Michigan game thread

[legendofzippy]

This is why I believe a win this Saturday would be just as important as the Michigan win.

You cannot be serious.

[legendofzippy]

On the flip-side of these positive vibes, we should also acknowledge that Michigan is generally getting pummeled in the polls for playing us close. So that sucks.

[MDZip]

2) Pohl should be promoted from LT to LT General - Grade A

Sorry for being a little late to the party, stayed up that way a couple more days. I'll try to give my impressions of being there without duplicating too much of what has already been said and I have posted some pictures from my view of the field. And UA1987, I was too late with my similar joke, I was going to say LT Smith should be promoted from LT to Major. Day late and a dollar short.

Obviously both an awesome and awful day at the same time.

I actually was tailgating with some Michigan fans who were polite but obviously didn't give the Zips any chance (they were a little humbler after the game) and I did hear a comment on the way into the stadium that that person expected about a 100-0 score. There was some real respect earned by the Zips Saturday.

By the way Zips fans at the top of the stadium, during the big Zips plays, because the stadium went slient, you were heard. I was right behind the Zips bench and that was a great place to be, you could really sense the Zips confidence building as the game went on. Zips were outmanned to some degree as Michigan rolled up a lot of big plays on them (and the score likely would have been a lot different without four Michigan turnovers), but that was the great thing. No matter what happened I always saw confidence from the Zips players that they were not done. At the end of the game I saw (I think it was CJ Mizell) gathering the defensive players after the Zips took the late lead imploring to "Do our job since the offense has done theirs."

A linebacking core of March, Turner and Mizell is damned good, and I was very impressed with the D-Line putting so much pressure on Gardner. Also give major props to the O-Line for the protection they provided.

Funniest looking play of the game was a punt team formation where Moses McCray and Fransohn Bickley were side by side on the D-Line. Apparently the play was to have McCray occupy the blockers and let Bickley slip in beside him. It came pretty close to working.

Anyway here are some of the better pics:

Beginning of the game

Play under way

Pohl back to pass

Timeout

Beginning of a play

Pohl steps to the line

Shot of the Zips Rooting section up by the flags (including the two Zips fans that were the only ones that I could find within 50 rows of me).

Zips celebrating

Zips take the lead late in the 4th!! This would be my avatar if the score had held.

Some very concerned Michigan fans.

I also had a good shot of when the Zips got intercepted in the end zone but it shall never see the light of day. I had video of the last three Zips plays in hope I could capture dead silence in that stadium (except for a few hundred Zips fans), but it wasn't to be. Great, great experience, now Zips, build on it!

[GP1]

You cannot be serious.

The next game is always the most important game. There is zero evidence beating a BCS team catapults a program forward. It certainly didn't happen to App State. It's something fans debate that doesn't really matter.

[Dr Z]

I had video of the last three Zips plays in hope I could capture dead silence in that stadium (except for a few hundred Zips fans), but it wasn't to be.

Damn, great idea, I wish that would have worked out. Very nice photos, thanks for taking the time to upload!

[legendofzippy]

The next game is always the most important game. There is zero evidence beating a BCS team catapults a program forward. It certainly didn't happen to App State. It's something fans debate that doesn't really matter.

The next game, play, whatever is the most important, yes, but I would have been bragging about that Michigan win the rest of my life. We all would have.

MDZip - awesome pics. Thanks for sharing.

[UAZipster0305]

I don't usually comment much about officiating, but in this game, I think they were extremely biased and it unfavorably influenced the outcome of the game for the Zips. Instead of complaining or going through all the specifics, I'll simply ask, how do Big Ten officials end up working an OOC game that a Big Ten team is hosting? I didn't think this ever happened, and isn't it a conflict of interest? That is precisely why third party officials are utlized for bowl games. For future OOC games, I recommend that it be written in the contract that officials from a neutral conference be used.

[LZIp]

I don't usually comment much about officiating, but in this game, I think they were extremely biased and it unfavorably influenced the outcome of the game for the Zips. Instead of complaining or going through all the specifics, I'll simply ask, how do Big Ten officials end up working an OOC game that a Big Ten team is hosting? I didn't think this ever happened, and isn't it a conflict of interest? That is precisely why and how it works for bowl games. For future OOC games, I recommend that it be written in the contract that officials from a neutral conference be used.

Well PAC 12 officials were used for the ASU-Wisconsin game, so it must not be too uncommon.

Anyone have video footage of LT's catch at the 1 they they ended up not calling a first down? That's where I think we were screwed the most. The refs automatically reviewed it to see if it was a score. Not only was it obviously not a score to begin with, but we ended up getting screwed in the worst possible way in that we lost the first down.

[MDZip]

Bleacher Report's recap of the game. How much money could you have gotten on a prop bet that any Akron player would get voted player of the game? Pohl got 64% of the vote.

And down in the comments section someone gives us credit for being the fifth best team in the MAC. Before the game I would have happily taken that. Now I'm not so sure.

[UA1987]

Just received an e-mail from an old friend who at one point in his career was the Associated Press sports editor in Cleveland and really knows his football. He watched the game and said he's really impressed with what Coach Bowden has done with the Zips.

My wife was with a knitting group of older ladies who never talk about sports, and they were all talking about this game.

It really caught the attention of a lot of people across the country.

Bring the old gals to the game this Saturday, maybe Terry B will make a crazy gesture for them on a play call. If you didn't see it in the big house it was a classic STROKE of genius. Some comedian could have a field day with a similar assortment of play calls from the sideline (tried to find a pic of Terry but no luck - it was on BTN).

[lance99]

Sorry for being a little late to the party, stayed up that way a couple more days. I'll try to give my impressions of being there without duplicating too much of what has already been said and I have posted some pictures from my view of the field. And UA1987, I was too late with my similar joke, I was going to say LT Smith should be promoted from LT to Major. Day late and a dollar short.

Obviously both an awesome and awful day at the same time.

I actually was tailgating with some Michigan fans who were polite but obviously didn't give the Zips any chance (they were a little humbler after the game) and I did hear a comment on the way into the stadium that that person expected about a 100-0 score. There was some real respect earned by the Zips Saturday.

By the way Zips fans at the top of the stadium, during the big Zips plays, because the stadium went slient, you were heard. I was right behind the Zips bench and that was a great place to be, you could really sense the Zips confidence building as the game went on. Zips were outmanned to some degree as Michigan rolled up a lot of big plays on them (and the score likely would have been a lot different without four Michigan turnovers), but that was the great thing. No matter what happened I always saw confidence from the Zips players that they were not done. At the end of the game I saw (I think it was CJ Mizell) gathering the defensive players after the Zips took the late lead imploring to "Do our job since the offense has done theirs."

A linebacking core of March, Turner and Mizell is damned good, and I was very impressed with the D-Line putting so much pressure on Gardner. Also give major props to the O-Line for the protection they provided.

Funniest looking play of the game was a punt team formation where Moses McCray and Fransohn Bickley were side by side on the D-Line. Apparently the play was to have McCray occupy the blockers and let Bickley slip in beside him. It came pretty close to working.

Anyway here are some of the better pics:

Play under way

I also had a good shot of when the Zips got intercepted in the end zone but it shall never see the light of day. I had video of the last three Zips plays in hope I could capture dead silence in that stadium (except for a few hundred Zips fans), but it wasn't to be. Great, great experience, now Zips, build on it!

Were there that many "no shows?"

[ohiofan1954]

Were there that many "no shows?"

great game Akron, thought you guys had them. As a unbiased observer I thought there was some home cooking when it came to the officials. That is something that Toledo can identify with after the their game with OSU a couple of years ago. As for the question of no shows. I figure that must be a picture from the first half of the student section. The Michigan students not showing up until halftime is a continuing problem there. I go to Michigan at least once a year for games and it doesn't matter who they play they have this problem(opposite of Ohio student section when all the students leave after halftime). Good luck this week and the rest of the season(except 10/5).

[MDZip]

great game Akron, thought you guys had them. As a unbiased observer I thought there was some home cooking when it came to the officials. That is something that Toledo can identify with after the their game with OSU a couple of years ago. As for the question of no shows. I figure that must be a picture from the first half of the student section. The Michigan students not showing up until halftime is a continuing problem there. I go to Michigan at least once a year for games and it doesn't matter who they play they have this problem(opposite of Ohio student section when all the students leave after halftime). Good luck this week and the rest of the season(except 10/5).

Correct, that was the very beginning of the game, that section filled in pretty well (but not completely) after the game got going. Everyplace else looked full. Announced attendance was 107K and I'll bet they actually had 100K actually there.

Shot from later in the game of the same area.

[Dr Z]

I like how they have white goal posts due to the yellow in the student section. I never noticed that before Saturday.