UA1987

While it is disappointing that we played even with Cinci, and lost, it was a great game. I think Lively made a difference on 'D'. As a fellow senior with Grant, these two seemed to inspire each other. The play of Lemon and Sewell was also exceptional.The offense to a man played their hearts out as far as I could see. Special teams were not so special. I sat close to the Cinci fans to get a feel for what they thought. They were very cocky talking of a blow-out and doing their OHHHHHHHHHH, OHHHHHHHHH, UC chant. but were very quiet whenever Akron took the lead. I would like to see this series extended, but I'm not sure UC fans or coaches are up for it. We stood up and socked them in their jaw. Akron played hard and executed well, for the most part. Despite the loss, we took a step forward.Now on to Can't. We need to play there better than we did two year's ago. Keep the Wheel. Fear the Roo is alive. Go Zips.

Then put Bleil up there too. Whatever it takes to stop the look to the sideline.

While it would be nice to give Rodgers some snaps in case of injury it would not be to replace Jacquemin. Jacq will be servicable this year (just two short weeks ago he was the MAC East Offensive player of the week), but he'll make just enough mistakes to keep the complaints coming. Owens would be a step backwards to last year's problems. Our new receivers are actually an upgrade from 2007, despite having a drop or two this year (at least they get open - Arthur excluded from criticism). Moorhead should be upstairs in the booth (that would limit those looks to the sideline). While some on this board have said the Army game was boring, I enjoyed watching it on ESPN (U?). This week I'll be at the Rubber Bowl rain or shine.

Better: *No one expected solid QB play (2 out of 3?) or the WR transfers to step up like the have. Bowser and Bruce seem to be the real deal, although Bruce tends to break out with a case of stone hands periodically. *B Will, could be considered "Same" as well. This guy is an absolute BEAST. My heart skipped a beat when he went down at 'Cuse, luckily I happened to be sitting by his mother and got word that it was a minor thing. If there was one guy we can't afford to lose, this is him. *O-line is solid...so far. Do we have the depth there to maintain a full season?Same: *Poor defense. We miss our 4 year CBs, and the 3-3-5 just sucks altogether. *RB stable is as good or better than expected. I sure hope Allen will be able return sooner than later. Worse: *DL...where are these guys? Are they coming back soon? I suppose this could be an "incomplete."*TE position. Talk about stone hands. I got excited after Poindexter made that catch in 'Cuse. This one could also go under "Same." We need production from that position, especially with Jac's inability to accurately throw the deep ball (am I the only one to notice the exceptional amount of 5 yard post plays?).I voted better...by a slim margin. My expectations were middle-of-the-pack MAC East, and so far it looks like we'll be in the top 1/3...better if we could get that D-Line together to form some semblance of a pass rush. Sewell's a beast, but he can't do squat by himself.I voted about the same (not exactly the same, but in this category).I would hope that I'm considered the one of the 'one out of three' that had some confidence in Jacq (please check my previous posts if you like). I could see the problems we had at receiver last year (except for Jabari), the new offense and our predictability, and the injuries on the line. These all could be fixed and it appears we are on our way to having a decent Offense. The whinning about our QB situation during the offseason drove me to the beer pub. As we all know, this year the story is injuries. Our Defense has had a hole blown out of the middle. Some young guys are bravely trying to shore it up, but it has been too much for them so far. The unofficial news brought to us by CK of loss of Bain for the year is a huge disappointment. I really wanted to see this guy play for us. My hopes for a decent defense centered around his frame scaring the sh-t out of opposing offenses on our schedule. Maybe the return of Lively will make a difference.All in all I think we have had a good start. Army will be a good test. Long ago they beat us in their house in about an hour and thirty minutes with their wishbone offense. They ate up the clock and we rarely got the ball. I know they want to do the same thing in 2008, but I think Akron will be too much for them to handle.

No doubt. Maybe JD wants to surprise Army... Like I noted in an earlier post (must have been WAY back, maybe like post 6, can't remember that far back very well) There was a dude cheerleader on the sidelines this week who, I swear to God, looked to be as big as some of our linemen. With the hemorrhaging on the D-line, it's time to suit him up, put that footwork to use.GO ZIPS.SeeTeeZipWhy not? He (the converted cheerleader) would have about as much chance to play as Marquinn Davis I never did hear what's going on with Marquinn Davis. Go-Zips.com indicates his grades are OK.

From above: What about Cowles Stewart? Done for the year? Also, is Harvey's broken hand something that he might be able to play with? One thing is for sure. If Pendleton WAS in Fleming's doghouse, he now has a royal opportunity to make a rapid ascension from the doghouse to the penthouse and I sure hope he takes full advantage of it. I have no idea what the issues have been, but on the field I think this guy can make some plays.New Hypothesis: The 3-3-5 causes injuries to the nose tackle?I believe I heard on the pre-game show, on Saturday, that Stewart is out for the season.

One of things I like to do at the Rubber Bowl is watch the visiting team come out of their locker room (If you could call it that - more like an empty garage) prior to the start of the game. There are usually some Frat guys or drunks yelling obsenities at the visiting team players, which can be entertaining, and I like to see if the opponent looks ready to play or not.I just thought if any of you are looking for ideas of something unique to do at the opener, how about getting dressed up like the witch doctor on that cars.com commercial and then you could yell native gooblygook curses at the Testicle Tech players (incantation to shrink their testicles?) as they leave the locker room. Maybe we could freak Nate Davis out before the game, plus you'd be all set for Halloween parties. Can any of you web art people create a picture of this for the Zipsnation?Go Zips! If Bain plays and, or, we contain their spark plug Dante Love, we win.

Nicely done. I got a chuckle out of that.

I watched the Ball State/Navy game last week, and, besides getting pressure on their QB with the hoped for debut of Bain, I believe we need to slowdown their top receiver - Love, to be successful. To do this, should Fleming double-up coverage with a safety and a corner? Should we stick to him at the LOS? Put a target on him. Always stay in his face... try to throw him off any way possible. We may need Andre Jones to play more defense this week.

They way these things go is JD is now on the Syracuse Head Coach replacement radar screen.

It's hard to tell after only one game, but it seems he has the intangibles (enthusiasm and wreckless abandon for his own health) that may set him apart. Some call this heart. I can think of two others that played like this - Jay Rohr and John Mackey... not a bad group to pattern yourself after.

Well said.Please excuse (pun intended) but I disagree with Dr Z (rhyme too). Football teams are similar to automobiles... if a part or two are not functioning well, then it can affect the operation of the entire vehicle (team). No one likes excuses because you are pardoning bad play, but to put blame on a player that is not warranted is just as troubling, and this is what can happen if you expect a player to shine no matter what. One of the things that makes this forum interesting is the discussion of what might need fixed for this team to be successful. For example, our new skill players on offense (especially our receivers) seem to have provided a badly needed spark that was missing last year. Could it be that all those on this forum condeming our QB's were misdirected. Maybe, we'll have to see as the season progresses.On defense at Wisconsin, our underclassmen (mostly Freshman) d-line was destroyed. This did affect our linebacker play and required our DB's to make too many stops. Not pardoning (excusing) anyone, but this is what happened. We were broke down and we needed a repair in the form of a 4-3 D. It didn't happen for some reason (we had the bodies, despite the injuries, to move into this defense) and on this point we agree. Why no adjustment?

Marq. Davis could be hurt, could have quit, could be in the doghouse for disiplinary... who knows... it would be nice to hear something from the coach or a reporter on all three: Bain, Lively, and Davis. I suppose, however, we have to keep Syracuse guessing.On another note, has anyone seen the two-deep chart published for this year? They used to place it on GoZips.com prior to every game.

I'd also like to know if anyone knows anything about Marq. Davis? Is he hurt or just not ready to play yet as a Red. Freshman? At 6'6" 285 Ibs. and quick, I'd like to know why he did not play in Madison. The O-line offside penaties will be fixed in the film room and practice. Typical first game jitters.

I wish we would hear some official word on Bain. I tried to tune into the coaches show on Thursday and couldn't find it, and the pregame show on 106.9 FM was not aired till about 11:50, plus the audio on 1350 AM stunk. Obviously the loss of Bain and Lively hurt. Did Davis play today? At 6'6" and 285 lbs I would have thought we could have used him. It would have been nice to see a few plays with a 4-3 D, even with our injuries, as we all knew Wisconsin was going to run at us. Do we even practice a 4-3? I liked the weapons we now have on the Offense. The running game (and line - except for the shotgun snaps) looks good and I like our receivers (especially Bowser, Miller, and Bruce). I think we will be OK (and that includes Jacq).

Currently I'm in the same boat as you. I'm confused because I don't even have channel 334 listed on my on-screen channel listing. I scroll down and it jumps directly from channel 330 - the "Outdoor Network" to channel 350 - another CNN.Confirmed - I also called Time warner and their recording said that the channel won't be available till 12:00. Let's hope we don't get screwed.

I watched most of the Miami game. I probably should have been pulling for the MAC team, but I could not root for the sweaters. This was, however, a perfect opponent to schedule for Miami (I wish we could do the same - same with UTEP in Buffalo - didn't our AD come from UTEP), it's just that Vandy is on a bit of an upswing with very good team speed. We used to have the same luck with our scheduling... anyone remember Kansas State. We booked them (away only of course) when they were terrible and then Snyder took over and moved them into the top ten. We were figuratively wiped out by K-State twice during Snyder's tenure.

You should be OK. At times the signal gets weak (I've heard 1350 drops the wattage, at times, for some reason or another), but I've been listening out of Canton for years. Let's hope on Saturday we hear a few 'Touchdown Akron!!!!' yells from French and no dejected 'Holy Cow' how could that of happened comments.

'isn't that a shame? Because, aside from the all-important QB position, this team's LOADED w/ offensive talent' - BG quote.As I've said before, last year we had one capable receiver, a new offense, a new offensive coordinator, injuries on ther O-line and a young QB in a fight for his position. Opposing defenses would double and triple team Jabari and key on Williams. That's bad cook-en for most QB's.Our new receivers should make all the difference this year. We will not be tops in the MAC in offense, but Jacq and his boys will be much improved, with an occasional sputter every now and then to keep you naysayers happy. I just wish that JD was our main mechanic on offense instead of our OC because we will need to make game time adjustments during the season and I question Moorhead's ability to do so.Go Zips beat those Badgers.... Hendry, Hendry, Hendry

It seems easy this year to get wrapped up in pessimism about this season . 1st - we had a bad year last year. 2nd - several of our highly touted transfer/recruits are hobbling to start this year. 3rd - we are starting off against a powerful team in a hostile environment where there is a history of cheating. 4th - all the scouting services have us staring down the gun barrel of a disaster season.Well Zips fans I've got good news for you... we will be better than most think. As far as Wisconsin goes... yes we will be outnumbered, but they have their weaknesses. I'm sure that we have studied them and have a plan to capitalize. As far as Bain goes... I would be very surprised if he does not play in Madison.

I think we already discussed this back in June. See the topic - 'The Rubber Bowl - the Good, the Bad and the Ugly'

Glad to see the recent additions at running back: Martin, Torrence, and now Greenwood (RB or DB?). With Pride (WR or RB?), Allen, and our recent additions I think we may have fixed a problem that was shaping up at the running back position next year due to graduations/eligibility (although my jury is still deliberating on Torrence and will be for a year or two). I still wonder why we didn't offer the Massillon Perry running back, Magnacca, a scholarship. With 4.4 speed and the toughness and size of former UA running back Bobby Hendry, I thought he would have been a perfect addition to this year's class. OSU backed off for some reason and so did we... Akron and OSU only offered a preferred walk-on.

I continually bring up we play in every other sport, I still have yet to hear a reason why we can't in football. Yes I know the MAC rules, but so what. What other team besides Can't on your schedule could bring 10-12,000 fans to Akron for a game? What other team beside Can't Would you guys actually travel heavily to?Strollo is all for it, but he is behind the YSU fans and their belief it should be a 2 for 1 deal. But I recognize that won't happen. Honestly is their much of a difference between the programs of 94 and 08? You guys aren't winning 1-3 games a year, now 4-6 games a year. YSU is right on pace with the 90s and 7-9 wins a year.PS: I also forgot to mention Northern Iowa of the MVFC beat Iowa State last year. So considering the circumstances, the MVFC had 4 wins against I-A Competition last year.... Not bad!Why Akron should only play YSU at home in football:1) Infocision - 1st class facility; ice castle - slum 2) Revenue - Football Bowl Division has some nice post season payoffs... why risk bad calls on a foreign field that could alter the outcome with an opponent from a lower division (I remember one of those in Youngstown in the 1990's - Faust sat outside the Refs doors for an hour to confront them). 3) Our home and home strategy is geared towards building Football Bowl Series (YSU not a member) conference affiliations, rivaries, and gate. I'm sure this board can think up more for you Kenny (I can't help hearing Kenny Bania's voice in you posts - Killer, Jerry, Killer - Seinfeld), but I got to get back to work. We have jobs here in Akron.

equins - We don't need YSU for anything. I thought it might be interesting to put YSU on our home schedule because of the history between the teams. Your comments are not helping with renewing that interest. They're only annoying.Go petition Strollo, or whoever your AD is, to sign the contract, which we already have on the table. Else, goodbye to YSU.

I was bored and thought I'd come out to see what was being discussed here and was stunned to see a 3 page YSU topic.Listen. I want to play you guys whatever it takes, but understand why our AD and many fans are the way we are.1. We played you in the 70-80-90s in a home and home rivalry that was great for the fans. It got huge crowds at Stambaugh and the Rubber Bowl.2. We already got a deal with you to play a home and home for our basketball games. We average more than you in football most years, and you average more than us in basketball most years. We are both Division 1 there and every other sport.3. It's 45 measly minutes away, I like what the above poster said, try to do a 2 for 1 thing in which we go to Infocision twice and you guys come to the Ice Castle once. Honestly could it be that bad for you guys to do that? We can showcase sell out crowds for each stadium and truly show how great this rivalry is!But here's the thing, I understand where you guys stand on this. You do not want to play YSU because it appears to be weak on your schedule, and if God forbid you lost, you could be the laughing stalk of the league. Note: Last year Northern Illinois lost to MVFC Southern Illinois 34-31 and Central Michigan got drilled by MVFC North Dakota State 44-14; and CMU won the MAC West! The MVFC is the former Gateway, which YSU is apart of... [it's the real good basketball conf.] North Dakota State also brought 30,000 into the Metrodome and beat the Gophers 27-21.If you lost to us, which is not as likely as it was in the 90s, it really wouldn't be as bad as in the past to be quite honest with you. You guys may feel embarrassed, but considering over the past 2-3 years 3-4 of the MAC teams have lost to IAA/FCS teams it wouldn't be that bad for you as far as your program stands in the MAC.I just want to play you guys. If we play in basketball and baseball and other sports, there is NO REASON WE SHOULD NOT PLAY IN FOOTBALL! None Whatsoever!I guess we were all waiting for you to chime in... YSU sure, but only in Infocision. This is the price you have to pay for being IAA (FCS), and besides we're the ones with the first class facility. Our offer is there... it's up to your AD to move on it. Petition Strollo.