The Rags Have Spoken

[skip-zip]

Here's my question: For us fans, if we win 2 or 3 games, do we rave about how much we are "improving"?

Depends what I see on the field. Are we moving the ball? Putting drives together? Production from our passing game when we need it? Converting FGs? Receiving the kick off once a game? Getting pressure on the QB? Rob keeps preaching how the team needs to do the "fundamentals", I hope he steps up his game time coaching ability as well. I'm surprised French didn't ask him about that during his interview with him this week. I understand Steve knows where his bread is buttered, but even a softball like, "coach, do you think a years experience on the field as a HC will help you make better decisions during the games this year?"

I remember being at the first game after Gardner Webb last year, and when the PA announcer said, "Akron has deferred to the 2nd half" everyone in our section started to applaud. You'd never think that things could ever get that bad.

[johnnyzip84]

Yet another seat-of-the-pants preview, complete with nearly 2 year old picture of CJ11 handing off to DK. One interesting line deals with special teams. How does this writer know that incoming FR AJ Fox will win the starting PK job?

[skip-zip]

The last place predictions may be accurate.

We got curb-stomped by Mount Union in a 7-on-7 last night. I know some of you will say that those are useless and should be indicative of anything, but just on talent alone MU shouldn't be able to compete. And while I do still believe that our players have more natural talent, I just don't think they know how to put in the effort it takes to be a winner. The coaches can only do so much and if the players aren't willing to do the work in the offseason then what can be done about it? Shades of Brookhart's coaching?

Maybe the players really do think that the amount of effort they've been putting out the last couple of years is enough. Maybe they think that having talent is enough to skate by. But hard work and playing with a passion can beat talent head to head and it can take the talent you have and make it that much better. From what I've heard, the players here really do think they're working hard, but I just don't think they understand just what kind of level of dedication it takes to be great at what you do.

I would really like to get some information on that 7 on 7 game, because that is just ridiculous if true. It is all over yappi and scout. Everyone is laughing their a$$es off that we got smoked by a D3 team. I know 7 on 7 doesn't mean much, but there is absolutely no reason that any D3 schools should even be able to compete with us.

Nicely mentioned on Twitter after it happened that it was the first time the players got together after summer break. However, I think the same was the case with Mount.

Really though, it's just an excuse. A competitor wouldn't make the excuse that it's just a 7 on 7 or that it's the first time back or whatever. I don't think our players tried too hard and were approaching this as a casual practice session, while the Mount players were treating it like an actual game with their Twitter statuses showing them fired up. Mount was there to win, Akron was there to play catch with friends. It speaks to the different mentalities present in the two teams. A competitor would show up to play and would give a full effort and wouldn't let themselves get beat not matter the level of competition, and I don't think our players did that. This is Ianello's greatest challenge, to change the losing mentality, the skate-by-on-minimal-effort mindset that permeates the team.

I went back and found this to be an excellent post. That really is the coach's biggest challenge..changing the losing mentality. Could our talent really be that far behind most of the rest of the teams in the MAC that many of them are able to stomp us? That can't be the case, but some scores certainly looked that way last year.

I only find the news about the scrimmage against Mount Union alarming for one reason. Last year, I remember someone posting news about a 7 on 7 scrimmage in which we scored 5 or 6 TDs and looked sharp. I'd expect these kinds of things to happen when you're playing in these wide open passing game scrimmages. Yet, it didn't translate over to the season. Did we even score 6 passing TDs against D-1A competition all year? Now, a year later, we have a poor showing in a scrimmage against a D-3 school. So, regardless of the real significance of these scrimmages, if our passing game might be behind where we were last year, that would be incredibly alarming to me.

[Z.I.P.]

If the secondary makes big strides this year it will be quite ironic since our former defensive coordinator's claim to fame was coaching the db's and what he left for Michigan to do. I know he wasn't the position coach here but, just sayin.

Any of you folks who were around Akron in 1990, ask Coach McCloud about the Hawaii - Long Beach State game. I've probably told this story once or thrice, but in the pre-game radio show, Hawaii broadcaster Larry Beal (who later spent several years on ESPN) said, and I quote, "It would seem all Hawaii must do to win this game is to step onto the field, since Long Beach is coming off a fifty-to-nothing pasting at the hands of the Akron Zips a week ago." I seem to recall that the Bows scored on a long TD pass as time expired and hung on for a slim last second "victory". Now you know where the Zip in Paradise was in 1990.

[johnnyzip84]

Any of you folks who were around Akron in 1990, ask Coach McCloud about the Hawaii - Long Beach State game. I've probably told this story once or thrice, but in the pre-game radio show, Hawaii broadcaster Larry Beal (who later spent several years on ESPN) said, and I quote, "It would seem all Hawaii must do to win this game is to step onto the field, since Long Beach is coming off a fifty-to-nothing pasting at the hands of the Akron Zips a week ago." I seem to recall that the Bows scored on a long TD pass as time expired and hung on for a slim last second "victory". Now you know where the Zip in Paradise was in 1990.

I'll try to remember that if I ever get the chance to speak to Coach McCloud. Are you sure you don't mean 1988? I seem to recall a stretch of home games where the Zips beat 3 Big West (or whatever they were called at the time) schools in the Rubber Bowl. Some Zip fans were deriding the "Cali Boys" since it looked like they wanted no part of playing football in typically cold/rainy Ohio late fall conditions. That was a big factor in the beatdown. I think the UA athletic dept must have lost a small fortune on those games.

Edit: The island climate must have better suited the '49ers that year!

On another note, let's get out there and vote for the MAC! Come on GP1, you know you want to The Sunbelt isn't even listed as an option

[GP1]

I voted Nebraska vs WI as the game that is going to be the best this season. The others don't seem that interesting at this point.

Patterson at TCU is to the best coach. Look at where he is, where the program came from and his results.

I did vote for the MAC.

I like jump around. All other traditions are old and don't require much interaction.

Mississippi is the best gameday experience. Anyone straight man who has walked The Grove know what I'm talking about.

[johnnyzip84]

I voted Nebraska vs WI as the game that is going to be the best this season. The others don't seem that interesting at this point.

Patterson at TCU is to the best coach. Look at where he is, where the program came from and his results.

I did vote for the MAC.

I like jump around. All other traditions are old and don't require much interaction.

Mississippi is the best gameday experience. Anyone straight man who has walked The Grove know what I'm talking about.

I picked Oklahoma-Oklahoma St just because they usually have some crazy games in Stillwater and I like the word "bedlam".

I went with Patterson as well for the same reasons.

I was true to my conference also.

I selected the flaming spear Seminole guy because I always thought he was pretty intimidating.

I went with an odd choice for game day experience. Although I've never been there, images and video of Husky Stadium right there next to Lake Washington look spectacular.

[GP1]

I went with an odd choice for game day experience. Although I've never been there, images and video of Husky Stadium right there next to Lake Washington look spectacular.

Not an odd choice at all. Any gameday experience that involves driving your boat to a game is a good one. The same can be done at Tennessee.

[Zipgrad01]

I voted Nebraska vs WI as the game that is going to be the best this season. The others don't seem that interesting at this point.

Patterson at TCU is to the best coach. Look at where he is, where the program came from and his results.

I did vote for the MAC.

I like jump around. All other traditions are old and don't require much interaction.

Mississippi is the best gameday experience. Anyone straight man who has walked The Grove know what I'm talking about.

I picked Oklahoma-Oklahoma St just because they usually have some crazy games in Stillwater and I like the word "bedlam".

I went with Patterson as well for the same reasons.

I was true to my conference also.

I selected the flaming spear Seminole guy because I always thought he was pretty intimidating.

I went with an odd choice for game day experience. Although I've never been there, images and video of Husky Stadium right there next to Lake Washington look spectacular.

I have spoken to quite a few college football travelors and many have Washington at the top of their list. It is one of my top 5 future game day locations that I must do.

As for Mississippi.....I have spoken to quite a few people about that as well and they would agree with you on the female co-ed's.

[johnnyzip84]

Here is yet ANOTHER uncomplimentary prognostication.

It's pretty funny how these clowns act like they know each of these programs so well. This guy thinks that putting Bre Ford at safety is silly because he set rushing records at Bethel Park HS. Nevermind that Bre started in the secondary for the Black Hawks beginning with his sophomore year (when his team made it to the PA state AAAA championship game). Here is one blogger who is in for a shock once #44 gets unleashed.

[ZachTheZip]

Most of the Blue Ribbon preview, as posted on the MAC website.

[johnnyzip84]

LA Times (Sports Network) Zip Preview

Like many, they're not expecting much. There is some insight into Coach Sowers new weight training regimen however.