Rifle

Despite my infatuation with the Second Amendment, the rifle team has always scared me a bit.

The one member I knew seemed to be a total nutjob. But I played a game of bowling with another today, and he was normal.

Michael Tokarz is the only male shooter on scholarship. Coach Newt Engle recruited him from Greenbrier East High School in West Virginia. Tokarz said the team should be really good this season after only losing two seniors. The Zips are ranked in the nation's top-20.

Tokarz said the team would like a new home. Currently, the Zips shoot in Schrank Hall. Their first competition is the Boilermaker Invitational in October.

(For what it's worth, I beat Tokarz in our only game of bowling.)

Football

With the first games of the season beginning tonight, this is your last reminder to join the Buchtelite's college football pick'em league.

College Pick'em is basically a season-long contest to see who can predict the most winners of college football games. We have 21 of the most hardcore Zips fans on board. The max is 50.

If you don't have a Yahoo account, it takes a couple minutes to sign up. Then you click this link to join the Pick'em private league. The league ID number is 14831. The password is beatkent.

• One of tonight's games is Kent State against Minnesota. The ABJ's Gary Estwick wrote a good story about Flashes running back Jon Drager, who is returning after two knee surgeries. He has some strong competition this fall, unlike last year when quarterback Michael Machen was handing off to recently-converted defensive players.
• Other MAC action includes Boston College at Central Michigan (ESPN2), Northwestern at Miami (ESPNU), Temple at Buffalo, Eastern Michigan at Ball State and Toledo at Iowa State. Minnesota at Kent is on ESPN360.

CBSSportsline.com predicts bowl appearances for four MAC teams…

• Toledo vs. Minnesota in the Motor City Bowl
• Akron vs. Rutgers in the International Bowl
• Northern Illinois vs. Southern Miss in the GMAC Bowl
• Miami vs. Colorado State in the Poinsettia Bowl

The site also ranks Division I-A's 119 teams. Of the MAC schools…

• Northern Illinois is 57th
• Toledo is 60th
• Akron is 67th
• Miami is 75th

Volleyball

Akron will try to prove its great performance at the West Virginia Classic was no fluke at the Rhode Island Invitational this weekend.

The competition will include undefeated Pittsburgh, winless Northeastern and 1-2 Rhode Island.

Beating Pitt would certainly make me sold on this young team's potential.

Football

The author of a Penn State blog chatted with me last weekend. Click here for the link to my answers to his six questions on Black Shoe Diaries.

Football

Terry Pluto wrote a column about the Zips questionable status with the NCAA.

His solution: Schedule D-IAA Youngstown State. The attendance boost should help.

Here is another story from the ABJ about Kent State's status as an attendance-troubled school. But the Flashes are making progress! Coach Doug Martin boasted: "For example, we'd never had a training table for the players to eat on."

Small victories. Small victories. I suppose leaving the nation's basement is too lofty of a goal for now.

• Zips wet in ink: It appears the media train is fully geared for Saturday's Akron-Penn State game. Here are six stories about the game. Since all the reporters heard the same press conference, the stories basically mesh. There are some worth reading, though.
• Philadelphia Daily News - Akron's strengths will challenge Penn State's weaknesses.
• Akron Beacon Journal - Penn State coach Joe Paterno nearly offered Luke Getsy a scholarship.
• Reading Eagle - Paterno is especially concerned about his inexperienced offensive line.
• Pittsburgh Post Gazette - Paterno worries about Akron's 3-3-5 defense, too.
• Wilkes Barre Times-Leader - Sports columnist Jerry Kellar gives several reasons why Akron might win. This is far and away the best game preview I've read.
• Patriot-News - Columnist David Jones also wrote a solid story. An interesting tidbit: He ventures into the reason Pitt coach Walt Harris did not release Getsy from his scholarship. Basically, Harris is a red-ass.

Football

Carlton Jackson beat out Chris Jacquemain for the backup quarterback job, but just barely, the ABJ's David Lee Morgan reports. The freshmen are very close, coach J.D. Brookhart said.

Meanwhile, freshman John Stec won the punter's job from sophomore Andy Hildreth.

(Some good news for Morgan: He doesn't appear to be one of the ABJ's job casualties. That's good news for Zips fans, who can be sure the team has a beat writer this season.)

• The Centre Daily Times previewed Akron's season.
• The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reminded its readers that Brookhart's Pitt offense beat Penn State 12-0 in 2000.

Football

As one of college football's premier senior quarterbacks, Luke Getsy made the watch list for the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award.

Phil Horvath of Northern Illinois is the only other MAC quarterback on the list.

Like the Heisman, the only way an Akron player can win such a huge national award is through an exemplary team season.

• Dave Ruthenberg of MACReportOnline.com asked readers: What is the most intense rivalry in the MAC. No. 1 is the neighborly feud between Bowling Green and Toledo. Akron-Kent State did not crack the top four. Click here for the full results and comments from fans.
• Nick from VanDelaySports.com made predictions on the first week of MAC games. He has Akron losing by 21.

Football

Matt Rodgers, a drop-back quarterback from Pittsburgh, decided today to take Akron's scholarship offer.

Rodgers enters a depth chart full of youth. That's why I raise an eyebrow that Rivals.com calls Rodgers the Zips "quarterback of the future." After watching some highlight videos of Rodgers, I certainly hesitate to call him a bigger prospect than Sean Hakes.

Rodgers certainly seems to be a highly touted player, however. Ohio, Toledo and Bowling Green offered him a scholarship. Boston College also had interest.

The highlight videos showed me three things: 1) He's an accurate passer. 2) He locks onto one receiver too often. 3) He can scramble pretty well.

No word on whether Rodgers is related to rock/blues icon Paul Rodgers.

• Today was the first day of classes: In the Student Union, the athletic department played a video of the Zips' MAC Championship victory.
• This is purely anecdotal, but I saw a lot more Zips hats and Fear the Roo tee-shirts than last semester.
• Here's yet another reminder: Join the Buchtelite's College Pick'em League. College Pick'em is basically a season-long contest to see who can predict the most winners of college football games. Buchtelite sports editor Dan Kadar has promised to award the winner a prize. Seeing how he won't pay for the fantasy baseball league I'm running away with, the better award will likely be pride.
• If you don't have a Yahoo account, it takes a couple minutes to sign up. Then you click this link to join the Pick'em private league. The league ID number is 14831. The password is beatkent.
• In the words of a cheesy infomercial, "Don't delay. Sign up today." The season begins Thursday.

Football

GoZips.com updated coach J.D. Brookhart's depth chart, but it appears eight battles are ongoing.

The most shifting is likely to occur in the secondary where the only certainties are John Mackey at Rover and Andre Jones at one cornerback position. Yes, that includes Reggie Corner, the cornerback who has started 24-straight games who is fighting for a job with Brandon Anderson.

• Here are GoZips.com's game notes for the opener against Penn State.
• The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says Brookhart didn't expect Luke Getsy to be this good. Getsy, meanwhile, talks about how football is now in the air in Akron.
• Brookhart knows what to expect from Penn State's quarterback Anthony Morelli, the Patriot-News reports. He recruited him at Pitt.

Men's soccer

The worst-case scenario was Akron dropping a second-consecutive game to Davidson.

Luckily for coach Caleb Porter, that didn't happen. Akron beat Davidson 2-0.

Porter watched the game from the stands. Also reduced to spectators were Geir Nyheim, Matt Augustin and Ben Zemanski, who were hurt during the Zips' 5-0 loss to UC-Santa Barbara.

The Zips will return home for a Friday match at 7:30 p.m. against St. Bonaventure.

Women's soccer

The Zips used two overtimes to beat New Mexico at Lee Jackson Field Sunday, 1-0.

Amee Thompson's goal in the 111th minute gave Akron the Carolina Pardee Invitational Championship.

The Zips move to 2-0 and will next play at IUPIU in Indianapolis on Friday.

Football

It looks like Zips recruit Curtis Brown is making a nice recovery.

He broke some bones in his face in a car accident that killed his friend.

Brown plans to enroll at UA in January. The coaches will hold his scholarship for him.