Captain Kangaroo

I am told this is being done.

I agree. Look at the Marshall. What would you have done differently than JD? Can you point to any coaching decisions that put us in a hole during that game? How about Miami? Yeah we lost...but the better team won. In no way shape or form were we out-coached. We we're out-depthed and out-athleted. Compare that to Owens and his maddening draw plays on 3rd and 8. His abandonment of the run during Frye's junior year. His "Let's-just-try-to-keep-the-score-close" mentality of the last BG home game (remember 5' 4" Junior McCray's 20 carries?) or the Pitt game. Remember how Owens stuck with Jesse Smith on the corner for four years despite the guy playing 10 yards off the line every play. The atrocious clock management at the end of the UConn game, leaving the game in the hands of the world's worst defense. I didn't see any of that stuff with JD. Once he had a few games under his belt he seems to consistently play the best hand with the cards he was dealt. Over the next few years JD's "hands" will be progressively stronger and our wins will rise accordingly.

"Junior Luke Getsy (Munhall, Pa./Steel Valley/Pittsburgh), slated to start the season opener at Purdue on Sept.10, struggled in the early going, but rebounded to complete 11 of 26 passes after starting the day by hitting on 1-of-10." For the past 8 years we've been in pretty solid shape at QB. I have no clue what to expect this season. I keep waiting for Getsy to do something that gives me hope, but thus far I haven't seen it. The OL concerns me greatly...but I'm starting to think the QB position is an even larger concern.

McNees has offers It looks like the WPIAL might have a handful of boys' basketball players sign with Division I colleges. One player who improved his status with colleges this summer is Shenango guard Steve McNees. McNees, a 6-2 senior who averaged 26 points a game last season, has offers from Duquesne, Can't State, Akron, Eastern Kentucky, James Madison and Wright State.

I went down to Jackson Field yesterday. What a first-class event! Great job by all involved!

No. He's just here to see the Inventor's Hall of Fame.

Apparently had second thoughts on a career in the military. He will be in Akron next week.

How so? I mentioned that, as late as yesterday, Marshall was still coming here (read my post). I got NC State and North Carolina mixed up. Big F-ing deal. King Zip needs to take a Zoloft and chill.

QB poised to achieve yardage milestone Friday, August 19, 2005 By Mike White, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Tyler Huether considers himself just another teenager. His hobbies are simply "hanging out" with his friends and playing video games. And how's this for plain? His favorite food is salad. But put a football in Huether's right hand, tell him to throw it and suddenly he's anything but ordinary. Huether is a 6-foot-1, 190-pound senior at Penn-Trafford High School who whizzes a football around with uncanny accuracy and gets big results. With a good senior season, Huether will put himself into some fancy company. One in a series on top high school football players in the WPIAL and City League. He split time at quarterback two years ago and was No. 1 last year. In those two years, he has thrown for 3,200 yards. He needs 1,800 this season to become only the eighth quarterback in WPIAL history to throw for 5,000. The others are Sto-Rox's Adam DiMichele, Steel Valley's Luke Getsy, North Hills' Eric Kasperowicz, Seton-LaSalle's Bill Stull, West Allegheny's Tyler Palko, Penn Hills' Anthony Morelli and Penn-Trafford's Tony Zimmerman. "There's some pressure on me because people are going to expect the same things I did last year," Huether said. "I just have to do what I normally do." If last season was normal, then Huether will get the 1,800 and surpass 5,000 yards. In 2004, he reached 1,800 yards in the ninth game of the season. He finished 127 of 209 (61 percent) for 2,209 yards. For his career, he is 195 of 331 (59 percent). "I'm just hoping that we have an offensive line that can give him some time to throw," Penn-Trafford coach Art Tragesser said. Graduation hit Penn-Trafford hard on the offensive line. "We're not going to be the biggest team, but we'll be strong and fast," Huether said. "The line is still getting in the swing of everything, but I think we should be good to go by the first game." Penn-Trafford opens against Seneca Valley in a game that provides an interesting quarterback matchup. Seneca Valley's Kevan Smith played only two games last year because of an injury, but has made a verbal commitment to Pitt, accepting a scholarship in the summer. Huether's only scholarship offer is from Temple. "Tyler is intelligent, has a nice arm, is a better runner than people think and just has a passion for the game," Tragesser said. "He has everything you'd want in a quarterback." Division I colleges wish Huether was a little taller. "The knock on me is pretty much my height," he said. "Colleges think you need a tall quarterback to see. But all you need is windows to see. I know I'm up there [with the best quarterbacks in the WPIAL]. I just have to do what I normally do this season -- and see what happens from there." Akron, Toledo, Louisville, North Carolina State, Cincinnati and West Virginia are showing interest. Tragesser believes anyone wondering about Huether should simply watch last year's game against Central Catholic when he was 20 of 32 for 309 yards. "Throwing for 300 yards against the best team in the state speaks volumes about him," Tragesser said. "Every college is looking for that 6-4 quarterback, but there's only so many of them. I think a lot of colleges are waiting to see who they get. Then they'll start to come around again after some of these quarterbacks pick their schools. "Whoever gets Tyler is going to be very lucky because he's going to be very productive for some offense."

Since he never really played, I guess losing Cloud is not too big a deal. Signed 4 from Glenville last year...will one ever see the field? Cruz grayshirting? He turned down NC State to get an Akron gray shirt? That's interesting. As late as yesterday I had heard Marshall was "working through some issues" but that he'd be in school this fall? Guess things change, huh? Penny and Shargots never were in any plans as far as I know, so no big loss. Thanks for the update, 'Zone!

Can Purdue have a perfect football season? By Jeremy Poston Assistant Sports Editor With 20 starters and 41 letterwinners returning to the Boilermaker football team, the idea of a perfect season is realistic. With the talent returning, the Boilermakers are garnering national recognition. The Boilermakers are ranked in several preseason polls, including No. 16 in the ESPN/USA Today poll. The Boilermakers went 7-5 in 2004, including 4-4 in the Big Ten. They finished the year with a 23-27 loss to Arizona State in the Sun Bowl. During the Purdue football media day last week, several Boilermaker players hinted that due to the returning players and favorable schedule which lacks Michigan or Ohio State this could be a special year for Purdue. "It feels that our team is very good and our team is in place. Everybody is back on defense and a lot of people back on offense and people that understand what we want to accomplish," said junior quarterback Brandon Kirsch. "We have the opportunity to win every game on the schedule and it starts with the first game." Quarterbacks Kirsch finally gets his chance to be Purdue's opening day starter at quarterback after waiting three years behind former Boilermaker Kyle Orton. Last year Kirsch appeared in six games, including two starts, completing 58 of 94 passes for 711 yards with seven touchdowns and three interceptions. During the course of his career, Kirsch has encountered several off the field incidents. Kirsch said that his position on the team forces him to lead by example. "Any time you're a backup you get a mindset that you don't matter to the team and it just took me a while to realize that," Kirsch said. "That was definitely the old Brandon Kirsch. I'm a grown up kind of guy now ready for a leadership role." Redshirt freshman Curtis Painter is backing up Kirsch and could challenge Kirsch by the end of the season. Although Painter is not as mobile as Kirsch, Painter might have a better arm than the starting quarterback. Running Backs Three running backs comprise one of the deepest positions on the offense. The two leading rushers from last year, seniors Jerod Void and Brandon Jones, return to bring experience to the rushing game. Void and Jones combined to rush for 1,102 yards and five touchdowns last year. Redshirt freshman Kory Sheets will serve as the third string running back. Void said that due to the talent and depth at running back, the players will have to battle for playing time, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. "At Purdue you've had to compete at running back since I've been here," Void said. "With three running backs, it's not like your getting reps taken away from you, now you can just have more quality reps, you won't be so tired." Receivers Despite losing the all-time NCAA career receptions leader, Taylor Stubblefield, the Boilermakers return every other member of their receiving corps. Junior Kyle Ingraham returns as the leader in receptions with 51 and seven touchdowns. Sophomore Dorien Bryant and senior Ray Williams make up the other two starting slots for the Boilermakers and had 584 and 146 yards receiving, respectively. Bryant said defenses will have problems trying to stop Purdue's receivers because of Purdue's depth at the position. "If they key on one guy then we've got five or six other guys that can make the play. It's only going to make us harder to defend. Senior tight end Charles Davis is a candidate for the Mackey Award, the award for the nation's best tight end, after coming off a season where he had 34 catches for 416 yards and three touchdowns. Offensive Line The offensive line returns three of the five starters in juniors Mike Otto at left tackle, left guard Uche Nwaneri and senior center Matt Turner. Sophomore right guard Jordan Grimes and redshirt freshman right tackle Sean Sester are newcomers to the offensive line. Sester is the lone offensive line starter who has not played. Defensive Line With 80 combined starts from the four returning defensive lineman, experience is not a concern. Junior defensive end Ray Edwards led the team with eight sacks while senior defensive tackle Brandon Villarreal lead the team with 17.5 tackles for loss last year. Senior Anthony Spencer is the other defensive end starter and senior Brent Grover is the other starter at defensive tackle. The top backup, senior defensive end Rob Ninkovich, was tied for first on the team with eight sacks last year. Defensive coordinator Brock Spack said that this year's defensive line could be one of the best he has seen in his eight years at Purdue. "They look like a defensive line. One of the few fronts we've had here who look the part," Spack said. "I think we'll have a good rotation up front and that's where the game is won and lost." Linebackers All three starting linebackers return from last season. The leading linebacker, junior middle linebacker George Hall, was second on the team in tackles with 92 and led the team in interceptions with two. He is joined on the right side by senior Bobby Iwuchukwu and on the left side by sophomore Stanford Keglar. Keglar could be battling for his position with highly-touted freshman Kyle Williams. Iwuchukwu said that the talent of the returning starters isn't getting as much respect as he believes they should. "We've seen where we're ranked No. 6 in the Big Ten and we're just using that as motivation. We know we're one of the top linebacking corps in the nation," he said. Cornerbacks The secondary could be a concern for the Boilermaker defense. As a team, Purdue intercepted eight passes, while in 2003, Purdue intercepted 14 passes. Junior Paul Long and senior Brian Hickman are slated to be the starters at cornerback, each having one interception in their career. Sophomores Lance Melvin and Fabian Martin will see the field as the top backups. Safeties Junior strong safety Bernard Pollard and senior free safety Kyle Smith round up the secondary in the Boilermaker defense. Pollard, an All-Big Ten candidate, led the team in tackles last season with 96. During media day, Pollard addressed the need for the defense to come up with more turnovers this season. "Our coaches have gotten us into getting into the habit of getting the ball into our hands," Pollard said. "I think we're doing a great job of attacking the ball at its highest point and just snatching it from the offense." On Monday, Pollard was thrown out of practice for three days by coach Joe Tiller. Pollard was kicked out because he was trash-talking his teammates and when told to stop, Pollard continued. Pollard will be allowed to return to practice today. The top backup at free safety, Torri Williams, will be sidelined for the rest of the season with torn ligaments in his foot.Special Teams Handling kickoff and kicking duties will be senior Ben Jones. Jones is coming off a disappointing junior season in which he went 10-18 in field goal attempts. Sophomore punter Dave Brytus is coming a freshman season where he averaged 40.0 yards per punt. His best game came against Arizona State in the Sun Bowl where he averaged 48.9 yards per punt on eight punts. Handling kickoff returns will be Void and Bryant while punt returns will be Bryant and redshirt freshman strong safety Lance Melvin. The Boilermakers open the season Sept. 10 against Akron at Ross-Ade Stadium.

Lake Catholic quarterback Rick Stanzi will garner a lot of attention this fall, but the real strength of the Cougars could be an athletic offensive line that averages about 245 pounds. Senior Tim Coan (6-5, 240) and junior Dan Barry (6-2, 280) are back at tackle, and senior guard Brian Stevenson (6-0, 280) also returns. Sophomore center Dave Plungas (6-2, 225) and junior guard Nick Cipkus (6-2, 220) have earned starting jobs. Plungas was the long-snapper as a freshman and Cipkus started on defense last year. The extra protection will be needed while the Cougars try to develop some wide receivers from an inexperienced group, and find a featured running back or back rotation. Fullback Joe Tymoszczuk is recovering from a torn knee ligament suffered during wrestling season. Speaking of Stanzi, the 6-5 senior received his third scholarship offer this week, from Miami of Ohio. Akron and Bowling Green made earlier offers. Boston College has expressed interest, as have Iowa, Indiana and Ohio State

Another recruiting-related thing I overheard: A WR that had been at an Akron camp this summer called and wanted to commit. He was turned away. There were simply too many other higher-quality WR recruits on the Zips radar. All of whom are felt to have a good chance to sign with the Zips. The WR recruit ended up committing to a Big East school last week. Nice to be in a position where we're turning down Big East caliber recruits! The combination of this coaching staff and the new facilities is really paying dividends.

He was never with Pitt. Pitt dropped their offer when he didn't make grades.

The Beacon Zips beat writer has been to all of one Zips practice thusfar this August. I guess it is a 1000% improvement over last year...but that's about it. Who’s looking better than expected? Dennis Kennedy is looking great. Biggs’ hold on the starting job is solid, but we won’t lose much if he sits a series. Also, although it would be nice to redshirt him, true freshman Alex Allen seems too good to keep off the field. Look for him to play in 2005. Jermaine Reid is playing very well on the D-line. John Ferguson has a lock on the #2 QB position. He’s shown a very strong arm thus far, and it looks like he can manage a game if called upon. Jabari is looking solid as a WR. The sky is the limit for him. Hixson was great last season, but he’s taken things to another level this year. He should be REALLY exciting to watch! Any notable players quit or been declared ineligible? Nope. Injuries Donaldson we know. Jemall Benjamin is still recovering from his injuries. He’s at practice, but not yet in a position to begin drills. He’ll play this year, but not immediately. Tight End Merce Poindexter is the heir apparent to Dennis Basch as the #2 TE. Great things are being said about him. Kasparek still a solid #1. Offensive Line Status By season’s end, we could have 3 freshmen starting! Zack Anderson and Elliot Bates look great (for frosh). OL Chris Kemme (Upper Arlington) has been the most pleasant freshman surprise of camp. He's come ready to play. FB Depth chart McDaniel, then Tuzze. Recruiting: At this time there are no new verbals…just the Alliance DL and the Mentor Kicker. BTW: No one appears too concerned about losing the commitment of the Alliance player, or any other one for that matter. It a given that, if Ohio State wants to give a late scholarship offer to a Zip “commit,” they could lose him. But if any other school tries to “steal” a Zip commit, people are very confidant the players that commit to the Zips program will follow through on the commitment. Last year, every Zips verbal became a signing on February 2nd. (Jarvis was a non-scholarship grayshirt offer). 400lb WPa OL Nate Hartung is on his Mormon mission, but still on the recruiting radar for 2007…if he can get his weight down a little. Pitt recruit Marlon Terry, a Prop 48 this year, is simply a beast. Look for him to start in 2006. Look for a 2006 signee or two to come out of the state of Georgia this year.

I was on campus today and the topic of the whistle arose in one of my conversations. I was promised the whistle would be used very judiciously...likely only once or twice per game.

Just for kicks I took a look at the Browns roster. Despite the vast superiority of SEC football over the MAC, the MAC has 9 players on the Browns roster? There are 8 SEC players? Ok...if you coun't Kellen Winslow, there would be 9. Memo to Doug: It ain't the conference, it is the players. The MAC puts out some pretty decent players now-a-days. Good for you that you beat up on Central Michigan. Give just about an MAC school a home game with Vanderbilt and see what the final score is. Yeah, the SEC is overall an athletically superior football conference than the MAC...but that has no bearing on whether or not a MAC player can be successful in the pros.

My fear woulb be it's like the "broken glass" or "plop goes the ball in the water" sounds played at Canal Park. The first 3 times you heard them it was cute...after the 3rd inning...after you've heard them 1065 times...you're ready to kill someone.

Players to Watch: Perry's standout QB gets the last laugh One in a series on top high school football players in the WPIAL and City League. Wednesday, August 17, 2005 By Mike White, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The first day of Perry's varsity football practice three years ago, coaches separated the players by position, and freshmen were told to go to the position they wanted to play. Desmond Brentley went with the quarterbacks. Perry quarterbacks coach Brian Schipani took one look at the small, rotund Brentley and tried to hold back his laughter. He was more like Desmond Portly instead of Desmond Brentley. "I didn't have the body of the typical quarterback. I was a lot fatter. Chubby," Brentley said. "I remember coach Schipani looked at me and said, 'Dude, get out of here. You ain't no quarterback.' " But Brentley convinced Schipani to let him at least try to be a quarterback. It turned out this "dude" was no dud. "He let me stay for drills and he saw my arm strength and my feet," Brentley said. "Then he said, 'OK, maybe we have something here.' " Three years later, Brentley is still a quarterback -- and now one of the best in Western Pennsylvania. He is still big, but you couldn't call him chubby anymore. He is a 6-foot-3, 228-pound senior and the pride of the City League. He has Division I scholarship offers from Akron and Temple, and other schools are showing interest. "We started having workouts Jan. 2 and he never missed one," Perry coach Bill Gallagher said. "He's increased his foot speed, his arm strength and he's changed his body around in the weight room." Brentley burst on the scene a year ago, completing 141 of 256 passes for 2,118 yards and 20 touchdowns. He made the Post-Gazette Fabulous 22. He comes into his senior year guiding an offense that is expected to rocket through the City League and help the Commodores win a sixth consecutive championship. Besides Brentley, Perry returns its two leading rushers (Jared Williams and Aaron Bivins) and its two leading receivers (Aundre Wright and Gary Nolen). "With all the weapons we have, there's no reason I can't pass for more yardage than last season," said Brentley, whose father, Mark Sr., is a member of the school board for Pittsburgh Public Schools. "But I want to win the City League first and a state championship. We always seem to get so far in the state playoffs, but we can't get over that hump. It's important this year that we get over that hump." Brentley credits much of his success to Schipani, a former Upper St. Clair and University of Cincinnati quarterback. Gallagher believes more Division I college offers could come Brentley's way with another good season. West Virginia and Pitt have been showing interest. Brentley visited Pitt a few weeks ago. "They told me to wait and see what happens," Brentley said. But it would seem unlikely for the Panthers to offer a scholarship now that they have verbal commitments from two other high school quarterbacks -- Kevan Smith of Seneca Valley and Dexter Davidson of Coconut Creek, Fla. "His arm strength has really been opening up some eyes," Gallaghter said. "I think once more colleges see him, they'll like him."

Additional Blackburn column: Webster impresses coaches in first Giants game By MARK JOHNSON The Associated Press ALBANY, N.Y. - Rookie free agent Chase Blackburn had Cleveland quarterback Charlie Frye on the run. Scrambling out of the pocket in Saturday's preseason game, Frye made it to the sideline and got a pass off just before his former Akron teammate could lay a hand on him. "I had called him the night before the game and told him I was going to try and get a hit on him," Blackburn recalled. "I had never got to hit him (in college), he always wore that red jersey in practice. So he was saying, `I won,' because I didn't get a hit on him. We had a laugh about that." What people aren't laughing about anymore are Blackburn's growing chances of making the Giants roster. The 6-3, 247-pound linebacker was initially given little chance of making the team. In fact, his picture isn't even in the Giants media guide. But Blackburn has won the respect of his teammates and has impressed coach Tom Coughlin, who singled him out for doing "a pretty darn good job," against the Browns, recording five tackles, three solo. The Giants could use the help at linebacker. Barrett Green is the Giants' only projected returning starter who is recovering from a serious injury, and his presence in the lineup along with fellow linebackers Carlos Emmons and Antonio Pierce is considered crucial to the Giants improving a rush defense that allowed opponents to gain an average of 134.8 yards per game last season, fifth-worst in the NFL. Click Here! Pierce was acquired in the offseason from Washington where he led the team in tackles last season. While the coach's praise has given the 22-year-old Blackburn more sureness, he isn't taking anything for granted. "It's a confidence booster for me, but I know that as a free agent it's a week-to-week and day-to-day thing," Blackburn said. "I have to prove something every day to make it. That's the only way I can think about it." While Saturday's 17-14 loss to Cleveland was a memorable experience, the setting wasn't all that unfamiliar for Blackburn. Blackburn grew up in Marysville, Ohio, about two hours from Cleveland. He's a lifetime Browns fan and even used to join fellow fanatics in the rowdy section. "Growing up and watching the Browns all my life, then getting back to play there, was awesome," the 22-year-old Blackburn said. "It was an incredible experience." "I used to be in the Dawg Pound (for Browns games), and I looked over there before the game and I saw everybody yelling for me. It was pretty interesting."

New gimmicks like this tend to be overused, and drive you nuts after about 5 minutes into game #1. I hope it is used judiciously. If handled right, I guess it could be fun. *********************************************************************** Our athletics theme for 2005-06 is "It's Zips Time." One of the symbols of this message is a steam whistle, similar to those that sounded off around Akron back in early 1900s. When the workers heard that whistle blow, they knew it was time to buckle down, get to work, and show that great Akron spirit. Throughout the coming sports season the sound of the steam whistle will resonate at different points during games, serving as a rally point for our student-athletes and coaches, and a hopefully a new tradition for Zips athletics.

I guess at least he didn't "commit" to Akron, then say he was still waiting on WVa. By Jamie Rankin DAILY COURIER Tuesday, August 16, 2005 For Uniontown wide receiver Quindell Dean, family and football are closely linked. "My dad taught me a little bit about football, and I loved it," Dean said. "I started playing running back, and he sent me to a lot of camps." Dean, who came to Pennsylvania from New Jersey and began playing football competitively in eighth grade, has attended camps at Florida State University and West Virginia University, among other places. "I learned a lot of stuff," Dean said, adding that he also picked up knowledge from another family member. "I learned a lot from my brother (former Laurel Highlands standout) Jujuan Davis." Davis, an all-conference and all-state selection at Laurel Highlands, must have taught Dean well. Dean caught 48 receptions for 626 yards and seven touchdowns for Uniontown in 2004. Now, as a senior, Dean is prepared to take the field again in hopes of adding to those numbers and, more importantly, increasing the number in the Red Raiders' victory column. "We can win, as long as we play as a team and never give up," he said. "As long as you play hard, you'll win some games." Dean said Uniontown's players, including Dean's cousin, tight end/defensive back Kevin Sanders, are excited about the season. They believe the team is brimming with talent on both sides of the ball. "Our defense is so pumped up to win some games," he said. "Our offense is working. All we've got to do now is just work on our line, and we're looking good." Dean is listed as a tight end and defensive back, and although he gets the most attention for his offensive performances, he said he enjoys both parts of the game. "I like both; I just like hitting," he said. "Our defense this year is all about hitting. And we've got about 17 seniors, so I think we've got a lot of leadership." At the helm, the Red Raiders have longtime coach John Fortugna, whom Dean characterizes as yet another family member. "He's like a dad to us," Dean said. Fortugna said Dean has been a good "son." "He's a great young man. He's worked very hard in the offseason," Fortugna said. "He's a good football player and a good student." After this season, Dean will leave his Uniontown family behind and move on to college, where he said he hopes to continue his football career. Dean also plays baseball and basketball and has run track for the Red Raiders, but the football field is his favorite athletic venue. "I love football," he said. "When I go to college, I'll probably go for football." He's already had a few offers from schools such as Buffalo and Akron, but Dean is holding out for a school which happens to be a bit closer to home. "I'm waiting for West Virginia," he said. "I've always wanted to go there." If the Mountaineers recruit Dean, he'll join another former Red Raiders player, running back Kevin McLee. The Red Raiders won the conference title in McLee's senior season, and Dean is focused on making that happen again. "I think we're looking forward to winning the Keystone Conference this year," he said. "As long as we play together and use our talent, we'll win

I would have laughed at that 2 seasons ago, but Jerrell really improved his blocking last year. If you get a chance to watch the Akron/Marshall replay on the 24th, check out Jerrell's blocking in the second half.

Great to see. He's already made it 1000 times further than most on this page predicted. I was watching Bengals camp on NFL TV this past weekend. We officially have a "Matt Cherry Sighting." Bengals look pretty stacked at WR, so Matt has his work cut out for him to make the squad. Say what you will about Owens...but guys like Chase and Matt embodied all the positive things a Zips supporter could ask from an Akron student athlete. Best of luck to both of them !!

August 24 ESPNU DirectTV Channel#609 1am EST 2004 GMAC Bowl BG vs Memphis 4am EST 2004 UT@ Miami O. 7am EST 2004 Marshall@ Akron 10am EST 2004 MACC Miami O.vs UT 1pm EST 2004 BG@ North.Ill. 4pm EST 2004 BG@ UT