Zips football: Kicking and clearing the air

 Random musings from the recesses of what is supposed to be my mind…yeah, that’s it.

You think the players can’t wait to play another team?  Hell, I actually can’t wait for them to play another team either – for several reasons.

The defense and offense are chomping at the bit to go at other players. It would give them an excuse to hit someone and have it mean something in the grand scheme of things.   Come to think about it, it would give me something to write about as well.  How do you know when pickin’s slim story wise?  When you start writing about kickers such as in the story I just filed 30 minutes ago. 

Seriously, though, it’s a story worth writing because Robert Stein and Zach Paul are both redshirt freshmen who will be playing in their first college games next Thursday and they’ve shown some promise, with Stein hitting field goals from beyond 40 yards and Paul booming punts of up to 65 yards in practice.  Of course game conditions can change that, but right now it looks as if the Zips could be solid in that realm.  Of course punting less is a good thing and field goals are nice, but touchdowns are nicer.

Clearing the air

Some folks will have to indulge me this football season.  Much like with hoops last winter, this football thing is going to be a learning experience.

No, not because I’m too stupid to cover football (some might disagree with that, by the way), but because the MAC is new to me. 

If nothing else covering the conference has taught me that the fan base is rabid and fiercely loyal. That’s not a bad thing.  It’s refreshing to see that within normal boundaries.  Here’s the dilemma, however.  I came to this beat from covering high school sports.  I worked Friday nights and was off Saturday and Sundays.  I’m a football nut.  It’s the only sport I can say that I am passionate about.  I like others, but football I love in all forms from pee wee to pros. However, never in my life did I seek out MAC football.  That’s not meant as an insult, but I attended two colleges and swear allegiance to their sports teams – one I don’t dare mention here for fear that my scarlet and grey blood will run through cyberspace.  The other is a college that participates in the backyard rivalries around here – it is not Kent – and it’s a short drive up north.

Saturdays were devoted to football of the one school and, well, I casually followed the hoops team of the other via box scores.

So what’s the point to this rambling exercise in idiocy?

People have asked my opinion about the Zips and the rest of the conference. I would be a liar to say that I knew the MAC teams all that well.  I’ve studied what I could.  However. given what’s happened to the Zips in the past eight months, I know them best of all because me and the coaching staff are both new.  I won’t offer an opinion regarding how the Zips will stack up against the rest of the conference this season  or what their win-loss record will be.  It would be misleading to do so.   Right now, here’s what I know:  three wins would be a successful season for UA given the past two.

How’s that for going out on a limb?