GP1

There is an interesting internet debate going on and I would like to pose this question to the members of Zipsnation.org. What constitutes actually being in a state? Some say just driving through a state is enough to be there. I am of this opinion. Others say you have to eat a meal. Some say get out of the car. Some say stay the night. There are even some who say taking a dump is required. Any thoughts?

I understand completely. It is called not being as good as you think you are. If you look at MAC powers from years past, let's just use a Limpwich Marshall team as an example, they would have beaten Buffalo 52-0 last weekend and had 42 at halftime. Those teams just didn't win, they beat the crap out of bad teams. We need to get to that point. We need to get to the point where the Zips are so good the crowd leaves at the end of the third quarter because the Zips are putting a beat down on someone so bad they can't ever recover in 15 minutes.

I think his rushing average was seriously hurt last weekend. The quick answer to your question is no, but for a couple of reasons. First, the offensive line has been horrible the last game and a half. Don't forget his head injury. He has the ability to average much more per game, but not much more. If the Zips can get back to the style of offense they played the first two games, we should see his average go back up. Secondly, Biggs does not have the break away speed necessary for long runs. Two of my favorite things about him are his ability to run between the tackles (toughness) and find holes with little room (football smarts). He is actually the perfect back for this ball control offense. There have been almost no holes recently, but there have been some. Five or six yards on a first down pass allow a back getting 4.5 yards per carry, as he did the first two games, and to get a lot of first downs. Moving the chains is the most important thing to do because of the change in field position and rarely do you score every time you have the ball. I hate to make excuses for him though because he has been my favorite player the past two seasons. We have been listening to excuses for years and I'm sick of hearing them. If he is having trouble running, he needs to try harder. If he thinks he is trying as hard as he can, he needs to think again and try harder. Everyone needs to try harder than what we have seen the past game and a half. That game last weekend was an abomination. We are a much better team than what we saw Saturday and we almost handed a smelly, steaming, burning sack of crap a win. I would hope we could expose a very bad Miami defensive line this weekend. We'll see though if they show up to play.

It was about us getting screwed by the referees. I hate when people blame games or problems on bad calls, but it was just silly yesterday. At the same time though, they players can't put themselves in a bad position in a close game.

Thanks for asking. I don't think it is too much to ask these young adults, once the proper plays are called, to block, tackle, catch the ball and not make mistakes that cost the team yardage.

I was just now able to stop my eye bleeding from watching the game yesterday so I want to write a post about what the Zips need to do. Capt. Kang. already provided a nice summary of the game and there is really nothing more to add, other than thanking the defense for saving our asses yesterday. I don't think the Zips need to panic, they just need to get back to the basics. First, Akron needs to get back to what they were doing early in the season on offense. Short passes on first down helped the Zips move the ball well against Purdue and MTSU. The short passes were giving us second short yardage and kept defenses off balance because we could run or pass on second down. We are not seeing a lot of that right now and I would like to see more of it. The offense really lacks rythm and this may be the pill they need to find their dancing shoes again. More than anyone, I think a better rythm will help Getsy and right now he is not playing well because it appears as if they are pulling plays out of a hat. Second, JD needs to stop trying to overthink the game. They seem to be trying for the big play too often and they really don't need to do so. I'm not a big fan of going for fourth down if it is still early in the game, and yesterday reminded me of the failure to succeed on fourth down in the Owens years. We did it yesterday in the third quarter when we were down 7-0 and there was no need for it. The kicker did have a bad day yesterday, but we did not know that at that point. In the kickers defense, the wind did blow right to left from the Zips bench, but there seemed to be a crosswind once the ball got close to where the sideline stands stop and the opening is created. No excuses though, we need to hit our fieldgoals. Let's find ways to get the ball into the hands of 81. We can't always throw to 23 regardless of how good he is and I believe 81 would perform well if given more of a chance. Fourth, this team really needs to refocus. Largely what I mentioned above had to do with the coaches, but the players are adults and I'm a big fan of results. These kids need to produce results. Enough dumb penalties, enough with the dropped passes, enough with the swiss cheese offensive line, let's get some results. I noticed yesterday that the players' names were not on the back of their uniforms. Good start, but largely symbolic. These kids need to understand they are getting a scholarship to play football, and people are paying money to go watch them play football and be entertained. Yesterday was anything but entertaining. They need to start producing. One other thing and then I'll stop. JD put Kennedy in at fullback in an I formation yesterday on a third down and tried to sneak him up the middle on a pass play and it worked, only the ball was overthrown. How about a little more Biggs and Kennedy in the game in a split backfield on second and long or third and 2-5 yards? It could open up space for medium range 10-15 yard passes by forcing defenders to be more aware of the short pass threat. Kennedy is way too fast not to have on the field as much as possible. I'd go on, but I'm more interested to see if you guys agree or disagree or have other things to add. By the way, it looks as if the hotel rooms I bough off of Priceline in Cincinnati next weekend will be wasted as I thought the Zips were going to play Miami. I read on this site via the ABJ that they are in Florida. Too bad for me.

I don't think he has been on the field yet though I did see him dressed on the sideline. If he has not been on the field yet, they should not play him this season unless there is an emergency. He doesn't look as big as everyone described him being. Hard to tell from the stands though.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/standings Check out the Conference DOA standings. The team we bitch slapped out of the league on national TV is circling the drain of this bad conference. Good thing they left for better bowl exposure.........Wait a minute, don't you have to beat six D-1 schools to go to a bowl? I crack myself up! Oh well, if it doesn't work out, they can always go to the Sunbelt Conference. I've been to Huntington though and by the looks of their women, they need to join a conference called the Ugly Belt.

Hey InTheZone! How about an update?

Zips still shell shocked from loss last week and the coaches kicking their asses this week. I think it is going to be close with Akron winning 24-10 in a closer game than the score appears. 10-3 Zips at halftime. Late Zips TD puts the game out of reach for Buffalo.

Excellent post ITZ, again. If you ever find out who I am, I'd be glad to buy you a beer at the end zone beer garden (is it really a garden if there are no plants growing in the area?). I thought I was the only one to have Getsy's back. Let's hope those injuries aren't too bad.

This explains a lot. Bad thumb, can't throw. Bad head, can't think. Could be a big problem this week.

I don't. Maybe if you said Brett Biggs you would be more accurate. I rarely bring up his name first. I just respond to others on the page. Mostly, I'm really pissed off at everyone bashing Getsy and the only way to respond is to compare him to past players we have all seen. Would you rather I compare Getsy to Andy Kubik? That would make this page REAL fun.

I watched the game again last night. I'm concerned there is something physically wrong with Biggs. Also, Getsy seemed to have his throwing hand hurt. What's the deal with these guys?

Not really, but you already answered. Believe me, the Charlie Frye excuse machine called Zipsnation.org will be spewing excuse after excuse for eternity for why he could not win. That is not my main point and I could really care less about Charlie Frye. The point is that everyone is ready to throw Getsy overboard after one bad game. It's just wrong and silly at best. The guy performed very well the first three games and we should expect more of that type of play the remainder of the season and not what we saw Saturday. Turning on the guy now is just counterproductive. I'm not certain how you can say Getsy is not a good leader. Good leadership breeds good results. Aside from last Saturday, the quarterback has produced this season in a huge way. I'm more interested to see how Getsy takes the criticism. I took a leadership class in college through my fraternity and one of the sayings I remember the most was, "Criticism is the price of leadership". Statistics are also an important part of sports and should not be disregarded. The most important is winning which is completely measurable. So far, Getsy is doing well with that statistic. In order to evaluate a players performance, other measures must be taken as well. Looking at the QB, you have to look at things like completion percentage (the only statistic Frye is better than Getsy in so far), yards per game, touchdown passes vs. interceptions, yards per competed pass, etc. When you ignore the statistics in a comparison you are depending on circumstantial evidence to make your case, which ignores reason and lends itself to the black helicopter crowd.

We have been dealing with good/average quarterbacks for the past decade. Numbers don't lie. So far, Getsy is playing better than both and he was average as well Saturday, and only so far Saturday ONLY. In every statistical category, Getsy has outplayed Frye this season. Most importantly, he beat NIU and MTSU....two teams we LOST to last season. Not only did we lose to NIU last season, they made us their bitch......MTSU beats us at the Rubber Bowl. We played well against a Big Ten team this season, PSU and Virginia also made us their bitch last season. Our offensive line is much worse this season so you can't use that as an excuse for Frye's inability to win. Don't kid yourselves, Frye doesn't win that game Saturday. Do I really have to bring up the Can't game two years ago when Frye couldn't even get a first down at the end of the game? I really don't understand why everyone is badmouthing Getsy and the same people thought Frye was a Heisman candidate last season. Let's at least have some intellectual honesty on this board. Frye won ONLY 19 D-1 games as starting QB.....spare us all the comments about him being the difference this season.

Absolutely. They players are really to blame for last nights game. They are all adults and should be mentally ready to play.

Nice post Sloopy. I can't believe the amount of crap I'm reading on this board today. I'm very disappointated in everyone.

Congratulations on your new baby! However, you are hereby sentenced to thirty hours of watching The Man Show and thirty hours of watching Married With Children. There is no reason for a man to miss a football game to sit at home with his wife just a few weeks after a delivery to listen to her bitch about hemorrhoids and her enormously large breasts. Come on Big Zip, it's football season already and unless you can squirt milk out of your chest, there is not much use for you around the house. I don't want to hear any storys about you changing diapers either. I don't listen to the broadcast while I am at the game so I did not get to hear Stams. I will say this though. A guy who played professional football and at NDU when they won the National Championship understands the importance of winning or at least high expectations. It's all that matters. Just a quick question though. Why is everyone so down on Getsy after one loss? Compared to last year's quarterback, his numbers are much better and nobody was ready to hang Frye (including me) when the Zips were 1-4 with losses to MTSU and NIU. I see Frye was at the game last night and the Zips lost........coincidence?

Getsy was part of the problem, but most of the blame for this game belongs to the offensive line. There were times during the game where defensive linemen ran by Akron's line like they were the scout team. Rarely during the second half did CMU have to rush more than four people because our line was so bad. What does that mean? Most of the time CMU had seven guys covering four receivers. You can do your own math as to why receivers were not available. CK asked the question about whether we were out coached. In the coaching area (it's going to kill me to write what I am about to write..........did you hear the one about the..........I my as well just say it), we were certainly out coached. JD made a decision in the second half to abandon the run and pass almost entirely. I think he out thought himself last night. His offense is a running offense and he put that aside. Huge mistake. When we are involved in a game where we throw 57 times with this offense, we are going to lose. Don't forget that CMU's coach won two back-to-back national championships at Grand Valley State. A winner is a winner is a winner. Let's get to some numbers because I think they prove the point that Getsy was not to only reason we lost last night and abandoning the running game was a mistake. First, Getsy had a competion percentage the first three games of about 53%. Last night, his completion percentage was 52.6%. Hardly a difference. Were there some poor decisions on his part? Of course, but he did not lose the game. He still passed for 270 yards last night which is more than our average per game from last season. Enough with the hysteria about the guy already. He also appeared to have a right hand injury after one of his numerous sacks. That could explain over throwing receivers. Just ask Kurt Warner what a hand injury does to your career. It landed him in Arizona of all places. There is not a QB in the history of the school or maybe in the history of college football that could have avoided the rush in the second half last night. Secondly, why take the ball out of the hands of your team's MVP for the past two seasons in the second half? Biggs averaged 4.9 yards per carry last night and rushed for 77 yards. 4.9 x 3 = 14.7. That's a lot of first downs. I noticed Biggs seemed a little banged up last night. Maybe that was a problem and if it is going to be a problem for the remainder of the season we are in big trouble. What next? Well, the offensive line needs to get their asses in gear and start to play like they know what the Hell they are doing. I know they are inexperienced, but too damn bad, it's time to start playing football. Whenever you see the offensive linemen come off of the field throwing their helmets, you know they have lost their composure. They need to stop with the helmet throwing nonsense, act like men, figure out what the problems are and execute. I see guys throw helmets at high school football games. Unless we want to go back to the Owens years where it was like high school football, let's get our act together on the sidelines. By the way, how come Heim never smells the field? One thing Marshall always did was field a huge mass of humanity in front of Limpwhich and Chad P. I think we need to consider some mass in front of the QB. Secondly, and most importantly, Biggs-Biggs-Biggs and more Biggs. He has only been the best player on the team the last two seasons. Thirdly, this is the second game in a row where receivers were wide open down the middle of the field. Last week it was the tight end and this week it was a wide out in trips. Enough of that already. Lastly, there does not seem to be a leader(s) on the team. A good leader keeps the players focused each and every week. Since there is no leader on the field, the coaches are going to have to focus the team this week. When a coach focuses a team, it makes a long week for the players. Get ready to be worked into the ground Zips, you've earned it. Losing last night puts the Zips into a horrible position in the MAC. They have to win out to win the MAC East. If they play like they did last night the remainder of the season, they may be looking at five wins total. I'm not ready to throw in the towel yet though. It Getsy and Biggs are injured seriously, I will hold the towel in my hands next week.

I'm going to say it again. Fireworks at college football games are bush league and low class. Have you ever noticed all the nose pickers and filthy people who show up to fireworks nights at Aeros games and downtown on July 4? I doubt anyone has ever left a game at the Rubber Bowl saying to themselves, "Self, I'm going back next week to see those fireworks that you can't see because the sun is still up when they go off. Man, that was great". The gun is a good thing though because it gets the ROTC involved in games.

I really need to weigh in on this fireworks nonsense. I'm about to reading the comments to bring them back. At big time college football games, fireworks are not set off while the team runs onto the field, after a win or after a score. To do so makes a program silly at best. When a team scores, the school fight song should play unobstructed by the sound of fireworks as we had to agonize through in the past. When the team runs onto the field, the school fight song should play unobstructed by the sound of fireworks as we had to agonize through in the past. At the end of a game in which we win, the school fight song should play unobstructed by the sound of fireworks as we had to in the past. I can't think of another school where fireworks are set off during or after any of these events. Fireworks are for minor league baseball games and make the program look "bush league all the way". They should take whatever money they would waste on fireworks and put it towards a new stadium.

Why? We need something to wake people up. Good football doesn't seem to be enough. As far as the whistle, I hardly noticed it.

Just a couple of things. First, CK mentioned Akron was D1 in 1986. It was actually 1987. Secondly, if you refer to winning, Dennison did run a respectable program. Other than that, I knew some of the guys who played for Dennison and there was little respectable about the program other than the winning. I'm still wondering how Dennison is in the ring of honor at the school and Mike Clark is not.

Did we get a new coach?