UConn Football is Dead

[CTMike]

I take absolutely no pleasure in writing this... I'm an '01 grad and season ticket holder since the Rent opened. I love UConn and UConn athletics. It makes me sick to say it, but UConn Football, as we've known it, is dead.

This spring, I would have argued that it was only mostly dead, that "Miracle Bob" would save us... But what seemed like a sign of life at the end of last season ended up our last gasp of breath.

We are atrocious.
We are not a competitive D1 team.
The fans know this.
Other conferences know this.

There are those that say support the team through thick and thin, and I get that. Hell, Warde and Diaco have taken turns pleading for it. I'll still be there. A few of us here will be there. But a lot of folks are going to allocate their time and their funds elsewhere, and I can't blame them.

We had a nice 10+ year taste of top level football, but those days are long gone. There is never a good time to drive a program off a cliff, but as the college football landscape has shifted, this truly has been the worst possible time. Nobody wants to stay in the AAC a day more than possible, but we aren't giving anyone a reason to give us a serious look. Top level college football has passed us by. This has obvious wide ranging ramifications that make me depressed, so I try not to think about them.

The only thing left is to hope for rebirth. I still believe in my heart that bleeds blue that Diaco can turn this program around, but this process will take years. I'm not sure who is going to stick it out in the meantime, or what the conference landscape is going to look like if we get there. Until we show a pulse though, one thing is certain - we are in some seriously dark times.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Well said.

A thought that crossed my mind was if CR had happened just two seasons sooner, Cuse and Ville were digging out of the Robinson/Kragthorpe era and we were the fastest rising FBS program.

In the ACC, futured secured, this rebuild could be pulled off. In the AAC? I don't know.

My ultimate fear is that the football program which was started to protect basketball, may end up being a big factor in bringing it down.

Not if, but when the Big 12 takes UCF, Cincinnati the thought to just join the MAC and beg for a basketball invite to the big east has crossed my mind.

 

[UConnDan97]

Hang in there, brotha.

There is still hope that the turnaround can happen. I truly believe that.
The defense held the other team to 10 points, even after being on the field for more than half the game. As for the offense...well, that's gonna take some time. I'm under no illusion that we can make a bowl game this year, because that would truly require Miracle Bob. But our linemen will get bigger and better. Our freshman impact players will become sophomores and juniors. Our rookie head coach will hopefully figure out how the hell to be a head coach.

And maybe...just maybe...we won't give the other team 4 extra possessions every game (3 TO's and a safety)...maybe...

...keep hope alive, Mike...

 

[Chin Diesel]

I take absolutely no pleasure in writing this... I'm an '01 grad and season ticket holder since the Rent opened. I love UConn and UConn athletics. It makes me sick to say it, but UConn Football, as we've known it, is dead.

This spring, I would have argued that it was only mostly dead, that "Miracle Bob" would save us... But what seemed like a sign of life at the end of last season ended up our last gasp of breath.

We are atrocious.
We are not a competitive D1 team.
The fans know this.
Other conferences know this.

There are those that say support the team through thick and thin, and I get that. Hell, Warde and Diaco have taken turns pleading for it. I'll still be there. A few of us here will be there. But a lot of folks are going to allocate their time and their funds elsewhere, and I can't blame them.

We had a nice 10+ year taste of top level football, but those days are long gone. There is never a good time to drive a program off a cliff, but as the college football landscape has shifted, this truly has been the worst possible time. Nobody wants to stay in the AAC a day more than possible, but we aren't giving anyone a reason to give us a serious look. Top level college football has passed us by. This has obvious wide ranging ramifications that make me depressed, so I try not to think about them.

The only thing left is to hope for rebirth. I still believe in my heart that bleeds blue that Diaco can turn this program around, but this process will take years. I'm not sure who is going to stick it out in the meantime, or what the conference landscape is going to look like if we get there. Until we show a pulse though, one thing is certain - we are in some seriously dark times.

I agree with everything but the last paragraph. It is apparent to every recruit that this staff cannot instill an identity and it's also painfully obvious that UConn doesn't have a staff like UCF or ECU where they can develop one-off misfits in to BCS bowl caliber teams. Too many options besides UConn where they can excel in football and the classroom.

 

[cryjeremiah]

I take absolutely no pleasure in writing this... I'm an '01 grad and season ticket holder since the Rent opened. I love UConn and UConn athletics. It makes me sick to say it, but UConn Football, as we've known it, is dead.

This spring, I would have argued that it was only mostly dead, that "Miracle Bob" would save us... But what seemed like a sign of life at the end of last season ended up our last gasp of breath.

We are atrocious.
We are not a competitive D1 team.
The fans know this.
Other conferences know this.

There are those that say support the team through thick and thin, and I get that. Hell, Warde and Diaco have taken turns pleading for it. I'll still be there. A few of us here will be there. But a lot of folks are going to allocate their time and their funds elsewhere, and I can't blame them.

We had a nice 10+ year taste of top level football, but those days are long gone. There is never a good time to drive a program off a cliff, but as the college football landscape has shifted, this truly has been the worst possible time. Nobody wants to stay in the AAC a day more than possible, but we aren't giving anyone a reason to give us a serious look. Top level college football has passed us by. This has obvious wide ranging ramifications that make me depressed, so I try not to think about them.

The only thing left is to hope for rebirth. I still believe in my heart that bleeds blue that Diaco can turn this program around, but this process will take years. I'm not sure who is going to stick it out in the meantime, or what the conference landscape is going to look like if we get there. Until we show a pulse though, one thing is certain - we are in some seriously dark times.

AAAGGH sportsart!!!!

good post by the way. painfully true.

 

[UconnU]

Hang in there man basketball season is only a month away.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Out of curiosity, what is your opinion of the states of the football programs at ECU & UCF?

Below (I hope the table copies somewhat legibly) is the past dozen years for both programs. Each should have been dead at least once.

ECU UCF
2003 1 10 CUSA 2003 3 9 MAC
2004 2 9 CUSA 2004 0 11 MAC
2005 5 6 CUSA 2005 8 5 CUSA
2006 7 6 CUSA 2006 4 8 CUSA
2007 8 5 CUSA 2007 10 4 CUSA
2008 9 5 CUSA 2008 4 8 CUSA
2009 9 5 CUSA 2009 8 5 CUSA
2010 6 7 CUSA 2010 11 3 CUSA
2011 5 7 CUSA 2011 5 7 CUSA
2012 8 5 CUSA 2012 10 4 CUSA
2013 10 3 CUSA 2013 12 1 AAC

 

[metsfan2323]

The program is dead but you think Diaco can turn it around......so were not dead?

Get a grip everybody. We just need better QB and line play and the elimination of the full back offense. Find Claxx and Walsh new positions.

Our defense is on the road to being very, very good and a mobile QB will change everything.

We do need to go on an all out Boneyard campaign to make Diaco commit to the spread offense. Pro style is old style and out of style for a reason. How we found the only coach in his 40's who likes using a fullback is beyond my understanding.

 

[whaler11]

What changed since the last game?

With the right coach anyone can win.

Snyder at K State. Franklin at Vandy. Mangino at Kansas.

Unless you quit you are never dead.

 

[noeynox]

CFB is so much about the HC and QB. With Diaco, I'm hoping he can pull a Matt Rhule and go from looking lost to competent. Can we find a PJ Walker like QB?

I am not giving up hope but a lot of what you wrote is spot on. I fear that Diaco could turn into GRob, though my heart and gut tell me it isn't so. I like the defense for the most part, but he has got to find a way to get something out of the offense. It isn't all the players. Running Delorenzo from that deep in the endzone was a sure fire disaster, why no QB sneak there, to get yourself a yard or two? That safety ended up being huge because we are so inept offensively.

I haven't give up hope and doubt I ever will, but the home crowds will get smaller and smaller around us at the rent until there is some tangible progress and not just talk about winning in the class room and in the cafeteria. We are bad and as about exciting as watching paint dry on offense.

 

[noeynox]

What changed since the last game?

With the right coach anyone can win.

Snyder at K State. Franklin at Vandy. Mangino at Kansas.

Unless you quit you are never dead.

A man after my own heart. Mike Price at Washington State, Hugh Freeze at Ole Miss, Cutcliffe at Duke. Glen Mason at Kansas.

 

[whaler11]

A man after my own heart. Mike Price at Washington State, Hugh Freeze at Ole Miss, Cutcliffe at Duke. Glen Mason at Kansas.

Cutcliffe is a perfect example. He is a million years old, talked smack to Johnson all week and then dismantled Tech on the road this week.

 

[noeynox]

Cutcliffe is a perfect example. He is a million years old, talked smack to Johnson all week and then dismantled Tech on the road this week.

Cutcliffe is a real good coach. Ole Miss went through a similar transition after they fired him, that we seem to be going through since Edsall bolted. Freeze now has them turned around and on the cusp of great things. We can win with the right coach, but we need to score points. Many of the coaches were pointing out were offensive coaches.

 

[Fishy]

AAAGGH sportsart!!!!

Knock it off.

 

[timdawg]

This team's major problem is the o-line. It all begins there.

Many of you here are also Patriots fans, so you're no stranger to atrocious o-line play this year. In the game against KC, when Jimmy Garapolo got sacked in the 4th quarter, John Gruden commented that it doesn't matter who you have back there or what scheme you're trying to run. If you can't block, you can't run an offense. Period.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

I'm willing to give Diaco a one-year pass. The qb he intended to (mostly) start retired on him, he inherited an atrocity of an O-line, and at most skill positions, there's simply no skill. He needs a new QB for next season, wherever one can be had, retool the O-line as much as possible, and then he'll be on the hook for what happens. There MUST be noticeable progress by next year. It's absolutely astonishing how little talent P had on this roster.

 

[huskyniner]

The funniest/saddest part is that we're coming off a bye week. That's right, we had two weeks to prepare for Tulane and we only put up 3 points. Tulane. Bye week. 3 points.

 

[RedStickHusky]

Not dead to me but maybe dormant. I still thing Diaco gets it turned around eventually, but at this point, that's not a belief I can rationalize or defend. BY is once again slipping into polarized camps and I don't really want to play. Think I'll come back when we have something good to talk about.

 

[donyell34]

Sad watching the game , super sad after reading the posts of some very knowledgeable football guys. Was planning on a quite long post but just have no words to express this so very frustrating spot we are in now. What the hell happened to this football program?

 

[UCFBfan]

I think Mike hit the nail on the head that the timing of this continued disaster is possibly catastrophic for this program. Call it jumping off the deep end or going overboard but honestly, it's the truth. If any one of you think that a P5 conference would come calling right now should the landscape shift again, I'd like some of what your smoking/drinking. Many people here think the basketball program is what will carry us out of here but guess what, the ACC passed us up for Louisville when they had the chance to add our program. Biggest reason, football.

So if anyone thinks we're going to be saved, they need to wake up. Reality needs to start happening for some of you. I'm not saying Diaco needs or doesn't deserve his time because he does. He's a first year coach. Whether you think he can do it or not is your opinion and I'll withhold mine for right now. All I will say is that we all, no matter if you like the guy, believe in him, or not, better hope he can turn this around and fast because IMO, he will be the most defining coach in where UConn ends up in 5 years. Should college conferences shift again, which they likely will, it will be the state of the football program that will determine if we're stuck in an even more watered down AAC (assuming teams from our conference are moved up) or if we get one of the last few golden tickets.

 

[sub legacy]

I'm willing to give Diaco a one-year pass. The qb he intended to (mostly) start retired on him, he inherited an atrocity of an O-line, and at most skill positions, there's simply no skill. He needs a new QB for next season, wherever one can be had, retool the O-line as much as possible, and then he'll be on the hook for what happens. There MUST be noticeable progress by next year. It's absolutely astonishing how little talent P had on this roster.

The transfer from NC State, Shirreffs, whose sitting out the season due to transfer rules, is presumably on deck for next season and probably Diaco's pet. It seems to be a fair assumption that Boyle is transferring following this season, because absolutely no one can wrap their heads around burning his redshirt two consecutive years, yet coddling him as much as Diaco has. It would actually be a surprise if he didn't transfer and decided to compete. Shirreffs is supposed to be a big, strong mobile quarterback. Just from a physicality standpoint, he seems like a huge upgrade over Whitmer and, dare I say, Boyle. Only time will tell.

 

[Milo65]

This team is unwatchable. 3 yards and a cloud of dust, QB running for his life, how many ways can we give the ball away? HOW MANY? I want to believe! It's just getting tougher every week. I went from possible bowl bid to maybe we can get one in conference to just play a little better every week. I now have no expectations for this team. NONE! We have the absolute worst offensive line in college football and we are running a power run game with a fullback and tight end. A POWER RUN GAME! By the way, we have zero o-line recruits! Unless we get some transfers in, I expect more of the same next year.

 

[TheJerk]

I think we need to find the 5 fattest guys on campus an offer them try-outs. It couldn't be any worse could it?

 

[chapwilvaug72]

mr. j: you & your above comment-priceless lol

 

[ktuck911]

I think we need to find the 5 fattest guys on campus an offer them try-outs. It couldn't be any worse could it?

Take a page out of Arkansas' book.... they have the top 5 biggest Ol between the NFL and FBS football