Dr Z

The password is zips. It is case sensitive.

Thanks for the Post article. Difference between the post and BJ, I actually learned something in the Post article. My favorite part of the article: He spends nights on a cot in his office, resigned to go at least a few weeks this summer without seeing his wife and two young children. "I've never seen a coach so dedicated," Akron star quarterback Charlie Frye says.

Take 5: Five-loss teams could stir trouble in 2004 Matt Hayes, who covers college football for The Sporting News, looks at five teams who lost five games last season but could wind up playing for the national championship come January: 1. Virginia. The Cavs look a lot like Ohio State in 2002. Tailback Wali Lundy is a bruising, 25-carries-per-game back (insert Maurice Clarett) and the front seven is as good as any teams this side of Southern Cal. The only question: QB Marques Hagans (insert Craig Krenzel), a dual threat whose ability to make plays by breaking containment is far ahead of his passing accuracy. 2. West Virginia. Look at the conference, look at the schedule and consider this: The Mountaineers return 17 starters from a team that should've been unbeaten in the Big East (see: miracle catch, Kellen Winslow) and playing in a BCS game. If WVU can figure out a way to beat rival Maryland in Week 3 -- the Terps have won the past four meetings by a combined 155-51 -- tailback Kay-Jay Harris will be that one Heisman candidate who comes out of nowhere, and there won't be enough couches to burn in Morgantown. 3. Florida. Year 3 for Ron Zook will go one of two ways: He'll be either more like his predecessor, Steve Spurrier (winning championships), or more like Texas coach Mack Brown (winning recruiting championships). The defense will be faster and more athletic in the front seven -- the SEC's breakout player will be end Tranell Morant -- and QB Chris Leak and WR Andre Caldwell will be one of the nation's most dynamic pass-catch combinations. 4. Oregon. The Ducks lost 11 games the past two seasons because they couldn't stop anyone and couldn't throw with consistency. QB Kellen Clemens started playing smarter midway through last season, and the Ducks won four of their last six. Can you win a championship without a dominant defense? UCLA nearly did in 1998 before imploding at Miami. The defensive coordinator of that team was Nick Aliotti, the Ducks' current coordinator. 5. Missouri. As bad as Oregon's defense was last season, Missouri's was worse. Coach Gary Pinkel finally realized the gimmick 4-2-5 defense doesn't stop the run and moved to a 4-3. Brian Smith is one of the best unknown rush ends in the nation, and nine starters return from the unit, and . . . OK, there's always dynamic QB Brad Smith. He can control tempo single-handedly, and the emergence of speedy tailback Damien Nash will make Smith more dangerous. Come to think of it, the Tigers might just outscore everybody. Source (click here)

I hope to see some defense in this game. Maybe even a defensive score (in that case add 7 to my score.) I see a lower scoring game than most, with JD trying to control the clock by running the ball and playing good D. I'm interested in seeing his first couple of offensive series. How will he play? Conservative , run, run pass? Or will he try to catch them with a Jabari around end :blink: WR pass down field? Anyway, I can't wait ! Zips 21 PSU 17 Could go either way, but we have Charlie and I think he is the X factor in this game. I like a late game winning drive by Charlie and company.

Check out gozips.com once in a while dawg. Akron-Penn State Game To Be Televised Regionally Season-opening Sept. 4 tilt slated for ESPN Regional network; PAX 23 to carry game locally Aug. 22, 2004 AKRON, Ohio - Local Zips fans will be able to see the first game in the J.D. Brookhart coaching era as the Sept. 4 season-opening Akron-Penn State football game will be televised on the ESPN Regional network. Akron's WVPX Channel 23 will carry the game in northeast Ohio. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. (EST) from Beaver Stadium in State College, Pa. The game will also be televised in a number of Pennsylvania markets (see list below) and be available as part of the ESPN Game Plan package for UA fans outside the local viewing region. Mike Waddell (play-by-play) and Kelly Stouffer (color) will handle the action in the television booth. Waddell serves as the "Voice of the Zips" on television broadcasts, while Stouffer will be making his first appearance on a Zips football broadcast. Stouffer is no stranger to collegiate football, having been drafted in the first round of the 1987 NFL Draft out of Colorado State before playing four seasons with the Seattle Seahawks (1988-91). ESPN Regional Affiliates carrying the Sept. 4 Akron-Penn State game: WVPX - Akron, Ohio WPHL - Philadelphia, Pa. WTAE - Pittsburgh, Pa. WHP - Harrisburg, Pa. WSWB - Wilkes Barre/Scranton, Pa. WTAJ - Johnstown/Altoona, Pa.

Ford Field to host MAC title games through 2006 August 26, 2004 Ford Field will host this year's Mid-American Conference football championship game and the title games for 2005 and 2006. The announcement will be made 11 a.m. today at Ford Field by MAC commissioner Rick Chryst and Tom Lewand, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Detroit Lions/Ford Field This year's title game is scheduled for Dec. 2 with a 7 p.m. kickoff and will be televised on ESPN. The MAC began hosting conference championship games between its East and West division winners in 1997. Marshall hosted and won the first four championships. The site of the game has alternated between division champions in recent seasons. The host had won the title game each of the first six times, until Miami (Ohio) beat host Bowling Green last season. The East division winner had been scheduled to host the game this year. Marshall, which is leaving the conference next season to join Conference USA, was the preseason favorite to win the East. "It's something our presidents have wanted us to get to for several years, to go to a neutral site," said MAC media relations director Gary Richter.

I vote for this since it should be about 5 mins from my house. As long as it isn't 1 min from my house.

Smith back on field Personal matters apparently resolved, Tampa Bay Bucs safety Dwight Smith returned to the team, as expected. While he shed little light on why he asked to be excused for the first 21/2 days of training camp, Smith denied he was sending a message of displeasure over his contract status, insisting he was taking care of a personal matter "back home." When asked how much of his absence was related to the failure to get an offseason extension on a deal that runs out after this year, Smith said, "None." "We talked about my contract earlier in the offseason," he said. "Where we started and where they started was so far apart, we cut the contract talk off. I've just been working and trying to get ready for this year. It's like a debut for me, then hopefully I can start a bidding war at the end of the year." Orlando Sentinel article (cleeek here)

Smith's absence a message? By RICK STROUD, Times Staff Writer Published August 1, 2004 LAKE BUENA VISTA - During the offseason, Dwight Smith let his teammates know he did not want to play under his existing contract. Smith is an integral part of the defense, a starting safety for the second straight year. To him, playing for $455,000, which he is due to earn in the final year of his original deal, meant he would be considerably underpaid. The Bucs recognized Smith is a player they would like to lock up before he becomes an unrestricted free agent, and attempted to negotiate a contract extension. But no agreement was reached by the time the team reported to training camp Friday. There also was no sign of Smith. Instead, Smith telephoned coach Jon Gruden. That conversation remains private, but the result is that Smith is not at work. "He talked to Jon and he just wanted to have a weekend and Jon said he could," general manager Bruce Allen said. "It's personal." Odd timing? "Well, yeah," Allen said. "I mean, it's football season." So odd, in fact, that Raiders defensive tackle Warren Sapp, a close friend of Smith, called some former Bucs teammates when he heard the news. According to Allen, the Bucs expect Smith to report Monday. "Yeah, that's what he had told Coach Gruden," Allen said. Maybe Smith truly needed to take care of some personal matters, but a lot of teammates are happy to connect the dots for you. Remember when Keenan McCardell missed the first series of organized team activities in the offseason? The excuse given by his representatives was that it was not contract-related, just a scheduling conflict. Of course, now we know that wasn't whole story. He was making it known to the Bucs that he was not a happy camper. Smith could be doing the same thing, even if Allen tries to convince you otherwise. "If he feels that, he would tell you," Allen said. "Any conversation I've had with Dwight, he's a forthright guy." It's interesting. When McCardell doesn't report to camp, the Bucs want half his signing bonus and fine him $5,000 per day. He is 34. Smith turns 26 on Aug. 13, but he is allowed to take the weekend off. Maybe he has a excuse, maybe not. One thing is certain. The Bucs are willing to move ahead without McCardell. "I don't even think about it," Allen said. "I'm really thinking about the guys that are here and really excited about everyone that's trying to get better. If you're not here, you're not getting better. He has a contract and we've had this conversation before. If he wants to play, play." Allen was asked if McCardell has reached the point of no return. "We've passed that," Allen said. "It started yesterday, the players reported, we've had outstanding work. ... In our sport, it's no different than if a player got hurt the first day of practice. Someone will do great things and we're looking forward."

Fall TV offers 19-day football streak By Jack Carey, USA TODAY Sometimes it seems football is on TV all the time. During an unprecedented stretch of 19 consecutive days this fall, it will be. Football teams play only once a week, but television viewers are under no such restriction. From Oct. 28 to Nov. 15, at least one football game — major college or pro — will be televised each day. That includes Election Day.The NFL will present its traditional Sunday-Monday fare, but college football will be on the air for 13 of the 19 days. It's a dramatic demonstration of the proliferation of weeknight college games, which started with ESPN's Thursday night telecasts but recently have included Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday night broadcasts on ESPN and ESPN2. I wish it was November 5th right now !!! Full article and the 19 day schedule

The web address is not as they advertised? What's up with that? Frye for Heisman site (click here)

Here is the article (click here)

DAMN!! Ex-Mountaineer Schifino finds new home Headed to Middle Tennessee State Friday, July 02, 2004 By Phil Axelrod, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Drew Schifino, a prolific scorer in the Big East Conference who was dismissed from the West Virginia basketball team after 11 games last season for violation of team rules, has signed a letter of intent and will enroll at Middle Tennessee State this fall.

My bad, should have read..."transfer may start, not Ringer" Ringer is not transfering as far as I know. Sorry.

Information received first hand. Jabari Arthur should be your 2nd receiver, Jamie Goodwin (more than likely) will be the third. Dontre Henry and Reggie Corner (maybe Agyeman) are your starting corners. The Defense will be a multiple front defense with with blitzing from all over. Ringer will probably not be the starting running back (could be a transfer.) No more shotgun draws. Don't be surprised to see superman lineup in a different position this year.

A good source told me that it is very possible that Drew will be with Akron.

Nick Dials Transfers To Akron Men's Basketball Team Guard played freshman season at Ohio State last year. June 22, 2004 AKRON, Ohio - Nick Dials, a transfer from Ohio State, has accepted a men's basketball scholarship to attend The University of Akron for the fall semester, head coach Keith Dambrot announced Tuesday. Under NCAA transfer guidelines, Dials will sit out the 2004-05 season, but will have three years of eligibility remaining beginning in the fall of 2005. "Nick is a perfect fit for our program," Dambrot said. "He is the ultimate winner and was a player we really wanted out of high school. He has excellent skills and tremendous knowledge of the game." As a freshman at Ohio State last season, Dials, a 6-1, 175-pound guard from New Haven, Ohio, appeared in 19 games, starting nine times, and averaged 4.5 points, 2.1 assists and 1.4 rebounds as the Buckeyes finished the season 14-16. He attended OSU last fall as a walk-on, but was awarded a scholarship just prior to the start of the season. Dials came back from an injury suffered early in the season to earn a starting role. A decorated prep cager, Dials attended Willard High School where he was named Northern Ohio League, Ohio District 6 and Ohio Division II Player of the Year as a senior (2002). Also a first-team All-NOL selection and Associated Press All-Ohio pick, he averaged 27 points, 5 rebounds and 5.9 assists in his final season with the Crimson flushes. He also led the NOL in scoring and foul shooting (132-of-154, .857) in 2002, finishing his prep career with 2,180 points. Willard finished with a 21-0 record, including a 14-0 mark in conference play, in 2002 en route to the league title, the sectional and district championship and an appearance in the regional semifinals. A prolific shooter, Dials connected on 63 percent of his shots from the field and was true on 42 percent of his attempts from three-point range during his senior year of high school. Those numbers made him a McDonald's All-America nominee and earned him MVP honors in the 2002 Ohio North/South All-Star game as well as in the Ohio/Kentucky All-Star game. Dials also lettered as a wide receiver on the Willard HS football squad, being an honorable mention All-NOL pick as a member of the program that harvested Akron senior quarterback Charlie Frye

I'll be watchin. The NFL has decided that the Jaguars are ready for their closeup. Following in the footsteps of the Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys, the Jaguars will be the subject of a weekly, Hard Knocks-style documentary to be shown on the fledgling NFL Network this summer, team and league officials confirmed Tuesday. The hour-long program, which has yet to be given a title, will focus on the Jaguars -- both behind the scenes and on the field -- as they go through training camp and the preseason. NFL Network spokesman Seth Palansky said the league has exchanged proposals with Comcast, the Jacksonville area's primary cable provider, about adding the network but is unsure if an agreement could be reached by this summer. The show, which will be taped by crews from NFL Films, will be in the same vein as Hard Knocks, a league-produced weekly documentary shown on HBO that profiled the Ravens in 2001 and the Cowboys in 2002. HBO passed on broadcasting the Jaguars documentary because the network didn't want to compete with the Summer Olympics in Athens, which also will be held this summer, Palansky said. Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio was a Ravens assistant in 2001 when Hard Knocks was filmed. Del Rio said that experience prompted him to agree to let crews film the team's every move and meeting this August and September. "Having been through it before gave me the confidence not to be afraid of it," Del Rio said Tuesday

This dude was AWESOME in that game. The Zips OL couldn't stop him. He was in the backfield almost every play. Smartest move I have seen the Browns make under Butch Davis. DE Uyi Osunde , Connecticut (signed by Cleveland): An undersized "tweener" who has played linebacker and end and could develop into a situational pass rusher. Not as quick as you'd like, but a high-energy player with some upside.

Man the board is....S L O W.... this is all I got though. WERE AM/1300 has signed a two-year deal to air University of Akron football and basketball games

Matt Cherry is #14. They have some real nice mini camp photos, but I don't see Matt. Click on "mini camp photos" in the middle to left hand side

Yeah, here is his mode of transportation to the Gund.

If you don't consider JoPa "sportsman" of college football coaches, who is? Having met JoPa and sat through a quarter of an NFL preseason game with him, IMHO, you couldn't be more off.

Sports Illustrated lists its Spring Heisman candidates and Charlie is not there. But they give Gradkowski the "long shot" call. I think Charlie is going to have to knock off PSU or Virginia to get noticed. THE LONG SHOT: Bruce Gradkowski, QB, Toledo, Jr. Just when you think the MAC may be tapped out of quarterbacks, another one surfaces. Gradkowski takes the torch from Byron Leftwich, Dave Ragone and Ben Roethlisberger, ready to earn national attention on a non-BCS stage. Gradkowski threw for 3,210 yards in 2003, and his completion percentage of 71.2 was bettered by only one QB -- Philip Rivers, the hottest QB commodity after Eli Manning in last week's draft. If you think Gradkowski can't hang with the big boys, review the tape from the Rockets' Sept. 20 upset of Pittsburgh, when he completed 49 of 62 passes for 461 yards and three TDs, orchestrating a thrilling fourth-quarter comeback. The Rockets air it out enough for Gradkowski to put up Heisman numbers, and he has a premier target in senior WR Lance Moore, who led the nation with 8.58 receptions per game. IN THE SPRING: Gradkowski was mostly a spectator in the spring game on April 17, but if the Rockets' playcalling was any indication of the makeup of their 2004 game plans, it bodes well: They passed on 51 of 74 plays. Gradkowski threw just eight of those, completing four for 42 yards and allowing one interception. The best news was that four of Toledo's regular-season games will be on ESPN or ESPN2, meaning the QB will get a reasonable share of mid-week national TV exposure. The rest of the article

D-I teams barred from playing non-collegiate opponents in men's basketball By The Associated Press Friday, April 30, 2004 INDIANAPOLIS -- Major colleges will no longer be allowed to schedule men's exhibition basketball games against non-collegiate opponents, such as foreign teams, AAU clubs or Athletes in Action. The prohibition was approved Thursday by the NCAA Board of Directors and will go into effect for Division I schools on Aug. 1. Contracts signed before Oct. 21, 2003, will be honored. The measure was designed to eliminate possible advantages some schools might have in recruiting by playing exhibition games against teams that could include prospective college players. Division I teams still would be allowed to make foreign tours, which are not considered exhibition games and therefore not subject to the new rule barring non-collegiate opponents, as long as they are completed more than 30 days before the start of preseason practice.