Zipmeister

I recommend a 5 3 4 and if we get away with that switch to 5 4 4.

So later in the season when we (hopefully) start winning some games it will be because we have better depth than the other team?

Is Jack Mercer still vertical?

Really, lack of depth is the problem? Did Marshall run the score up early on our second team? Did we fail to score early using our second team?

That grand finally victory was ah inspiring.

Re: your last point. I believe you can stop worrying. Think how many points Marshall would have scored if our defense wasn't as good as it is.

More Marshall fans would probably see the ad if it was in a Huntington newspaper. I doubt more than a handful of them subscribe to the ABJ.

I wouldn't take Buffalo or UMass too lightly. I have watched them each in a couple of games and believe if they get a couple of problems sorted out that each is going to beat multiple MAC teams this season.

Why neutral sites?

I heard TB might go with Gold Chrome hair for the game with the Herd, but he's not sure about a blue Z on each side; thinks it might be too gaudy. GO ZIPS crush the Turd.

Normally, this wouldn't be a good strategy as the coaches are doubtless aware of his "I'm still looking" post. Schools with a packed recruiting class would recruit right over this guy and pull his offer. But, in this case there are so many unfilled slots in the recruiting class, his strategy is likely to be successful. In any event, I believe there is about a 3% chance he winds up at Akron.

"I am still going to be in contact with other coaches, and visiting other schools, as I do not even have tape yet for other schools to be interested in me..." Sounds like a strong commit.

Maybe Western Carolina doesn't want to publicize the latest addition to their basketball squad, or maybe they don't know about it. As of 9/8 no mention of AA on the Wolf's athletic web site.

I believe you are correct. I have the SEC as the number one conference. The Pac12, Big 12 and ACC tied for second. And the Big 10 in third.

Coaching decisions were a major factor in this loss. e.g. Put Lawrence in for one 13 yard run, take him out and let him watch the remainder of the game from the sideline. This game was winnable.

Here's a thought. THROW THE BALL DOWN THE FIELD!

We may have a problem with student attendance, but we are not alone At College Football Games, Student Sections Likely to Have Empty Seats Declining Attendance Reflects Soaring Ticket Prices, Increase in Televised Games By Ben Cohen connect Aug. 27, 2014 9:10 p.m. ET Football stadiums will be packed this weekend for the kickoff of the college season. But many of the student sections are likely to have empty seats. Average student attendance at college football games is down 7.1% since 2009, according to an analysis by The Wall Street Journal of stadium turnstile records from about 50 public colleges with top-division football teams. The decline was 5.6% at colleges in the five richest conferences. The decrease even at schools with entrenched football traditions and national championships stands in contrast to college football's overall popularity. Total turnout at home games of top-tier teams hit a record in 2013, while average attendance has slipped just 0.8% since 2009. The growing number of empty seats in student sections across the U.S. is a sign of soaring ticket prices, more lopsided games and fewer matchups against longtime rivals, and the proliferation of televised games that make it easier than ever for students to keep tailgating long after kickoff. (Explore the interactive on college football attendance since 2009.) Declining attendance by students at college football games reflects soaring ticket prices, more lopsided matches and the proliferation of televised games. Ben Cohen joins MoneyBeat. Some college administrators and coaches are alarmed by the attendance declines because noisy students help give their team a home-field advantage that often is bigger in football than other sports. Colleges also depend on football to create bonds that will keep students connected after graduation, including as season-ticket buyers and donors. Colleges and athletic conferences are scrambling to lure students back, but it is a daunting challenge. "There are so many other things they can do that maybe going to the game that day isn't the most important thing on their agenda," says Louisiana State University athletic director Joe Alleva. Student attendance fell 5.5% to 8,508 in 2013 from 9,000 in 2012. "Nothing can unify a community and alumni base of a university like college football can," says Kirby Hocutt, athletic director at Texas Tech University. An average of 11,365 students attended the college's six home games last year, up 16% from 2012 and 25% higher than 2009. The college hired a new coach before the 2013 season. (Read more from The Wall Street Journal: Five Things To Know Today .) Colleges don't report student attendance in game box scores. To tally student attendance, the Journal requested stadium-turnstile figures from public institutions that are subject to state public-records laws. About 80 colleges provided data to the Journal, including 38 in the Atlantic Coast, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and Southeastern conferences, collectively known as the Big 5. The NCAA recently granted those conferences more power to govern themselves. Some schools don't track how many students actually used tickets they bought, and other colleges say the attendance figures they provided might not be accurate because of faulty ticket scanners at football stadiums. The Journal's percentage calculations exclude colleges that didn't provide student-attendance numbers for every year between 2009 and 2013. Among college football's heavyweights, student attendance was lower in 2013 than 2009 at Ohio State University, Michigan State University, University of Florida and Florida State University. It also declined at the University of Michigan and LSU, though the schools didn't provide five years of data to the Journal. Schools can't even rely on students who buy tickets to show up at games—or they trickle into their seats late and leave early. At the University of Kansas, which had a 3-9 record last season, 74% of student tickets went unused. Related College Football Grid of Shame Why College Football Is Studying Major League Soccer 7/17/2014At Michigan, an average of 14,749 students showed up at the college's home games last season, an 11% decline from 2011. The team won just seven games in 2013, down from 11 in 2011. The attendance slide also was blamed on an increase in student ticket prices, which jumped to $295 from $205 last year, as Michigan replaced a long-standing policy that rewarded seniority with a plan that gave students general-admission access. A midseason survey by the college's student government showed that 76% of student season-ticket holders disapproved of the new plan. "There are students who are being priced out," says Michael Proppe, a 22-year-old Michigan business student who was the student-body president last year. "People are looking to trim costs, and for a lot of folks, football is an easy thing to cut. It's not essential to going to college." Enlarge Image Student dissatisfaction led to another change that takes effect at Michigan's home opener against Appalachian State University on Saturday. Michigan students are now assigned seats based on how many sports games they attended the previous school year. The athletic department, which formed a student council for advice on ticketing issues, also decided to offer discounted, single-game student tickets. Michigan has another problem. Because of the Big Ten's expansion, Michigan's home schedule doesn't include either Michigan State or Ohio State, Michigan's two biggest rivals, for the first time since 1966. Football ticket sales to Michigan students are down 40% from last year. For schools in college football's top division, football revenues soared 99% in the last decade, with much of the growth coming from TV networks battling to broadcast games. Those lucrative media deals are now seen as a threat to the live-game experience. Of the 85 games involving at least one of the 128 Football Bowl Subdivision teams this week, almost all can be seen on TV or streamed online, giving students more reason to watch from home. In response, the Southeastern Conference, home to seven of college football's last eight champions and some of the sport's most passionate fans, formed a committee in 2012 to study fans' experiences. All 14 schools in the conference made improvements this season, the SEC said last week. The changes range from better cellular reception at the University of Georgia to new stadium video boards, cleaner restrooms and an enhanced sound system at LSU's Tiger Stadium. At Michigan, an average of 14,749 students showed up at the college's home games last season, an 11% decline from 2011. Sports Illustrated/Getty Images Many of the tweaks are aimed at students. "The goal is to make sure they come to the games and then stay at the games," says Mr. Alleva, the athletic director at LSU. Alabama saw an uptick in attendance last season after Crimson Tide football coach Nick Saban urged students to come to games and stay for all 60 minutes regardless of the score. "We're just asking them to do the same thing we ask our players to do," he said at the time. One college that has bucked the downward trend is University of California, Los Angeles, where student attendance has climbed 58% since 2009. UCLA's football team improved its record to 19-8 since the 2011 hiring of coach Jim Mora. Dan Guerrero, UCLA's athletic director, says the gains also reflect years of effort to overcome the 30-mile distance from campus to home games and competition for attention with other big-city attractions. In 2012, Mr. Guerrero rode the bus with students and sat with them at the Rose Bowl. That led to changes at a student tailgating area and a "Football 101" crash course, he says. "We needed to do more," Mr. Guerrero says. "The fact that we have to persuade and convince and cajole and provide special types of activities shows how much things have changed." —Rachel Bachman contributed to this article. Write to Ben Cohen at ben.cohen@wsj.com

Sorry, I thought you had posted ................

That's the same reason I got my "Lebanon Correctional" tattoo! Seems like in the last couple of days you have made up for not posting for 6 months George. Live long and prosper.

Looks like Zeke has the opportunity to become the first person who has ever played for this team to make the NBA. http://basketball.eurobasket.com/team/Germany/EVL_Baskets_Limburg/2314?Page=4

This is pretty bad, but I thinking it doesn't top kicking off to start both halves.

Your post might give some folks the impression you have a testicle fetish. Play to win Zips. Injure the Nits!

If you need more info to make you feel bad about our (and MAC) attendance, here's more than you need..................... http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/Attendance/2013.pdf Looking for a silver lining? We were 5th in the conference in "attendance" last year.

You and a reported 12,505 other folks attended. I think the other guys are saying weekday games hurt attendance, not the excitement of the game (although I bet it would have been even more exciting played in front of a full house).

I was stunned that at least 18K didn't show up just to gawk at the new uniforms.