Captain Kangaroo

Click me for the same old same old....

I liked the fact that we threw only 23 times. Our OL was a good run-blocking group last season. When we went "Frye-centric," we struggled to maintain drives, eat the clock, wear the opponent down, etc. We were bigger and stronger than Buffalo, and we pushed them all over the field. I liked the game plan. We will be able to do the same thing against UCF. We did last season, and UCF is probably worse this year than last. Biggs was awesome. He's got a 2nd gear once he breaks the line of scrimmage. I hope the OL gives him the holes again this week. The Zips have never won a road game of this (UCF game) magnitude. UCF sucks. They have the longest losing streak in the nation. Buffalo beat them by almost 30 points. They're coming off a heartbreaker. Step on their throat, Zips! Go for the kill! What BZ said is true. Win here...take care of our home field vs. Ball State...take a week off to heal Frye's finger...and see the full house for Marshall November 5th. How bad does the team and staff want it?? Stay tuned.....

Whaddya mean? The post game celebration was INSANE! You must have left early?

I'm curious .. what do you mean by that? Scenario #1: Say the 15K "rule" really existed...it DOES NOT...but say it did. Say Akron goes to 1-AA next season. Zips now force MTSU and Purdue to find new, last minute, 1-A HOME opponents for 2005. Not gonna happen. Scenarion #2: Miami, OH has the Zips at home in 2005...Say the Zips are now 1-AA...so Miami now has 4 home games vs. 1-A opponents, so it has to drop to 1-AA too? You need 5, 1-A home games, right? There are a billion loopholes and problems with this mythical 15k rule...which is why is is nothing but fodder for internet bulletin boards. It is not a rule, and never will be...unless the existing format is radically altered.

Z-P: Stop by Zippy-on-a-Stick. The Annual Rib Burn-off, + "Apple Pie!"

BWAH HA HA!!!!! GOOD ONE!

I could write a novel on this topic...maybe I will when I get the time one day. I think the last sentence you wrote comes closest to my nain "problem" with the lower reserved seating: I contend few people down below actually pay the PSL's. Many of these seats are given away to large donors, sold to faculty at a discount, etc. That is why we've seen these seats sit empty over the past several years. "Someone," or some company has the tickets, but doesn't use them. Compare that to the upper-reserved seats, purchased by individuals. They are, percentage-wise, much fuller. This is because those fans have more of a vested interest in the program. Yes, there are individuals sitting below that fork out their own money for PSL's. If I worked for the Buchtelite I'd love to do an investigative piece on the breakdown of who pays the PSL, and who doesn't. In my opinion, the PSL's MAY bring in extra, much needed money to the program. Or, they may be like the "retail price" for jewery. The University doesn't get retail from the guys below...they may be keeping some big clients happy by giving them tickets "worth thousands of dollars." But essentially what has happened is the individual fan has been pushed to the rafters, and empty seats and casual fans sporadically "fill" the bottom level. When I was in school, it was actually worse. They didn't allow the students on floor level. Even the end-seats were sold to the general public. I like my seats, I like my price. I like going to the games. No complaints. I don't like the PSL policy of the lower reserved seats. If others do, and the University is making money at it...good for Akron. I still don't like it, and I think there are some very real, negative ramifications of the policy that don't show up in the profit spreadsheet.

Guest Zipper...The Spin Doctor! The Tazmanian Devil doesn't spin that much? Quit your day job and work PR for The University! Renewed my upper reserved season tix today. $99.00 ea. I park behind the natatorium...free. Such a deal!

I want to see: "DA ZIPMAN" on the back! Gotta be in all-caps too!

Welcome to the Upper Reserve! I love it 100X better than down below. You are 100% correct with your rant. I've had hoops season tix for about 8 years. The University should have paid me to watch those horrid teams in the cracker box that is the JAR. Why they choose to try and rape the people that have stood by the program through such thin years is beyond me. I'll never understand it. Thankfully the upper reserved remains an option. Once that goes, I'm back to general admission.

Being a Zip is the coolest. Wouldn't trade that nickname for the world.

You're right...I think I'm just pissed off at those frigging license plates. Noon rally on campus will be pretty cool for the students. Hopefully some of the ones that made the trip to Can't will show at the bowl Saturday?

Pep Rally at Noon Friday? Guess people that work or have classes will have to miss that one? That's only 99% of the fan base. Must be a suitable time for the elderly Trustees? Maybe, after the rally, they can discuss new ways of using the University Seal on license plates? Maybe a brighter yellow seal color? Maybe they should move game time's to noon Friday as well? Football Pep Rally Set for Friday Zips face Buffalo Saturday at the Rubber Bowl in annual Homecoming game Oct. 5, 2004 AKRON, Ohio - University of Akron football fans are invited to attend a pep rally at noon Friday in the Honors Complex driveway as part of the New Landscape for Learning celebration. Five new buildings, including the field house and recreation and wellness center, are being dedicated in separate ceremonies on Thursday and Friday. The pep rally will take place between the dedication of the newly built Simmons Hall and Honors Complex, which are located on South College Street. The Zips play host to Buffalo at 6 p.m. Saturday in the Rubber Bowl in the annual Homecoming game. The pregame rally will feature the UA marching band, cheerleaders, head football coach J.D. Brookhart and members of the Zips football team. Joe Dunn, a member of the Zips Sports Network and radio sideline reporter for football, will emcee the event. Brookhart will address the crowd and members of the 2004 Homecoming Court will be introduced. All activities are part of the Homecoming/Family Weekend and students are encouraged to attend to cheer on the Zips. Members of the athletics marketing department will also be giving out gifts and t-shirts to students and fans in attendance.

Owens never recruited well on the defensive side of the ball. Period. For every Dwight Smith, there were 8 Jesse Smiths. Name one DL he recruited that you're ever said..."Wow, that guy is awesome/unstoppable." I've never saw one in 9 years (Jason Taylor was from Faust).. If you look at Faust's team in 1991 (?) he had 3 pro-caliber DB's on the field! Robert Lyons hung around the NFL for a couple years, Victor Green had a great NFL career and Shawn Vincent was a final cut with the Steeler's. Owens got one player of that caliber in 9 years. I like our LB's right now, but for the most part Owens really struggled to recruit LB's. You always had a Ricky Jackson or Brad Detweiler as the #3 LB...guys who were undersized for Safety, let alone LB. I like our defensive schemes this year. we're blitzing up the middle more. Our corners are playing tighter. We're trying different fronts and adjusting as the game progresses. We're just small, slow and not all that deep behind the few good players we have. There's no miracle to turn arond our defense. Better recruiting and time are the only cures. I think the coaching is in place.

In JD's press conference note...a very informative feature on GoZips.com...JD stated that NIU's corners jammed our WR's at the line of scrimmage. The WR's had a tough time running their routes. I thought that was pretty insightful. I'm no redshirt expert, but I believe a Fr. can play in the first 3 weeks but still be redshirted. I'm banking on Long being a Fr. next season...and a very good one at that. The film they showed of him at signing day was the most impressive of all the 2003 recruits.

Although younger than Jerrel, I think that Javon is his uncle? That's what I heard...don't quote me on that. He's one of the top RB's in the state. From the Dayton area. He is a very highly touted recruit...it isn't just wishful thinking that he might get a scholarship from OSU.

I won't "shell" you, but I will disagree. Can't would give their left nut (probably from one of those black squirrels) to have the football "success" Akron has enjoyed over the past 9 years. We've beaten them something like 9 of the last 11 times we've played? In the past 10 years, I would guess we have 20...maybe 30 more wins than Can't? Hey, the Zips haven't set the world on fire in the past decade, but we're no where near the overall level of Can't or Buffalo.

Keep in mind, there are "real" pro scouts out there...guys who's sole job is evaluating college football talent...guys who get paid well in excess of $100K per year to do so...and such "experts", armed with films, combine workouts, IQ tests, etc. spend millions of dollars of their company's/team's money on: Ryan Leaf Cade McNown Akili Smith Tim Couch These are just a few names from the recent past. Sufficive to say...no one on this board knows what they're talking about . But the purpose of the board, and what makes it interesting, is seeing what's on people's minds. I've seen Leftwitch and Roethlisberger play. Both have stronger arms than #5. However, they probably have stronger arms than Joe Montana and Ken Stabler too. Certainly does't mean they're a better QB. I remember the first time #5 walked onto the field after Sparks got injured against OU. After about 6 plays my friends and I looked at each other and said, "Damn, this kid's gonna be awesome." You could tell he was special from the get-go. I ain't no pro scout...but if Rodney Peete is starting for someone in 2003...there will be a place on some NFL team's 48 man roster for Charlie Frye in 2005.

The MAC “Elite” #1) Marshall - Last week #1: Beat Miami fairly handily. Their somewhat maligned offense racked up 30+. #2) NIU: Last week #2: Waxed the Zips. Not enough to overtake Marshall, however. #3) BG - Last week #3: Absolutely killed Temple. But…so does everyone. The “Middle of the Pack” #4) Miami - Last week #4: Played a decent game in Huntington. They’re 4th…but a distant 4th to BG. #5) OU - Last week #9. Beat Kentucky soundly! Seem to be playing good defense. Very surprising! #6) Toledo - Last week #7. Gotta be getting back on track? The “Bottom Rung” #7) Ball State - Last week #5 : Beat WMU by 27!! Played a nice game vs. BC a few weeks ago. Are they for real? #8) Zips - Last week #8 – Yes…the Zips are presently the 8th best team in the MAC. Look below to see how absolutely horrible the MAC basement is! #9) CMU - Last week #10: Beat Can't. Can't still can’t kick a football. #10) Buffalo: Last week #14: Pasted George O’Leary’s UCF squad. Keep in mind UCF is paying O’Leary $700,000.00 this SEASON! “Looking to Schedule Cal-Poly or Howard Soon” #11) Can't - Last week #11: Cribbs can do everything…but kick. Can't loses another close one. The text book example of “A Team that doesn’t Know How to Win.” #12.) Western Michigan - Last week #12. I repeat…How the mighty have fallen.... #13) EMU: Lost to a 1-AA school…followed by a loss to mighty Idaho. Hoo boy. #14) UCF - Last week #7: Absolutely annihilated by a woeful Buffalo squad.

I do realize how bad we are. However, Buffalo is abysmal. Ball State is very bad with flushes of mediocrity and UCF got blown out by Buffalo. I'm in 100% agreement with the prevailing sentament on this board that Owens' lackluster recruiting has put us in this situation. No one can tell me when we line up against Penn State, Virginia or NIU that we had many athletes belonging in the same universe as those teams, let alone the same playing field. However, this coaching staff doesn't get a "free pass" to lose to horrible MAC teams. If this existing Zips squad is motivated and well coached, these next three games are wins. None of these teams is better than Can't. They're essentially "Can't," but in different uniforms. I've seen that we can beat Can't, so we should also be able to beat what is best summed up as "Can't Light", "Can't Dry" and "Can't Amber Bock." On a side note: I have no fear that the present team's performance will adversely affect recruiting. In JD's first press conference he alluded to the fact that he bought into a Pitt program that was horrid...hadn't won squat in a decade...and he helped turn them into a perennial bowl team with a few All-Americans to boot. He expected this Zips team to be a major rebuilding (or simply "building") project from the get-go, as did his staff. Unfortunately, football programs aren't built in a day...or a season...or 2 seasons...we're just gonna hafta be patient...and drink alot before games for the next couple years.

I've alluded to similar thoughts of heresy in the past. I dig #5. He's the best QB ever to wear a Zips uniform. He's a great person. He will play in the NFL. He's a warrior that plays with pain and never complains. Is his arm as strong as Leftwitch's? No. Roethlisberger's? No. Pennington's? No. Does he have any "storybook wins" against major competition? No. Does he have any championships? No. Has he tossed some big INT's late in big games? Yes. I see the crap that passes for NFL QB's nowadays. Guys like Vinny Testaverde and Rich Gannon are 40, and starting. Doug Peterson is something like a 12 year veteran? #5 will have a nice NFL career. He won't be selling copiers. I wondered aloud at the beginning of last season what his legacy would be...and metioned it was heading towards that of Archie Manning. A great QB...on some bad-to-mediocre football teams. He's got a handfull of games to shake that one, but I don't think his OL will give him the chance. I thought Jason Taylor was too small and injury prone to have a serviceable NFL career...so what the hell do I know. #5 rules. I hope to see his name & # in the Zips "Ring of Honor" soon.

I was on vacation. Didn't hear it...didn't see it. Going into the game my thoughs were: "NIU is as good as, or slightly better than Penn State. If we've improved, we'll have a better showing than we did against Penn State. If we haven't improved, we'll be worse." I think we must have improved a bit. We were only down 28-12 at one point. We returned an INT for a TD. We played just about as competitive as I could reasonable expect. Not as well as I wished...but "expect" and "wish" are two different things. I expect to beat Buffalo and Ball State. Hell...I expect to beat UCF too. Those are 3 really bad teams. What's up with the punt return unit? That's embarassing. OL: Holy hell... Hope Saturday's weather is nice!

I agree.

Tough to get up for this one after seeing how horrible we've fared against quality competition on the road this year. One thought: Should we win, it would be the greatest road victory in the history of Akron 1-A football. Navy was a good one, but Navy's lost to just about everyone. Winning this one would be the equivalent to beating Marshall in Huntington. I think NIU is THAT good. Funny...when Lee took over the Zips in 1995 I remember beating a Novak-coached NIU soundly...something like 34-17 in DeKalb. We went 2-9 that year. Where NIU is today is where we all hoped Lee would have taken us. Novak's first several years were ugly, but he's built a hell of a program. I want to win, but I would be heartend to see improvement. I'd like to see the D continue to be aggressive. I want to see the O convert some decent drives into 7 points. GO ZIPS!

I hope that translates to some wins. Dragging my wife down route 8 every week in 20 degree weather to watch the Zips get beat like a drum over the past several years really got old. My memories of the few fun games during the Bosley/Ball era are fading...it's hard to remember what its like to be a "favorite." Restore the Roar, Dambrot!