Captain Kangaroo

Essentially a must-win for the Zips if they want to "Finish the Climb" and make an appearance in Detroit again. Miami doesn't look very good. They aren't terrible...but they aren't an upper-echelon MAC program this year. Has Kato worked on his short, and intermediate passing accuracy during the off week? Will our offensive live start getting a push in their run blocking now that we're done with the Power 5's? Are some new faces going to begin appearing at the RB position? Are MTB and Sands shaking off the rust and going to make an impact in MAC play? This is the Zips' week #4. Will any Freshman be shut down for the year after Saturday? It doesn't seem like we've used a heck of a lot of Freshman this to-date? Does Brian Reinke make some increased appearances at TE? Has Newman Williams ever been this healthy in his post HS career? Wonder how Brimmage's leg is doing? A somewhat quiet start to the Walter Brady era at UA? Does he start flashing his SEC pedigree, or is he just a solid MAC lineman? If the Zips offense makes an adequate showing on Saturday, we win big. I'm going with 38-16 Zips. Unfortunately, in the rain, like it always is at InfoCision.

Does he need to return that framed jersey?

NIU Army Kent Toledo TCU Purdue

We were good enough to beat Nebraska today, not not Iowa State.

Nelson just not sharp enough today.

Give me some Deltron Sands. We need a back that can make someone miss.

Jamal Davis bringing it again!

It is nice that we don’t need to play a perfect game anymore to hang with a team like Iowa State. We’re not playing our best ball by a long shot and we’re still tied

If those are read-option plays, we’re making the wrong reads.

3 consecutive solid quarters by the Zips offense and defense against Power 5 teams. Great football to watch.

Iowa State looking very beatable.

Kato not sharp right now. Needs to take a deep breath.

One final topic from me as we move on from the Northwestern game... What was up with their "Hype Guys?" on the sidelines? They had four...maybe five guys in purple shirts hopping along the sidelines facing the Northwestern team, whooping it up like they'd funneled fifteen Red Bulls prior to the game. They never stopped. For the most part they performed in front of a group of similarly-wired "players" that were either walk-ons, or regular students in football uniforms planted among the real players. It was the oddest thing. Seemed to me is was someone's idea to keep the energy up on the sidelines and keep everyone into the game. But it was lame, phoney, "rehearsed energy." It is the sign of the apocalypse if college football sidelines are moving towards this type of baloney.

Hakeem Article

I think you might be getting his height mixed up with Russell Holmes? Brian was every bit of 6' 7". I met him a couple times my freshman year. Super-nice. Very sad to learn of his passing. I recall he returned to the JAR a couple times after graduation, playing for the Marathon Oil corporate team and scrimmaging the Zips in the preseason.

Nice article on last week's cyclone game.

Marla Jumping on the Bandwagon

Most of us were introduced to new Zip Bryce Petersen by the referees on Saturday. But here is a nice story that perhaps explains why the coaches had faith in him to right the ship in the second half at Evanston. Seems like he'll be a solid lineman for the next three years.

2.1 million? InfoCision will be paid off in no time flat! Looks like the ABJ editors are moonlighting for WKSU? Can't read, can't write, can't add.

I’d advise North Alabama to get their appearance fee up front.

I think your definition of a Hail Mary differs from mine by about 20 yards.

7 seconds is about the absolute maximum time you could hope to burn off under a best case scenario. That play could never have used 8 seconds. Punt. Even though we had a bad snap earlier in the game. Or, teach Kato the pooch punt. Regardless - we won.

When you get home from the game at midnight, you don't feel like posting any thoughts on it. Then you drive home for 6 1/2 hours the next day, and you don't feel like posting anything either. Then on Monday, you try to catch up on all the things you didn't do around the house because you were in Evanston all weekend. And here you are... There isn't much to be said that hasn't already been said regarding the game. Some people bemoan the lack of stars in the Akron recruiting classes, but there was no shortage of stars for the Zips on the field Saturday night. Bell...Nelson...Williams...anyone with the surname Davis or Brown... it was an amazing second half. Very reminiscent of the 1999 Akron @ Navy game, where the Zips were down 20 in the first quarter and rallied back for the win. The first half penalties were maddening, but even with the late second quarter TD drive, you never got the feeling that Northwestern was going to dominate. One play that stood out to me towards the end of the first half was the Zips 4th and 1 QB run. Kato took the snap and slammed into the line as hard as he physically could. He didn't get the first down, but it really stood out how badly he wanted it. I'd never seen a small (he's no Woodson) QB hit the line with such reckless force. It showed me how badly he wanted to win, despite how horrifically the bulk of the preceding offensive possessions had played-out. The Zips clock management at game's end was baffling. The chasing of points that began in the 3rd quarter was puzzling. The 48 yard FG attempt late in the 4th qtr was ummmmm thought-provoking? But all that said, the Zips gutted out one of, if not THE greatest wins in program history. Back in 2005 the Zips beat NC State. You really thought the Program had arrived. Then we stumbled to a 5-6 season record. The apparent breakthrough 2014 win at Pitt ended up a lone highlight in an otherwise forgettable 5-7 season. But this year seems different. You always win with defense, and the Zips have their best defense in memory. Sort of like 2015, but with the addition of Dwight Smith impersonator Alvin Davis in the secondary (for you youngsters out there, Google "Dwight Smith Akron" to see my GZOAT). Iowa State will be a much bigger test than Northwestern. Back-to-back Power 5 games always are brutal for MAC schools. But the MAC has done it before. Toledo beats Power 5's with regularity. NIU too. Remember in 2003 when NIU began the season with wins against Alabama, Maryland and Iowa State? Why not the Zips? It's about time another MAC school broke through the Glass (Bowl) ceiling! As lunch draws to a conclusion, here are a few closing thoughts on the Northwestern trip - * Great to put a face to the name of @LZip and @Ham. Fun meeting them, & their spouses/families! Very nice to meet the Reinke's too. * The Zips alumni had a nice party at the South Golf Course lot...coincidentally only about 100 feet from where we were tailgating. Thanks to Willie for stopping by and inviting us over. * The Golf Course lot was awesome. Just like the old Rubber Bowl grass lot. Corn hole...footballs flying...kids running around everywhere...it was a fun time. It was a little like Lord of the Flies as the kids took control of the green on hole #13. I wouldn't want to putt on it come Sunday morning. Here were a couple of Zips tailgates - And inside the stadium, here were some of the boisterous Zips fans: Nice people in Evanston. Very gracious in their defeat. Fun college town. Couldn't have had a better weekend. Thank you Akron Zips!

While not a winner this week, I am pretty happy with the accuracy my prognostication.

A few Zips fan sightings in the south golf course lot, Free beer for anyone that stops over!