johnnyzip84

Speaking of Dre, did anyone notice in this weeks edition of FB notes there was mention of him gaining a 5th year of eligibility so he can come back next year? Here is the verbiage from GoZips.com:Don’t Believe Everything You ReadAndre Jones is listed as a senior, but came to Akron as a partial qualifier, sitting out his freshmanseason at the University. He is on pace to meet the NCAA requirement to earn a fifth year and has indicatedhe will return in 2009, the year he will earn his degree.Also, though listed as a wide receiver, Jones played both ways at Wisconsin with some depthissues at cornerback. He responded with six tackles and forced a fumble at the goal line, which Akronrecovered to keep the score 17-7 in the Badgers’ favor in the second quarter.

The oddsmakers still have 'Cuse as a 4 to 6 point favorite.LinkI think Zips can win a shootout IF we can at least hold the rushing totals below 200 yds. With Jones playing more D (as many of us expect, anyway) and BWill getting more comfortable back there, I would think a few INT's could be available for the potential game-changing return. But this will only present itself if the Zips can accomplish the former.

I'll be in the Dome watching the Zips for this one, but does anyone know if Ohio Brewing will be having these events for EVERY Zip televised game? Specifically, I'd like to plan ahead for the Army game. BTW, Ohio Brewing is a very nice brewpub for those of you who enjoy these kind of places and are always looking for local spots to try. It's merely "icing on the cake" that they also happen to support Zip athletics as well.

If Stewart consistently outplays Pendleton in practice, then I suppose he has earned not only the scholly but the PT as well. I do happen to think this bodes well for our depth once Bain can play, because I think Pendleton HAS shown some moments in the past backing up Robinson. In particular, he made some nice plays in the Can't game last year.The beating these kids on the DL took on Saturday had just as much to do with UW's typically strong OL as anything else. And dare I add that a strong Big 10 OL is even perhaps a little "stronger" at home against a non-BCS conference school? What's the old adage, you can call holding on just about any play? Give a set of talented, strong, huge kids license to "push the boundaries" and before long they're playing at an even higher level.

The Wisconsin announcers really were impressed with both Igor and Stec. It got me thinking. As I see the schedule unfolding, I see a LOT of very close games in the future. Could our special teams be good enough to win a few of these alone?BTW, I mentioned this on another thread and got the dreaded "crickets". Was even thinking about changing my name to THREAD-KILLER84. So anyway, does anyone agree with me that this year's home slate is shaping up to be the finest in the history of the program (top to bottom, on balance)? Sure, VPI was here in '96, but ON BALANCE even that year had some dogs and only had 4 home games.

I'd LOVE to see us coming out of the gate quickly. If we get up by a couple of TD's, it's not hard to imagine the Orange collectively (wait, Orange IS a collective name lol) thinking "here we go again" and losing focus. If we can force them to throw at all, I see the opportunity for some big plays as in INT's for TD's. I can't wait for this one. It's as good an opportunity as one could hope for in pulling off the (mild) BCS road upset so many mid-majors live for. I hope anyone who is on the fence in terms of whether or not to make the trip to upstate NY decides to join us. It should be a good game one way or another. Go Zips!!

I was thinking about parking at Skytop as suggested by TexanMark.What about dinner etc. the night before? I was thinking about trying the Empire Brewing Company for a later (8:00) dinner. It looks like it's a pretty highly rated establishment.

I hear what you're saying about ND's incredible "poll buoyancy" Cap'n, but they DID beat Duke 4-1 the day after the 3-0 Zip win. Hey, I guess we should oot for them to stay highly ranked. This way, come NCAA tourney seeding/selection, it will go down as a true, undeniable quality win.

While I missed the TV feed for the game because I was driving to Chicago, I did happen to get an interesting viewpoint of the game by way of the UW announcers on 760 AM out of Madison. In general, they were pretty complimentary of the Zips play, especially (and obviously) on the offensive side of the ball and in particular Jack, the WR's, and the O-Line. They also mentioned how much the Zip D was unquestionably missing Bain. I agree with all of the points I have seen on this thread up to now. We've got a shot to be pretty decent this year, BUT the MAC East looks to be exceptionally strong. I say "GREAT" to this, and let's let the chips fall where they may. I'd rather see the Zips beat some of these teams while they are in top form. It's the only way the conference AND the Zips will get any respect.Here's another thought along the same lines. I have to believe that this year's home schedule just might feature the best blend of overall talent, top to bottom, that has ever been seen in terms of visiting teams in the history of the Bowl. What an appropriate last year for this quirky, much-maligned facility that has nevertheless played an essential role in the development of the program.

*phew* I got mine for $4 from stubhub. Whole trip is gonna cost about $300 for two ($120 for hotel, 100 for gass, 10 for tix, 70 for miscellaneous). Not bad for a Zips mini vacation. Besides Lee and johnnyzip, anyone else goin?My brother-in-law (SeeTeeZip), who is apparently too chicken to post anything on here , is also making the trip with me.

I hear it from well-placed insiders that there will be an announcement very soon concerning a giant replica of JD's "summer camp sun hat" that will be added as the "crown jewel" to the Info (see link) Link

Agreed but that's where most Zip fans will be. TexanMark warned us that we could just by cheaper tickets and move on down, but it was too late for me. Oh well, not gonna let it spoil my trip

Buffalo shows they will be a force this year (I believe) with a solid win over Mike Price's UTEP. The crowd of only 16.6K was a little disappointing though. The combo of Willy and Sparks is very, very good. I sure hope we can close the bowl by beating these guys.Speaking of crowds, Miami has to have one of the worst FB fan bases in the MAC. I watched some of the game against Vandy (please keep Radabaugh at QB the whole year Shane Montgomery, PLEASE!) and to only get 18.8K for an SEC team is pathetic. Plus they make no noise whatsoever. I'll give the program it's due. It is the arguably the most succesful on the field in MAC history, but the fans support is horrible. I can only imagine what it would be if they ever hit a 10 year drought like other programs. They might give it up.

Here is an interesting article about UB's opener tonight against UTEP. This is a very big game for the Bulls if they hope to keep some of the positive momentum going from last year. They expect over 20,000 in Buffalo, a good sign for this program and the conference as a whole.Buffalo News LinkIn Oxford, the Sweaters host an SEC team (Vandy) for the 1st time, this one being available to watch (for some of us) on ESPNU. I'd actually prefer watching the other game.If both Buffalo and Miami win these games (both are 3 point favorites), the MAC East could end up being much better than in the past few years.Three MAC West teams also open tonight against fairly weak FCS teams.Ain't this time of year sweet???

This is an AWESOME choice IMHO, but I will be out of town at a wedding To make matters worse, the wedding is in Chicago a mere 2 1/2 hours from Madison :( I've already got plans to go to Syracuse, so hopefully I might be able to catch another road game at the Ohio Brewing Co.

Although it doesn't have much "new", Gaffney's article reflects some more optimism.BJ Link

How do we know QB is bad? Maybe the guy has improved? I know...and monkeys might fly out of my butt too. But Jack is our QB, and he's had 9 months to mature. I'm going to see what he can do in 2008 before burying him. Maybe...just maybe he surprises us all?If that happens (Jack playing well above average, and I'm not counting it out either), then we win the MAC East no question.

I've been in this camp for a while. The only caviat is IF Bain is able to play effectively most of the season. Everything else will work itself out on that side of the ball. I even think the D can be good enough to carry this team with but a mediocre, "don't screw things up" (ala Trent Dilfer and the Ravens Super Bowl year) offensive showing.

Once again, we see mention of Andre Jones playing on both sides of the ball. This brings up a question in my mind. Will Andre still be returning punts given this increase in workload? And if he does, I sure hope he has the most endurance on the team.Dwight Smith saw spot action at WR, returned kicks and played full-time DB. The best players on your team can do that stuff. The more Jones is on the field, the better.Agreed. I guess we'll just have to see how much Andre will be called upon in the secondary. This isn't related, but your comment reminded of a number of D Smith's "adverturesome" kick returns. I don't know if the Rubber Bowl lights were a problem for him or not, but I was never particularly comfortable with him in that role full-time.

Once again, we see mention of Andre Jones playing on both sides of the ball. This brings up a question in my mind. Will Andre still be returning punts given this increase in workload? And if he does, I sure hope he has the most endurance on the team.

19 of 30 with 2 TDs and over 200 yards (no INTs) is a pretty good performance, but most importantly it seemed to please Holmgren. And Wallace threw a late INT to boot. I think it's likely that Holmgren has seen enough positive to allow Wallace to play an increased role on the team with Charlie as a capable reserve. Nice job Charlie!ESPN Link

It looks like the coach's name is Martin Rennie, and he could be from Scotland? (link below)Link

He made a couple of interesting statements, the 1st being the possibliity of using Andre Jones at corner some. Also, I thought the mention of many more offensive players being used on special teams (to help keep pressure of defensive personel) was intriguing. And how about 7 true freshmen traveling this week?GoZips Link

Good idea, Johnny. I'll use this one for my blog, unless you protest.You are certainly welcome to use it, Mike The more, the merrier!

Since I haven't seen one started yet, and the season is just a few days away, I started a group for those of us at ZN. Here are the details.Group Name: Zips NationGroup #: 21243Group Password: zippy08Here is a link to the site. LinkGood Luck!