Let'sGoZips94

I would like to dedicate the score of this game in honor of the late, great Charlie Coles.

We are lucky WMU has kept Hawkins around for so many years.

To salvage this class, I'm sure it's easier to continue with the relationships/connections that have already been built for the bulk of the class.

Some more "gushing" over Akron in this article... Speaking to FourFourTwo in 2017 about his growth as a coach, Porter said: “I've had to learn an even deeper level of adjustment and tactical awareness, and that's made me a much more well-rounded coach. I still have my beliefs, I still have my philosophies, but I think when I came here, I had a couple philosophies. Now I have 100 philosophies.” It’s a fine answer from a coach. I just hope he returns to his foundational philosophy upon returning to his managerial roots. I’m a romantic about Porter’s Akron teams, as I imagine anyone who watched them would be. I didn’t love the way he coached the Timbers teams — a team with Diego Valeri, Darlington Nagbe and Diego Chara shouldn’t finish outside of the top 10 in passes attempted (or miss the playoffs twice in five years). Porter and Timbers maestro Diego Valeri in 2013 | USA Today Sports Images I’ll never blame a coach for playing to win, but Porter offered something at Akron that few coaches have ever provided in America. I get that it was a college team, but if only you had seen them... One can’t help but hope Ohio brings the best out of Porter. And Columbus feels like the perfect place right now to bring it out of hibernation. -------------------------------------------------------------------- I told some people after he was hired by the Crew that this wasn't exactly a good thing for Ohio State Men's Soccer, as Porter will more than likely encourage the top Crew Academy players to go to Akron to be groomed for his style of play. I didn't even think about the publicity Akron will get... IN Columbus.

He clearly reads ZipsNation. Hi Fred!

What a horribly inaccurate paragraph. It should read... Porter led the Zips to One National Championship, Two College Cups... Not to mention it completely leaves out his winning percentage, undefeated season (National Runner Up), etc. Just more disrespect I guess...

Easily one of the best players I've ever seen wear an Akron uniform. He has Jatavis Brown potential (terrific impact player).

I really, really like the idea of adding a prominent NEO high school HC to the staff, especially for recruiting purposes. When a sports team or program makes a personnel move, whether it be coaching or player, it's always good to take a step back and look at the big picture - what is the plan here? i.e. The Indians bringing back Carlos Santana has to do some with contract/age, but a lot to do with patience at the plate and rebuilding a patient lineup. Williams identified a problem - lack of NEO recruiting - and is putting together a plan to solve it. I guarantee Arth has had dreams since his days at JCU of recruiting NEO at the DI level, especially with Akron's facilities. This area is ripe with talent, and it's a bout damn time we started targeting it. Heck, even the soccer program has recruited NEO more than the football program - and the soccer program is a destination/desirable landing spot for worldwide.

After 16 years, mediocre talent isn't an excuse; it's a flaw. I have nothing against Steve, and am thankful WMU has kept him around for so long as to guarantee their ceiling is beatable by the Zips. Just incredible that he has been with WMU for 16 years.

Matt Campbell-esque. Hi @Cykron!

They hired Porter before hiring a GM?

Amazing. Truly.

Did we win?

I haven't done any research to know if this is true or not, but from people I know who have been recruited it seems to be the assistants are the ones who are more active on Twitter, doing the groundwork to connect with recruits. Head coaches might have a Twitter but not sure how active the majority are.

Especially considering 7' South Carolina transfer Khadim Gueye (spelling?) is sitting out this year.

Two things on Zarek... 1) It's always a good thing anytime a University of Akron degree can be flashed on social media by a pro athlete. 2) Congrats to him on the wedding, especially in finding a woman who has a protected social media account. What a rarity! Here's to a lifetime of happiness for the two of them. Dilly Dilly!

I chuckled at this. "...And thirdly, they thought he would come in with a name with a little sizzle and give the program a little attention." Oddly enough, there has been more media attention surrounding Arth than I anticipated. Not sure if that's a concerted effort to market Arth and Akron football, or if Arth's connections are better than we thought (i.e. his relationship with guys like Kosar).

This game is a Blue Out. Why? Easier to sell the 2700 attendance they'll announce if everyone looks like the blue empty chairbacks and blue empty bleachers. Laugh. It's good for the soul. Merry Christmas!

My heart sank when I saw this thread. @YipaZip You need to be right.

Last I checked, Duquesne is still offering season tickets. They also have a message board of their own. _____________________________________________________- Every single loss we have had this year is a win next year (although losing Ivey will hurt).

These announcers have been unbearable. Not enough tonight. Silly mistakes, and Nevada just made more plays - so many blocks. 6 pt loss to the #6 team in the country. All of our losses are by 6 or less now. As impressive as losses can be.

Not sure they'll drop very far. Anyone who watched the game saw a phenomenal game for 30-35 minutes until Howard became a man possessed. Even the announcers said that Buffalo was doing everything right, but still couldn't stop Howard. Buffalo is the real deal.

Football's version of Rob Fulford.

In terms of adding freshman? No. In terms of building a culture and reputation? It's a great start. With how much discussion there is about the sliminess of the recruiting process, word will get around about the breath of fresh air that is Arth's honesty and recruiting approach. That's on a personal level and can go a long way. From a schematic/system level, I think it's also a smart move. Whomever Bowden recruited to fit his system, they might not fit Arth's. Simply filling a recruiting class for the sake of completion is a bit reckless and can set the program back even further. __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Glad to hear the positive report, Captain!

How so?