Buffalo stadium is nice. The track surrounding the field is a drawback. It was 15% full. It was equivalent to the MTSU stadium. Both decent little 30K venues, but a bit sterile. I would hope that when we build ours it has a little more "charm." * Buffalo offense came out pumped up and pushed us down the field. Their first possession was a wake up call. Our D never really let up again the remainder of the game. * The Zips offensive malaise that began before the 1st half of the CMU game continued into the early 3rd quarter of this game. Getsy was awful in the first half, locking on to one receiver...rolling out the wrong way...accuracy was terrible. The offensive line was terrible. Getsy often ran for his life. Biggs never had any sort of holes to work with. * Buffalo's defense is not bad. I was shocked to see their increase in physical size and quickness from last season. Yes, our OL, and offense in general, executed poorly in half #1, but give the Bulls credit. They have a decent defense. * Buffalo has no playmakers on offense. If they had Ontario Sneed, we would have been in trouble (moreso than we were). Their QB is nothing special, and their WR's and RB's didn't distinguish themselves either. * Our offense in the second half seemed to wake up. Getsy's passes started hitting guys in the numbers instead of sailing over their heads. The offensive line began creating at least a little room for our RB's. As per our redzone performance all season however, we consistently shot ourselves in the foot and blew opportunities to blow the game open. * Swiger's UCONN foot made a guest appearance. That was scary. His 39 yard attempt, with a very strong wind at his back, barely made the crossbar (a miss to the side). * I have no idea what JD was thinking when he eshewed the FG on 4th and 2 from around the 20, when we were down 7-0. Maybe he knew Swiger was off? I doubt it. We should have taken the points. * I will continue to say we need a bruiser fullback. * A win is a win. Buffalo won't go O-fer this season. Their defense will give some MAC teams trouble. Take the win and run, Zips fans. * If we play like we did at game's end, we will compete with Miami quite well. But we need to play 4 solid quarters of football to do so. So far this season, we haven't been able to do play 4 solid quarters of football. Our O will need to keep our D off the field. Can they? In other notes of interest: Iowa pounded Purdue. CMU beat Army 14-10

Zips 41-17 Alex Allen gets his first chance in the backfield. Zips rush for 300+ as Getsy rests his hand.

1.) Nowhere did I say you were an a-hole. Absolutely nowhere. I said a-holes sometimes post on this board, and the critic's "broad brush" comes out. That no one remembers 90% of the people posting here are solid fans with interesting opinions who keep things on a civil level. One a-hole posts something stupid, and all of the sudden EVERYONE on the board is a jerk. That's what I said. Z-P mentioned this in a post too. 2.) Nowhere did I say players love playing to an empty stadium or seeing fans leave. I said that once the whistle blows, the fans are invisible. I read the news releases for the game. Hixson said the team let down. Brookhart said the team lacked intensity. That "we missed more assigments in that game than any other two combined." Of the top 50 things that caused us to lose the game last week, fans exiting the game during the 3rd/4th quarter would not rate...even at #50. CMU won that game and they had all of 34 fans in the seats. Yes, I'm sure it is disappointing to a player to see fans leave. In my post I said it disappointed me too. But they showed up while the rest of NE Ohio stayed home. As I stated earlier, the "early exit" phenomena is in no way unique to Zips fans. Yes I realize that a packed house gives the team energy. It is a lot more fun in the stands when there's 20k+ too. I've beaten this one into the ground. It seems like regardless of what I write, people just read something else anyhow...

We had 10,000 fans at the game. 10,000 people that could have done anything they wanted on one of the last beautiful days of 2005 in NE Ohio. They elected to come to the Rubber Bowl to watch the Zips. The tailgating was in full force. The lower bowl lot was packed out to the BMX track. People began arriving at 1pm. Look around the MAC. Who else is drawing more than 10,000 fans. BG had 19k for their Temple game. Not 39k...19k. And they're coming off a couple championship seasons. Miami had around 16k (announced) for their big showdown/rivalry with Cincinnati. OU students empty the stadium immediately following their band's performance. But, 10,000 Akron fans are "the worst in sports" because some left before game's end? Please... I have a video of a Zips vs. BG in the Rubber Bowl about 7 years ago. It was held on a day very similar to last Saturday. You would never know if fans left early...because there were about 400 TOTAL in attendance. You'd never know students left early because there were none to be found (except for players and band members). Despite winning absolutely nothing for the past 7 years, our game attendance has risen exponentially. And, without handing out freebies like last season. Yet people feel compelled to rip on the fans that showed up. The AK-Rowdies show up in force for NIU and in respectable numbers for game #2 even though they need to catch a bus for the 7-mile jaunt out to the bowl...but they suck because some left early? Please... Yeah, there are a-holes on this board. There are fair-weather fans too. If you think what you read on here is bad, you should see the stuff that gets deleted. It seems that all to often, the 3 or 4 flaming a-holes somehow get to represent the entire board while the 25 rational posts that are interesting, insightful or educational get summarily dismissed. Ryno mentions "booing." I didn't hear any of the 10,000 "worst fans in sports" boo last week...and there was probably ample reason to do so as the 4th quarter progressed. I'm tired. I'm going to bed. In summation: What a broad brush people seem compelled to paint people with around here. Despite what some have written regarding the fans who participate on this board, there are a lot of quality people who contribute here. I've met many of them. I've also met many players, parents, coaches etc. through the board. To a man, all are solid people. If you come on this board to rip the 10,000 fans that actually decided to spend their Saturday afternoon/evening watching Zips football for 1 quarter...3 quarters or the entire game, you will likely run into some resistance here. Why? Because it is absurd. Oh yeah...and because this board is run by Zips fans.

#1: BG (previously #3) – Back on track with a dismantling of Temple. If Jacobs is back on track, look out MAC. #2: Toledo (previously #2) – Look for them to get back on track with Gradkowski returning. #3: Central Michigan (previously #8) – Road wins vs Miami and the Zips put them in the top three for the first time. #4: Miami (previously #7): Drubbed Cincinnati. Looks like they’re beginning to adjust to their new coach. #5: EMU (previously #5): Beat CMU two weeks ago, but I can’t rank them above the Chipps just yet. Won last week vs. Can't in a squeaker…and Can't started a 5’ 10” Fr. QB. #6: Akron (previous week #1) – Major second half letdown gives the Zips a very short stay at the top. Look for the Zips to get healthy vs. Buffalo. #7: NIU (previously #4): Leapfrogged by teams that played. #8: OU (previously #6) – Teams ranked 3 – 8 are all pretty even. #9: Ken-t: (previously #9) – Getting shredded on a weekly basis. They appear horrible in every facet of the game. #10: Western Michigan (previously #10) These guys are B-A-D. #11: Ball State (Previously #11) – These guys are even W-O-R-S-E. #12: Buffalo (previously #12) – Scored 21 points last week. Tear down the goal posts! #13: Temple (previously #13): - The worst team in Division 1 football. Hands down. How many points will Miami Fla score on them if BG racked up 70? Probably 85.

The post is pretty straight forward. If you have trouble understanding these two simple statements, you're probably beyond my help. Here...I'll try: 1.) ITZ stated the Zips performance on the field could be affected by the fans leaving the game. I disagree. Once the whistle blows, the players compete and don't pay attention to the stands. This fact was exemplified by the Zips surmounting a 28-7 Marshall lead last season when 90% of the crowd had left the building. I'm sure the players don't like it. Hell, I don't like it. But I doubt it affects them on the field. 2.) The Zips on the field do have some control over whether or not the fans stay, or leave. The Zips played uninspired, ugly football in the second half last Saturday. We got our ass handed to us. Can you blame the casual, bandwagon Zips fan for not wanting to watch the carnage unfold? I stayed the whole game, but I can't blame anyone for exiting. Here's another basic point for you to try and digest: What happened with the fans leaving the Rubber Bowl early last week HAPPENS IN EVERY SPORT, IN EVERY LEVEL OF PLAY ACROSS THE WORLD! If the home team is getting waxed and the outcome appears inevitable, Mexicans, Canadians, Americans...baseball fans, soccer fans, football fans....THEY ALL LEAVE! It isn't just Zips fans. Gheez....

MTSU went up to Vanderbilt and knocked off the previously undefeated Commodores.

I was at the game. It was 97% Zips fans, 3% OSU. The Zips fans showed up to see their championship caliber team compete against a well known top 25 program in OSU. In the end the students rushed the field and celebrated with the team. Not 5 students, but probably 100+. Chest painted. Waving flags. Like college kids are supposed to be. It is easy to dismiss Friday's soccer crowd as simply a bunch of Columbus wannabees that wanted to catch a glimpse of their heros from Columbus...it really would bolster your arguement...but it isn't even close to being true. 2,500 people from Akron were rooting against the Buckeyes last Friday night. It was a beautiful thing to behold.

I will offer these two thoughts: 1.) I don't believe that it affects the players on the field if fans begin filing out before game's end. 90% of the "fans" left at the half of the Marshall game last year and the team seemed to survive quite well. 2.) If you don't want to see fans leave early, don't get outscored 24-0, at home, in the second half!

One additional note: For those of you who thought the PD might be hopping on the Zips bandwagon after the big NIU win...the PD didn't bother to show up at this week's Zips/Chipps matchup. Elton Alexander did mention in a small column today that he caught some of the game on the radio. BTW: Elton had a "David Lee Morgan Moment" last week, crediting the Zips OT interception to Time-Warner TV broadcaster Diontre Earl. Nice job, Elton.

My take on the game was as follows...random notes as usual: I saw many were surprised at the 10k crowd. Apparently you didn't attend many "home game #2's" in the past. 10k was a decent crowd for not giving away freebies. I didn't expect any more. The Army game is being heavily promoted. Expect 20k. Getsy was awful. I never saw so many overthrown balls. After the game his hand was packed in ice. Did an injury cause his errant tosses? If it did...where was Ferguson? Into the third quarter it was pretty apparent Getsey's passes weren't going to get any better. I'd like to have seen what Ferguson could do for a series or two. Also...Getsy needs to stop tossing the ball up for grabs when he's pressured. He threw some of the most ill-advised passes I've seen in some time while running for his life. He did this at MTSU and got away with it. He wasn't so lucky this past Saturday. Our WR's did a really bad job of blocking, in MO. There were a couple screens that were set up pretty well and our WR's missed blocks that would have sprung the RB for a decent gain. In general, with CMU's DL's breathing down Getsy's neck from the second quarter on, you'd think the screen would have been pretty effective. Our run blocking is bad. It has been bad all season. I hope the OL begins to improve in that regard or Getsy will continue to get pounded. Has Biggs had a decent hole all season? "Decent hole" being like the one's CMU's OL's opened up for Sneed. Sneed is a fast kid, BTW. CMU's QB was unimpressive, but managed the game well. He didn't really make mistakes. And, when they spread their offense, it was easy pickin's for him to scramble for first downs. We never sub LB's. Grant, Rohr and Stokes need a breather every so often. And as inept as our offense has been in the 4th quarter of every game this year, those guys need to be fresh. We can't rely on them to save our a$$ every week when they're gassed. Can we sustain any sort of a drive in the 4th quarter of a game? Our FB is not punishing anyone. If Tuzze is any good, I would love to see him in the backfield. Biggs needs some blocking help. Does Rache Culler have any eligibility left? Did Hixson play in the 2nd half? I hardly remember seeing him? He is our X-factor. He has to get 15+ touches a game. Run reverses...try that Biggs half back pass...whatever it takes. Thusfar this season we've won two games we were predicted to lose, and lost one we were predicted to win. For such a young group, with such an inexperienced OL and QB, that ain't so bad. I hope the staff and players watch some serious tape, practice hard this week and pound Buffalo like they should. This is a game where our young OL game really get some confidence and give our backfield a 300 yard rushing day. CMU game sucked. An opportunity lost. But, there's 7 games remaining. Let's see what we're made of.

Then why do you mention his name in essentially every post you've written in the past 2 years? It appears that, although you say "I could really care less about Charlie Frye", the fact is you could not care MORE about him. It boarders on an obsession. You need to let it go...let it go...but you just can't. I predict that, in your first 20 posts of 2009, 18 of them will mention Charlie Frye. Mark it down in your Outlook calendar.

I agree. A lot of fun on a beautiful night. AND, we beat OSU. Students rushed the field after the game...packed house...great environment. Gimme my on-campus football stadium NOW! BTW: Say the Zips soccer program continues its level of excellence. What percentage of a 30,000 seat stadium could it fill for an on-campus big time game? I bet 12k isn't out of the realm of possibility.

The Beacon has ignored Zips athletics for in excess of 6 years, so forgive me if I don't start doing cartwheels and tossing rose petals in Larry Pantages' cubicle after they have one decent week of Zips coverage. The columns they've actually written over the past 6 years have been fraught with errors. Not typos, but flat-out half-assed, no attention to detail pieces of tripe that you learn nothing from...except that the Beacon really doesn't take Zips athletics seriously. Furthermore, the editors at The Beacon display a very condescending tone when discussing their non-coverage. They essentially say "Zips fans don't matter"..."the University doesn't matter"..."be happy with the table scraps we give you because your lucky you get that much." To answer your question: Yes, I do realize it is important the Beacon cover Zips athletics. There are a lot of "sheep" out there incapable of thinking on their own. If the Beacon doesn't follow the team, the sheep think there's nothing of interest going on. Look at Lee Owens' firing. Pluto railed the University for canning Owens. Most of the Beacon readers...the Pluto Sheep...automatically followed suit. Their coverage, and lack of coverage, makes an impact. I'll subscribe to the Beacon again when David Lee Morgan realizes Marshall is no longer a MAC member. Or, when Pluto openly admits he was wrong for condescendingly telling Zips fans they should accept Mediocre Owens because "you're Akron, not Ohio State or Notre Dame." I think I'm safe until sometime in 2010.

Getting rid of the cannon isn't the University's decision. Apparently there was a mishap with a similar cannon at a west coast football game last week. The mishap may shut down all collegiate cannons in the future. Forgive me for not having more details. Maybe someone else can help me here?

I hear the cannon is probably on the way out.

The whistle wasn't abused, as so many other similar sound bites are at college football games. I had no problems with it. Will it catch on? Tough to tell after 1 game.

Appalatian State, and Vanderbilt are our competition. Our "competition" for Brion Stokes was 1-AA schools. Seems like some Zips coach recruiting the Charlotte area has a better eye for talent than the coaches from other 1-A schools?

CMU should have beat Indiana, but their RB's helmet got ripped off on his TD run and it got called back. They went on the road and beat Miami. They blew a 4th quarter, 4th and 2 on the EMU 22 yard line last week that let EMU march down the field and take the game to OT. EMU isn't too bad this year. CMU ain't table scraps, and the Zips are no longer a "secret." Regardless: Zips 31-CMU 20 And if you see a CMU fan in the lot before the game or walking up to the Rubber Bowl...wish them luck. If they walk by your tailgate, offer 'em a beer. Dat's how we 'do in "the AK!"

Is it just me, or is Jermaine Reid turning into the player we all hoped/expected Duane LeFall to be after his freshman season? Reid has been a monster.

Gateway defensive end Jordan Stevens took an official visit to Kentucky last weekend. He also has scholarship offers from Indiana and most Mid-American Conference schools, and Iowa and Michigan State are said to be close to offering. Gators offensive lineman Chris Hanna added Can't State to the list of schools that have offered, which includes Akron, Duke, Eastern Michigan, Illinois, Ohio and Rutgers. His early leader is Illinois, where he's scheduled to visit next month.

There are a lot of reasons why Akron area people are OSU fans first, and MAC fans somewhere thereafter. To most people, Ohio State isn't a school, it is a football team. Ditto Miami Fla, USC or Notre Dame. Akron, Can't, BG, etc are thought of as schools first. For fans like me in their late 30's or beyond, Akron was in a lower division than OSU during their college years. There really was no comparison of the teams. Just like there's no reason you couldn't like Oberlin and OSU. Old habits die hard. Few people my age are willing to dismiss their favorite childhood team just because their school jumped to 1-A (like Akron in '86). For those in their 20's and low 30's...the Zips football teams have zero championships and very limited success during their formative years. Attitudes born from twenty years of losing or being mediocre don't change with an overtime win vs. Northern Illinois. It takes time. OSU and the BCS schools in general are a media monster. Radio...TV...newspaper...the Zips are battling this with what? GoZips.com and some ads in the BJ? OSU gets more coverage on sportstalk in Cleveland in 1 day than all the MAC schools get COMBINED in a year! I don't begrudge OSU fans for liking OSU. I hate OSU...but that my perogative. It does bug me when an Akron people (students or residents) root for OSU over the Zips or are condecending to the MAC schools. Win something. Do it consistently, and the Zips Nation will rise up. Compare YSU's football attendance now and during their championship years. Big difference. Look at Can't's hoop attendance prior to their championship runs and during the Huffman/Mitchell/Gates years. Big difference. If the Zips start winning, they will come and the fan foundation will quickly grow.

My inside source tells be he got lost on his way to an event at Canal Park and was simply asking for directons.

Miami is slowly adjusting to their new staff. Cincinnati sucks. That combination yields the result you saw last night.

I wonder if, not that it is obvious we're in the hunt for a championship, we get a few Fr.'s in the mix to spell Stokes, Rohr and Grant. Those guys played almost the entire game last week.