Game 7—@Western Michigan

[zipsoutsider]

1 hour ago, Ham said:

I think the film will show that Letuli got hosed on 2 of those calls.

 

I did not see the actions that led to these, but the crew led by Amanda Sauer, seems to call more penalties, in particular, holds, than other crews. 

[Blue & Gold]

9 minutes ago, Captain Kangaroo said:

I would disagree. I'm sure any HS recruit considering the Zips took note of the win.

 

And any committed recruits possibly wavering on their decision felt a little bit more secure...or even excited about their it. 

 

Milestone win for the Zips. Assuming they finish the season strong.

I tweeted some links about the win & got some "likes" and retweets from some of the current verbals.  Like last week, I'm a happy camper today

[Section210Zip]

even Zipsnation with the world is always going to end tomorrow mentality isn't going to steal my joy from this win. Go Zips!!

[Kangaroo Craig]

3 hours ago, Captain Kangaroo said:

Most people thought it was gonna be a blow-out. This guy nailed it. Give him credit.

 

 

I'm going with the Zips. 14-13. Take that one to the bank.

[Dr Z]

What makes a good Monday for a Zips fan? Adding a game on the first Saturday in December to your calendar to make sure the date is cleared. 

[Zipgrad01]

51 minutes ago, Captain Kangaroo said:

So if the Zips beat 13-0 Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, we'd have beaten 13-1 Ohio State? Ok...

 

Only the talking heads on TV who have hours to fill for their vapid audience care about too many bowl games. There may be too many reality TV shows on the air...but I could care less because I don't watch them. If you hate that there's too much football to watch in December and January, you don't need to watch it. Watch the Food Network.

 

Bowl games are crucial to MAC football programs. There was a time, not too long ago, when 10-2 MAC programs went nowhere for the post season. They went home. Now there are bowl tie-ins to reward good seasons. I couldn't be happier.

 

I enjoy watching football, so I like bowl games.They're always a lot of fun to watch. And I'm happy players and coaches get rewarded for a solid season . I saw videos of the Zips team in Boise, and it looked like they were having a blast. 

So if western Michigan loses out will we look back and say we beat a 4-2 western team or a 4-8 western team? 

[skip-zip]

1 hour ago, Dr Z said:

I still believe making a bowl is a nice reward. The players enjoy it, the team gets extra practices, and I'm sure it's a good recruiting tool. Not to mention, as a fan, I get to see my favorite team play another game. This is probably why coach Bowden puts such a high priority, and talks so much about becoming bowl edible each year. I wonder what a player that played in the Pitt, WMU and Utah game would say his favorite victory was? 

 

 

 

Whenever I see football players and coaches getting interviewed with a backdrop of white paint peeling from concrete, it will always give me flashbacks of the Rubber Bowl.  

[Lee Adams]

Had to look at the game stats to see how this rolled out. Obviously if you didn't know the score you would think the Zips got steamrolled.

 

WMU: Total yards-426; Rushing yards-244( Franklin-130);  Passing yards 182(17-29-1); First Downs-26; TO's-1; Penalties-6-62

 

Akron: Total-215; Rush-88(Morgan-53); Pass-127(13-24-1); First Downs-14; TO's-1; Penalties-9-93.

 

But,14-13 on the board. Go figure.These are the types of games that happen during a season that can help a team do special things. But,with the lack of offensive production that we see here,you aren't going to win anymore like this. The defense set up the offense big time for one TD on Kyron Brown's pick. Give that side of the ball a lot of credit. It made some big plays at crucial points in spite of giving up a ton of yardage. But,the offense can't keep putting up numbers like this and expect to win from here on out. In 2015 it was the defense that carried that team.  In 2005(the best season in my memory) some crazy things happened that led to a MAC Championship. The last month of that season was crazy fun. Who knows.

[Captain Kangaroo]

18 minutes ago, Zipgrad01 said:

So if western Michigan loses out will we look back and say we beat a 4-2 western team or a 4-8 western team? 

At season's end, you would say: "We beat a 4-2 WMU team that finished the season 4-8." 

 

If you beat a 6-6 Utah State team in a bowl, you beat a 6-6 Utah State team. It is obvious that they would be 6-7 after you beat them.

 

There's no other way to state it. Correctly, at least.

[kreed5120]

1 hour ago, Captain Kangaroo said:

Only the talking heads on TV who have hours to fill for their vapid audience care about too many bowl games. There may be too many reality TV shows on the air...but I could care less because I don't watch them. If you hate that there's too much football to watch in December and January, you don't need to watch it. Watch the Food Network.

 

Bowl games are crucial to MAC football programs. There was a time, not too long ago, when 10-2 MAC programs went nowhere for the post season. They went home. Now there are bowl tie-ins to reward good seasons. I couldn't be happier.

 

I enjoy watching football, so I like bowl games.They're always a lot of fun to watch. And I'm happy players and coaches get rewarded for a solid season . I saw videos of the Zips team in Boise, and it looked like they were having a blast. 

I don't watch all 41 games, not even close to that many. I also can say I don't watch the Food Network. I'd probably actually watch more games if there were fewer as I'd view it more as appointment TV.

 

I agree there was a point in the past where there were too few bowl games. I just feel there has been an over correction and making a bowl game has lost a lot of its value. A 5-7 team making the postseason is by no means a decent season. They reward mediocrity and in some cases less.

 

What I'd like is up the win requirement from 6 to 7 and reduce the number of games to ~30. Under said scenario that Zips team would have still made a bowl game,. They just wouldn't have been playing Utah State.

 

Edit: Perhaps as a fan I view things differently from you all. I would just take winning the MAC or even MAC East over winning a bowl game.

Edited October 16, 2017 by kreed5120

[UA1987]

Any news on Hauser? Lako filled in like a champ, but who would be next on the two deep at the MIKE position if our starter is out and Lako starts running with the one's?         

[skip-zip]

2 hours ago, Zipgrad01 said:

So if western Michigan loses out will we look back and say we beat a 4-2 western team or a 4-8 western team? 

 

We still beat a 4-2 football team.  

 

But if they finish the season poorly, obviously you'll look at the quality of the win a little differently.  

 

I actually think they will do fairly well from here on out.  I think we just caught them on a day when things went our way when we needed it.  That's college football.  We'll probably be on the opposite end of the same type of event before the season is over.  

[MDZip]

6 minutes ago, skip-zip said:

 

We still beat a 4-2 football team.  

 

But if they finish the season poorly, obviously you'll look at the quality of the win a little differently.  

 

I actually think they will do fairly well from here on out.  I think we just caught them on a day when things went our way when we needed it.  That's college football.  We'll probably be on the opposite end of the same type of event before the season is over.  

Already sort of were - Troy. The East is certainly winnable this year. BTW I wonder when the last time we finished with a winning record against the West was? 

Edited October 16, 2017 by MDZip

[zippy5]

Man that Troy loss is frustrating now. 5-2 with a win over Troy would look pretty dadgum good

[skip-zip]

21 minutes ago, MDZip said:

Already sort of were - Troy.

 

In terms of having some things that didn't go our way in the final minutes?  Yes.  But coming back from way behind, on the road, as a heavy underdog isn't what I had in mind when I mentioned an unexpected loss that might still happen sometime before the season closes.  

 

24 minutes ago, MDZip said:

BTW I wonder when the last time we finished with a winning record against the West was? 

 

I was wondering something else too.  Does anyone know when was the last we started conference play with a 3-0 record?

[RowdyZip]

ESPN's schedules go back to 2002.  No luck there.  2007 and 2014 were the closest at 2-0 starts.  I guess this makes that win even more impressive.

 

Edit:  If I had to hazard a guess, I'd bet this is our first 3-0 start in D1 history.  Someone else prove me wrong if you have access to historical schedules.  I also found out that this improves our all-time record vs. WMU to a miserable 4-13.

Edited October 16, 2017 by RowdyZip

[kreed5120]

15 minutes ago, RowdyZip said:

I also found out that this improves our all-time record vs. WMU to a miserable 4-13.

[Dr Z]

33 minutes ago, RowdyZip said:

I also found out that this improves our all-time record vs. WMU to a miserable 4-13.

Maybe we can pick up one more win against them this year, and make it 5-13.

[CDMac]

44 minutes ago, RowdyZip said:

ESPN's schedules go back to 2002.  No luck there.  2007 and 2014 were the closest at 2-0 starts.  I guess this makes that win even more impressive.

 

2001 - Started 2-0 in MAC then lost to WMU - Sports Reference

1993 - Started 2-0 in MAC then lost to WMU - Sports Reference

1992  - Started 2-0 in MAC then lost to WMU - Sports Reference

 

1989 -  The magical year - the last time the Zips opened 3-0 in MAC play - Sports Reference

 

**NOTE**  Zips were Independent at the time and won its first 3 MAC games but started the season with a loss to VA Tech and also lost game 4 to Youngstown State

Edited October 16, 2017 by CDMac

[Captain Kangaroo]

18 minutes ago, CDMac said:

1989 -  The magical year - the last time the Zips opened 3-0 in MAC play - Sports Reference

The MAC sure had a lot of different teams back then? 

[ZipsVoice]

1 hour ago, UA1987 said:

Any news on Hauser? Lako filled in like a champ, but who would be next on the two deep at the MIKE position if our starter is out and Lako starts running with the one's?         

My guess would be Travonte Junius or maybe Nate Bischoff?  maybe DeMarcus Lloyd??

[skip-zip]

25 minutes ago, CDMac said:

**NOTE**  Zips were Independent at the time and won its first 3 MAC games but started the season with a loss to VA Tech and also lost game 4 to Youngstown State

 

Interesting find.  

 

That's correct.  We were Independent through the 1991 season.  We were not a MAC member until 1992, and actually went 5-3 and tied for 2nd place in that inaugural year.  

 

It's still amazing to me that we often fared pretty well against MAC teams back then, even though we were still struggling just to get a roster full of D-1A players.  

[blueandgold]

23 hours ago, Z.I.P. said:

Since I couldn't post this earlier...Was A.J. Milwee calling plays for both teams today?  Looked like two incompetent offences.

It felt like someone else was actually calling plays for us in this game for awhile, but then near the end we were back to terrible play calling again when we were trying to close out the game.

[zipsoutsider]

36 minutes ago, ZipsVoice said:

My guess would be Travonte Junius or maybe Nate Bischoff?  maybe DeMarcus Lloyd??

Bischoff seems to be getting more PT, right now.

[Section210Zip]

1 hour ago, CDMac said:

2001 - Started 2-0 in MAC then lost to WMU - Sports Reference

1993 - Started 2-0 in MAC then lost to WMU - Sports Reference

1992  - Started 2-0 in MAC then lost to WMU - Sports Reference

 

1989 -  The magical year - the last time the Zips opened 3-0 in MAC play - Sports Reference

 

**NOTE**  Zips were Independent at the time and won its first 3 MAC games but started the season with a loss to VA Tech and also lost game 4 to Youngstown State

So we finally made it through WMU to make it 3-0 in conference play. Interesting that Western was the team to end it the other 3 times.