Can we finally admit that going to Boyle was a mistake?

[freescooter]

He is no more ready to be a D1 starter at this level than my Aunt Sadie is, and I don't even have an Aunt Sadie. Blowing this kid's redshirt was a crime. He isn't anywhere close to ready. My concern is that this experience ruins him for the long term. He has some skills but he is far from the complete package at this point. No pocket presence, high on all his short throws. He's going to get a wide receiver killed one of these days. The decision to go to Boyle was either a complete panic move or a complete PR move, but it was not a sound football move. The season is a disaster and we just need to get through it. Sit Boyle down and either go back to Whitmer or go with Cochran. Neither are going to turn things around but maybe Whitmer gets us a win against Temple or Memphis.

 

[Adios]

He's been rattled by a weak offensive line. Let's see you go in and try with that line.

 

[whaler11]

He's been rattled by a weak offensive line. Let's see you go in and try with that line.

That argument helps make his point.

 

[noeynox]

Yawn. This entire team looks like it has quit. So we burned Boyle's redshirt, so what? They were trying to catch lightning in a bottle. I think he could benefit from watching from the sidelines at times. At this point they have to continue to try and develop him, but but development should also include having him watch from the sidelines talking him through some stuff, sending him back out there.

 

[huskysupporter]

I don't have a problem with it. If it helps him become a better player for next year then it was the right move.

 

[Adios]

That argument helps make his point.

He still showed glimpses of real talent.

Personally, as far as I can recall, I never said a word about who should be QB.

 

[bobbyinaz]

You get 5 yrs to play 4 and your redshirt yr does not have to be your freshman yr.

The new coach will get a late start on recruiting so the upcoming class will be weak and with the absence of talent we have it might be best to redshirt him next yr & have him ready for the following season

 

[uconnbill]

Dan O was bad his first year as well. Just look back and see his completion percentage and int's. Just part of the growing process.

 

[Chin Diesel]

No it wasn't a mistake. The question of whether or not he was ready and the question of how well his skills would translate fromHS to college needed to be answered.
The answer was much worse than us fans hoped it would be. But a bad known answer is better than an unanswered question.

 

[formerlurker]

He is no more ready to be a D1 starter at this level than my Aunt Sadie is, and I don't even have an Aunt Sadie. Blowing this kid's redshirt was a crime. He isn't anywhere close to ready. My concern is that this experience ruins him for the long term. He has some skills but he is far from the complete package at this point. No pocket presence, high on all his short throws. He's going to get a wide receiver killed one of these days. The decision to go to Boyle was either a complete panic move or a complete PR move, but it was not a sound football move. The season is a disaster and we just need to get through it. Sit Boyle down and either go back to Whitmer or go with Cochran. Neither are going to turn things around but maybe Whitmer gets us a win against Temple or Memphis.

I was very vocal in not wanting to burn Boyle's redshirt this year too, Scooter. But at this point, I think we run the table with him and get him the snaps and game experience. There are countless FBS and NFL QB's who were thrown to the wolves in their rook or true freshman seasons that ended up being pretty good/great. Sitting Tim now only stifles his growth.

 

[ZooCougar]

Does it really matter at this point?

Nope.

 

[Sean]

Ultimately, I believe these struggles now will help the game feel slower to him when he is our starter next August/September under a new head coach. Not entirely sure why everyone thinks this WOULDN'T have happened on Boyle's first starts next year, either, but apparently everyone thinks practice is how you develop players...

Side note: Weist has done an absolutely horrible job of calling plays to give Boyle an easy transition in.

 

[junglehusky]

Redshirts can be kinda overrated as developmental tools. For positions like D-linemen where a guy coming out of HS needs to add muscle and conditioning, a RS freshman year is close to a given. For QBs if the junior or senior starter is the clear leader and winning, obviously then you don't burn a redshirt if you don't need to, especially with a freshman QB who needs a full season to learn the playbook and work on technique. I don't think that describes Boyle, even though we got pasted by UCF. For one thing Whitmer did not have a death grip on the position, for another the season was at the point where most coaches will try anything to see what sticks. The decision to play Boyle didn't get the benefits TJ was hoping for, it was a short term decision, but at the same time it wasn't a reckless decision. I don't want the coach to make decisions in 2013 based on what it could mean for 2017.

 

[hthusky74]

I'd like to see Boyle play the first half and Cochrane the second (assuming we are getting blown out). Then the following week Cochrane plays the first half and Boyle the second. And so on for the rest of the season. It will give them both snaps and give coaches a better chance to evaluate who potentially starts next year.

 

[Go_Huskies]

He is no more ready to be a D1 starter at this level than my Aunt Sadie is, and I don't even have an Aunt Sadie. Blowing this kid's redshirt was a crime. He isn't anywhere close to ready. My concern is that this experience ruins him for the long term. He has some skills but he is far from the complete package at this point. No pocket presence, high on all his short throws. He's going to get a wide receiver killed one of these days. The decision to go to Boyle was either a complete panic move or a complete PR move, but it was not a sound football move. The season is a disaster and we just need to get through it. Sit Boyle down and either go back to Whitmer or go with Cochran. Neither are going to turn things around but maybe Whitmer gets us a win against Temple or Memphis.

Agreed burning his redshirt was not worth the risk. No QB, especially a true freshman, was going to help us win games with this OL. It is hard to be A QB when you get no time to throw the ball.

Brief Risk/Reward Analysis:

Risks
Lose a year of development
Gets injured because of OL
Loses confidence because he will not win behind this OL (nobody can)

Rewards
Win a game? I don't know can't see any rewards because the OL sucks and no QB can win when he is constantly on his back.

The reason we suck this year is so obvious that I think it bores people so they look for other scapegoats, the QB, the DC, the OC. The OL is why we suck. We have no depth, we are undersized, and have limited talent.

PP is at fault for not recruiting big OLinemen.

 

[Dooley]

I have no problem with burning redshirts this season. As someone mentioned above, you don't have to redshirt FR only. The rest of this season should absolutely be used to evaluate the depth chart. Let's get some guys on film to evaluate in the offseason and for spring ball. You can't simulate game speed like game speed.

 

[uconnfan68]

Agreed burning his redshirt was not worth the risk. No QB, especially a true freshman, was going to help us win games with this OL. It is hard to be A QB when you get no time to throw the ball.

Brief Risk/Reward Analysis:

Risks
Lose a year of development
Gets injured because of OL
Loses confidence because he will not win behind this OL (nobody can)

Rewards
Win a game? I don't know can't see any rewards because the OL sucks and no QB can win when he is constantly on his back.

The reason we suck this year is so obvious that I think it bores people so they look for other scapegoats, the QB, the DC, the OC. The OL is why we suck. We have no depth, we are undersized, and have limited talent.

PP is at fault for not recruiting big OLinemen.

Do you have a clue about the sizes on the O-Line? They average around 6'5", and over 300#. Their size isn't the problem... it is their lack of speed and football IQ.

 

[formerlurker]

I have no problem with burning redshirts this season. As someone mentioned above, you don't have to redshirt FR only. The rest of this season should absolutely be used to evaluate the depth chart. Let's get some guys on film to evaluate in the offseason and for spring ball. You can't simulate game speed like game speed.

+1

 

[Waquoit]

Why not go back to the best QB on the roster - Whitmer?

 

[UConnDan97]

Why not go back to the best QB on the roster - Whitmer?

I had this thought as the game got out of hand (which was some point in time in the second quarter, unfortunately). When Boyle apparently got hurt, I saw the camera go to Weist talking to Whitmer, with Whitmer nodding his head yes and a confident look on his face as he began to warm up. I would have loved to hear what they were talking about at that moment. It seemed almost certain that he was going in, but he never saw the field.

I feel for the kid; I really do. I think he throws a better ball than Cochran or Boyle right now, to be honest. He caught flack for throwing INT's and for lack of pocket presence, both qualities which Boyle is now seemingly worse at by comparison. I think Boyle has a chance to become a very good QB as he develops. But I also think Whitmer should be on the field right now...

 

[BlueDogs]

What is done is done. Another week means another opportunity to improve and a chance to win. It's up to the kids. There is no coach that can save them from themselves. This was another massive quit by kids. It's very disturbing. Our transition players played harder and put up better efforts.

 

[hthusky74]

Why not go back to the best QB on the roster - Whitmer?

Because he sucks.

 

[Go_Huskies]

Do you have a clue about the sizes on the O-Line? They average around 6'5", and over 300#. Their size isn't the problem... it is their lack of speed and football IQ.

No need to get an attitude. I was referring to players like Xavier Hemingway 275lbs. Edsall never had guys that light play significant minutes. Overall, I do believe that our previous lines were bigger. Working on a paper. Needed a break so I calculated the avg heights and weights between 2010 and 2013. We are about 7lbs lighter and we don't have any really big boys Zach Hurd 325lbs and of course Hemmingway is way to small for D1.

2010 (Fiesta Bowl)

LT Mike Ryan 6-5 /335lbs
LG Mathieu Olivier 6-6 / 294lbs
C Mo Petrus 6-2 / 302
RG Zach Hurd 6-7 / 325
RT Adam Masters 6-4 / 298

2013

LT Bennett 6-9/307
LG Greene 6-5/308
C Mateas 6-4/315
RG Cruz 6-4/309
RT Xavier Hemingway/Dalton Gifford 6-5/273|6-5/309

2010
Avg height 6-4.8
Avg weight 310.8lbs

2013
Avg height 6-5
Avg weight 303.5lbs

 

[Alum86]

You get 5 yrs to play 4 and your redshirt yr does not have to be your freshman yr.

The new coach will get a late start on recruiting so the upcoming class will be weak and with the absence of talent we have it might be best to redshirt him next yr & have him ready for the following season

See Puyol, B. PK.

RS burned 11th hr/ 12th game. Sitting this year. No shot we need him to go to a bowl game in game 12 in'13

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I was referring to players like Xavier Hemingway 275lbs. Edsall never had guys that light play significant minutes.

What size was Will Beatty when he first became a starter?