Game 1: SFU @ Akron ZIPS - Score Prediction (POLL)

[AKSportsFan]

Explain your vote. 

[AKSportsFan]

Probably not the most intriguing poll to start the season due to no one really knows what we have or what we will be. The level of competition won't provide much of a barometer for the talent level or how we will stack up in the MAC and/or the other OCC games. Really excited for football to be back. I have a lot of hope. Go ZIPS!!!

 

I really hope we see a team playing as a unit and while there will be some mistakes, I want to see a team that can execute on fundamentals. 

[blueandgold]

I voted "Zips by 3 scores". We should be vastly superior in talent level and size, but not experience (as far as all players playing together on this team). We should be up early, which will allow us to get playing time for a lot of guys giving us a chance to see what we have and how they perform in a real game setting.

[catdaddyp]

Similar to what @blueandgold said. We will have more talent, size, and athleticism. Also have a better coaching staff in place. There will be some mishaps and kinks to work out, but this game shouldn’t be close. Most kids go to St. Francis in hope of eventually transferring to a bigger school. The majority of St.Francis kids had very few to no FBS offers.

[ZippyRulz]

I am hopeful that we can maintain good field position and move the ball well enough to be in field goal range on most possessions. And that our defense can give them much trouble and get a turnover or two. Zips win by 4 scores.

 

 

[akzipper]

47 minutes ago, catdaddyp said:

Similar to what @blueandgold said. We will have more talent, size, and athleticism. Also have a better coaching staff in place. There will be some mishaps and kinks to work out, but this game shouldn’t be close. Most kids go to St. Francis in hope of eventually transferring to a bigger school. The majority of St.Francis kids had very few to no FBS offers.

 

Interesting enough, my cousin actually played for SFU. He had a decent amount of offers to FCS schools and some preferred walk on options for FBS schools. Eventually ended up at a smaller BigTen school before transferring to SFU for more playing time. He and his family visited Akron a few times and I joined them. We listened to Rob Ianello talk and man was it something. If I were a high school athlete in that room, there would be nothing to motivate me to come to Akron. Everyone was blown away by the stadium and field house. But it was such a dull and uninspiring speech nobody really seemed excited to be there.

Edited August 29, 2022 by akzipper

[catdaddyp]

20 minutes ago, akzipper said:

 

Interesting enough, my cousin actually played for SFU. He had a decent amount of offers to FCS schools and some preferred walk on options for FBS schools. Eventually ended up at a smaller BigTen school before transferring to SFU for more playing time. He and his family visited Akron a few times and I joined them. We listened to Rob Ianello talk and man was it something. If I were a high school athlete in that room, there would be nothing to motivate me to come to Akron. Everyone was blown away by the stadium and field house. But it was such a dull and uninspiring speech nobody really seemed excited to be there.

I know every now and then St. Francis lands some kids who should be playing higher level ball. Just not enough of them. Jason Brown who was recently relegated to backup QB at Virginia Tech is a former SFU guy as well as EJ Jenkins, a 6’8” WR at Georgia Tech. Both players attended South Carolina this past year. Brown led the team to wins over Auburn and Florida, while surprisingly enough, Jenkins did not see a single jump ball thrown his way this past year.

Edited August 29, 2022 by catdaddyp

[GoZips86]

Zips by 3 scores. Not only is Akron the superior team, but I think JoeMo is going to have those fellas MOTIVATED to come out and show everyone this is a new era and to forget about anything in the past. 

Edited August 29, 2022 by GoZips86

[MangoZip]

I think this game will be closer than we want through the first half. Zips will be playing for real for the first time in a new system and likely make a few mistakes. From what I have read, SF has a ball control offense. They will want to control the clock and keep the ball away from the JoeMoe O. Zips get more comfortable in the second half and finally make some plays. 27-14 win.  

[GP1]

Zips win by more than 4 scores. I'd be shocked if Joe didn't have the team well prepared. 

[Zipmeister]

I think the Zips will be playing a plain vanilla offense to neutralize the scouting effort of the Zips next opponent.

Despite this I believe the Zips will be inspired by the fact that there are more than 10K actual butts in seats and will win by 4 or more scores. 

After all 4 scores could amount to as little as 8 points (4 safeties).

If the Zips can't score at least 8 points against an average FCS team they have really big problems and I don't believe that is the case.

[Spin]

I picked two. Explain that?

 

Too many variables. New coaching staff (thankfully). New players brought in. New products in the team shop. 

 

 

I was joking about the new products...

[zipsalum85]

this running attack should be lethal. interested to see what comes from the defense and the new transfers!

kind of agree with @Zipmeister - maybe see vanilla offense before P5 next two weeks.. think Cam and co. will be THAT dominant.

 

38-17, Zips.

[Ham]

Zips win by at least 30.  SFU will be limited to a couple FG's.  42-6.

[Zipmeister]

Here's your chance to make a fortune.

the Vegas book(s) have the spread at

about two touchdowns

[Zipmeister]

One sure sign of the increased excitement surrounding Zips football this year is the response to this game 1 poll.

It's only a couple of days till the first game and already 31 fans have responded to the poll question., that's right 31.

I don't know what the response to a similar poll was last season, but I'll bet it was a lot less than 31.

 

[Blue & Gold]

Make it 32 @Zipmeister . I'm hesitant to give a prediction, because I have no idea what I'm going to see on Thursday. But I went with Zips by 3 scores (21 pts.).  I think we'll come out hot but have a handful of mistakes which will keep the game closer than what it would be if it were played later in the season.

[Blue & Gold]

At kickoff Thursday night it's forecast to be 75-degrees with 0% chance of rain 💪😎💪

[GP1]

2 hours ago, Blue & Gold said:

 @Zipmeister iI have no dea what I'm going to see on Thursday. 

I cannot predict the Zips, but I can predict StFU. They stink. If the Zips come out and play hard and limit mistakes, they should destroy them unless Joe calls off the dogs. 

[bigjim]

I picked the Zips to win by 4 or more scores yesterday.  Then, I see the spread is 14.5 points.  I am guessing this has something to do with the lack of information on the Zip transfers that showed up in the preseason predictions.  Even though I guess that Vegas does a much better job at understanding talent and transfers than the preseason predictions, I still feel that this spread is low.  But, Vegas does not have a history on this new team and coach.  

 

Two of the things I check out when I look at teams is the Offensive and Defensive Lines.  I am a believer that if you have big and good Line play, you will either be in or win more games.  I went to the SFU website to look at the roster and coaches.  First of all, I was surprised to see their head coach was a 11 year veteran of the NFL and was an All Pro Lineman for 2 years.  He obviously knows football.  I do not know any of the players on the roster, but I did note that there are 9 300+  lb offensive linemen on the roster along with several more approaching 300 lb.  They have some OL depth.  On the Defensive Line, I counted 5 players who weigh 275 lb or more along with several other Defensive Linemen around 250 lbs.  So, they have some decent size on the D Line.

 

With all of this data, I still think the Zips will blow them out.  

 

In Coach JoeMo we Trust!!!!

[72 Roo]

I also went with the Zips by 4 TD's. Our OL is now good, not great, but moving in the right direction. We have 3 WR's that will not be stopped and 2 RB's (Wiley and Norells) who allow us to attack all over the field with talent and depth. The offense will be kept simple for Irons so execution becomes the goal not diversity. None of this is good if we cannot stop SFU. Our D will be much improved. Every facet will be better.  Improvement starts with the DL. We got better on the DL but it is the area that we improved the least. Yet if they are serviceable our LB's and DB's can carry the day. The D is going from terrible to fair. It will take time to get to the level we need in the MAC and it will not happen in games with MSU and Tennessee. But it will continue the improvement over the entire season. I'm good with that as that's when we will need it the most.

[GP1]

If the Zips get a chance to beat them 100-0 they should take it. No more Mr. Nice Guy. 

[ZippyRulz]

On 8/30/2022 at 9:57 AM, Zipmeister said:

Here's your chance to make a fortune.

the Vegas book(s) have the spread at

about two touchdowns

 

The line has edged up to -16/16.5

 

[AkronAlumnus]

45-13 Akron

[Captain Kangaroo]

I’m going with a comfortable 48-16 Zips win. I think our talent and coaching is leaps-and-bounds above 2021. I see no chance of entering the 4th quarter in a tightly contested game (like last season’s 14-14 tie with Bryant).

 

The Zips feel good about themselves for a week and a half before traveling to East Lansing. Then the fun begins…