GP1

We can't control what other teams do. We can control what we do. They players need to gain control over this team and win some games. Throwing accurate passes and catching the ball is something the players can control and they need to start doing so.

I would call my emotions about the plays downfield pleasantly surprised. The inaccuracy was the single most frustrating thing about the game yesterday.

Ditka just summarized how important the H Trophy is by saying, "I know a guy who won the H Trophy. He's using as a doorstop at his house. It goes to show how important it is." Only Ditka......

We're neither really good or really bad. What we are is good enough to win in the MAC. Now we just have to execute better. I think 172 yards of total offense versus 544 yards allowed qualifies the Zips as "really bad". 172 yards is bad. How did they get there? Well, one missed pass that hit a WR in the hands that would have been a TD. Two poorly thrown balls by the QB that would have been TDs....at the least big plays. Two guys left at least 120 yards on the table. Probably 21 points. They won't be giving up 544 yards against MAC teams. They are out of their league when they play the SEC. The SEC is the best D-1A conference...the MAC is the near the bottom. The outcome should not have been a surprise to anyone. I'm actually shocked we didn't lose 56-0. What could have happened is a lot worse than what actually happened. I'm still holding out hope the MAC is as bad as I think it is. I actually saw a bunch of MAC teams play yesterday. We can beat any of them if they players just play better. They just need to pick up their first win. Once JD got his first win against Can't in 2004, things turned around. It can happen again. Try to stay positive Zips fans. There are a lot of games to be played and there are a lot of winnable games out there. We shouldn't give up on a 4-6 win season.

We're neither really good or really bad. What we are is good enough to win in the MAC. Now we just have to execute better.

I had the chance to see Miami, BG, OU, Can't and Akron play yesterday. I didn't expect us to beat Kentucky yesterday on our best day, but after seeing the rest of the MAC play I'm confident this team could win at least four games. Let's talk about who is most responsible for winning those games while we review the game yesterday. The PLAYERS on this team need to play better. I can't be any more clear. The PLAYERS need to play better. Specifically, Nicely needs to have better accuracy. His accuracy was the one thing I feared about him coming into this season and it appears as if my fears are coming true. He horribly overthrew to one and then underthrew to another wide open WRs. Both plays were touchdowns converted into incomplete passes. Nicely also STILL struggles mightily throwing simple short passes with consistency. We can win any MAC game we play in this year if he improves in these areas. If we don't, we won't. Big plays are hugely important for a pro style offense and we need to convert them. We were told on this board last week that our WRs aren't good enough to get open against those titans of the gridiron, GW....I'm here to tell you that if they can get that open against Kentucky, they should have been able to abuse GW. If they can get wide open against an SEC school, they can get open against a MAC school. With that said, I would like to direct this comment to #82......When the ball hits you in the freaking hands 40 yards down field with nobody around, catch the ball!.....Just catch the freaking ball.....you get a full scholarship to a quasi D-IA school to catch the ball, earn the money. We can win any MAC game this season if the WRs catch balls when they are open 40 yards down field. We are running a pro style offense, which I hate, but it is what it is. Pro style offenses depend on the QBs, WRs and coaches. The play calling in the first half last night was about as good as I have seen it in years. The problem was with the players not executing the offense. Specifically, the QB and WR. These two (Edit: OOPS) positions left 21 points on the table in the first half last night. This has to change. If this doesn't change by the end of the year, we need to change the people or change the people. JC plays should be brought in for immediate change if the players can't change. We can win in the MAC with our defense. 34 is the best undersized LB this school has seen since Brian Hilk. The DL played well until they were overwhelmed by an SEC o-line. The DBs struggled, but they were also overwhelmed by much better SEC talent. We can win any MAC game this season with this defense on the field. Seeing what the competition is in the MAC yesterday, I don't shake in fear at the rest of the MAC offenses. We can win games. Coaching. I dont' have a problem with the game plan. We came out aggressive, took shots down field and moved the ball. The players were prepared on offense. The defense was equally prepared. Once you get down to a really good team, everything falls apart. When they knew we couldn't throw the ball down field, they covered short and midrange passes well and we were doomed. Special teams. Enough with the pop up kick. Good FG by Igor. We really don't know much about our KO return because KY had a great kicker who could put the ball in the endzone. In closing, if you are going to blame anyone for the poor performance yesterday, blame the players. I don't think the overall performance was that bad. A couple of key positions came up short and things got out of control...we aren't the first MAC school to have that happen to them against an SEC school. This team should go at least 4-4 in the MAC this season. If they don't, it's the PLAYERS fault. I've been saying it for a long time now on this board...we always blame the wrong people. We blame coaches, we blame the stadiums, we blame the practice field, we have even taken to blaming former athletic directors for our troubles. Blame the players. Now let's go out and win the MAC East.

Agree 100%. This is my last post for the evening. For those of you who think I should keep my mouth shut because I don't see every game, or every game in person, you are going to have a rude awakening tomorrow. I saw OU, BGSU, Can't, Miami and Akron play today. There is no difference in any one of those teams other than execution....the ability is the same. I would say we have better ability. Akron should go no less than 4-4 excluding the Indiana game.

The could call it White Elephant Stadium. If Wolstein wants a stadium, let him dip into his billions and build one himself.

Isn't there a way to watch the game via computer?

If you don't watch this show already, you should. Sunday on HBO.

It's more than a promising idea. We have already sold projects in 31 states and nine countries.

The only complaint I would have is the reserved seats. The way I see it, this is about $20 off the value of four tickets (ga), parking pass and $10 in food. That's a 25% discount. Feeding kids (assume 2) at a football game costs a heck of a lot more than $10.....especially if they are teenage boys. They make the $20 back in food sales. Parking? Who cares, the lots are there and people are hired to man them so you my as well use them. Right now, the ticket costs are too high for what the Zips offer. Just don't discount reserved tickets. The worse thing to happen now is someone buying the 4-pack of tickets, goes to the game and the Zips play bad. They might never come back at any cost....

I don't think fans are complacent at all. I think the emotions range from p!$$ed off to frustration. There is still emotion and lot of it. When the emotion stops, the program is in much bigger trouble than it is right now.

I wouldn't describe it as a fight as much as caving in. You are correct though. They will make drastic changes is this gets serious.

It's going to get worse before it gets better. KY and IN will not be good days. The MAC is terrible and we can still win some games this season.

Maybe a former player for the Director of Basketball Operations position. I would love to see Cedrick Middleton come back if playing in Europe doesn't work out for him. Any chance Dials would change his mind about working for the Sweaters? I know I'll get hammered for this, but it looks like the rats are abandoning the ship, like ASAP. Don't look outside your portals Zips fans, but that thar is an iceberg! One assistant coach moves on to a better position and a kid who graduated from the program 2 years ago and was never reported as having been offered a position on the staff takes a job with another school and the rats are abandoning the ship? Not sure I buy that. We've lost assistant coaches before (Shaka Smart and Jeff Boals both come to mind). I actually take it as kind of a compliment. Tells me that Dambrot is surrounding himself with good people and theres some recognition out there for the quality of program that we have been running here. Unless you are privy to some information that I'm not, I don't see how this is really an indication of a larger underlying problem. Not talkin bout one assistant coach Qz. Talkin about wholesale "changes", none of which at dis time appears mo bettah. KD is one of my favorite Akronites, no doubt, but my view from da i-lawns says da nex'two years are make or break time for UA BB. Unless Gamechanger's li'l one becomes a MAC POY type in the off season of one season, I don't see things gettin any better than last year. 4th place is not an unrealistic pick, given the circumstances. What does Dylan Ennis know that you don't? This may be your opinion, but I'd like to see guys like Euton, Gilliam, Egner, Abreu, Treadwell, etc, actually play together before I'd draw that conclusion. JohnnyZip, I wish I could share your confidence -- and, I'm hardly giving up on this team, but my analysis is, we've gone from competing with and at least once beating Big East and ACC teams for recruits, to being satisfied over taking "late-bloomers" and "hidden gems" recruited by the Wisconsin-Milwaukees and CSUs of the world. I think Dylan Ennis agrees with me. Outside of Zeke I can't think of one time where we've went up against Big East and ACC teams for a recruit and had any chance of winning out. A quick review of our history of recruiting on rivals bears that out. In fact, going back to 2004 I can only find a couple of recruits that the Zips even offered who had Big East & ACC offers. Brian Walsh-SG-2008 had offers from Maryland, West Virginia, Pitt & St. Joe's. Signed with Xavier, ironically recently transfered to Akron. Mike Shanahan-SG-2008 had offers from Pitt, Duke and West Virginia. Signed with Pitt. Zeke Marshall-C-2009 had offers from Pitt, Virginia and Virginia Tech. Signed with the Zips. Reality just doesn't line up with your line of thinking. Even the point about Dylan Ennis is invalid. Yes, Ennis decommitted from the Zips. His current list of offers, Nebraska, Northern Iowa, Rice, UIC, Creighton, and reportedly UW-Green Bay. Not a Big East or ACC school among them. People need to stop looking at Zeke's committment as some sort of sign that we are ready to consistently steal top talent from the power conferences of the college basketball world and see it for what it is. An outlier situation where all the stars lined up for us to nab a talented big man away from some very good programs. I think the main difference between my thinking, and that of Quickzips and Daveingreen is that they are readily able to ACCEPT that Akron will never be able to compete with and secure High Major type recruits, and that therefore KD and staff should not waste their time on future Zeke Marshalls and get in line with the mediocrity of the MAC, while I REFUSE to accept that reasoning. I guess I've become infected with Porteritis, while the rest of the ZipsNation has gotten your shots to prevent it from taking effect. I only hope the bug is strong enough that it is immune to KD and Co.'s vaccine. And the smoke around my head? It's a screen against the nurses of mediocrity. UofA can get high mid major talent. They need 2-3 years of winning the MAC in consecutive years. Can't has done it, we can do it. The soccer team has had little to offer a recruit over the past 20+ years. Winning has been their selling point. Good players want to win. If the BB team would string together 2-3 years of winning the MAC, we could become a high mid major team because we could draw more Zekelike players. If we keep getting to the MAC championship game and losing more often than not with a trip to the NIT, Zekelike players will be further apart. I don't believe the BB program can ever become a national power like the Soccer program has. Soccer functions on its own level and we shouldn't make direct comparisons between various programs and the soccer program. The BB program can do better though and I think it is doing well right now. All of our sports teams can do better.

I am on FB. I have the UofA football site as a "friend" or whatever they call it. The last football alumni party I went to was at the WLizard and Gary Bogue put it together. Since Gary moved to the Law School, I really haven't heard from anyone personally from the Z-Fund. Maybe I'll try to make the next one. Me and my geezer friends can get drunk and race each other in our wheelchairs.

It's what many of us wish could and would happen to amateur athletes (Getting a life after college). But, I'm not sure what your point is GP-1 -- and come clean, did you marry a sweater girl? Miami BS Accounting UofA MBA finance So I guess the answer is...sort of. BTW, did you see that the Tea Party elected a woman who is against masturbation? If they outlaw jacking off, what are engineering majors going to do for fun on Friday and Saturday nights? Hey now, GP1, no ripping on us engineers unless you are one yourself. Take it as more of a trip down memory lane..... And also as a word of advice, GP1, don't mention your wife and j/o in the same post. In saying that, you're just asking for trouble with this crowd. Touche....

After ripping on the football team this past weekend, GP1 is trying to regain some street cred by making himself sound particularly distinguished and intelligent. Keep up the good work on both fronts, GP1. I'll go back to being GP1 on all of the other threads......

Actually, mechanical engineers understand phase change materials extremely well. An airconditioner uses a phase change material to cool air. They change a material from liquid to gas to liquid etc. They also understand latent heat management in buildings. The would also understand how one could save money by downsizing ac units. The key for the University is to find out whether or not local power companies are giving out grants to study this technology. Right now, we have a professor from UNC doing most of our scientific work for us. He owns a company that has been producing phase change material for pharmaceutical transportation for a while now.

You should consider sending emails about this to Drs. Chase, Chuang, and Ju of the Chemical Engineering Department as well. What you describe seems to be a multi-disciplinary problem, not one that is limited to polymers. It's complicated. There are basically two types of PCMs than various sub-types. The polymer engineering school should look at methods of encapsulating small dropets of petrolium based pcms in a form that will help it survive corrosive manufacturing process without significant reduction in specific heat.

It's what many of us wish could and would happen to amateur athletes (Getting a life after college). But, I'm not sure what your point is GP-1 -- and come clean, did you marry a sweater girl? Miami BS Accounting UofA MBA finance So I guess the answer is...sort of. BTW, did you see that the Tea Party elected a woman who is against masturbation? If they outlaw jacking off, what are engineering majors going to do for fun on Friday and Saturday nights? Hey now, GP1, no ripping on us engineers unless you are one yourself. Take it as more of a trip down memory lane.....

I just saw there is an Energy Research Center starting at UofA to develop clean coal technologies. I'm going to throw another idea out there for them they could develop in conjunction with the Polymer Science School. I goof off a lot on this board, but this is dead serious. I'm working with a company pioneering a bio based phase change material that can be used in the construction industry. We refine soy and palm oils to create a product that increases the thermal mass of a building and shifts energy use from peak to off peak time and reduces energy consumption. Thermal mass is going to be the next big thing in the construction industry and building products. We've trademarked the phrase "Smart Thermal Mass" (concrete id dum thermal mass). By 2020, drywall manufacturers are mandated to raise their specific heat from .75 j/g to 20 j/g. There is no other way for them to do this than by using a phase change material as you can't make a rock do anything more than what it already does. The Polymer Science school could help develop methods of molecule extraction from various bio materials to make phase change materials. We use materials such as soy oil, palm oil and coconut oil (for high temp pcms). It's the most interesting thing I've seen in my 15 years of selling building products.....by far. Right now, power companies are giving out millions in grants for the development of these type of products. They make more money when you run your electricity off peak hours than they do on peak. Once a power plant hits 80% capacity, the profit margins drop drastically. They charge you twice as much to run things on peak because they don't want you actually running anything. They can charge half as much off peak and make three times as much profit. Everyone wins. They want you to use products such as this.

I just received my alumni magazine today. Summer 2010. I see the Alumni Association is putting on an event at some football games and they are advertising for them. The first event against Syracuse looks like a good one, maybe I'll go........What?........It what?........Oh.......Scratch that. I guess I won't be going to that one as it happened three weeks ago.

Ttile IX is federal law. You're not getting out of that one unless you don't wish to accept any more federal funding. That includes grants. So they drop every sport except what it takes to match football/basketball. Why would they have to drop any? The additional revenue would enhance their ability to support non-revenue sports. Title IX compliance would actually become more easy for them.