zestycoyote

Stream is up already. Waiting on audio. Edit: audio is up and synced.

Hell, I'd give Bowden five years. I think the program is in that bad of shape. Like you said, if he can't turn it around, no one can. Might as well let him go for a while. I don't want to hear any "one more year" talk about Bowden until 2015.

Agreed. Toledo beats 'superior' teams consistently during the regular season. Not a great depth recent bowl history, but I believe they won their last bowl game. NIU, on the other hand, has a lot of recent bowl history with mixed results. The last couple bowls they've appeared in, they've killed their opponents. Before that, they got killed in a couple bowls. Regardless, it's pretty cool to think about how many MAC teams should go bowling this year.

I think it's really funny how pissed everyone is getting about Bowden's coaching calls. This team is completely devoid of talent. Our best players this season (D'Orazio, Williams, Hundley, etc.) have largely been surprises. Bowden is playing decent ball with what he has. Sure, a couple more wins would be nice, but I'll take a fun-to-watch team this year. Next year, however, my expectations will be higher.

Proof of what's wrong with the top 25 system. Toledo has a bad week against one of the worst teams in the MAC, so of course, they're now ready to be called a top 25 team in the nation. Sounds familiar ... Ohio U anyone?

Again, we did, but we ran out the final 50 seconds, even after Hundley picked up 20 yards on two carries. I can't help but question the decision making during the final two minutes of the half. Go Zips!

Speaking of coaching, why would we punt the ball on the CMU 38 and 90 seconds left? It landed around the 20. A change in 18 yards is stupid; we may as well try to score before half.

I'd be interested to hear from the person (or people) that pick Miami. The way I see it, Miami has no defense, so OU should put up 35+ points. Dysert won't run for five million yards like he did against UA. OU wins, 45-21.

Wow, this kills me. I watched my first six seasons of Zips football at that place and you'd never know it now. Charlie Frye, Matt Cherry, Domenik Hixon, Brett Briggs, etc. Ah, the good ol' days...

Eh, if I recall correctly, there were a few more believers at the time. Not that it matters now. In the annals of Zips history, he will rank a few pegs lower than Ryan Bain (speaking of way old news...) on the list of failed "gets."

I agree. Roosevelt Nix has been a bonafide threat for a while now, and it seems that Can't State has finally surrounded him with some talent. That said, I think their QB situation is a huge weak spot. If we figure out how to sack someone before we face them, the game could be interesting.

Very interesting, indeed. At 6'4 and 280 pounds, I would think that he would have a place on our defensive line (at least in the secondary rotation). I remember how excited everyone on this board was about him; it's sad that he's fallen off the face of the earth.

+1. Taking it back pretty far with that one! Whatever happened to Phil Tonga?

Maybe I exaggerated your original post, but still, BGSU's QB isn't anywhere near Dysert-good. As long as the Zips employ a QB spy from now on, I think they'll be fine on defense.

Eh, their program is just down. BGSU is always like that. Five years down, then four years with a scrambling quarterback that dominates the MAC. They'll be fine.

BGSU is averaging ~12 points a game against D-IA opponents this season, so I'm not sure where you're getting this vaunted offense talk.

Baby steps. It's not like we're in position to lobby for a spot in the Big 10. The Big East (and whatever it turns into over the next 10 years) is still a better option than the MAC. More diversity in team location, more TV, etc. It may be on a downswing, but it will always be better than the MAC.

Better to play for a "corrupt" league than a league that no one even cares about.

Well, if the MAC keeps adding 1-2 FCS schools every few years, at least Akron can't be the worst football school in the conference. All kidding aside, I think it's great for the conference to expand; the MAC has needed some new blood for a while. *knocks on wooden coffee table*

As the season progresses, the players will get more comfortable on both sides of the ball. It's important to remember that this is the first season of Bowden's offense and Amato's defense. The results so far prove that a system transition doesn't have to be like pulling teeth (ahem, Ianello).

Should be an interesting game. You could argue that Dysert is the best QB the Zips will face all season. He's a longtime starter with some solid targets around him. That said, we're talking MAC defenses now, which means the Zips could put up 30+ points. I'm calling a shootout -- 38-34 in favor of the Zips.

The one thing that worries me about Miami is Dysert. He's a really good QB with some solid options at WR. Sounds like another shootout to me.

+1,000,000

I have to commend the Akron players for their effort tonight. Williams looked stiff out there, but that can happen when you're playing a defense with a few future NFLers. I have to wonder if a healthy QB might have made a bit of a difference. Too bad about the final score, though, as the student body will see it as a blowout. The team was really in the game until the last 7-8 minutes. The most important thing to remember: most of these players are Ianello's guys. Think about the possibilities once Bowden has a few of his own recruiting classes on the field...

I'm conflicted about the "take a knee" approach at the end of the half, not the team's progress. I'm super happy about the performance on both sides of the ball. Work on your reading comprehension.