Let'sGoZips94

We got a stop. Drink to that - it'll help. Dilly Dilly!

Very athletic.

How about Jason Taylor catching the lone Akron TD in their last meeting in 1996? Highly recommend reading the Zips Quick Hits section. Pretty cool all the connections we have on this team to guys like Archie Griffin, Bishop Sankey, etc. As previously mentioned, good for Nick Johns for putting the work in to move over to TE & grab the #2 spot. Big O-Line, and experienced on the left side. 7 starters return on offense (4 of the 5 starting OL return), and 3 starters return on defense (this doesn't include Featherstone, whom I thought started before getting injured?).

I'm taking Akron all day with that spread. Not sure if Vegas is smoking their P5 or Big Ten cigars, but whichever they're smoking is making them delusional.

I thought his injury last year was a major turning point in the season. Never seemed to recover in the secondary in his absence.

My biggest concern is if there's enough room for the MAC Championship Trophy in the case! Kidding. Very excited for the season. We'll see what the record is at the end of the season, but I think the journey is going to be fun. Looking forward to exciting, disciplined football. Illinois is the ideal Big Ten team to play this year, too. No harm in tacking on a P5 victory to what hopes to be a solid season.

Although injuries derailed what was otherwise a promising a playing career, he was one of the classiest players to wear a Zips uniform. Studious, hard-working, etc. Congrats to him!

I wasn't sure where to put this, so feel free to move this where it's appropriate if necessary, admins. 2019 Varsity "A" Sports Hall of Fame Inductees Announced Andy Alleman Keith Dambrot Randy Ecrement James "Dru" Joyce Cadeau Kelley Stevi Large Gruber Latrese Taylor Sanders Romeo Travis They will be honored at the Homecoming Football Game against Can't State on Oct. 12th.

Awesome for Dru. CSU sucks. Simple as that. ?

Interesting. "The offense is more complicated now." You mean to tell me there's something more complex than delayed hand-offs? Also, Zagorski reminds me of Seth Rogan.

* insert Thriller video laugh *

And Can't State Still Sucks!

I'm liking the approach Groce is taking while running this program. The social media presence the program has is seeing a huge upgrade the last year or so. They've been working out at Orange Theory Fitness in Copley, which is pretty cool considering the community engagement aspect. On top of that, they have been highlighting player bios on Instagram, and doing excellent classroom work involving topics such as "Why the best are the best." The program seems to be more in line with current trends that are "hip" to the younger generation and what helps attract them to a program, as well as what bonds a team once all together.

Ya hate to see Directional Carolinas, though. Ya really do... (NC Central has had some decent tourney teams recently I guess). Great OOC so far with two big, road-trip-able games.

College athletics are in trouble in general regarding attendance. The SEC is even having troubles with student attendance. Millennials aren't going to carry the torch once it's officially passed on by the generations before them. Unless Duke, OSUcks, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan, or any massive name like that comes to the JAR, you're going to need to use gimmicks and promotions to get them to show up. It is what it is right now. Meanwhile, I'm going to enjoy UMass coming to the JAR. Might even yell something about Calipari. ?

Recognizable name from a solid conference, something we don't often get at the JAR. They've sucked in recent years, but they still hold more water with the common fan than North Carolina Alphabet Soup.

That's fantastic news. It's about damn time we benefited basketball wise from the UMASS/MAC football connection.

LOVE the tournaments O-Who and Canada are in. Our field has potential. It will be interesting to see what level the final two teams are, and who they are. It says we have 3 home games, while Louisville has 4 home games and NC Central has 0(?). Is it a round robin type of tournament? I'm assuming Louisville has a 4th home game cause they'd be hosting us, too? We are also in the Battle for the Capital in D.C. - Akron, Liberty, Towson, Tulane.

Until the program puts more than 2 players on the Dean's List (one isn't with the program anymore), we might want to refrain from mentioning academics as a factor in recruiting.

DANCING ON PORRINI! DANCING ON PORRINI! Pretty awesome roster.

Side note: How hilarious would it be for the MAC to add Duquesne in basketball, bringing KD back to the MAC?

"Bigs" do tend to take more time to develop typically, so maybe grabbing a player with 2-4 years of experience already is the better move? Here's what I do know. We were in nearly every single game last year with only one guy above 6'9" (Sayles was hurt most of the season). Our losses came from not being able to score/make jump shots at a consistent rate. If there's a concerted effort to fix that, I'll be very happy and will worry about the "bigs" later on.

No but I'm pretty sure Harney and the Zips had their best season following participation in this league. The key is for Banks to get back the confidence he had at the beginning of last season. Hopefully it works, because he was a special player last fall.

Pre-season favorites won't come out until closer to the fall, but if I had to guess, they'll put all the teams in a circle and play spin the bottle. Whomever it's pointing at, that's the favorite. Maybe Toledo if you are making me pick a team, but I think the MAC is that wide open.

Comfort/Production and athleticism are 2 different things. He gets up and down the floor well for a big man, so I consider him to be more on the athletic side. You're right, though - he needs to take the big leap forward and show he can contribute this year.