Akron vs. WMU

[GoZips88]

It's time to end the 20+ year experiment and accept for numerous reasons that quality D-1A FBS football isn't going to happen here, ever. Little did we all know that 2005 was the peak folks, the top of the mountain. I'd much rather click my fingers and watch Dennison-style D-1AA FCS football than this garbage. This football program has done nothing but play into the hands of those who think ill towards UA. It's way past time to make the nightmare end.

NO! I WON'T DO IT!!!

[MDZip]

On the bright side, Capt. K, JohnnyZip and Dr. Z all made outstanding chili, I consider myself the winner for having sampled each. Thanks guys! . Also got a nice nap on the "grassy knoll" (seems like an appropriate metaphor) end zone grass in the third and fourth quarter and got to see the Zips beat WMU in soccer. Still a good day despite watching one of the worst D-1 football teams (perhaps ever?). Are we talking historically bad yet?

[you am i]

On the bright side, Capt. K, JohnnyZip and Dr. Z all made outstanding chili, I consider myself the winner for having sampled each. Thanks guys! . Also got a nice nap on the "grassy knoll" (seems like an appropriate metaphor) end zone grass in the third and fourth quarter and got to see the Zips beat WMU in soccer. Still a good day despite watching one of the worst D-1 football teams (perhaps ever?). Are we talking historically bad yet?

If this team goes 0-12, this would have to be the worst season in the history of Akron football. Its not just the losses, its the number of lopsided losses and how lousy they look. I think we'd have a tough time with Eastern Michigan.

It would be difficult to figure out what facet of the game was the worst today. It was a complete system failure. The one bright spot: Brian Wagner.

[Zipsrifle]

Ianello Postgame Seems like even rob is starting to get a little frayed with this garbage. There is absolutely no excuse for getting destroyed as bad as we did by a mediocre to bad conference opponent like this. I don't know how you go from being at least competitive in our conference every year to this trash...

This team needs to please show a glimpse of pride. If not for yourselves, at least for your teammates.

Yea, no doubt, he is NOT happy. Talk about being between a rock and a hard place. The guy seems to be out of ideas.

[RootforRoo44]

I left after half time to prepare for soccer. Surprised to see Potts in the game. You don't burn his redshirt this late in the season unless you have made the decision to start him for all the remaining games. Not like he can do any worse than what we had.

I also arrived at the start of the second quarter. By that time I learned that half the student section had been removed from the game but nobody would say why. If I had been there earlier, I might have joined in whatever they did just to say I was kicked out for showing my passion for the Zips. It would have saved me some time and misery.

If i'm not mistaken, they got removed for heckling Icoach.

[tbozeglav]

I left after half time to prepare for soccer. Surprised to see Potts in the game. You don't burn his redshirt this late in the season unless you have made the decision to start him for all the remaining games. Not like he can do any worse than what we had.

I also arrived at the start of the second quarter. By that time I learned that half the student section had been removed from the game but nobody would say why. If I had been there earlier, I might have joined in whatever they did just to say I was kicked out for showing my passion for the Zips. It would have saved me some time and misery.

If i'm not mistaken, they got removed for heckling Icoach.

Word is that iCoach hates the AK-Rowdies as a whole, so this comes as no surprise.

[Dr Z]

The guy seems to be out of ideas.

Sounds like he is right on for next week "We're playing a good team next week, and we got to play better" Keep it simple Rob.

[mes102]

We know that "Can't"Coach hates the Rowdies...because why else would on tuesday night, when they're lining up at the outside of infocision for the zips soccer march vs Michigan, some guy comes oveer and tells them that we can stand on that side of the road because football practice is going on and we're "spying" on them...oh yeah...we really want to "spy" on an 0-8 football team instead of lining up for a rowdies march for the #1 team in the nation in men's soccer.

[GP1]

It's time to end the 20+ year experiment and accept for numerous reasons that quality D-1A FBS football isn't going to happen here, ever. Little did we all know that 2005 was the peak folks, the top of the mountain. I'd much rather click my fingers and watch Dennison-style D-1AA FCS football than this garbage. This football program has done nothing but play into the hands of those who think ill towards UA. It's way past time to make the nightmare end.

yes and no

A move needs to be made. A drop to I-AA on our own would be equally as bad, if not worse, than the move to 1A on our own.

I'll say it again. The non-bcs schools need to develop their own level of college football. It's already there, they just need to control their own future and put some structure around it.

I do agree that 20+ years is enough. The 60+ year experiment of the MAC in I-A needs to come to an end too. Enough is enough.

Off to the Steelers game.

[Hilltopper]

We know that "Can't"Coach hates the Rowdies...because why else would on tuesday night, when they're lining up at the outside of infocision for the zips soccer march vs Michigan, some guy comes oveer and tells them that we can stand on that side of the road because football practice is going on and we're "spying" on them...oh yeah...we really want to "spy" on an 0-8 football team instead of lining up for a rowdies march for the #1 team in the nation in men's soccer.

After watching Icoach on video, these clips seem appropriate.

[Buckzip]

Completely disagree with the notion of giving up DI football.

Akron has great facilities, a new stadium and is in a hotbed of football. Ohio is a football state. There is a lot of talent here.

If UA would stop going after position coaches from other schools and actually get a coach that had HC experience at a lower level and was a winner, I think things could turn around.

Last 3 coaches-Owens OL coach, Brookhart WR coach, and now Ianello, don't know what the hell he coached.

There are a lot of consistent winners in DIAA, or whatever it's called now. We need to get one of these guys here.

Enough with the 1st time HC BS.

[you am i]

These discussions about whether we should drop football make about as much sense as the conversations about whether we should join the Big East. The chances of either happening are and were pretty much zero.

These are interesting topics purely in the abstract but don't lose your grip on reality in either case.

[Dave in Green]

This is all starting to make sense to me. Each year the D1 football team that hits rock bottom and is rated worst in the country should drop out of D1. After about 120 years there will be only 2 D1 football teams left. They will play in the Best/Worst Bowl, and the loser will be forced to drop out of D1. The winning team will become the all-time D1 champion and have no one left to play. Then D1 will be disbanded and the process will start all over under a new classification.

[ZipRoo]

We're paying the price for Muse and Adams' scheming a quarter-century ago. Jim Dennison was a highly-respected football coach, here in Akron, throughout Ohio, and across the country. Bo Schembechler confirmed that. It's no knock on Coach Faust, who was brought in to "make the transition to D-1," but many UA fans and Dennison supporters lost respect for the school at that time and have never returned. [bottom line, if Dennison were still coaching UA today, we'd no doubt be having success.]

After Coach Faust, it was one mistake after another, with Owens, Brookhart and now the worst, Ianello. In two decades, was it utterly impossible to find a coach, at any level, with a track record of success as a head coach? Word is, UA has approached D-3 Mount Union's Larry Kehres more than once, but he didn't want to leave.

The point is, you find a successful winner at some level, and normally success will follow. Guys who know how to win....WIN. Sure, high school programs like Moeller (Faust) and Massillon (Owens) are successful thru the advantage of drawing many of the top athletes to their powerhouse schools. So the transition from HS to college head coach is not ideal.

But how many D-2 coaches....or even OHIO guys (like those on Tressel's staff) would look mighty good on our sideline now?

[zipsbandman]

At least Brookhart was an offensive coordinator and had some play calling experience as well as playing experience. I was scratching my head with this hire from day one.

[Lee Adams]

We're paying the price for Muse and Adams' scheming a quarter-century ago. Jim Dennison was a highly-respected football coach, here in Akron, throughout Ohio, and across the country. Bo Schembechler confirmed that. It's no knock on Coach Faust, who was brought in to "make the transition to D-1," but many UA fans and Dennison supporters lost respect for the school at that time and have never returned. [bottom line, if Dennison were still coaching UA today, we'd no doubt be having success.]

After Coach Faust, it was one mistake after another, with Owens, Brookhart and now the worst, Ianello. In two decades, was it utterly impossible to find a coach, at any level, with a track record of success as a head coach? Word is, UA has approached D-3 Mount Union's Larry Kehres more than once, but he didn't want to leave.

The point is, you find a successful winner at some level, and normally success will follow. Guys who know how to win....WIN. Sure, high school programs like Moeller (Faust) and Massillon (Owens) are successful thru the advantage of drawing many of the top athletes to their powerhouse schools. So the transition from HS to college head coach is not ideal.

But how many D-2 coaches....or even OHIO guys (like those on Tressel's staff) would look mighty good on our sideline now?

See Troy State.

[Lee Adams]

Ianello Postgame Seems like even rob is starting to get a little frayed with this garbage. There is absolutely no excuse for getting destroyed as bad as we did by a mediocre to bad conference opponent like this. I don't know how you go from being at least competitive in our conference every year to this trash...

This team needs to please show a glimpse of pride. If not for yourselves, at least for your teammates.

Don't blame it all on the players.

[Lee Adams]

We know that "Can't"Coach hates the Rowdies...because why else would on tuesday night, when they're lining up at the outside of infocision for the zips soccer march vs Michigan, some guy comes oveer and tells them that we can stand on that side of the road because football practice is going on and we're "spying" on them...oh yeah...we really want to "spy" on an 0-8 football team instead of lining up for a rowdies march for the #1 team in the nation in men's soccer.

After watching Icoach on video, these clips seem appropriate.

Has the coach ever said that at some level he and his coaching staff share the responsibility for this year's debacle?

I have never seen/heard it. It ain't just the players at this point.

[GP1]

I'm interested to know if the age old idea of basically giving away tickets for $5 is packing the stands or not. Did they pack them in yesterday or did they just reinforce the expectation in NE Ohio that the cost of going to a UofA game, good or bad, should be $5?

[GP1]

If UA would stop going after position coaches from other schools and actually get a coach that had HC experience at a lower level and was a winner, I think things could turn around.

How long to turn it around?

What would the turn arond look like?

Define winning.

Why would any successful lower level coach come to Akron when they could wait it out for a better opportunity?

If we hire a guy like this and it doesn't work, then what?

I say enough is enough. This isn't just an issue pertaining to UofA, it reaches out to all non-bcs schools with he exception of about five. There is always some theory out there that if a MAC school just does a few things then success will follow. Long term success does not follow MAC schools....it doesn't even follow the MAC.

[Big Zip]

GP1 (King of all Negativity) how does that roll up the carpets and give up philosophy work for you in your real life? People on this board complain a lot, but people on this board have lots of ideas for doing things differently than the University. The University has failed miserably running the football program an there is as much chance of the ideas on this board fixing the problem as the ideas that have been implemented. Dropping the program down and giving up because "it can't be done" like you seem to suggest in most of your posts is not something fans would like to see. I'm thoroughly confused by you. You seem to hate the program, enjoy telling everyone your the smartest guy in the room and the only guy with ideas that make sense. I'd challenge you to put some thoughts on here about how the football program could get better instead of putting everyone down. You have to know how to fix it you know everything else.

I have found myself not biting on all of your non productive digs on the program, but I finally had to say something. I get it....the message board is a place for people to post their thoughts and you have all the right to post what you want, but I struggle to actually understand your hatred for the University and your consistent presence here.

[Zip_ME87]

This is a MESS that I can't foresee a fix in the next few years. As much as I hate it, I think Rasor is correct that you can't fire i(diot)Coach and pay him $375,000/year for the next 4 years not to coach...can you believe $1.5 MILLION !!! What other job can you do so poorly and make $1.8+ MILLION? Someone is going to have to at least force i(mbecile)Coach to upgrade his staff to coaches who at least have a clue. However, I'm not sure how that can be done. How do you get people who know what they're doing to work for i(ncompetent)Coach?

[MaxZIP]

If UA would stop going after position coaches from other schools and actually get a coach that had HC experience at a lower level and was a winner, I think things could turn around.

How long to turn it around?

What would the turn arond look like?

Define winning.

Why would any successful lower level coach come to Akron when they could wait it out for a better opportunity?

If we hire a guy like this and it doesn't work, then what?

I say enough is enough. This isn't just an issue pertaining to UofA, it reaches out to all non-bcs schools with he exception of about five. There is always some theory out there that if a MAC school just does a few things then success will follow. Long term success does not follow MAC schools....it doesn't even follow the MAC.

1. Salary increase

2. Most winning bcs programs don't fire or lose a coach. A history of turning a fcs program would go a very long way in carreer advancement. A winning coach taking over and maintaining a winning program is not as impressive as bringing a program back from the dead.

[bandzip]

Suprised no one has mentioned my personal favorite play call sequence of the game. It went something like this:

1st and 10 at AKR 40 Patrick Nicely pass complete to Antoine Russell for 56 yards to the WMich 4, tackled by Doug Wiggins for a 1ST down.

1st and Goal at WMU 4, Alex Allen rush for no gain to the WMich 4, tackled by Raheam Buxton.

2nd and Goal at WMU 4, Alex Allen rush for 3 yards to the WMich 1, tackled by Jamail Berry.

3rd and Goal at WMU 1, WESTRN MICHIGAN penalty 0 yard offside accepted, no play.

3rd and Goal at WMU 1, Alex Allen rush for no gain to the WMich 1, tackled by Doug Wiggins and Lewis Toler.

4th and Goal at WMU 1, Alex Allen rush for a loss of 2 yards to the WMich 3, tackled by Dex Jones.

Five times in a row Alex Allen ran to the left for no gain or a loss, all inside the opponents FIVE YARD LINE! For pete's sake mix it up a little bit, put Burney in, play action pass, quarterback keeper, SOMETHING!

[ZipRoo]

I'm interested to know if the age old idea of basically giving away tickets for $5 is packing the stands or not. Did they pack them in yesterday or did they just reinforce the expectation in NE Ohio that the cost of going to a UofA game, good or bad, should be $5?

First off, $5 is not "giving away." A butt in the stands purchasing a program, food, drinks, etc. is better than a butt on the couch at home adding zero to the UA coffers, wouldn't you think.

Second, only kids got $5 tickets (with a paying adult). And I can assure you, there's no kid in Akron who received $5 worth of entertainment with that ticket.