johnnyzip84

TMD chimes in Who knew we were looking at to be our head coach??? Also, we all would like to forget that it's actually been since 2010 that the Zips have defeated an FBS foe.

As I was watching Adam Bice......errr Chumlee on Pawn Stars just now, I stumbled upon a dissenting opinion while simultaneously surfing the net. This guy says to take UCF and give the points. He also suggests that we'll see Mizzou transfer Tyler Gabbert (Blaine's younger brother) at QB for the Knights.

We might also have the 7th best 5-Foot college player.............just kidding Alex..................you have to be in the Top 3

GT article on how it went I wonder if Commack or Tyler Williams will get a look in this area?

This guy told me 17,680

Or “Thrown – Danger” Speaking of ex-QBs, I was thinking the other day how if Winters had accepted the offer (don’t anyone throw a conniption…..I was a vocal supporter of Paul, but I don’t think we could have possibly ended up with a better coach than Terry Bowden), PN7 could very well have played for him at Akron. As it turns out, he’ll be playing AGAINST him when Lake Erie visits Wayne St in the opener for both teams.

George Thomas article on Hakeem

OK, so here goes my prediction. I’ve been known in the past to go with my heart on these, but for the duration of 2012 I’m sticking with my head. First let me toss a completely meaningless tidbit of trivia into the conversation. When Tommy Bowden’s 2001 Clemson Tigers whipped the resume padder’s 2001 Georgia Tech squad, O’Leary’s QB was a guy by the name of George Godsey. In 2011, the opening QB for UCF was a guy by the name of Jeff Godfrey…….Twilight Zone music….but Godfrey was eventually beaten out by Blake Bortles who will start 2012 versus the Zips. Godfrey announced he would transfer, but he’s apparently back with the team as a receiver/kick returner. With Bortles, expect UCF to resemble a more traditional (pro-style) offense. The Zips defense seems to be built more to defend teams that “air it out”, so this might (ever so slightly) work to the Zips’ advantage. The Knights defense allowed less than 19 points per game last year, and it’s largely the reason some have high expectations for them in 2012. But they didn’t play too well down the stretch last year, particularly against the pass. I think the Zips will move the ball fairly well in this game, but the combination of brand new UA offense/QB and UCF’s athletic and gifted defense will probably result in the Knights winning the turnover battle. The Zips may also find TDs hard to come by once they enter the red zone. In the end the yardage battle will be fairly close, but the Zips will likely come up short where and when it counts. But with UCF no doubt taking the Zips for granted and Coach Bowden’s new staff (and influx of key players) proving their worth right out of the box, the final score will be much closer than most prognostications: UCF 31 Zips 23

I have a question for George Thomas. Your update mentions that James Price is academically ineligible. Why was he listed on the depth chart? Did he only become ineligible recently? Or was the staff hoping he'd regain his eligibility over the summer? Thanks for staying on top of these ever-changing situations

If Coach Bowden declares it game week, then it's time we started a dedicated thread for this MUCH-ANTICIPATED opener! The services used by USA Today have the Zips as 23.5 point underdogs.

BTW, Frenchy confirmed on WNIR this morning what we already knew. He mentioned the "internet rumor" regarding the "sellout", then laughed a little and dismissed it saying "it ain't a sellout".

Sell out, schmell out. I don't really care right now. I just got done watching a replay of the 2001 Clemson-GT game on ESPN classic. What a game!! Tommy Bowden's Tigers win an OT thriller over George O'Leary's Yellow Jackets/Engineers/Rambling Wreck. Can his brother repeat the magic versus the resume padder in 2012?

When your 2nd team safety (rover) is heavier than both 1st and 2nd team MIKE LBs and a 2nd team DE, then size is certainly a concern. I agree with LZip that there aren't many MAC teams that feature a power running game, but K.E.N.T. is one that might fit that mold with their huge TB. Most defenses today substitute freely, but I think the Zips of 2012 will be running guys in left and right on just about every play to try to compensate for the lack of size. I liked seeing Tyrell Goodman make the 2-deep at WR. Would there be any sweeter irony than to have a player from Ianello's high school make a few big plays this year? I'm not surprised to see true FR Steve Franco win the 3rd QB spot. I don't even want to think about it right now, but you really never know when he could be called on to play. Sweitzer winning the starting center job might be the biggest surprise to me. All in all I think this depth chart highlights two main things: 1) TB wants to win ASAP, BUT he's also willing to let the younger players learn the "hard way" if necessary. 2) I expect the 2012 Zips to evolve throughout the season. I believe players not even listed here (for example, Jamel Turner) will step in and contribute at some point. Lastly, I sure hope Dadgum Mangum and Avis Commack stay healthy. They might be the two most irreplaceable players on the team.

Mrs JZ84 is partial to "Akron Balds"

UA part of consortium to promote manufacturing in Ohio and Pennsylvania

I cannot wait to see your new gear, Keener. I'm taking that afternoon off from work, and I'm hoping to be down there around 3:00 pm. NZF, ASF, Spin, Polyzip and others you are all welcome to stop by for some eats and refreshments in Lot 9 throughout the season. The one thing that concerns me about the opener is whether Lot 9 will be open to both tailgaters and students taking evening classes that night. I'm concerned about getting a decent parking spot if that's the case. Can anyone shed any light on this situation?

Link I'm on the record for 4-8.

I'll admit, I'm really excited to see what this guy can do for us. Coach Amato's comments about him seem to indicate they'll be bringing him along slowly since he's pretty raw at this point. Hopefully, he'll pick up the nuances of the defense as quickly as possible.

Good point. Gilmer HAS been injury prone over his career, so I wonder if this is an issue once again. Another thing that has me curious is the WRs. Of the four listed, I have a hard time figuring out who the slot receivers would be.

Maybe these questions can wait until he beats out Justin March and/or ShelDon Miller for the starting lineup?

Well I certainly stand corrected. Thanks for the info.

GT, I appreciate the unprecedented local print coverage of the Zips as much as anyone on this board. You have repeatedly responded to our input and are obviously putting forth an admirable degree of effort. And I realize you're at a bit of a disadvantage with longtime Zip fans regarding both recent and distant history. But I think anyone who posts here regularly needs to assume some level of criticism might come their way. The general point Cap'n made is legitimate to anyone who has followed the Zips for a while. I will grant you this, however: My memories of the team "meet-n-greets" prior to this one are all associated with the spring game. So in this respect, I can see last weekend's event being thought of as a new approach.

Very good news!! Hopefully he can keep focused during these four years. It's fun to imagine how good he might be after a year or two of a D1 strength and conditioning program.

Fred manages to get his goodness just about everywhere. I can thank my better half for this tasty Southern Tier double IPA I've been enjoying while watching the olympic closing ceremonies: It is indeed full of hops, but it's somehow very light with a hint of lemons making it extremely drinkable.

That puzzled me as well. I think he did enroll at Butler CC, even if he didn't see the field. So I can see how he might lose one year, but not two. Maybe getting this all straightened out caused the delay in having him in uniform? Perhaps GT or NZF can provide comment?