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First of all, I believe that the no-point-spread on the YSU/OSU and Michigan/App. State games has nothing to do with them being 1-AA vs. 1-A teams. When a game looks very lopsided, they just don't put a spread on it.With that said, I wished that I took Arkansas State gettting 39 against Texas. They only lost by 8 points. So, the Sun Belt is asking for more respect this week too. Does anyone get the feeling that the gap between the BCS schools and the "lesser" conferences is closing even further?

I'm definitely one of those people who hates hearing about the Suckeyes in Akron. Wake up folks!!...there's only two D-1 teams in the Akron area, and neither of them wears red and silver !!

Ahh. The 1993 opener. When Alcorn kicked the 56 yard field goal to beat Toledo in our first game in the MAC. Great memory.For those commenting on the DL, I'm not hearing anyone mention the lack of a pass rush. We only got pressure on the QB when multiple LBs and DBs blitzed.

I forgot to mention one of the more glaring statistics of this game....We were 2 for 12 on 3rd Down Conversions.I'm sure it's all a combination of some bad throws, some dropped passes, and the OL not getting the push we need on short running plays to keep the sticks moving. We'll have to improve on this. Converting 2 third down plays isn't going to win many MAC games.

danalleman...I'll take your thought process one step further. If Michigan, or any of the other top teams in the Big 11 were to have lost to a 1-AA team yesterday, they would not only make it to a BCS bowl if they win out, but would probably make it to the national championship game.Anyone should recognize that this just isn't right.

Ok guys...I like the optimism. Don't get me wrong. If the new stadium is coupled with some MAC championships, more bowl appearances, and some upsets over some bigger-conference schools, it "can" happen. If it doesn't, the novelty of the new stadium will wear off in a matter of a couple of years.You mentioned our last bowl appearance. I have news for you, even people I know in important positions at the U of A at the time knew that many of those people were on the bandwagon for 1 game. They were not going to become regular fans, and the number of people you saw at our homes games last year proved that to be true. You're talking about doubling or tripling the attendance we've had ever since we've been in 1-A, on a week-in, week-out, and year-in, year-out basis.It's simply not going to happen unless we become the old Marshall of the MAC, and show that we are competing on the national stage. Just being competitive in the MAC, or having a new facility, is not going to suddenly and consistently turn 20,000 more Akronites into weekly die-hard Akron football fans.What's happening in the MAC simply doesn't matter to most people. You won't get this many more people's attention until we reach Marshall's status of a few years ago. New Stadium.MAC Titles.Consistent Bowl Appearances.Showing that we are competitive on a "National" stage.No small feat.

ZippyRulz. I've been around this program waaaaaay too long to agree with a wishful thinker who thinks that Akron is going to average 25,000 fans per game anytime soon. If my facts serve me correctly, that would far exceed every other school in the MAC. I'm hoping you're right, but for us to double or triple the number of people who consistently show up to Zips games in the next couple of years, we'd need something just short of a miracle to happen.

Zip74....I only mentioned Jacquemain in the GOOD category because I think he showed some good composure running the offense for the first time in a live game, and didn't make costly mistakes. As for his throws, he surely needs more work. My guess is that JD wanted the guy in there who wouldn't hurt us early in the season, while the new OL gels, and let the Defense carry us for awhile. Only time will tell if that was the right strategy.

This is very pertinent material.Any sign that the gap is closing between the bigger 1-A schools, and the smaller 1-A schools is good news if you are a Zips fan.Besides the Michigan upset, which might rank up there with the biggest of all time, Bowling Green beat Minnesota, and Can't beat Iowa State. As much as a hate to see two teams in our division play so well against competition from the so-called "bigger conferences", these kinds of wins will benefit all of us collectively, as a conference, down the road.

I'll get it started with my observations....THE GOOD:Chris Jacquemain looked pretty composed running the offense in his first start. As JD says, he doesn't make mistakes, and he showed that tonight.Our new OL did a decent job. We ran the ball quite well. I really liked Brian Williams, who I saw play for the first time. Will we face tougher run defenses? Sure. So, lets wait a few weeks to see if this continues. Jabari Arthur will need to carry the receiving corp, and he showed us once again that he's a great receiver when he holds onto the ball. Plus, he made some very difficult catches as well.Guys like Mackey, Corner, Tate and Jones showed why we have such a strong secondary. Army racked up some yards passing, but they did throw the ball 43 times.Our linebackers were solid against the option running attack. THE BAD:Our DL mounted very little pressure on the QB without help from the LBs and DBs in blitz packages. However, they did a nice job holding their own against the Army OL on running plays. Our kickoffs were landing on the 20 yard line, which often game Army WAY too good field position most of the game.THE UGLY:A misssed extra point, missed FG, and a blocked punt. It looks like our kicking game will once again be a weakness.

I have a few comments about newspaper coverage....Most newspapers, and I am sure the ABJ is no different, have writers that go out and try to get stories. These writers are assigned to areas that they deem to have the most interest to readers. They then submit their material to the editor, who decides what goes in the paper.So, obviously, since more writing staff is assigned to OSU, the likelihood that an OSU story gets in the paper before an Akron story is much higher. I'm not sure if expressing our comments to the editor does any good. Heck, it's worth a try. But I think that real change will only occur when the ABJ can SEE WITH THEIR OWN EYES that the Zips following is on the increase.Once again, it all depends upon us to fill the Bowl and fill the JAR. Someone compared this to supply and demand economics. It's true. The more demand they think there is for a product, the more supply that will be provided.

"F" Can't State. We have their number on September 22nd. Their QB is a little bit elusive, but we are a much more experienced and quicker defense this year. Plus, we were not ready for them last year. I guarantee you that we'll be ready this time.Then, Can't will fall back into a 15-year hiatus once again, and we won't have to have this discussion anymore.

Zipgrad....it looks like you wrote this post early in Quinn's playing time in the game last night.If you watched further, you would have noticed what I am hearing from the people who are going to the practices, which is that his accuracy downfield, at this point, leaves a lot to be desired.

Personally, I think it's sad that we get 100 times as much news about the Zips on an internet site as we get from the ABJ, even though we are a Division 1-A program right in their own backyard!!!I do find it amazing that a beat reporter shows up at the last minute to cover probably the biggest story of the off season...who will win the QB battle. I'm betting that it's a reflection of the ABJ's attitude towards Zips athletics. If it were Ohio State's QB battle going on, they'd have 3 reporters chasing the coaches and players around 24 hours a day trying to get information.The ABJ's job is to sell papers. So, why they don't understand that more Zips coverage will sell more papers in Akron is beyond my imagination.

Ok, there's the answer I was waiting for. ZipGrad is correct. This is a product that nobody wants to see. It's Army and Akron, two teams towards the low end of the D-1A level. The "curious NE Ohio football fan" who some of you were counting on to come out to this game is NOT interested. Folks, look at MAC attendance over the years. Has anyone seen any dramatic changes? Does anyone in our league fill up their 35,000 seats on a regular basis?People want to see WINNERS. And I'm not talking about teams with a chance to win the MAC. Very few people I know, even the biggest of football fans, pay any attention to what's going on in the MAC. It's the teams with a chance to win the National Championship that garner the attention. Like many of you, I am also scared that when the novelty of our new football stadium wears off, the crowd levels will dip once again. Heck, I'm sure other MAC teams have built new football stadiums in the last few decades, but are any of them doing much more than meeting the bare minimum for attendance like us?I've been around Akron football since the early 80's when I was a student. I've seen just about everything you can imagine to draw more people to Akron football games. And I now believe that the only thing that will bring real change is if we somehow get to a level like Marshall did, and can show the area football fans that we can compete on a NATIONAL level.Until this happens, we'll continue to be a "oh, Akron had a game last night?" community.

Sorry folks, but I have to admit, the game will probably be boring. Both teams will indeed be relying heavily on their running game.

ZipGrad. I'm with you. It will take a good 8-10 years until we are at the point where a larger conference will show an interest in Akron. We have much to accomplish, and it's a tall task, but it can happen if the pieces continue to fall into place. The big one will be CONSISTENTLY HIGH ATTENDANCE.

In spite of the optimists on this site, I predicted a poor turnout for the Patriot Bowl from the very start. In fact, I'm now thinking that it might even be lower than I even originally predicted.Isn't it strange that Toledo drew 36,000 for a home game against Navy a few years ago? In that almost-as-bad-as-the-Rubber-Bowl stadium of theirs?We'll end up having the lowest attended game of any MAC team this weekend, and we'll be in the largest venue.Embarrassing. I'll have fun though.

Sure, it would be nice to get into another conference. But to attract a bigger conference, we need to win the MAC consistently in Marshall-like fashion, and increase our attendance SIGNIFICANTLY. Those are tall tasks.I agree that you can get more conference respect by having just a couple of good teams. However, because there are so many bad programs in our conference, it hurts every team's ability to recruit.

My observations....and questions....1) I'm also impressed at our depth at DB.2) Wasn't Casey Estrada pretty highly regarded when he came here? He's 3rd on the depth chart at his position.3) When will we see something out of Jason Sekinger, the transfer from Minnesota? He's HUGE, yet cannot yet crack the starting lineup at OL.4) Nice to see Fuqua win the stating spot at WR. He's going to have to fill the hole left by Harvey. I hope he can do that.5) What happened to Jared Cecchetti on the DL?6) Nate Robinson - thinks he's NFL talent, and still can't crack the starting lineup at a MAC school.7) Time for Chevin Pace to finally show us what he's got. I did expect Anderson to be the starter. 8) It will be fun to see Williams returning kickoffs.

We have to win this game...plain and simple. If not, it could be a long year.Akron 20-17I was going to predict 24-17, but I forgot that we can't make field goals. And we'll also miss an extra point.

Buckzip...I agree. I think this game has a lot more significance this time around. And, like you said, we shold be much more focused this time since it's the first game.It could potentially set the tone for the entire season.

Those of us that are taking this game seriously are not being pessimistic, or getting ready to make excuses.The fact is.....this is a pretty even matchup that can go either way.If you look at what I posted earlier regarding Army's win over us two years ago, and Army's game last year AT defending Sun Belt champion Arkansas State, you'll see why I feel the way I do. I'm simply trying to warn those who are thinking "well, this is a practice game...they are the worst team in the country".

Z.I.P......I'm going to take that a step further. Not only should we NOT take them lightly, but they flat out kicked our butts two years ago, in Akron. Anyone who thinks this is our "warmup" for Ohio State better wake up.In fact, our only victory against any service academy since we turned 1-A was because of a miracle comeback.Speaking of the Sunbelt.....and Army...The Sunbelt is ranked higher than the MAC East in terms of conference strength. That's because, regardless of their weak links, they have a few really good programs in Middle Tennessee, Arkansas State, and Troy State.In fact (bringing the subject back to the Army) Arkansas State played Army last year, on their own home field in Jonesboro, and barely won. And that Arkansas State team was the defending Sun Belt champs, who came oh so close to winning the conference again for a second straight year. Anyone still want to think Army is a pushover?

Thanks Captain. The Muny lot would normally be my choice, but only because I don't go up there often enough to know of anything else.This sounds much better, especially with "real" facilities. Might also be an ideal location to watch the remainder of the airshow. Thanks again. I hope others read this thread and we can get a large contingent of Zips fans getting fired up for the game together.