Dr Z

It takes some work, but the game is being shown here.

Warning: BE VERY CAREFUL WITH ALL THE SPYWARE!!!! The game has shown up on FirstRow's list.

Hope Conner gets better for Akron, Qadree Ollison rushed for 207 averaging 13 yards per carry. Pitt QB still looks turrible. 72 whopping yards of passing averaging 5 yards per completion. Just like last year, stop the run! Should play into our defensive strength.

Good use of Periscope! I hope they continue doing different things throughout the season.

Well done video. Good writing with a clear message. Produced and edited well too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-jrrrW_xeo&feature=youtu.be HA-FN-RAY!!!! I've asked for this for years. Finally, someone is making it happen. Someone has finally taken marketing serious. I am excited to see what the future holds in this department. Akron native and Cavaliers player LeBron James will be part of the campaign, with his commercial set to be filmed this month. The NBA star has agreed to participate in a commercial a year for the next five years for the school. He’s not being paid for the work.

The Zips check out the field temperature for themselves. (Photo source: @ZipsFB)

President Scott Scarborough's remarks before Faculty Senate today See full graphics text and slides here. Senators, As always, it is a pleasure to be with you today as we begin a new academic year. Thank you for the opportunity to speak. I know we have much to discuss, and I would like to begin by providing some context for our discussion. Recap of Last Year When I took the job as president a little over one year ago, it quickly became clear that this institution faced two key challenges: financial shortcomings; and persistent enrollment declines. The financial shortcomings and enrollment declines were immediate, critical problems that needed direct and effective action, and the first step was to make everyone aware of those key challenges. So for almost the entire year, I explained to every constituency – and reminded them often – of the vital need to address the University’s financial issues. And for about six months, the administration’s financial team worked diligently with key stakeholders on how best to do it. We made the process as transparent as practical. Representatives of key stakeholders participated in regular meetings at which we shared and discussed ideas and progress to date. On June 10, the University of Akron Board of Trustees approved a proposed budget, which required us to implement a reduction in force and to eliminate and/or significantly change several non-academic programs to improve our overall financial performance. Fixing Financial Shortcomings The reduction in force eliminated over 200 non-faculty positions. About one third of the eliminated positions were professional, managerial or higher posts. We eliminated administrative costs in significant ways—something the faculty has recommended for many years. All of these reductions were painful, but they were necessary steps that have now placed us in a stronger financial position. The new budget was designed to address both key problems: financial shortcomings and persistent enrollment declines. The first you can address through cost reductions, but the second requires enrollment growth. And enrollment growth requires investment. In our new budget, we now have the funds to invest in opportunities to make our University stronger and attract more students. Reversing Enrollment Declines One of our top priorities now is to invest those funds in ways that advance college strategic plans. This includes hiring new faculty. We also will invest in university initiatives that will attract more students. We already have accomplished much that will help us to grow our student enrollment in future years. Nine of our eleven colleges have new strategic plans in place, and we are already seeing positive results. For example, in the School of Law, new student enrollments are up 26% this year--this at a time when law school enrollments across the nation are plummeting. We have expanded our recruitment efforts, and as a result, this fall’s freshman class enrollment is up 5.3%; it is the largest freshman class since 2012; and the number of freshman Honors College students has increased 10% this year. Last year the University implemented several new initiatives to attract new students and grow enrollment in future years: A new National Center for Choreography with DanceCleveland. A proposal for a new Center for Data Science and IT. A new Center for Experiential Learning, Entrepreneurship and Civic Engagement. Low-cost general-education courses through Wayne College. A new success coach program for new students. A new Corp of Cadets and Leadership Academy. A new partnership with the LeBron James Family Foundation to help Akron kids and to brand the College of Education in a distinctive way. And a new branding campaign to strengthen The University of Akron name in the expanded recruitment areas. We need to recruit aggressively both at home and beyond to attract more and better students if we are to thrive in the changing landscape of higher education today and in the future. In addition to college and university initiatives, on May 15 we announced our intent to embrace the University’s historical strengths as a polytechnic university to enhance our University’s brand in new recruitment areas. I believe many prospective students will identify with this new brand persona—in the sciences, the arts, the humanities, and the professions. Let me show you what I mean by sharing a video with you. It is part of a new branding campaign that we will launch Labor Day weekend. (The video will be distributed to the University community on Friday, Sept. 4.) Last year, we consulted and involved a wide spectrum of faculty and community leaders to determine how best to strengthen our University. Not everyone could participate directly, but hundreds of people did, and every constituency was represented in the process: students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members. These constituencies were represented by good people who did their best to make good decisions on behalf of everyone. As a result, we made and initiated plans for financial re-engineering. We also made and initiated plans to reverse the enrollment decline and return to a position of growth and strength. Last year, we accomplished much because we attempted much, and as a result, we also made mistakes. We understood that mistakes are likely, perhaps even unavoidable, when you tackle big, complex problems under strict time constraints. So we resolved to identify our missteps, fix them, learn from them, and continue on. We tell our students to be innovators--to take calculated risks. We tell our students not to fear failure because setbacks and dead-ends are an inevitable part of the innovation process. We tell them to research available information, consult others, shrug off self-doubt and then move forward when they face great challenges that must be solved. We could do no less. I have not been shy in admitting that mistakes are a normal part of life (Click here for more on learning from mistakes)—that the key is to fix them when identified, learn from them, and then move on. And that’s exactly what we are doing. Preview of This Year The progress we have made in the last several months far exceeds the downside of the mistakes we are fixing. We are now a stronger university. We can move forward with confidence. Our plans are good. Our plans now have financial resources behind them. Our future is bright if we implement our plans well. Our fall enrollment numbers indicate we are headed in the right direction. They also indicate we have much more work to do. For example, we have great diversity at our University. We have grown diversity in the Honors College. Graduation rates among minority students are rising. And we are increasing diversity in key leadership positions with new heads of the College of Health Professions, the Honors College, Information Technology, and our proposed Center for Data Science and IT. There is still more work to do, but we are headed in the right direction. We are also moving forward in other key areas. Soon, we will announce new faculty positions that will add to our scholarly ranks. Soon, we will announce a new strategy for the Honors College that will attract more students to this vital part of our University. Soon, we will announce new partnerships that will improve our University by enabling us to enhance teaching, research, and service to our region and the world. I see our University growing larger and more impactful; emerging as a national and international leader in the evolving world of higher education; and becoming the Great Public University our region and nation needs us to be.

The most significant Zips victories in the last decade are not on the above list. I don't think that is the consistent bleat at all. I think that most ZN members question the quality of out of conference scheduled opponents at home. Instead of scheduling non competitive teams, schedule some competitive ones. Pretty simple, but this puts the 20+ win seasons at a risk. The above list really doesn't address that concern. Dave did a nice job describing within a 9 page thread on the topic.

Don't get too excited, but they do.

I considered putting up a poll that asked how many offensive points the Zips would score. It's a hard question with the (lack of) info most fans have. Hope it works.

I never liked the illogical "punishment" suggested by Goodell. My punishment I drafted back in May was more fitting. Karma has a funny way of serving its own dose of justice. I think the Bills, Dolphins, or Jets defensive line eventually (2 cracks each this year) serves up something closer to justice. Heck, I may eventually get my first suggestion of punishment through a different avenue.

Remember watching this video? Hmmmmmm....

EA of the PD is polling MAC fans. One of the questions: Which MAC team has the best chance at opening with an upset?Bowling Green at Tennessee (21 point spread)Akron at Oklahoma (31 point spread)Can't State at Illinois (14 point spread)Western Michigan vs. Michigan State (21 point spread) Speaking of odds, if you believe the Zips can win the MAC this year, you can get 12:1 in certain sportsbooks. Hustlebelt's preview of Zips vs (no 19) Sooners.

Andy Staples looks past the Zips on the Sooners schedule. http://bcove.me/x8zgjj7m

GP1 would be ALL over this. This seemed to be one of his biggest complaints with the program.

I would guess if the staff had to pick an D to go against this year, that would be it. If we can do something about it will be the big question. We used to play the "stack" defense two head coaches ago, IMO, it's one of the reason's we are in the hole (attendance issue) we are in. His claim was that he couldn't recruit DL's at MAC, say what you will about the current staff, but they have proven that to be a misnomer. Oklahoma a Surprise Team: We're falling into the same trap we did last year with the Sooners—only in reverse. We anointed them national title contenders based on their Sugar Bowl win against Alabama after the 2013 season, and they proceeded to go 8-5 the next season. In December, Oklahoma got thumped by Clemson in the Russell Athletic Bowl and now we’re forgetting about the Sooners. This is a better team with a new offense that faces Baylor and TCU in consecutive weeks in November. Oklahoma will help decide the Big 12 title.

I'm looking forward to seeing Mixon vs our front seven. In the big payday games of the past, the Zips tackling ability against talented backs has killed them, it is now as strong as it's been in decades. It used to be that bigger schools could just line up and run all day on us. The current team is much better at diminishing that, and getting our opponents in predictable passing situations. I'm still apprehensive about putting points on the board though.

Yep, pphilfran wrote about it earlier this week.

Playing time. A coach who spent time with LBJ who shows up to practice, you'll probably meet him. Coach with a long contract (stability). The most important thing seems to be making a young man feel "comfortable" in the environment he is visiting. Make him feel good about his decision to spend four/five years learning the game and attending classes. Cost aside, the campus has become much more aesthetic. The players that are on the team need help that recruit feel comfortable. I remember Lee Owens telling a story of a player he had that he called his "closer", who had a unique set of social skills.

Coach Bowden makes an interesting point about our front seven facing the Sooners. Ten interesting thoughts from an Oklahoma writer. This one stuck out to me: 7. It appears the Sooners base defense will feature 5 defensive backs. Hopefully in the pass happy Big 12, the Sooners will finally find a defensive alignment the makes sense. I do worry about a team that can line up and play smash mouth football against this base defense. This one might be worth noting too: 1. True Freshman Austin Seibert will be handling both field goals and punts.

Today my answer is Jerome peaked by a GT article in the BJ that Blue & Gold posted in the Camp 2015 thread. The proving ground will come in Norman, Okla., for newly minted wide receiver Jerome Lane (Firestone). Lane apparently has made a significant and successful move from a rover back on defense to wide receiver on offense. During the preseason camp, wide receivers coach Jeff Bowden said they thought Lane could add explosiveness to the offense. Given his No. 1 spot at one of the wide receiver positions, the offensive staff must have seen something they liked.

Interesting. It wouldn’t be a significant surprise to see Pohl start against the Sooners. He’s had most of the experience in big games, such as nearly pulling off an upset against Michigan two seasons ago and engineering a win against Pitt last season. “Kyle has been in some very big games and had to go through the butterflies the night before being in those games,” Bowden said. “You recognize that, but at some point in time the best guy has to play, but Tra’Von Chapman has to be recognized for what he can do.”

Since Coach Bowden has been here, he has had his team ready to play the big payday team. This is probably his best team since he's been here. Our defense is good and getting better, and we anticipate a different philosophy on offense. Oklahoma should win, but we are still excited and hopeful for an upset. Good luck, and....Go Zips!

Just got suspended from Toledo. Word. On the Zips roster. Division II Paving the way at THE University of Findlay. On the Zips roster.

Powerful Defense Fuels Akron --by EA of the PD Obviously, that defense is unreal,'' senior quarterback Kyle Pohl said. "And they are only getting better." It is hoped the same can be said for Akron's offense. Akron's 5-7, 3-5 performance last season was put on the shoulders of the offense. A team with a pair of 5.0 yard per carry tailbacks only flexed themselves once, in an upset over Pitt, then effectively spent the rest of the season playing pitch and catch.