NewZipsFan

Sure.... let's just give away everything to our opponents who lurk on this board!

And for the record -- the Stanford Marching Band is the absolute best to watch -- HYSTERICAL! Stanford Band at halftime of USC 2009 You have to listen to the band director's commentary during the performance... dadgum funny

Yes - very fun to watch - no question. How in the world does this video have 1.8 MILLION views since Saturday?? I mean they're cool and everything -- but they ain't no FAMU... EDIT: bad comparison.. just realized -- yikes

Maybe your name should be "ZippyRUINS" instead Maybe those "super stud athletic guys" will bring along their girlfriends.. And the "nonathletic male students" all think they're athletic anyway. Seriously -- the demographics at football games is getting closer and closer to 50% women -- did you look around the stadium in Knoxville on Saturday? Tons and tons girls/women. The University is putting forth some great effort to attract more students to the games -- I applaud them wholeheartedly

Tennessee should be the role model for college football. You couldn't ask for a better game day atmosphere, nicer fans, more gracious stadium personnel, more hospitable restaurant/lodging staffs, along with a great product on the field. If Akron can create 1/10th of that combination - we will fill Infocision every week. Good luck to the Vols the rest of the season - Beat Georgia!

Not a chance these kids are down. This is a very smart group of football players. Sure they're disappointed that they didn't pull off the upset - but they understand what the odds were and they know how well they played on the road against an SEC team. They will continue to correct their mistakes - continue to improve - and continue gaining confidence. Coach Bowden has this team believing - and it ain't gonna stop any time soon. If anything, this team believes in themselves even more now. Watch out MAC - the Zips are no longer your doormat - they're becoming the big steel door you can't get through. (Ok - I may have been reaching on that analogy - but you get what I mean).

Ii love your writing, George...but the last time I checked, Vinnie Rizzo was an offensive lineman. Maybe you meant Nick Rossi? Dont get your italians confused on this team - we've got too many!

And its official -- Robert Stein MAC East Special Teams Player of the Week!!! Way to go Robert Stein!

Awesome. Too bad the kid is probably too young to appreciate it I'm sure y'all know that his older brother is the kicker for Bowling Green (has NOT had a good year, unfortunately) - so in two weeks it will be the left-footed kicking Stein Brothers on the field together. Would hate to be that family that weekend.. I've read somewhere that their younger brother is also a left-footed kicker at their high school (in Cincinnati I think).. Haven't seen the MAC players of the week yet -- but if Stein isn't the special teams player - I will call B.S. from the top of Infocision.

I haven't looked at last year's stats through 4 games - but I just went through the MAC team and individual stats for this season so far. If you can't look at those and BELIEVE - get to a Negativity Anonymous meeting asap.... MAC Team and Individual Statistics

OK -- I'll start the thread I just saw this article from yesterday... Will post an excerpt and link to the entire thing: Cleveland.com - Mid-American Conference Insider Game plan: One thing has become crystal clear when it gets down to preparing to play the Akron Zips: You will have to score big to beat them. Witness Akron's 47-26 loss to Tennessee of the Southeastern Conference. Tennessee had to make some major halftime adjustments to post 24 points after intermission while holding Akron to a field goal. That said, the Zips (1-3, 0-0) have scored 14, 38, 66 and 26 points this season against a slate that before the season appeared to be daunting. Now Akron settles into a MAC schedule that by comparison looks downright inviting, and upset-friendly. The Zips play Miami this week and Bowling Green next week, both at InfoCision Stadium. Sounds like an objective observer actually GETS IT! Watch out for the Akron Zips, Mid-American Conference!

Bonfire, anyone????

That's awesome!! Can't wait to meet Tank's buddy

Ok -- I had almost been afraid to pop in and read the thread - mostly because I had been so adamant that we would win the game (since January when I saw the schedule - BTW).. Man oh man was it close! The score, obviously, was not indicative of the game we played Saturday night. When Tennessee first took the field for pre-game warmups, I actually said out loud, "who is this NFL team walking in here to play the Zips?"... Holy s** - those guys are just dadgum BIG. And FAST. They may not be the team their fans want - or what they've enjoyed over the years -- but DADGUM - honestly those players are just a lot bigger and a lot faster than our guys (and their backups are just as big and fast). But after watching the game, I'll take our TEAM any day over them. Our kids played ANOTHER hell of a football game -- giving 100% effort on every single play - for 60 minutes - in front of 80,000 SEC fans and that dadgum Rocky Top playing every 30 seconds! Tied at halftime -- are you kidding me??? Did you see their lines compared to our lines? They had to outweigh us individually by 75 lbs plus at every position! And guess what? No sacks on our QB (who obviously was playing through some pain -- and I don't blame DW one single bit -- he made some throws that I know he wants back badly - but played valiantly under great pressure and through all of that noise, etc..) -- we stopped the run up the middle (which is the SEC's bread and butter) time and time again.. Their speed was just scary at some points -- two weeks ago, we don't make those arm tackles/saves -- they would've all broken for TDs. Our players are flat out getting BETTER every single week. I'm so proud of the way they played! How about our RFr kickers?? Stein 4-4 in FGs 2-2 in PATs!! The first FG (45 or 48 yds) in that stadium with 80,000 people? And he nails it! Wow is all I can say. So happy for him -- that game will give him the confidence to keep kicking like that all the way through our conference schedule. So - yes, I was wrong. We didn't actually get a "W" in the record books.. But as far as I'm concerned, it was a W. I'll go on record now -- we go 8-0 in conference play. I cannot see one single reason why it is not POSSIBLE. Yes, there are some very good teams on the schedule. But guess what? Every one of those teams has the Akron Zips on their schedule - and they need to start getting worried! Go Zips! BEAT the DADGUM MAC! (Injury update - Zach D'Orazio has a broken fibula, will have surgery and is out for the season - dadgummit! Justin March has an ankle sprain - could be ready this weekend, though. We got out of there relatively unscathed.)

You're 22 years old... As you young kids say -- 'Nuff said... I'll forgive your naive bravado --- I remember being 22... I think

Whatever.. Time to put on my Zips gear and head over to Neyland Stadium to watch our team get their a*** kicked. Happy?

Nothing can happen until you believe it can. Glad you're not playing today

Dalton is ready to go -- 100%. You can see it in his face -- this young man wants the challenge, relishes the challenge, and I believe -- is UP to the challenge. Bring on the big boys -- our guys "ain't" scared -- and will give it 150% for 60 minutes. Let's Go Zips!!! Beat the DADGUM Vols! (As a side note -- Coach Bobby Bowden and Mrs. Bowden are in Knoxville -- and Coach will lead the team's chapel service before the team meal this afternoon. You couldn't HIRE a better person for that job - and he just happens to be the head coach's father -- oh AND the winningest coach in the history of major college football)

I will continue to say it --- I believe we win this game. Tennessee is wondering what kind of team they are right now after UF beat them convincingly at home last week. They've got Georgia next week. They want our kids to be afraid of them -- afraid of the stadium - afraid of the noise... Because they're afraid they won't beat us. We have absolutely nothing to lose - everything to gain - and these players believe that they can and will win. Coach Bowden is dismissing the "David vs Goliath" comparisons --- they're not some giant powerhouse -- they were 1-7 in their conference last year. Six asst. coaches jumped ship before the season because they didn't believe they would have jobs after this year.. Yes they are big. Yes they're fast. They're a "good" team. They're not a great team. Not much better than UCF -- and if we had UCF this week, instead of the first game of the season, I say we'd beat them by 7-10. We have been cleaning up our mistakes -- gaining confidence, making plays, playing hard, the offense is really clicking... the Defense is so vastly improved from the stats from last year its mind boggling. Our guys are swarming to the ball. WHEN we win tomorrow night - it will not even be the biggest upset of this season! That's just the truth. We can win this game -- and these players want the win more than anyone. We've shown what we're capable of in just three short weeks of this "new era". We haven't played a perfect game yet -- but with a near perfect game we beat this team - period. The momentum we gain from beating the Vols at home going into our conference schedule = BOWL GAME!

Did you notice the guy said he lived in Gainesville???

The MAC might have snubbed him -- but the Davey O'Brien Award didn't -- Davey O'Brien Award - Release

It's my new unofficial mission in life - creating the new generation/breed of Zips fans... One at a time

Great read. I'm with you on all points.

That's why they play the games I said back in January (not sure if I posted it here or not...) - but as soon as I saw that Tennessee was on the schedule, I told everyone I knew that we would beat the Vols. Call me crazy, call me overly optimistic... or call me psychic -- but UT is the only SEC team that Coach Bowden never beat.. plus, I'll take Bobby Bowden's son over Vince Dooley's son any day... Let's Go Zips!! Beat the Vols!!!!

How about the team and the Pride of Ohio singing the fight song together after the game?? Those kids sang the song like it was the national anthem, or their most revered hymn/prayer... Then broke out into some funky dance and fully embraced the moment. Yes, they all BELIEVE -- they are all "we" guys and not "me" guys. In the post game PC, Dalton continues to be the consummate QB -- praising his line, receivers, coaches, fans, etc.. Chisholm talked about how his coaches are teaching him to be a better RB... The powerade/ice water dunk on Coach Bowden was fantastic... Anyone else notice that Coach Bowden signed his/a hat, and threw it into the band? His father did that for 30+ years... I LOVE tradition... Fight Songs, Alma Maters, Hat Tossing, Ice Water Baths... great, great stuff!