GP1

I too am a little concerned about this kid. Faust used to bring in a lot of bad kids as well and it didn't work out for him. In the spirit of winning though, I say give him a chance and the first mistake he makes he goes away for good. There may be a difference between Faust and JD though. Faust was from Moeller and Notre Dame. Those two schools attract quality kids and Faust didn't have to deal with the bottom dwellers so he didn't know how to handle them. JD played in the NFL, coached in the NFL and coached at a "big time" program for several years coaching guys like A. Bryant. He has much more experience than Faust in dealing with this type of "me" guy. Maybe it will work out. Short leash though. I think the basketball analogy doesn't fit well with football though. Basketball only has 15 kids on the team and football has around 100. I'm sure not all the basketball players are friends with each other, but in a small group they are easier to control. It is too much to ask for all 100 kids on a football team to like each other. I'm sure that if you ask any player, they will say they have only about five or six player who they would call their good friends. Everyone is else is just some guy on the team who they may like but don't look at that guy as a friend. Keep your fingers crossed about this kid. I'm choosing to stick with optimism with the program.

Pre season polls mean nothing. I look for Akron to have a good season next year. Don't worry too much about what has left, every four years the players change anyhow. Certainly losing seniors is always a concern. As far as the o line, I think we could be just as good next year. Could it be any worse? The defense should be better next year also. If they are slightly better, that will give the offense more chances to score and better field position than what they have had in recent years. That plays in our favor. Next year, we have a QB starting who could have been the starting QB for a BCS school if his dad was one of the most powerful high school coaches in western PA the way Tyler Palko's dad is. There are many people who think Luke was a narrowly better QB than Palko. Luke will also have three fall practices and three spring practices in the offense. Think positive Zips fans. We have Can't, OU, Army at home. Buffalo and MTSU on the road. Miami will be down and throw in a win against a directional Michigan. Using the skills I used in my MUM class at U of A, that adds up to seven wins. Another win somewhere else, and we have eight wins.

Even a few days later, that comment bugs me. If a player feels he would get a better education elsewhere, he should have gone "there." I've fired employees with degrees from "better" schools. Why? Becuase they weren't pulling their weight. With a sand wedge from my cubicle I could hit 10 University of Akron graduates that are valuable contributors to our company. Accountants, engineers, graphic designers, heads of QC, product managers, marketing managers, and on and on. Allegedly "better" schools don't translate to "better" students. Nice work Capt. See my original quote. You are truely a high aimer. We need to expect more out of our players, all of them, than what we have seen. It's time to win!

Thanks for your note Capt. I certainly don't hate any of the players that came through the program. I just like to post notes with a little more than emotion in them. Perhaps my post does not pertain directly to BZ's post, but it's pretty good stuff and really gets the board going. The board doesn't always have to be a love fest. I stand by every word of my post though. Again, there are some out there who don't like facts. Just a quick note for Guest as I only saw Capt's note on my first repost. Let's not kid ourselves. If Nick Sparks doesn't get hurt in his first game starting, we still have zero QBs who started four years....... It is what it is though. Frye took advantage of his chance to play.....I'll just leave it there as I don't want to hurt your feelings again as you may be too sensitive....or in love.

Oh God.....here we go again. In total, the last seven years were anything other than amazing. Why do all Zips fans assume that we can never do better than what we are doing now or in the past? Not only should we expect more out of our team, but we should demand more. Typically, if you aim high, you hit high. If you aim low, you hit low. Come on Big Zip, you like the school too much to expect so little. Once again, I am going to use facts in my note, so if you don't like facts, please don't read this note. They all come from the 2004 Press Guide and not my . Between 1954 and 1999, Akron only registered a 2,000 yard passer twice. Let's just say passing was not the focus of the offenses in college football in general a large part of this period. Jim Dennison was a running style coach at Akron and a lot of running records were set during his time. The same can also be said for Faust. In the last, let's just say 3-4 years, a lot of passing records were set at a school that historically did not pass a lot. You are a wise person Big Zip and unfortunately for all of us you are 100% correct. These have been the best 7 consecutive years for QBs at U of A. The frustrating thing is that, in those seven years, there have only been three seasons where the team finished over .500 in wins against Division 1-A teams. Amazing.....? People love to post the usual variety of excuses for the lack of success, please spare us all. Sorry if tears don't come to my eyes when I think of the past seven years or the players involved. I have too many years left of watching Zips football to believe those will be the best years. If they are, I should give up my season tickets I'm looking at my trusted 2004 press guide again, and I would hope that with the exception of Charlie's year in 2003 (3,549 yards in 12 games and Cal Poly and Howard on the schedule), we could get even more production out of the QB position. Butchie only threw for over 2,000 yards once, but if you calculate his yards per completion, he got much more out of his throws than Charlie did. If anyone remembers, Butchie threw a great deep pass. I don't know what Charlie's yards per completion were in 2004, but his average prior to 2004 was 12.08 in 2001. By his own standards, he had a sub par year in 2004 and probably did not have a lot of yards per completion, but I don't have the numbers. Butchie had 17.7 yards per completion in 1999. Charlie's most impressive number is his completion percentage in 2002 (.658). I have no idea how this stacks up nationally or historically, but my guess is that it is one of the highest completion percentages in the history of college football. The Owens offense was really designed to have a high completion percentage with a lot of play action passing and short passes to the tight ends or running backs running for a lot of yards after the catch. Owens does deserve some credit for taking kids with lesser ability (God knows he had enough of them) and putting them in positions to keep games close. Also, they played from behind a lot so they were forced to pass and run up passing yards. The challenge for Luke is not going to be breaking records because he will only be a two year starter so he will not have the time to break the vast majority of the records. The challenge is going to be to win games against good teams and getting the program over the hump and into the MAC Championship Game and their first bowl game. I've really had enough of record breaking seasons with nothing to show at the end. If you think other than this, your expectations for the program are too low. Maybe one day we can all say Luke was a winner and not a record breaker. Looking forward, the total passing yards set by Frye are certainly breakable. I'm hoping that with the new field house and possibly a new stadium, Akron can attract the type of QB who will make us all say, "Charlie who?". Is more than 12,500 yards really too much to ask a future four year starter to produce? I really don't think so. Finally Big Zip, you thanked the players. I really don't think we need to thank the men playing for Akron. They receive a full scholarship in exchange for playing football. The least they should do is try hard and do their best. They should thank us for buying tickets and giving to the alumni fund and the Varsity A to help them go to school for free. Have a good day everyone!

Don't take it personal Zips88. Everything you said is correct. They do not draw a crowd and there is no interest locally. However, it is the best of a bad situation. I would rather the Zips play Division I teams like MTSU or N. Texas other than bringing in 1-AA teams like Liberty and Howard. Beating D-I teams looks better than beating Howard 70-0. Let's face it, there was no entertainment value in watching Liberty or Howard. On the flip side, no big time program is going to come and play at the Rubber Bowl. There simply is no upside for them coming to Akron. Only down side if they lose as a result of being distracted by all of the empty blue benches. Also, to schedule another Big Ten team for example almost guarantees three non-conference losses at the beginning of the year. This outcome destroys not only the team physically and emotionally but gives fans little hope at the start of the season. I am doubtful that Army will even draw well next year unless UAM really pulls one out of a hat. Remember how poorly Va Tech drew a few years ago. Tech must have lost a ton of money that day.

How can anyone who did not go to a school be a fan of the school? This thinking is beyond me because that person has no connection at all with a school like OSU. It just seems kind of phony to me. Tell the truth now BZ, you cheered for OSU four years ago when the Zips played them, didn't you.... I went to UofA and I am proud of graduating from there. Good or bad, I'll keep my season tickets and go sit on the fifty yard line and watch a Division I football game. Good luck doing that in Columbus. I've been to a lot of games there, it isn't that great. Don't get me wrong, I wish OSU no harm (although their off the field problems are becoming funny to watch), but I'll keep my descriptions of my feelings as an interest and not a fan. I'll save being a fan for the Zips. BZ, throw away your OSU crap and buy some Zips stuff to fill the void. No matter how hard you try, you will never be an OSU person. Happy New Year Zips fans.

I read the Pittsburgh paper quite a bit as I am a Steelers fan. Smizik is a bitter old man who writes articles like this all the time. Most people think he is an idiot.

Ryan, It was just a play on words for one day only. Let's review. It was Charlie Frye Day (Friday). Get it.... Sorry the game was on Friday, but were they to pretend it was a different day. Look, it was a huge event for the school. Charlie got a little certificate from the mayors of his home town and Akron. It is really no slap in the face to anyone. The world is still turning.

Excellent points on walk ons Zip Watcher. For the most part, they are practice players who will really never get a chance to play if they are equal in talent to the scholarship players. It just doesn't make economic sense and most of the walk ons know that.

Wow Knute, the holiday season must really be getting to you. Waiting till the last minute to do your Christmas shopping must be causing a nervous breakdown for you. I also agree that it is great that the Constitution allows you to respond hysterically to my posts. Knute, it is truely an honor to have the greatest college football coach ever respond to my posts from the grave. I would like to take a minute to say sorry about that plane crash in Kansas in 1931. So much for the luck of the Irish. If you read my post carefully, you will see that I admit that Charlie is an NFL player. I only question how high he will go in the draft and whether the lack of winning in college will impact his draft position. I also don't say that he can't win in the NFL. The truth of it is that we really don't know what he can do. He may be a flop or he may be a star but we really don't know as is the case with the vast majority of draft picks. Time will tell. I also agree that the lack of OL significantly (read my original post) hurt his performance last year and in fact did not allow him to show his true abilities. CYO special is a compliment to what we saw in 2001-03. I would refer to it as a disaster myself. I don't think it is unreasonable to look at the third QB drafted in the draft going maybe in the second round depending on what teams need. The later he goes in the first round the less ability he has to start with a team in the near future as there may be no need for him on a good team. Look what happened to Jake S. at Tennessee. A good player wasted away on the bench of a good team. If he goes early second round, he will go to a team more likely in need of a QB and improvements in talent and get the chance to play earlier. Michigan Zips Fan makes a good point that the past MAC QBs help 5. While I agree with that, there is still the issue of winning. Pennington, Limpwich and Roethlisberger all played on winning teams. Would Roethlisberger have been selected in the first round if the team went 8-4 and lost to Marshall? I don't know, but some may have looked at it as a potential negative. The three above all won championships. Maybe a better example of a winner doing well is Krenzel from OSU. Did anyone out there think that scrap would be able to do anything in the NFL other than make a bunch of money to pay for medical school? I didn't. The one thing he was though was a winner. Charlie has ten times the talent of CK, but we didn't see the ability to win big games. In the end, I think we all want the same thing. A MAC Championship. Times are changing for the better for the program, but we need to establish a winning traditioin with the team. To do that we need winners on the team which is something that I haven't seen in the 15+ years I have been following the program. We have seen a lot of really good players, but no winners. I hope that we can call Getesy a winner in the near future. We should at least be able to get 2,600 yards out of him next year. Merry Christmas everyone!

I'm a huge Zips fan just trying to inject a different spin other than the normal stuff we read on zipsnation.org/welovecharlie/heisthegreatest/footballplayer/ever/atanyschool/howwillweever/getanother/six/winqb

I hope all of you are correct. A lot still depends on who comes out early this year and how others and 5 do in their bowl games. Try outs will also be important. I don't know how the coaching staffs work at the bowls he is playing in, but if JD could get on the staff of his team I think it would help his confidence in the game. I think JD was a strong pole for 5 to lean on last year when things weren't going well. Right now, 5 is not the flushy pick and he could get over looked. A couple of things that may make scouts shy away is the significant decline in passing yards from 2003 (3,549) to 2004 (approximately 2,650). The decline happened in a pro style offense. I know there were changes in players, one less game and no I-AA teams on the schedule, but 1,000 yards is a bunch. In fact, it is about a 25% reduction. Also, he was not able to show what he can really do because he was running for his life. Which leads me to another point. If he didn't get the chance to show what he can do, how can Kiper make the comments he does? And, how do any of us know how he will do? I certainly don't, but I have my suspicions. The bad news for 5 is that Kiper is the only guy who can be as frequently wrong as he is and still keep a job. One thing Big Ben is proving right now is that more than anything, NFL teams need winners. For whatever reason, when Ben steps on the field, his teams win. They don't play for fun in the NFL, they play to win. Some teams may look at 5 and say, "Only 21 wins in four years and only 19 wins against D-I teams. Can this guy win? Will our fans have a fit if we draft a guy from Akron?" I don't know the answer to that either as I am just a guy with a computer and a key board, but I'm looking at the press guide now and I don't see any really big wins. In fact, there are some losses that really stick out more than wins. Losses that a great player can single handedly win did not happen. We all like to point to the two Marshall wins, but my guess is that Limpwich would have found a way to beat us on two good wheels in 2002, I'd like to kid myself into believing differently, but I can't. Limpy was too good of a player and won too many games to let that one get away. The win we had against Marshall this year was against a vastly inferior team to what Marshall has put onto the field in the past. Finally, every Zip in recent memory who has made the NFL has been the best player on the team. For example, Dwight Smith (the greatest football player to put on a Zips uniform) and Jason Taylor were the two best players on the teams their final year. Was 5 the best player on the team this year? I personally think Biggs had a significantly greater impact on the team this year than 5. He carried the team to 5 of their 6 wins and they were a completely different team with him in the starting line up. I would like to know how many Division I-A QBs had at least 2,600 yards. My guess is that at least half did. Anyhow, the bottom line is that 5 is going to make an NFL team and make a Hell of a lot of money whether he ever plays or not. I only have one thing to say about that.......GOOD FOR HIM AND SEND MONEY BACK TO U OF A.

I wonder how long Solich will be at OU. He didn't need the job, because he still has three years left on his Nebraska contract. I also heard Turner Gill resigned at Nebraska. Maybe he is going to OU to be the offensive coordinator.

G-P, Excellent work. Good reading here in my cell, I mean, my hotel room. Anyhow, the past staff ran a roll out passing game. This type of offense can help to hide a lot of poor offensive line play by moving the QB away from the pressure. This year, we did not see a line used to the type of play JDs offense requires. I'm confident the line will be better next year. One starter back and Hein coming back is a good start. Hein was a good back up and with more reps in practice he should be even better next year. The transfer from Pitt has playing experience, although on defense, in a big conference. He is athletic and should adjust well. Two more spots.....Kaplan is a giant with talent. He could impress next year. One more spot........There are quite a few back ups on the list above. Surely one of them can make a contribution and we can develop depth around the others. As far as Charlie being picked by the Browns, I only have this to say. There is probably not another QB in the draft more practiced at running for his life than Charlie. He would be a perfect fit for that team.

Getsy should fall right into place. From what I hear we should all be pleased with his performance next year. I just hope the kid is a winner. We have all had enough years of average seasons. It's time to start winning.

Let not your heart be troubled Capt. We can't get them all. Maybe these kids are going there with a chance to play right away. That sometimes happens with a down program like EMU. I'm not certain of the position, but we did get a lot of kids from there last year. We could be in a position where the kids that came last year will start next year and there is no opportunity for the kids immediately from Glennville in the next 2-3 years.

You could easily argue that the team would have gone 3-8 with the old coaching staff. Loss at Can't would have happened. Loss at OU could have easily happened. They would have easily blown the Marshall game with the old staff. What makes you think the old staff would have beaten MTSU? Trust in the new staff. These guys are professional college coaches. Not high school coaches who want to become college coaches like the old staff was.

This is a great testimonial as to the quality of coach JD is bringing to the program. I'm sure he will find another good one. Best wishes to the Verdugo family. I've met both him and his wife and they are really good people.

How fitting. Just so everyone knows, my wife graduated from Miami and we are going to go to Louisiana for their bowl game so I can have my nose rubbed in shit by not only her, but all of the Miami alumni for three whole days. They are too polite to say anything, but we all know what they will be thinking. While I am looking forward to a vacation with my wife, it will be a reminder of what could have been. Keep the faith though. This program is going in the right direction. Merry Christmas everyone.

Wizard, Your logic would dictate that football was better when they ran the single wing and wore leather helmets. That just is nonsense. The womens game is what it is, a slower version of a more superior product. Now go and take a ride in your Model T. After all, it is the way Ford intended us to drive when he invented the car.

Let's just hope Charlie remembers his old school. He can make the check out to "The University of Akron Foundation".

If the kid has not graduated yet, then would it be safe to assume that if he passes the ACT or SAT with the required score he could play next year? Quite honestly, I could care less whether a kid has a criminal past or not. I want to win the MAC. Let's not kid ourselves. Nobody sits around Sunday through Friday worrying about what the Zips are doing on their time off from football. Let's win now! Sign him JD!

Someone asked what happens if there are not enough teams with six wins. I have the answer. It is from the NCAA Rules, Chapter 23, Section II. "If in the event that there are not enough bowl teams, those writers in ZipsNation.org with more than 20 posts will play in a bowl. In order to even the playing field, the opponent of Zipsnation.org will be required to stay awake for 48 hours prior to game time and consume 15 shots, per player, of Jack Daniels one hour prior to the game." I like our chances guys. Now go get a work out in. We may have some work to do.

Good Lord this is great news!!!!! Well deserved by both JD and 5. I understand that there are different voting blocks for awards, but I still can't believe the BG QB was named first team all MAC QB. Our best years are ahead of us.