What's it going to take for you to consider this season a success?

[Husky25]

I think a lot of people have the right view here. I think I can differentiate between what I would like to see and what would be acceptable. I do think we have a pretty tough schedule, especially early. I've seen both Boise and BYU listed in various pre-season Top 25s so it could be rough out of the gate, but I pretty much agree with J187 that for our fan base it needs to be 6 wins, but for me it is about seeing a team that is prepared, that doesn't panic when things go bad, and that gives you a sense that you have a shot in every game.. I'd also like to see progress as the season goes on. Even if it is a bit rocky early, and I think it could be with a new coach and the mess he inherited, I'd like to see us end the year with a nice run, say 4-5 game win streak. And fi I never again see the oline looking utterly confused and completely over matched it will be too soon.

Here's the thing...If the team is prepared better than they appeared to be over the last 36 games, If they are better conditioned than they appeared to be over the last 36 games, and if the attitude is more positive than it was over the last 36 games, then the wins are going to come. It's as simple as that.

I am on the record that UConn could very well be 4-2 or better by Columbus day. If that is the case, Memphis is certainly winnable, as is Cinci, Army, and SMU. There are 4 games that I see UConn having a hard time winning, but they will certainly stay in the game/have a better showing than last year by leaps and bounds. Those are BYU, BSU, ECU, and UCF.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Here's the thing...If the team is prepared better than they appeared to be over the last 36 games, If they are better conditioned than they appeared to be over the last 36 games, and if the attitude is more positive than it was over the last 36 games, then the wins are going to come. It's as simple as that.

I am on the record that UConn could very well be 4-2 or better by Columbus day. If that is the case, Memphis is certainly winnable, as is Cinci, Army, and SMU. There are 4 games that I see UConn having a hard time winning, but they will certainly stay in the game/have a better showing than last year by leaps and bounds. Those are BYU, BSU, ECU, and UCF.

Bingo. Conditioning, preparation and most importantly the mental discipline individually and as a group. Took me until the Towson game to realize that everything that had done to establish the high level of competency in those three things, through Jan 2011, had been erased by Sept 2013. Others can claim to have known earlier. Whoop dee do.

Simply by correcting that, I believe we will be a competitive team, week in and week out, and have a great opportunity to impose our will to win on our opponents, re-energize the fan base at home, and compete for a league title and a post season game, as the season draws out.

We'll all know by the end of the game on Aug. 29.

 

[CTMike]

I drank way too much. Got too close to getting into fights.

I for one would have LOVED to have seen this!

 

[06029]

Is it a number of wins? Just forward progress? An uptick in recruiting? Progress as the season moves on?

An identity. Not sure what it will be but it needs to be something that fans and opponents will know. Whether it is smash mouth, play to end, tough, physical or the opposite end with run and gun, risk takers, etc. It will reveal itself in the first 3 weeks if the play is consistent from game to game. The identity will come from the coaching/game plan and the execution on the field.

Problem is, no one knows who Diaco will become game day. He talks a good game but does he get tight and play not to lose in a game day situation. Does he turtle if there is an early turnover? I think this board hopes that he is more like year 5 RE and than any year of PP.

Wins? I don't expect more than 4 or 5, including one major upset. The team needs a make over and that will take several seasons. Playing hard and to win? Anything less than 12 games like that will be a failure.

 

[Carl Spackler]

An identity. Not sure what it will be but it needs to be something that fans and opponents will know. Whether it is smash mouth, play to end, tough, physical or the opposite end with run and gun, risk takers, etc. It will reveal itself in the first 3 weeks if the play is consistent from game to game. The identity will come from the coaching/game plan and the execution on the field.

Problem is, no one knows who Diaco will become game day. He talks a good game but does he get tight and play not to lose in a game day situation. Does he turtle if there is an early turnover? I think this board hopes that he is more like year 5 RE and than any year of PP.

Wins? I don't expect more than 4 or 5, including one major upset. The team needs a make over and that will take several seasons. Playing hard and to win? Anything less than 12 games like that will be a failure.

I'd have to dig to find it, but there was a quote from Dave Wannstedt many years ago, regarding UCONN, that I loved, and it spoke volumes as to the identity of UCONN football. He said something to the effect, that he always knows when they've played UCONN (at Pitt) because his players are all walking around with headaches and in a daze the next day.

I want that back. That's the indentity I want back.

edit - just looked a bit, can't find the article. it was some post game interview many years ago where Wannstedt said that about UCONN.

As for wins and losses, if the things happen, that most people around here are pointing out as to see a successful season in 2014, and it's remarkable how consistent it is - it's all conditioning, preparation and mental discipline and will power - 25 nailed it. The question about #s of wins and losses will be what our actual talent level is. In that respect, as long as we come well conditioned, well prepared, and disciplined and motivated to exert our will week in and week out - we will certainly get a very good idea of whether or not Pasqualoni's failure was entirely complete, because the talent level we are going to be competing with will be mostly recruited by Pasqualoni. My gut tells me that we've got the talent to do really well, but there really is no way to know, with the complete mental and discipline breakdowns the program went through in the past 2 seasons.

last season, I had such high expectations for this program, I had gotten myself so fired up, and it was a multi year process for that 2013 season, and what it entailed. That's probably what made the failure that we produced against Towson so much more dramatic for me personally at least. There was enough from 2011-2012, to keep me positive and hopeful that things were going right, and 2013 - was supposed to be our year. How could we not be prepared to take on that challenge of that season and what he had in front of us? WE proved it's possible. it's over and gone though.

I'm getting very excited for 2014 though, we've got entirely new sets of challenges in front of this program, and I want to see us win.

have a nice day everyone.

 

[Husky25]

I'd have to dig to find it, but there was a quote from Dave Wannstedt many years ago, regarding UCONN, that I loved, and it spoke volumes as to the identity of UCONN football. He said something to the effect, that he always knows when they've played UCONN (at Pitt) because his players are all walking around with headaches and in a daze the next day.

I want that back. That's the indentity I want back.

Speaking if Pitt, My sister in Law is a Pitt grad and she and my brother in law moved back to suburban Pittsburgh after he retired from the Navy. We are going to visit tomorrow. Needless to say that I will be donning UConn gear every day for the 5 that we are there...

 

[CodyJ.]

My expectation is to have DJ Joey fired or muzzled. Can't understand a word his high pitched girl voice says anyway.
Other than that. I expect to see linebackers droping bombs like this is OIF.

 

[Husky25]

My expectation is to have DJ Joey fired or muzzled. Can't understand a word his high pitched girl voice says anyway.
Other than that. I expect to see linebackers droping bombs like this is OIF.

I don't remember him late last season.

 

[CodyJ.]

I don't remember him late last season.

Lets pray it stays that way. Nothing more annoying than getting our butts whooped only to hear that nails on chalkboard voice ramble in some foreign language that nobody understands.

 

[PPKChamp]

I have simple expectations for this season. I want to be entertained. I want to go to a game and believe that we have a CHANCE to win. I want each game to be close, to be hard fought but for to come out on top more often than not. Does it need to be 6 wins and a bowl game this season, no not really, that would be the icing on the cake but if we can be competitive and consistent each and every week this year that would be a springboard to reestablishing ourselves as a threat to win this conference next year and each and every year afterward. There was nothing worst than going to game with very little chance of winning.

 

[freescooter]

I'm not going to put a number on it. I just want to see signs of the development of a program. I think everyone needs to remember that Calhoun's first season here the team was 9-19 and Geno's teams didn't have a winning record until his third season. It takes time.

This fact is what tempers my enthusiasm...Calhoun's NIT Championship team was barely over .500 but was getting better as the season went on. And the 1989 team actually took a little step back, and becoming the first defending NIT champ in something like 10 years not to move on to the NCAAs the next year. I'm not sure what kind of a mess diaco inherited but my sense is that it was pretty big. You can fix some problems quickly...attitude, preparation, to an extend conditioning, but I'm not overly excited about the quality of recruits Pasqualoni brought in. For all his talk about prototype players, I'm not so sure he got many. And he was fixated on Connecticut players. Nothing wrong with that in principal, but you have to question whether he took local kids at the expense of better prepared players from other areas. And you can't fix talent over night.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Cant' compare basketball to football this way. Can't. I wish people would stop trying. You do make sense though freescooter, just stop with the basketball comparisions. Football, is a sport where turnarounds can happen - big ways, either way winning or losing - that are dramatic, and it can happen in the matter of one season. Not unusual at all.

The real question about whether or not we are on a quick turnaround to a winning season and contending for a league title,as you note, has eveyrthign to do with the recruiting that has been done in the past 3 seasons. I think there have been enough flashes from young players projected to be in the two-deep that we are going to be able to compete, with the opposition on our schedule - given the other things are there. But it's just my opinion. You and other's don't seem to think that the talent is really there.

Reality is that with all the chaos and inconsistency of the past two seasons in leadership, direction, discipline, conditioning, preparation, attitude - our actual talent level, other than for those coaches that actually work with the players directly, is completely unknown and it's nothing more than a guess - as to what our actual talent level is.

Are they the players that took a 2 TD lead against Michigan late into the game before crumbling, or are they the players that probably should have gotten beaten 70-0 by UCF and crumbled in the first quarter? Are they the players that set record against Memphis?

None of us will know until they start playing again.

 

[BlueMAB]

Our talent level is fine. We'll win 7 games. Anything less than 6 is a disappointment.

My biggest concern is the possibility we get 6 wins and no bowl game. I haven't looked at our tie-ins because, well, it's depressing.

 

[UCFBfan]

I think this is the longest I've ever sen a thread stay on topic on this board! Carry on!

 

[FAIRTIDES]

Six wins is critical. It is also important that they pass the eye test. I am taking Diaco at his word. He described poor conditioning, poor mental attitudes and lack of cohesiveness. Those are things he can fix in short order. He can also fix the schemes and play calling. Last year's pathetic team won three games as soon a PP was gone. This team simply has to be better than that, by a reasonable magnitude. That team lost games to teams with less talent, who played harder and were better coached and conditioned. I expect that will never happen again and I expect this team to steal a couple of wins against more talented teams because it played harder, was better coach and better conditioned.

My expectations increase as I listen/read random BD comments. It's subtle, but I get the feeling he's finding an inheritance that's worth more than he originally thought. Or, maybe I'm hearing voices.

The major problem might be convincing the guys that they are better than the record shows; that improved conditioning and focus will lead to wins. My major fear is that an early catastrophe, like an interception or fumble return for a touchdown, will allow "here we go again" thoughts to creep in. The reaction will be telling as it relates to the players and, especially, the staff. Hopefully, it's, "Sh't happens. Deal with, and fix it."

In any event, I'll be disappointed with less than seven wins. Ain't playing the NFC West.

 

[uconnell]

Fair. I agree with all you posted except the last sentence. I just want to see the guys playing with confidence and joy, hopefully the rest will take care of itself.

This team has been through a brutal 3 years, but sort of redeem themselves the last 3 games of the year, hopefully they remember what that felt like.

 

[john2153]

I would love to see 6 wins and get back to a bowl game. Even if we fall just short but are competitive and well coached in most games I think it can still be a successful season.

 

[Dooley]

There was only one game last season (Michigan) that I lost my voice. That's sad. Like Carl said earlier, like everyone else, I knew the season was over in the 4th quarter of the Towson game. I remember making a "boy, this is gonna be a LONG season" to the security guards on the way out of the stadium that night and feeling the most dejected that I've ever felt after a loss. There is nothing more deflating that knowing full well that your season is over and you are still in August. There wasn't a single game on the schedule that I thought UCONN could win under the old coaching staff.

In past seasons, it would be more difficult for me to remember games that I did NOT lose my voice. Even the cupcake FCS games would cause me to lose my voice. Last year was such a ' drag. We lost half of our tailgate crew of 6. One guy moved to FL (can't fault him), another guy went to the Towson game and then never showed up again, and another guy didn't go to a single game (including the Michigan game...of which he graduated from). So our diminished group did exactly what other smaller groups do in the lots: talk to other tailgaters. What we found out was that every tailgate crew lost 1, 2, 3, 4+ members who have sworn off the program. At least half of the people we met in the lots never went into the game towards the end of the season. In past seasons, this would frustrate me. Last year, I was simply impressed that they drove to the stadium just to tailgate. We didn't even get much pleasure ribbing on Rutgers' fans in our section last year.

Give me a team that plays with heart and energy. That gets excited to get a big stop on defense. To convert a crucial 1st down. That stands up for teammates. That fights until the final whistle no matter what the score. With energy, excitement, and unity comes wins and confidence. And once a college team gets some confidence to go with their energy, then the sky is the limit.

 

[junglehusky]

I think a bowl game is the expectation for success at this program, and it shouldn't be reduced just because the previous regime drove the car into the ditch. Having said that, if the team wins 4-6 games and shows some signs of improvement, that may be an encouraging / positive sign and give the fanbase something to look forward to going forward. But it is not "success".

 

[NickyNewark]

Cant' compare basketball to football this way. Can't. I wish people would stop trying. You do make sense though freescooter, just stop with the basketball comparisions. Football, is a sport where turnarounds can happen - big ways, either way winning or losing - that are dramatic, and it can happen in the matter of one season. Not unusual at all.

The real question about whether or not we are on a quick turnaround to a winning season and contending for a league title,as you note, has eveyrthign to do with the recruiting that has been done in the past 3 seasons. I think there have been enough flashes from young players projected to be in the two-deep that we are going to be able to compete, with the opposition on our schedule - given the other things are there. But it's just my opinion. You and other's don't seem to think that the talent is really there.

Reality is that with all the chaos and inconsistency of the past two seasons in leadership, direction, discipline, conditioning, preparation, attitude - our actual talent level, other than for those coaches that actually work with the players directly, is completely unknown and it's nothing more than a guess - as to what our actual talent level is.

Are they the players that took a 2 TD lead against Michigan late into the game before crumbling, or are they the players that probably should have gotten beaten 70-0 by UCF and crumbled in the first quarter? Are they the players that set record against Memphis?

None of us will know until they start playing again.

Only us FB first guys know this......thats why FB is SO important in CR...excellent observation on the FB/BB observations. Really can't compare the two sports but FB's popularity shows in its TV worth to the networks!! Dramatic moments forever ingrained in our minds! Next month...the FB countdown begins.

 

[NavinRJohnson]

I don't remember him late last season.

He was there and please don't bring back the cheerleader who yelled "blue/white"

 

[uconndogs]

Diaco is exactly right when he says success will be improving every day. This season is about getting a complete cluster duck* back on track. I fully expect we get handled easily by BYU. It's just a terrible opening day match-up for us. But, we need to come back and beat Stony Brook and get more and more competitive as the season progresses. We need to get back to running the ball effectively. We will need a group of LBs to really step up in this new system.

If we end up in a bowl at the end of the season I would consider it remarkable progress. If we end up with 4 or 5 wins, but the progress is evident, I would consider that successful as well. This season, like last, has a 2-3 wins on the table and Diaco needs to avoid that.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

You can fix some problems quickly...attitude, preparation, to an extend conditioning, but I'm not overly excited about the quality of recruits Pasqualoni brought in. For all his talk about prototype players, I'm not so sure he got many. And he was fixated on Connecticut players.

You always do this. Many of the players he had a hand in coming here will see the field this year and next. Reserve judgment until then. In fact this is an area where fans should get excited about, a lot is going to rest on their shoulders..

 

[tduconn]

A successful season for me has two components, one of which was adequately and realistically expressed by many in this thread.......the performance of the team. Simply put, the season could be a challenge for many reasons to the coaches and players, and W's or L's, all I look for this year is exciting, competitive games with no silly or stupid mistakes. Bowl game? Would be nice, but not a defining factor.

The other component....fandom. You'll hate me for saying this....but go ahead. I just don't buy into the excuses for "fans"not being in the stands before games or leaving early. Everybody has other things to do at all college football vistas across the country.......yet they show up and add to the image of a big time program.....fanny's in the seats. Must say it looks good on TV.

There are 365/366 days a year. UConn FB asks its fans to set aside six.....SIX......days a year for fans to show up in force to support them. For me, its easy........I certainly can schedule activities the other 360 days or so a years so I can support the team from beginning to end.

And absolutely I understand that at times conflicting events arise........but on every game day? for everybody in Ct?

To suggest fans of other prominent programs around show up in droves because there is "nothing else to do" is, in my mind, nothing short of baloney and a lame excuse for empty seats.

A big time program shows two aspects on TV........team competitiveness W or L, and an engaged and enthusiastic fan support. UConn needs to show P5 conferences that it is a "fit" on two fronts for future realignment considerations.

OK...I vented......so if you so desire you all can blast my opinion.......which is just that....an opinion of a long time (decades) FB fan of UConn.

 

[Dooley]

A successful season for me has two components, one of which was adequately and realistically expressed by many in this thread..the performance of the team. Simply put, the season could be a challenge for many reasons to the coaches and players, and W's or L's, all I look for this year is exciting, competitive games with no silly or stupid mistakes. Bowl game? Would be nice, but not a defining factor.

The other component....fandom. You'll hate me for saying this....but go ahead. I just don't buy into the excuses for "fans"not being in the stands before games or leaving early. Everybody has other things to do at all college football vistas across the country..yet they show up and add to the image of a big time program.....fanny's in the seats. Must say it looks good on TV.

There are 365/366 days a year. UConn FB asks its fans to set aside six.....SIX.days a year for fans to show up in force to support them. For me, its easy...I certainly can schedule activities the other 360 days or so a years so I can support the team from beginning to end.

And absolutely I understand that at times conflicting events arise...but on every game day? for everybody in Ct?

To suggest fans of other prominent programs around show up in droves because there is "nothing else to do" is, in my mind, nothing short of baloney and a lame excuse for empty seats.

A big time program shows two aspects on TV...team competitiveness W or L, and an engaged and enthusiastic fan support. UConn needs to show P5 conferences that it is a "fit" on two fronts for future realignment considerations.

OK...I vented.so if you so desire you all can blast my opinion..which is just that....an opinion of a long time (decades) FB fan of UConn.

A full and engaged Rent is every bit as important as what happens on the field. We all know that PP was a disaster and left a mess. But every program has a bad hire. The difference between P5 fanbase perception and us is that "big league" fans come back after the bad hire. I really hope ours come back too. If not, we aren't leaving the AAC any time soon.