Diaco: "Shirreffs is ahead of Boyle now."

[mikedog10]

http://www.courant.com/sports/uconn-football/hc-uconn-football-0410-20150409-story.html

UConn Coach Bob Diaco said Thursday that Shirreffs is ahead in the race to be the starting quarterback. Shirreffs, junior Tim Boyle and freshman Tyler Davis have bee in competition this spring.

"Shirreffs had more production on a day-to-day basis, but Boyle is playing his best since we've seen him," Diaco said.

Diaco said the QB position is not settled and won't be until summer camp but "Shirreffs is ahead of Boyle now."

Garrett Anderson, a junior college transfer from Laney (Calif.), joins the program in the summer to provide more competition.

Diaco has established Bryant as the #1, but made note that Tim is played better than ever. This leads me to believe that our QB play has to be better than last year. It was important for Diaco to establish one guy as the leader, but not alienate Tim. It's also important to give Garrett a fair chance to win the job. I'm glad he came out with this statement, can't wait to see the boys play Saturday!

 

[Stainmaster]

We'll wait to see how he handles it after fall camp. But this is making me hopeful that we won't have a repeat of last season's press conference fiasco. Good decisiveness, Bobby.

 

[DoctorWho85]

Seems like Diaco learned from his mistakes last year. Hoping last year was just a case of first year head coach making first year head coaching mistakes with a roster that was low on a scholarship players.

 

[uconndogs]

We will run from QB position and I even see some read option in our future. Makes perfect sense for UCONN.

 

[CL82]

Well boys I guess there's a new Shirreff(s) in town.

(Bah, stop your groaning. You knew someone was going to do it!)

 

[huskymedic]

http://snyuconn.com/uconn/football/uconn-football-shirreffs-edges-ahead-at-quarterback/

 

[DoctorWho85]

Well boys I guess there's a new Shirreff(s) in town.

(Bah, stop your groaning. You knew someone was going to do it!)

Beat me to it by 13 minutes

 

[fgbrault]

http://www.courant.com/sports/uconn-football/hc-uconn-football-0410-20150409-story.html



Diaco has established Bryant as the #1, but made note that Tim is played better than ever. This leads me to believe that our QB play has to be better than last year. It was important for Diaco to establish one guy as the leader, but not alienate Tim. It's also important to give Garrett a fair chance to win the job. I'm glad he came out with this statement, can't wait to see the boys play Saturday!

I have hope!

 

[freescooter]

The optimistic view is we finally have a good qb. The pessimistic view is he's only a little better than a guy with 11 ints to 1 td.

 

[Hoophound]

And Tyler is red shirting no matter what so any talk of anyone beating him is just talk. I don't think it is an indicator of his actual performance.

 

[huskysupporter]

And Tyler is red shirting no matter what so any talk of anyone beating him is just talk. I don't think it is an indicator of his actual performance.

Anyone who expected a true freshman to perform well during his first spring was being overly optimistic. Davis needs to redshirt. It is a big jump from playing high school qb to playing qb in college. He needs time to learn and practice against college defense.

 

[businesslawyer]

It's words. Talk to me after Opening Day

 

[Waquoit]

Seems like Diaco learned from his mistakes last year. Hoping last year was just a case of first year head coach making first year head coaching mistakes with a roster that was low on a scholarship players.

I think it's to early to tell. He seems like the same old equivocating, mush mouth to me so far.

 

[freescooter]

I think it's to early to tell. He seems like the same old equivocating, mush mouth to me so far.

To some extent that's my impression too. I just don't get the fascination with Boyle was was not good. And if he didn't plan to name a starter during the spring just don't say it. Maybe we are in a better place than last year but maybe we're looking at Shirrefs on 1st and 3rd downs and Boyle on 2nd and 4th, and Davis on obvious passing downs in games played on even numbered days and against teams from states ending in the letter a. Just like last year.

 

[uconnbill]

I have no issue waiting till Summer and seeing what the JUCO does when he comes in. I hope whoever wins the competition has a better year than last season along with a better line

 

[freescooter]

Bill
I don't have a problem either. Just don't say you plan to name a starter by the end of Spring. Or even as "things changed as a result of adding the Juco kid". And if you give someone the job give him the damned job! And all the support that goes with it. Don't make it sound like he isn't very good by saying he's barely ahead of Boyle. We've seen Boyle for 2 years now. A parking meter would be slightly better than Boyle. Sorry but he was the worst qb in D1a 2 consecutive seasons by rating. Nice kid. Low 1aa talent.

 

[weyuo]

Bill
I don't have a problem either. Just don't say you plan to name a starter by the end of Spring. Or even as "things changed as a result of adding the Juco kid". And if you give someone the job give him the damned job! And all the support that goes with it. Don't make it sound like he isn't very good by saying he's barely ahead of Boyle. We've seen Boyle for 2 years now. A parking meter would be slightly better than Boyle. Sorry but he was the worst qb in D1a 2 consecutive seasons by rating. Nice kid. Low 1aa talent.

That's not 100% fair..... but more than 50% fair. The offensive line would have made anyone look poor at QB. A stellar O-line would have made Chandler Whitmer one of the better QB's UConn ever had and given Boyle a lot more time to figure things out. It's tough to play good when the defense is in the backfield almost as fast as the snapped football is.

 

[Kgun7]

That's not 100% fair..... but more than 50% fair. The offensive line would have made anyone look poor at QB. A stellar O-line would have made Chandler Whitmer one of the better QB's UConn ever had and given Boyle a lot more time to figure things out. It's tough to play good when the defense is in the backfield almost as fast as the snapped football is.

I get what you're saying about the importance of the O-line, but the QB's reads and adjustments are crucial to that success. Sometimes when the QB is running for his life it is his own damn fault.

 

[ZooCougar]

Ambiguous Bob Diaco.

 

[Palatine]

That's not 100% fair..... but more than 50% fair. The offensive line would have made anyone look poor at QB. A stellar O-line would have made Chandler Whitmer one of the better QB's UConn ever had and given Boyle a lot more time to figure things out. It's tough to play good when the defense is in the backfield almost as fast as the snapped football is.

Whitmer made many of his own mistakes. Many. Think Army.

 

[cttxus]

I get what you're saying about the importance of the O-line, but the QB's reads and adjustments are crucial to that success. Sometimes when the QB is running for his life it is his own damn fault.

That's not 100% fair..... but more than 50% fair. The offensive line would have made anyone look poor at QB. A stellar O-line would have made Chandler Whitmer one of the better QB's UConn ever had and given Boyle a lot more time to figure things out. It's tough to play good when the defense is in the backfield almost as fast as the snapped football is.

This has been posted before but I'm looking forward to seeing Garrett Anderson compete for the QB job this summer. He's demonstrated, at least on his highlight film, what he can do even with a Swiss cheese O line. Besides his ability to avoid the rush and extend plays, he seems to make good decisions under pressure. I also like his ability to make tough throws running to his left, and I like his arm strength overall while on the run, which will probably come in handy again this year. This is the kind of QB that defenses will have to respect . He can make all the plays.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I could well be wrong but I believe that in a perfect world the staff would like to get enough out of Shirreffs as a starter and Anderson as a backup that they could redshirt both Boyle and Davis this year.

 

[freescooter]

If Shireffs and/or Anderson establish themselves this season, with Davis developing and ready to step in next year or in 2017, plus presumably we'll recruit another qb this year, I have to think redshirting Boyle, who doesn't really fit our offense anyway and who has shown less than top quality ability, isn't in the cards. Waste of a scholarship. It didn't work out for him. It happens a lot. There are probably 50 quarterbacks at D1A schools who look to have the physical tools but lack something, whether its speed, understanding, decision-making or some intangible. Boyle is one of those. He's demonstrated it time and time again. Give him a big thanks, give him his diploma (assuming he earned it) and the next time he goes to Rentschler Field is with a ticket. I don't mean to be harsh, but this is big time football, or at least hopes to be. You don't redshirt guys who have used up their eligibilty just because they are nice kids from the State.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I realize that the bulk of this board at one time viewed Boyle as a savior and as he wasn't capable of being that during his (true) freshman year his (injured) sophomore year it is now time to cast him aside forever. Fortunately for him (and the football program) the coaching staff is a bit more rational.

I'm still of the opinion (I could well be wrong here) that the staff views Boyle as having a much higher ceiling than either Shirreffs or Anderson and that they believe they can develop (this is an important term) Boyle into a quality QB at this level.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

I realize that the bulk of this board at one time viewed Boyle as a savior and as he wasn't capable of being that during his (true) freshman year his (injured) sophomore year it is now time to cast him aside forever. Fortunately for him (and the football program) the coaching staff is a bit more rational.

I'm still of the opinion (I could well be wrong here) that the staff views Boyle as having a much higher ceiling than either Shirreffs or Anderson and that they believe they can develop (this is an important term) Boyle into a quality QB at this level.

I would agree but the fact that BD is recruiting duel threat QBs leads me to believe that Boyle isn't his prototype. I don't know how much the coaches will work on developing a QB that might not be the right QB for their offense.

I think Boyle has had really bad luck with the coaching, bad offensive lines and injuries. I don't agree with comments that he isn't a D1 QB. I think with a red shirt year, stable and good coaches, and no injuries, he would be a very solid pro style d1 QB right now. But...that didn't happen and his development has been stunted and he actually regressed last year.

With confidence he could be good here. I just don't know if his style is what BD wants for his offense.