UConn Football is Dead

[ktuck911]

Hey guys, me thinks this might have been HCBD's expectations of this team all along. He's clearly in full rebuild mold with this team. Only problem I have is he could've at least cut the political talk out to us fans and kept it 100 with us. Just say up front to be prepared for a looong season.

Being die hard bleed blue Husky myself, every time I watch them this season, I keep having a glimmer of hope that they finally 'get it' and turn all that they're learning from this new staff into a finished product on the football field. Only problem with that mindset is that once they get on the field of play you get the same results. There are definitely pieces there for us to build on, but when the opposing team's defense is able pin their ears back put 7 to 8 men in the box and wreak havoc on the QB like that, STARTING FROM OUR 2ND OFFENSIVE SERIES OF THE GAME, Ray Charles (from his grave) & Stevie Wonder can see there's no real chance this team is going to win...painfully obvious we'll finish 0-fer the rest of the way...

Gotta sit and grin and bare it guys.... Hopefully coach can get this thing pointed in the right direction by year 3. If not we fell for the old car salesman lingo....

 

[junglehusky]

While there is no way around how depressing the team's performance is, I think the tendancy to worry about perception and realignment in the short term is overblown.I don't think any moves will be made by the BXII, ACC or B1G for at least a couple years which gives UConn a window to improve. Diaco was not hired to win in year one with PP's recruits, and while he was hired to turn around the program sooner rather than later, that is still a 2-3 year time frame.

What should be obvious to the fans on this messageboard, but is constantly ignored, is that it is very difficult to evaluate performance of the team or coaches when they are hampered by a sub-FCS offensive line. Our defense is young but decent. Defense was the foundation for bowl eligible teams in the Edsall era, so if that can be replicated and the offense can be merely competent, the record will improve.

 

[CTMike]

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.

I agree.

I don't know if I had an overall point or was just venting, but I guess it was just that : us being the plucky D1 newcomer, picking off ND and South Carolina, scraping our way to the Fiesta - that's gone. We aren't a program on the rise and haven't been for years. That era is dead. We are very much, in a sense, starting over (though, not from trailers this time). We have to claw our way back to the top level again, and it's that much harder to do in today's environment. We need to rise from the ashes. I'm hoping that this is bottom, so we can start that long march back to the top. I'm ready for bottom. I'm ready for that march.

 

[Milo65]

CW also has some blame here, even my HS football team had the ability to audible out of a run play

 

[Hoophound]

All the positivity in this thread is great. Here are my big concerns about Diaco turning things around:

1. The offense is terrible. We need to go to a spread and modernize. The current offensive scheme and play calling is awful. He needs a new OC and he needs to keep his own paws off the offense.

2. He hasn't shown the ability to narrow his rotation of players enough to bring continuity.

3. He does odd things like play Foxx at QB, then abandons it, even when those odd things work.

4. He plays mind games. "Boyle is the QB of the future......if he doesn't get beat out". Wow, strong statement. That doesn't help Boyle or the fans. It is just nonsense talk. I doubt Boyle returns.

5. He says weird things in public. He kind of reminds me of that dude who was Ross Perot's running mate years ago. Just says stuff that is totally odd and it makes the reporters uncomfortable enough that they just let it go.

6. He isn't using schemes that will help these guys win.

7. He is continually selling us on what a mess he inherited. I'll say it, PP was a better game coach and it wasn't close. He beat Louisville and Maryland. Bob has beaten Stony Brook, barely.

8. I feel that the players are getting unfairly attacked as bad players who were out of shape and had no discipline. They don't look or play stronger, was any of that even true? They are even less disciplined on the field. It's beginning to look like a bunch of exaggeration.

If I were Warde I'd be awfully concerned career wise. There is a fork in the road coming and you are either with Diaco or without him. Which way to turn is becoming really difficult to determine. I understand the issue with firing a coach too fast, but this is just a weird path to getting better. We are getting worse and have shown no improvement at all, none. I really can't see us beating anyone on the schedule unless Foxx is the QB and he turns out to be good at it. Even then, will the staff recognize it and scheme to take advantage?

 

[whaler11]

Unless Diaco did something to make his contract void they couldn't fire him if they lost 70-0 every week.

There isn't $10 million more laying around for the next guy.

 

[traitor71]

Have to find a way to get players. Fast, athletic players that are capable of playing in an aggressive scheme. When you watch the team, it's clear that there just isn't much there. So the question is, is Diaco capable of finding the kids that are maybe a notch below what the top programs can get and can be developed? He needs a couple of years to show that he can or can't. However, this conservative style does nothing. It's a feeble effort to keep games close in the hopes of stealing a win here or there. It doesn't appeal to fans and more importantly, recruits. Based on that alone I suspect he is headed towards being replaced in a couple of years.

 

[Hoophound]

Unless Diaco did something to make his contract void they couldn't fire him if they lost 70-0 every week. There isn't $10 million more laying around for the next guy.

I'm aware. However, I think we need to give him 3 years per the contract. If he doesn't turn it around some next year, can we afford to go to year 3 when TJ or Whipple would take the job for 500-600k? Not sure it is worth it.

I know Bob is bringing in some athletes, I'm just very concerned that his head coaching strategy is way off.

 

[Hoophound]

Have to find a way to get players. Fast, athletic players that are capable of playing in an aggressive scheme. When you watch the team, it's clear that there just isn't much there. So the question is, is Diaco capable of finding the kids that are maybe a notch below what the top programs can get and can be developed? He needs a couple of years to show that he can or can't. However, this conservative style does nothing. It's a feeble effort to keep games close in the hopes of stealing a win here or there. It doesn't appeal to fans and more importantly, recruits. Based on that alone I suspect he is headed towards being replaced in a couple of years.

That's just it. Whipple is scoring points left and right in Amherst with no talent. Why do we need to wait for Bob to bring in players when he is NEVER going to bring in the players he needs to for his game plan to work. He needs to switch strategies and get a dynamic OC and a running QB or we (and he) are toast.

 

[nycscooby]

This team isn't winning another game this season period. Welcome to the absolute bottom, it boils my blood to think of the laughter in Piscataway, Syracuse and Louisville. WTF did we do to deserve this football reality? Wake me up when this nightmare is over.

 

[metsfan2323]

That's just it. Whipple is scoring points left and right in Amherst with no talent. Why do we need to wait for Bob to bring in players when he is NEVER going to bring in the players he needs to for his game plan to work. He needs to switch strategies and get a dynamic OC and a running QB or we (and he) are toast.

UMASS's QB is a pro prospect. Thank God we don't play UMASS this year. Hathaway was so close to making a good hire with Whipple. Oh Well.

 

[Bonehead]

That's just it. Whipple is scoring points left and right in Amherst with no talent. Why do we need to wait for Bob to bring in players when he is NEVER going to bring in the players he needs to for his game plan to work. He needs to switch strategies and get a dynamic OC and a running QB or we (and he) are toast.

A running QB - I don't care how we win - but wait until you see the comments about not throwing the ball once that happens!!

How many times was Edsalls offense criticized for not passing even when we were winning. Fun times on the board to come for sure!!

 

[Hoophound]

UMASS's QB is a pro prospect.

He wouldn't be here.

 

[concerned143]

We can all thank Larry McHugh

 

[Hoophound]

A running QB - I don't care how we win - but wait until you see the comments about not throwing the ball once that happens!! How many times was Edsalls offense criticized for not passing even when we were winning. Fun times on the board to come for sure!!

We need a running QB. He needs to be able to throw but he can't be a non threat on the ground. A QB that can take off makes up for shortcomings on the OL. Look at the wins Lorenzen produced with no talent as a passer. He just got first downs and got out of trouble. It was ugl and sometimes boring, but it was better than this.

We've let our running QBs slip away again and again without a real shot at playing meaningful minutes. Nebrich, Taylor and McCummings all gone.

 

[BNich]

Hey guys, me thinks this might have been HCBD's expectations of this team all along. He's clearly in full rebuild mold with this team. Only problem I have is he could've at least cut the political talk out to us fans and kept it 100 with us. Just say up front to be prepared for a looong season.

Being die hard bleed blue Husky myself, every time I watch them this season, I keep having a glimmer of hope that they finally 'get it' and turn all that they're learning from this new staff into a finished product on the football field. Only problem with that mindset is that once they get on the field of play you get the same results. There are definitely pieces there for us to build on, but when the opposing team's defense is able pin their ears back put 7 to 8 men in the box and wreak havoc on the QB like that, STARTING FROM OUR 2ND OFFENSIVE SERIES OF THE GAME, Ray Charles (from his grave) & Stevie Wonder can see there's no real chance this team is going to win...painfully obvious we'll finish 0-fer the rest of the way...

Gotta sit and grin and bare it guys.... Hopefully coach can get this thing pointed in the right direction by year 3. If not we fell for the old car salesman lingo....

No coach in their right mind would ever say this to a fan base. Not sure how anyone would ever expect and/or appreciate a coach saying such a thing.

 

[ZooCougar]

I keep telling myself that this is a rebuilding year, but then I look at frantic Bob pacing on the sideline and I am afraid that this spaz doesn't have a handle on what the team is doing.

We need a real offensive line.

We need a modern offense.

We need a QB.

Honestly that's asking for a lot right now.

Rebuilding year or not, this offense is inexcusable. There is no pass for this production.

 

[Adios]

We can all thank Larry McHugh

To think he represented the interests of high school coaches in CT, it's so ironic.

We'll be fine. We're not going to be Oregon yet. Someone will step up for the beautiful state of Connecticut.

 

[Hoophound]

Did a little research. UMass' QB is a Marshall transfer tracked down and personally interviewed by Whipple prior to committing to come to UMass. He came in knowing there was competition but he and Whipple both saw something in each other. I think him becoming a pro prospect already this year is another major feather in Whipple's cap.

Umass is competing against everyone. We escaped with a win over Stony Brook due to a Foxx run back. Best play Fiaco called all year.

 

[B1GEast]

The football program may be on life support, but the men's and women's bball teams are alive and well and strong enough to carry us through these disappointing and dark times.

It will happen, they will get better, they will start to see it and then we will. We'll be fine. I stopped watching because it's too painful. I'll check in once and a while to get an update, then I move on to more productive things, but I still believe.

 

[whaler11]

women's bball teams ... us

No offense to women's basketball or it's fans but... nope.

 

[CL82]

It's absolutely astonishing how little talent P had on this roster.

Ironically, that was the thing for which he got the most credit. Say, for arguments sake that HCBD can recruit better kids. It is long time until they will have an impact on the field. Nope. Bob has got to figure out a way to win with what we have. Step one is a new OC.

 

[ctchamps]

What I'm looking for are nuggets to determine if the coaching staff has what it takes. Granted it's hard to do when outcomes are bad and I'm emotionally invested in the team.

What I saw as a positive is that the coaching staff made adjustments on the defensive end. Their game plan on that first drive was obviously flawed and they took corrective measures. That's something I did not see under PP. And for the most part those corrective measure were very successful.

In almost every game or for most of every game the defense has been fairly successful at stopping the opposing teams offensive strengths and that tells me the coaches are preparing the defensive players well.

The offense of course is the issue. In this game I felt there were positives. There were four drives in which the offense looked palpable. In fact in two drives the OL actually looked decent. They had some decent runs for significant gains and they were better at protecting the QBs. There were a lot fewer sacks. And in the second half there were far fewer run plays resulting in negative yardage compared to the first half. Unfortunately the Newsome fumbles were momentum killers.

The defense has better overall personnel allowing the coaches to be more flexible in making adjustments. That's not the case on offense. So my standards for what the offense can do has to be different than how I evaluate the defense. With that in mind I felt the adjustment to scale back the offensive play calling was a wise choice, albeit the sample size and the quality of opponent are two qualifiers that I have to account for and would continue to monitor. To be fair I also have to take into account that a reduction in types of play calling will make it easier for opposing defenses to scout and prepare. But this is the predicament this coaching staff faces with the personnel they have. They don't have the personnel to open up the offense without creating turnover after turnover. If they reduce the play calling the offense potentially grinds down.

In this game the worst of both worlds happened. The offense ground down and there were turnovers. With the Boyle turnover the coaching staff has to have some accountability. But so does Boyle. I can't see how the two fumbles by Newsome were on the coaches. They handled him as well as can be expected.

The only criticism I can categorically put solely on the coaches was what happened on that drive in the 4th quarter in which two timeouts had to be burned. That was a momentum killer that can only be attributed to OC Cummings.

I'm not willing to throw in the towel at this point. The season is obviously very frustrating and the games are painful to watch, but there isn't enough data for me to know if Diaco has the ability to be a decent head coach or not.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

I only read the OP so pardon if this has been mentioned but, CTMike is a good poster. But I think this is a little over the top.

My guess is that he woke up this morning and wanted a mulligan on this thread. I'd be inclined to grant him one.

 

[metsfan2323]

Did a little research. UMass' QB is a Marshall transfer tracked down and personally interviewed by Whipple prior to committing to come to UMass. He came in knowing there was competition but he and Whipple both saw something in each other. I think him becoming a pro prospect already this year is another major feather in Whipple's cap.

Hopefully Diaco has scored a similar coup with the NC State transfer (whose name I will never learn how to spell). We just have to wait another year unfortunately.