Captain Kangaroo

You hit the nail on the head. Jabari drops a sure TD to put us up 14-0...nothing said about it. A Marshall WR drops a TD pass...well, obviously that's the reason the Zips won. Josh Davis rips the Akron defense for 240 yards...so the Zips defense sucks. Hixson gets 200 yards receiving on the Herd...nothing said about it. The fact is: While OU got drubbed at Can't 41-16...the Zips never trailed vs. Can't. Can't scored late to make it close. Akron drilled Buffalo. Held them to a TD over the last 3 quarters, if I'm not mistaken. Akron never trailed vs. UCF. A late TD made it closer than it was. The Zips manhandled Ball State. At one point it was 35-7, I believe. Again, late scores made it close. If the Zips are winning...but not by enough points for your taste...too bad, I guess. As someone stated above...OSU won a national championship by winning close games. I love being 5-4 right now. OU's D isn't too bad. Their QB is. If we get any sort of a pass rush on Hawk, we'll probably win by a nice margin. If we can't rush him effectively...we'll still win...but probably not by "enough." 6-4 going into the Miami game will rule...however we achieve it.

Getting defensive Subscribe By Kevin Gorman TRIBUNE-REVIEW Thursday, November 11, 2004 The notoriety normally reserved for offensive stars is instead focused on the other side of the ball in the WPIAL Class AAA playoffs. All four semifinalists feature Division I prospects who are difference makers on defense. The attention will be on the defensive line when West Mifflin (6-5) and pass-rushing end Kevin Garner play West Allegheny (11-0) and run-stopping tackle C.J. Davis at North Allegheny. The secondary will be at the forefront when Blackhawk (8-3) and Jeremy Bruce meet Thomas Jefferson (9-2) and Brad Dawson at Pine-Richland. "Whether it be the playoffs or the regular season, it's a huge thing," Blackhawk coach Joe Hamilton said. "You need that leadership on defense." Aside from starring at tailback on offense, the West Virginia-bound Bruce has provided a shutdown presence for the Cougars as a cover cornerback. "Jeremy Bruce is a threat," Hamilton said. "People like to stay away from him. That's the nice thing about our defense. It's set up so we can put our best defender on their best receiver. We're not used to having that kind of speed." Neither is Thomas Jefferson, where junior linebackers Jason Kolodziej and Nate Nix have been overshadowed by Dawson. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound senior has returned three of his seven interceptions for touchdowns this season. Dawson also is receiving Division I interest at quarterback. "Dawson has been incredible," TJ coach Bill Cherpak said. "Anytime anybody tries to throw the ball, he closes down their receivers." The 6-3, 290-pound Davis helped West Allegheny shut down opposing running backs. The Indians hadn't allowed a 100-yard rusher until last week, when Hampton's Steve Paskorz ran for 145 yards. Davis provides a huge presence on the interior line, and has drawn scholarship offers from Akron, Indiana, North Carolina, Toledo and West Virginia. "If it wasn't for our defense, we probably wouldn't be here right now," Davis said. "Our offense is good, but our defense makes the difference." The same could be said at West Mifflin, where the 13th-seeded Titans have held Franklin Regional and Canon-McMillan to a combined 14 points. Garner, a 6-2, 225-pounder, is a four-year starter who has a dozen sacks this season. He has offers from Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan, Can't State and Toledo. "Kevin's been playing for four years and knows there's a lot on the line," West Mifflin coach Ray Braszo said. "It's always good to have one kid who rubs off on everybody else."

Special thanks to Dr.Z!

"Has anyone looked at how bad Akron really is and how a weak schedule can really inflate the record. They are 5-4 with a loss to MTSU who is one of the weaker D1 programs in the country. They have beaten Can't (awful team), UCF (worst D1 team in the country), Buffalo (one of the 5 worst teams in the country), Ball State (challenging UCF and Buffalo for the worst team in the country) and Marshall ( total fluke and anyone that saw the game would have to agree). The Zips are just like us - a terrible football team that has beaten, not bad football teams (Marshall the lone exception) but AWFUL football teams. A loss to Akron would further emphasize how bad the football program is at the present time. It is extrmely humbling to see how bad most of the teams in the MAC are this year. The league has always been a "have and have nots" league but in the past most of the have nots weren't the worst teams in division 1A. Right now I really believe UCF, Buffalo, Ohio, Ball St, Can't St, Akron and WMich are average to below average 1AA teams at best. Teams like Furman, GaSouthern, Maine, N'eastern, SIll, James Madison, Delaware etc would dominate these teams. My question is - is our talent and the talent of these other teams that poor or is it coaching and committment?" Reply: OU Fan still having trouble dealing with the fact that the Zips have been playing at a level far above OU for several years. "The Zips are just like us - a terrible football team..." That's a good one!

The MAC “Elite” #1) BG: Last week #1: Omar Jacobs is still killing people. BG rolled up 550 yards and 49 points on WMU...in the FIRST HALF!! Definitely the team to beat. The Herd could really take a beating this week. #2) Miami - Last week #4: Beat Toledo pretty handily. However, they seem to be a distant #2 to BG. #3) Toledo - Last week #5. Big, big win vs NIU. The “Upper-Middle of the Pack” #4) Zips - Last week #6 – Zips score the most game points of all Marshall 2004 opponents to-date (31). Gritty comback, again sparked in the 4th quarter by the defense. Frye comes up big on a big stage. #5) Marshall - Last week #2: Loss to the Zips on the road follows a lackluster 20-3 win over hapless UCF (Marshall had 13 offensive points in that one). If you want to see a woodshed special, tune in to the BG/Marshall game. To be fair to the Herd...I pity any team playing BG at the moment. The “Middle Rung” #6) NIU - Last week #3: Barely beating UCF...then needing OT to beat Ball State...then a loss to Toledo that included getting shut out in the second half. NIU getting a rep for fast season starts, and soft finishes. “Struggling BIG Time” #7) Can't - Last week #9: Mauled the woebegone Bobcats, then Buffalo 33-7. Cribbs "smokin'" the competition. #8) EMU: Last week #12. The best directional team in Michigan! EMU's new coach seems to be decent. #9) CMU - Last week #7: No comment. #10) OU - Last week #11. Waxed by Can't State, then needed OT, and a missed extra point, to nip UCF. #11) Ball State - Last week #8 : At 1-8, how can you rank them higher than #11? #12) UCF - Last week #13: Held Marshall to 20, but only scored 3. Then blew the OU game. O’Leary cashes another check from the $700K/yr salary. How does he do it with a straight face? #13) Buffalo: Last week #13. Drilled by Can't. Not even in the same league. Bad, bad team. #14.) Western Michigan - Last week #14. Drilling of epic proportions (see BG notes above). Darnell has Blackney disease. Brought the team from "championship caliber" to the bottom of the MAC.

I don't have a problem with the Owens mention. It was 3% of the column. The main focus was on the players and this year's staff.

Very easy to find pics of Al-Tariq Balaam on the web. Trust me...that's a good thing!

I think it is fair to say there were 29,000 people in attendance, but maybe 13,000 "fans." I love everyone that came out to see the Zips...but I can't really call the 10K that left at halftime "fans." It will take a while...and a lot of convincing...to create a real fan base. We took a quantum leap forward Friday night. I guarantee there were about 10,000 people in NE Ohio that were kicking themselves at 11:00pm that evening. They'll be back, and they'll probably stay a bit longer next time. We just have to keep the newbies "on the hook." Beat OU and they'll return for Miami. Beat Miami...and you create some real "fans."

It went in the shitter?

"Unlike everybody else...I really want to go to this game."

Game is scheduled for "next weekend." Hope it is late Saturday or Sunday. If the weather is good I'd check it out.

You forgot the 2008 ending: "...and I watched it all with my 5 buckeye buddies from my house in Mineral Ridge." Get your butt out of Mahoning County and get up here for a game, you bum! Ridge is out of the playoffs, so there's no excuse! Signed, CK Alumni of the 2004 State Cross Country Champs Mc Donald High School

I'll catch up on the overview later, but I wanted to quickly check in and say "Thank You!" to all the players, coaches and fans! What a God damn awesome night. I'm still hungover (and that's no joke).

Try reading about U of Akron football in the Akron Beacon Journal. That paper ranks the Zips lower than high school football. You need a magnifying glass to find anything about Zips football. The fact that you both read and reference the Beacon Journal speaks volumes. Can you reference Curious George, or perhaps Dick and Jane literature next time?

I think it is unfair to say "the mighty have fallen." They got hosed by the weather this season...they got hosed in their opener by the lights, plus the fact that Colorado State backed out on them and left them with the ever-so-attractive Indiana State Sycamores. 15k "quasi-rule" is a joke. It won't survive. Bank on it. BTW: If the Akron/Marshall game were held tonight...I'd guess the crowd to be 127 people. I think I just saw a witch on a bicycle fly past my window. Today's weather is similar to what Miami was up against Tuesday night.

Is this recent enough for you? Player arrested for role in fight September 2004 Defensive tackle Roger Garrett charged with malicious wounding By ANTHONY HANSHEW - The Herald-Dispatch HUNTINGTON -- Marshall football player Roger Garrett was arrested Tuesday and charged with a felony count of malicious wounding of Ohio State defensive end Redgie Arden, according to a Huntington police official. The arrest is the first directly related to what Huntington police described as a large fight involving Arden on Aug. 22 across from Joan C. Edwards Stadium. Arden, a former Ironton High School standout, suffered a broken nose and other facial injuries in the ruckus. The investigation is ongoing, but further arrests are not expected, said Capt. Steve Hall of the Huntington Police Department. Garrett turned himself in, appeared before Cabell County Magistrate John Rice and was released on his own recognizance, Hall said. Garrett has a Sept. 16 pretrial hearing where he is expected to plead not guilty. The 6-foot-1, 286-pound Garrett will not travel with the Thundering Herd football team for Saturday’s game at No. 9 Ohio State, according to Marshall football coach Bobby Pruett. "Roger will not be available for the game Saturday," Pruett said. "We will let the judicial process run the course." Garrett started last week’s season-opener against Troy and totaled three tackles. The sophomore defensive tackle from Moultrie, Ga., did not attend Tuesday afternoon’s practice. Following the Aug. 22 fight, Marshall defensive end Jonathan Goddard was arrested after allegedly shoving a police officer who tried to pull him off a Huntington man. The Huntington man, William Green, was later arrested on drug and weapons charges. Goddard pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor last week in Cabell County Magistrate Court.

Not true. I was at the CSU/Akron game in '86. There were all of 7,700 pepole in that building.

The Rubber Bowl never seated 40,000...at least in the last 30-something years. The 40K attendance numbers were inflated by Red Cochrane. Actual capacity...oversold, and SRO, is probably 34K. The JAR crowds were in excess of 5,800 several times in the Huggins era. They sat people in the walkways, stood them in the doorways...they basically let everyone that would fit in the building in it. Fire Marshalls didn't like that, and capped the entrance number around 5,800. No more 7K crowds. F Marshall(s)

I actually found a person in Akron afraid of Marshall QB Stan Hill!! Look for Stan at a local Burger King...Thursday night...'bout 2:30am ********************************************************************** Football players arrested for public intoxication By Matt Riley Published: Friday, February 28, 2003 Marshall University quarterback Stan Hill was arrested early Tuesday morning on a misdemeanor for public intoxication. The arrest is the second for Hill, 21, in four months. He was arrested in October and is still awaiting his trial date for misdemeanor traffic charges. Huntington Police responded to a call from Burger King about a disturbance. Hill and teammate, offensive lineman Jarrett Baisden, were arrested by police at 1:21 a.m. The incident report stated both players smelled of alcohol and had bloodshot eyes. Both players were walking from Burger King when police arrived. The report said Hill used "very poor judgment." Hill, a Tupelo, Miss., native, was taken to Prestera's substance abuse unit at Mildred Mitchell-Bateman Hospital before being arraigned. Baisden, 20, a Huntington freshman, was taken to jail. Baisden played at Spring Valley High School before joining the Herd. He was arrested for underage consumption and released on $500 bond. Hill was released on $100 bond, according to Cabell County Magistrate Johnny McCallister. Both players are scheduled for a plea hearing on March 10, McCallister said. If convicted, Hill faces a $100 fine, while Baisden faces up to three days in jail and/or a $500 fine. "We're going to let the process take its course," Marshall head coach Bob Pruett said. "That's what we have to do with everything. It's just an allegation right now." Hill gained fame when he started in place of an injured Byron Leftwich last season and led the Herd to a dramatic 36-34 victory over rival Miami (Ohio). Hill ran for a touchdown in the final minutes to give the Herd the win. In October, Hill was accused of driving recklessly, resisting arrest, second-offense driving on a suspended license, failure to drive right of center and failure to obey a traffic light. He is accused of fleeing the police and his trial date for the first arrest is set for May. Hill is in competition for the Herd's starting quarterback job next season. Baisden is expected to compete for playing time next season on the offensive line. Hill and Baisden could not be reached for comment. Employees of Burger King were also instructed not to comment. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Hey Herd fans, I hear that, due to the rash of arrests involving Herd players over the past several years, that Court TV has offered to televise your games for the remainder of the season. True?

Other insulting threads will be deleted. They clutter the board. Anything but abject profanity is likely acceptable in this thread. If you are easily offended, leave it immediately. Of course, clever insults are recommended.

Marshall lost by 3 to a 5-3 Big Ten team (respectable) Akron lost by 38 to a 2-6 Big Ten team (embarrassing) BTW, didn't Ohio State just beat Penn State? Anybody want to further debate this topic? Good arguement...IF teams didn't improve over the course of a season. Zips of November are much improved over the Zips of September. Marshall...they scored 13 offensive points vs. UCF in October...while putting up 21 vs OSU in September. Herd doesn't seem to be improving? I wish we played Penn State in November. (the guy in front is JoePa, and the guy in back is JD) Oh well...maybe we can play Ohio State in the Motor City Bowl!

1.) Who's team doesn't get a few "Players of the Week" when they play UCF?! 2.) Your offense only put up 13 points against UCF? Holy mackeral...we had that before the band finished the National Anthem!

Random thoughts to pass the lunch break: * Does JD have a trick play in his playbook? Fake punt/FG...onside kick...reverse...Statue of Liberty...hood and ladder...fumblerooskie...WR or RB pass? I don't think I've seen one all season? Friday would be a good night to let and tricks out of the bag. Will he? * Although the weather is supposed to be cold (40 deg at gametime) I still expect 20K+ * Why is it so f-ing difficult to find out how injured Jabari really is? * Marshall fans make a big deal out of Goddard. If Biggs gets things rolling, I think that greatly diminishes Goddard's pass rush ability. * Can Biggs keep things rolling vs. the MAC's #1 defense? * Marshall's wide outs have always had great size, speed...and bad hands. Ok, Moss could hold onto the ball, but in other games I've seen it has been a problem. Wonder how this year's crop of WR's is? * Marshall's 3-point loss to OSU isn't that impressive anymore. The loss to Troy doesn't seem that bad, and their loss to Georgia is questionable...Georgia is a team that tends to overlook allegedly "lesser" opponents with regularity. * Regardless of the strength of schedule, the Zips recent run is impressive. Seems like we're up to playing 3 1/2 quarters of solid football now? Hope the week off alows us to work on that final 1/2 quarter...which is essentially controlling the ball on offense in the 4th quarter. * How nice did "Akron 4-1 MAC 4-4 overall" MAC East Standings info look on the screen last night during the ESPN game? Looked a hell of a lot better than the 1-5's directly beneath them! * Does Frye have it in him to seize the moment tomorrow night? What separates him for the Leftwich's, Roethlisberger's and Pennington's of the MAC is "big wins." This would be bigger than the last Marshall game because, obviously, there's a championship on the line. * I love the screen to Biggs with the OL's leading the charge downfield. Hope I see it several times Friday. * What do you think I can get for my season tickets if I try to scalp them Friday? I'm guessing 25 cents. Oh well..it goes to a good cause. * I'll be in the tailgate lot (along the fence) at 2:00pm. Look for Zippy on a Stick. Anyone is welcome to stop over...even Marshall fans. * Does JD have the guts to put the ball in Ringer's hands for 5-7 carries? If not, do we even have a second back to spell Biggs? BTW: Biggs/Kennedy combo should be awesome next year! * Marshall's OL was allegedly "10 deep" to start the season. They haven't lived up to the billing. Can the Zips Sack Exchange (Street) keep up the torrid sack pace vs. these guys? * How many camera's will ESPN use? I hope it is like last night's MAC game. They showed all of the stands, and had some nice close ups. * If it comes down to a field goal...can Swiger sack-up and hit it? * Will the Zips WR's do a better job of coming back to #5 if he's got heavy pressure? My prediction: Zips 27 Marshall 24. I think Biggs will continue his 150 yd / game pace, which will loosen up the CB coverage...which will free Frye to toss for 280 yds + a couple TD's. This is #5's time to shine.

I think the AD's have to take the 15k "quasi-rule" seriously. However, I can't see any way it will stand up in court. Miami...and just about ever other MAC team will face this problem every November if the rule stood as-is. But, it won't. Regarding the Zips game...the reason for free tix is two-fold. 1.) The 15k "quasi-rule" must be addressed 2.) This game is a 3 1/2 hour commercial for Zips football and The University of Akron. If the Zips go out and win, the highlights will be on Sportscenter nation wide. A full Rubber Bowl will look awesome on national TV. JD and company can sell that hard to recruits. A half-empty Rubber Bowl would be catastrophic from an image point of view. Without handing out freebies, there's little chance of a full Rubber Bowl. 17k is probably the best case...6 k of those being Marshall fans. We'll probably lose $100,000 in cash for the Marshall game, combining the loss in ticket revenue (freebies vs. bought tix...and those 6k Marshall fans would have bought tix...plus the $75,000 for light removal/replacement. However, it it money well spent from an advertising point of view. That is IF...I repeat...IF we take advantage of it and pull out a win.