PSU_Lions_84

I think the Zips team will represent your school and you fans very well. Look for the first half to be close. The Penn State bench, unfortunately for Akron, is much deeper, talent-wise, than that of Akron. That will show in the second half.

Eyesight is one of the first things to go with age.Zipmeister, please speak up -- I can't hear you very well.

You're out of your mind if you think Heinz Field wouldn't sell out for a Pitt-PSU game. Not only would it be the hottest ticket in town, even if Pitt fans didn't sell it out, there would be many PSU fans, a lot who live in Western PA, would would snatch up tickets in no time. The rivalry was killed when Pitt turned down Joe Pa's offer to join the All-East (could be wrong on the conference name) to join the Big East in all sports. He's still bitter to this day about it, and quite frankly, the teams won't meet again until he's done.Zippy, not disagreeing with your point about Heinz Field filling up with State fans for a PSU-Pitt game. I was trying to say that even with a filled Heinz Field, Penn State would get a share of "only" 65,000 (as my research indicates) seats rather than the 108,000 tix Beaver Stadium represents. I was also trying to point out that Pitt usually has difficulty filling Heinz, as my subsequent post showed (65,050 capacity vs. 49,300 in attendance). A deterrent may be the rumor about the 3-for-1 mandatory tix purchase.And while I disagree somewhat with your characterization that PSU-Pitt don't play b/c of Joe's "bitterness", I would hazard a guess that a post-Joe meeting btwn PSU-Pitt is not guaranteed. OPINION ALERT: I don't think the Pitt program is all that strong, and, nostalgic fans such as I aside, if we were to add Pitt there are many who would continue to criticize our "soft" schedule. And while 2010 recruiting may be anomaly, it appears Penn State is able to recruit quite well in Pitt's backyard, without the two schools facing each other on the field.Sorry for any confusion. Unfortunately, I am letting work interfere with my posting. Sigh . . . .

:blink: id like to hear if thats true... because if it is.. thats pretty bad. If they cant fill Heinz field now, i seriously doubt they would if they are enforcing that policy.Man, here are a couple links -- one shows Heinz Field capacity to be 65,050 while the other shows the official 2008 NCAA attendance stats. Pitt ranks 49th with an average home attendance of 49,352. According to my calculator, that is almost 16,000 empty seats.http://www.steelers.com/heinzfield/stadiuminfo/http://web1.ncaa.org/web_files/stats/footb...ndance/2008.pdf(Gratuitous bragging: Note that Penn State was second in 2008 attendance, with an average crowd of 108,254. As noted elsewhere on this site, they count band, cheerleaders, etc. but that is still a large crowd.)Will try to further research the point about the 3-fer sale. Maybe it's an urban legend. I think I heard it in connection with the Pitt-West Virginia game, so will check with the 'Eers fans.

Zach, I found the article to be extremely respectful. Coach Harris showed a lot of class in how he characterized his interaction with JoePa. I will post the link on the PSU football board at CBSSports as soon as I can -- you can check fan reaction there.BTW, one major reason why Penn State wanted a 2 and 1 with Pitt starting in 2001 was Pitt's inability to fill Heinz Field, which is -- what? -- capacity of 56,000 or something like that. Penn State had (I think) just expanded Beaver Stadium again, and our capacity was almost double that of Heinz. As you can imagine, Penn State football supports a lot of other non-revenue sports, so playing at an unfilled Heinz Field was not cost-effective. Shame to kill a rivalry over $$, but that's the way of the world . . . . (FYI: A home game for Penn State garners almost $4M in revenue.)And, last I heard, Pitt was forcing people to buy tix to three games just to get access to one marquee game. That's like a car dealer telling me I HAVE to purchase the 8-track player and cassette deck in order to get Sirius radio. I don't think so . . . . Just a few more days!!!

+ 1 Please keep posting after the 5thI still keep in touch with some of the Oregon State fans from last year, ChristianZip, so will try to visit with you guys as well. It looks like an exciting season for Akron!

BTW, I was a at Happy Valley a few years ago...Not an enjoyable experience to say the least.That is disappointing/embarrassing. On behalf of all rational Penn State fans (somewhat of a contradiction, I know), I apologize to you. I would like to think that this year's visit for Buckeye fans will be civil (but disappointing -- LOL!).Tell Marshcreek I said Hey... You got me on that one -- don't understand the reference . . . .

Be grateful it isn't handcuffs, like so many Lions players have worn over the last few years. Those guys perturb me greatly. (I stated it that way b/c I wasn't sure if I could say "pi$$" on this thread/website.)

Reviving last year's trend, where Penn State early on lost D-linemen to injury and stupidity. On the PSU depth chart, Ware is listed behind Odrick, who is a beast. So as long as Jared stays healthy, of course, Ware has time to recover. Or, maybe there is another Maybin waiting in the wings. He was the third-string DE until the injury/stupidity bug bit. We know how he turned out . . .

Most here will support you.. However, I am not one of them. No worries, BuckZip. You are still genteel in your attitude, which is more than I can say for some of your brethren on some of the national CFB boards. Of course, Penn State has its share of homers and gomers, too -- another reason why this place is a welcome relief.I do feel sorry for you, tho, that you will endure twice the pain this year.

Can't wait to get to Happy Valley on Friday!I envy you making the trip, Doc! Hope you enjoy the visit, even tho the outcome is likely to be unfavorable to your team.Here is Penn State's depth chart, if anyone cares to review. http://www.gopsusports.com/auto_pdf/p_hoto...StateDepthChartSupposedly Stephfon Green and Chaz Powell will share kick-off return duties -- not sure of the wisdom of that. Hate risking either one of them on KO's. Likewise, Drew Astorino (free safety) will handle punt returns. We are so weak and thin in the defensive secondary that this is risky, imho.Oh, well, they don't consult me . . .

You know it. I'm not much of a B-11 fan, but if I were to support a team from that conference, it would be PSU. Maybe it's because JoePa is so old he just doesn't care anymore, but he seems to be the only major coach supporting a playoff system.Thanks, ZippyTuba11! I'm not much of a Big(11)10 fan, either -- grew up watching Penn State compete as an independent and as the "Beast of the East". The "rivalry" with Michigan State feels contrived -- no disrespect to the Spartans -- like taking your second cousin to the prom or something. And, candidly, we are not consistently competing at the level I had hoped for, once we entered the conference.Here is Penn State's depth chart, if anyone cares to review. http://www.gopsusports.com/auto_pdf/p_hoto...StateDepthChartSupposedly Stephfon Green and Chaz Powell will share kick-off return duties -- not sure of the wisdom of that. Hate risking either one of them on KO's. Likewise, Drew Astorino (free safety) will handle punt returns. We are so weak and thin in the defensive secondary that this is risky, imho.Oh, well, they don't consult me . . .

Penn State has a long tradition of starting out slowly/sluggishly in games that start at noon. That is another factor why I believe the Zips will score first. (But my primary reason is b/c of the Zips passing game -- you guys will get it done until the PSU front seven wears down your O-line.)Are we there yet?!?!?!?!?!SeeTeeZip: Major props to your fans for keeping this dialogue civil. Hope you guys will support us in November against the school-who-cannot-be-named-on-this-board.

Nicely can transfer to Penn State, where I guarantee he will not start ahead of any upperclassmen. We suffered with Morelli for a couple years, when clearly Clark was a superior talent.Of course, the fans' favorite player is always the back-up QB. The starter is never good enough. We had fans saying Devlin should start in place of Clark. I liked Devlin -- the kid had amazing accuracy and touch on the ball -- but Clark was ahead of Pat.

So, Doc, are you trying to encourage your team/fans, or discourage them? For all the difference in attempts/completions, Jacquemain only had 156 yards and 1 TD more than Clark. On the other hand, he threw 8 more picks and had 9 less rushing TDs.Yes, Penn State's receivers are mostly new. However, have you looked at the size of those guys? Williams was the tallest WR for State last year (right at 6'). This year, Brackett is 6'6", Moye is 6'5", etc. Their height and concomitant wingspans will help offset their inexperience, esp. with a veteran QB throwing at them.Still think you guys score first, it is reasonably close (21 - 7, 24 - 10, something like that) going to the half, then Penn State's bench carries the day to a 35 - 14 or 35 - 17 Lions' victory.I look forward to your pass offense testing our secondary. I think we need that, b/c this is the year Juice Williams and Aurelius Benn begin to light up the Illinois scoreboard. Having our secondary tested early and often will help them in later games (I hope!).Only five days to go!!

Still think you guys score first, it is reasonably close ( 21 - 7, 24 - 10, something like that) going to the half, then Penn State's bench carries the day to a 35 - 14 or 35 - 17 Lions' victory.I look forward to your pass offense testing our secondary. I think we need that, b/c this is the year Juice Williams and Aurelius Benn begin to light up the Illinois scoreboard. Having our secondary tested early and often will help them in later games (I hope!).Only five days to go!!

Right you are, Zach!Any updates on your team? I haven't heard much out of the ordinary from Happy Valley. Joe making his usual gloom-and-doom announcements. They don't get tiresome to us old-timers; oddly enough, they are mildly reassuring . . . I've applied on a new position at work. So far, I've had two telephone interviews and five face-to-face interviews. I have one more sit-down interview this Wednesday; if I make the cut, I will meet with the department heads and clinic chair. The folks doing the interviewing remind me of you Zips fans: Very thorough, very enthusiastic, very knowledgeable. Hope I am as successful in the continued interviews as my Lions are going to be against the Zips. I hope you're a little more successful than your nittany lions Thanks, Zippy! Time will tell about both, I guess. Looks like the job process will drag on into late September, at this point. In the meantime, we'll enjoy college football!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Right you are, Zach!Any updates on your team? I haven't heard much out of the ordinary from Happy Valley. Joe making his usual gloom-and-doom announcements. They don't get tiresome to us old-timers; oddly enough, they are mildly reassuring . . . I've applied on a new position at work. So far, I've had two telephone interviews and five face-to-face interviews. I have one more sit-down interview this Wednesday; if I make the cut, I will meet with the department heads and clinic chair. The folks doing the interviewing remind me of you Zips fans: Very thorough, very enthusiastic, very knowledgeable. Hope I am as successful in the continued interviews as my Lions are going to be against the Zips.

He can stop mentioning XXXX St. and their players on ZipsNation.UADavid, VERY happy to cease and desist mentioning those guys. In my defense, was just responding to JohnnyZip's mention of that place in C_______.You guys were spot on with the news about Mauti -- I read here before I saw it anywhere else. Anyone have the North Carolina lottery numbers for tomorrow?

Kentucky, Virginia, and MassExcellent! Remind me not to compare SAT scores with you guys.This is one reason why I think you guys are competitive -- your team will play smart, which will help offset some points that are in Penn State's favor.

JohnnyZip, I stand guilty as charged about beating on the distinction between PENN and Penn STATE. Please understand: It is more out of respect for Penn than it is for my own alma mater. Penn has been around since 1740 -- founded by Ben Franklin -- and is obviously an Ivy League school. Penn State is a "Moo U" -- land grant institution, and has only been around since 1855. I chose Penn State over Penn b/c (a) after getting married to a North Carolina girl while in the Army, I wanted to be close to my home area (near Williamsport) so my folks could get to know my bride and ( I wanted to enjoy football season cheering for Lions, not Quakers.However, note that date: The Pennsylvania STATE University was founded in 1855; the pretenders in Columbus are Johnny-come-lately's (sorry, couldn't resist) with a founding year of 1870. I know you couched your observation in the realm of college football, but history is history.To the point of we Lions fans using "Linebacker U": Many of us take it for granted that Penn State is synonymous with Linebacker U. I know the Times-Dispatch tried to show how that other state school deserved that title -- sorry, no sale.Mad props for the Orwell reference. I work in a department at Duke University that lives by the mantra that "Some animals are more equal than others." so live an Orwellian existence.And major props to you also, ZipTrumpet, for noting that Pennsylvania is in fact a commonwealth. Can you name the three others without an Internet search? I am betting you can . . . you Akron folks are an erudite bunch! And technically technically, we should be "The Pennsylvania Commonwealth University" since my diploma says "The Pennsylvania State University." I have no desire to see Penn State referred to as tPSU -- esp. since TP plays for the Buckeyes.

1, look at it this way: With Sean Lee coming back, Mauti will have a prime example of the work he has to do to get back to 100%. And I am willing to bet Lee will encourage him along the way. Silver lining on a dark cloud, I know.One of the Zips fans was asking me about seats in Beaver Stadium. As you know, I haven't been back in forever. I suggested he PM you, 'kay?Less than three weeks until kick-off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Neither is a starter. Mauti was being counted on to provide depth at linebacker to spell Lee or Bowmann. Ware is about 20 pounds away from seeing the field. This is a blow but won't hurt too much. If there is one position we are deep at it is Linebacker.Mauti red-shirting almost helps Penn State for future years. Dakota Royer is coming in (Class of 2010) and, at 6'3", 210 pounds, I expect he will play LB, not DE. If we land Khairi Fortt (good chance of that -- his best bud is Silas Redd, who has already verbal'd to State), we could be stocked at LB for a few more years.I want to see Nate Stupar getting a bunch of playing time at LB. He was killing people on special teams last year!

+1!! "The other" '84 is a good guy in my book....well at least as PSU fans go Should we tell him that "roasted roo" presents a choking hazard to BCS conference teams?ps. I know they're both gone, but doesn't Kennedy look sweet streaking past Paul Posluszny on UAFan's siggy?You guys make it easy for me to stay away from the dark side. I save being a butt-hole for certain Iowa fans who post on ESPN. Thanks for the compliments, and MDZip, just for the record, I think the Zips will give Penn State a very good game. Sounds like your front seven on D will pressure our new line, and your offensive strength will test our new DB's.I expect it to come down to bench strength, which leans in PSU's favor. Other than that, I expect a close game for quite awhile.All in all, I can't wait. Everyone busting Penn State for its "easy" OOC sked is being disrespectful to Akron (and, in fairness, a little toward Temple, who supposedly has improved dramatically). I can't defend the games against Syracuse (even with Paulus there) and Eastern Illinois . . . .P.S. "Cultured", MDZip? Does it help I did part of my masters's at Georgetown?

So you're taking the Zips plus 28 points? UA_Fan, I'll take a good CFB game that provides the following: (a) A good test of Penn State's new O-line, WRs, and D secondary. ( No injuries for either team. © Entertainment on a scale commensurate with the enthusiasm and interest on this thread.Do I want/expect a Lion victory? Of course. You guys want the Zips to win, just as obviously. Whatever happens, it is one game. I'm predicting a 10 - 3 season for the Lions, with a decent bowl game. Do I anticipate one of those losses being to Akron? No, but it could happen. That's why the games are played, right?