moving on. Stony Brook.

[Carl Spackler]

I just tried to watch the game on replay DVR. Couldn't get past the first offensive play from scrimmage. Shut it off. What am I glad to take from the first game? The guys on the field didn't shut off.

We got knocked out like Frazier vs. Tyson. I would have loved a better start, and what killed me most was our let down on D after scoring the TD.

Need to get better. Need to get faster. Need better and more reliable and consistent I fundamentals on blocking and tackling. Both were horrendous at times.

We just got spanked by 25 points in our opener against BYU.

We have a real good opportunity to get things going in the right direction this week. Those of us that have the stomach for it will be there to see. I'm expecting a small crowd.

 

[J187Money]

I'm there.

 

[RioDog]

Gotta work. Sucks.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Fwiw, I think it was a great crowd Friday night. It's just reality that until the program gets it turned around in the right direction consistently again that the game is going to be more of a social entertaining event than the focus of a 3 hour boxing match between 2 prize fighters. Just reality of what Connecticut Yankees are. When they deserve it, they'll get it. Until then it's us looney tune hard cores they get.

 

[BoatShow]

Small crowd is right. Not quite Memphis last year small as it'll be 60 degrees warmer or so out but in all likelihood 20-25k.

What we need to happen is someone to put up a monster game and/or have ridiculous play(looking at you Davis!) that gets some attention on the ole TV over the week and gets a nice buzz going for Boise. I know I'LL have a nice buzz going for Boise.

 

[J187Money]

We put up 350 yards against BYU. Should easily put up 500-600 yards this week. Should be entertaining.

 

[huskymedic]

UConn Readying For Stony Brook In Week Two
http://touch.courant.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-81235984/

 

[Carl Spackler]

We put up 350 yards against BYU. Should easily put up 500-600 yards this week. Should be entertaining.

We put up 10 points vs. BYU and gave up 35. Honestly, I don't care what the yardages look like at this point, there are lots of theorems and equations and sh888t about it all, but I just want more points than they get. A lot more.

I'm tired of looking for positive in losses, when you lose, you're a loser. Period. Winning is a habit, unfortunately so is losing.

I want to see this team get on the winning habits again. I want to see the players find something that works, on offense and defense, get fundamentally sound and reliable in blocking and tackling, and then the coaches to keep calling it until the opponent figures out a way to beat it.

I understand all the rational that's been written and given, but I can't get around the fact that we just got torched by BYU, by 25 points, and the bottom line, and this is good BTW - we got our teeth kicked in to start the game, and made a bunch of our own crappy mistakes, but we kept going, and stayed together, and played as a team. THat's good - but we still lost. And lo and behold, I do still hate losing more than anything.

THey better come out and be ready for round 2 - and win it. We'll see a little bit of character in how they respond to that game, this weekend.

 

[J187Money]

We put up 10 points vs. BYU and gave up 35. Honestly, I don't care what the yardages look like at this point, there are lots of theorems and equations and sh888t about it all, but I just want more points than they get. A lot more. I'm tired of looking for positive in losses, when you lose, you're a loser. Period. Winning is a habit, unfortunately so is losing. I want to see this team get on the winning habits again. I want to see the players find something that works, on offense and defense, get fundamentally sound and reliable in blocking and tackling, and then the coaches to keep calling it until the opponent figures out a way to beat it. I understand all the rational that's been written and given, but I can't get around the fact that we just got torched by BYU, by 25 points, and the bottom line, and this is good BTW - we got our teeth kicked in to start the game, and made a bunch of our own crappy mistakes, but we kept going, and stayed together, and played as a team. THat's good - but we still lost. And lo and behold, I do still hate losing more than anything. THey better come out and be ready for round 2 - and win it. We'll see a little bit of character in how they respond to that game, this weekend.

We have a correctable problem. Red zone play calling and offense. This isn't last year's team that couldn't move the ball at all. So I feel like he is a smart guy and will correct it.

 

[Dooley]

The yardage gained against BYU is absolutely a positive to be built on going forward. Like J187Money said, better red zone efficiency and decision making and that leads to points. We were able to move the ball between the 20s fairly well against BYU. We should be able to do the same against Stony Brook and, hopefully, that will lead to more points.

 

[Carl Spackler]

We have a correctable problem. Red zone play calling and offense. This isn't last year's team that couldn't move the ball at all. So I feel like he is a smart guy and will correct it.

We have a blocking and tackling problem too. We didn't do either well enough, consistently enough. On the early 4th down conversion, Obi had Hill dead to rights unblocked on a run fill behind scrimmage and whiffed with an arm tackle. Chest to chest contact arms wide and wrap? He comes in with good fundamentals on that play, at his size, and it's one of those game changer tone setting things you can do. Simple fundamentals. Need to get a lot better blocking and tackling.

 

[J187Money]

We have a blocking and tackling problem too. We didn't do either well enough, consistently enough. On the early 4th down conversion, Obi had Hill dead to rights unblocked on a run fill behind scrimmage and whiffed with an arm tackle. Chest to chest contact arms wide and wrap? He comes in with good fundamentals on that play, at his size, and it's one of those game changer tone setting things you can do. Simple fundamentals. Need to get a lot better blocking and tackling.

Yes. But that takes time. I don't expect us to get substantially better at blocking and tackling by next Saturday. I do think that better red zone scheming can be installed by next Saturday.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Yes. But that takes time. I don't expect us to get substantially better at blocking and tackling by next Saturday. I do think that better red zone scheming can be installed by next Saturday.

I do expect us to get better in those basic fundamentals, by next Saturday. because I expect them to practice it. What concerns me about Diaco, and I've held this all along, is that if there is really anything under that polished salesman, with a plan. If your players can't make the blocks, and can't make the tackles, then you're not coaching them well. Football is not a sport where you need life long developed physical skills to compete (i.e. soccer, baseball, basketball, etc.)

If your players aren't able to block and tackle well, then you've failed as a coach. These players, for the most part, have been playing football for a few years now, and should have knowledge of the basics, they just need to be perfected on it. When they are coached well, when they can maintain good positioning, contact, and leverage, and can move together as a team, within a basic framework of creating space and taking away space, it's a matter of how well you match up with the basic measurable of weight, height and speed with your opponents.

With an opponent like Stony Brook, we are going to get a good look at where our program is. If we have the size, speed, and strength to compete at the 1-A level, we should be able to take a handful of offensive plays, and defensive sets, and run them all day long, and destroy this team. We should be drilling all week long, and a short handful of plays, to make sure that every single block, and every single run fill, gap assignment tackling, and pass coverage is perfect.

Practice doesn't make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect, and it's harder to be perfect in practice when you're using 53 players on offense, and running all kinds of schemes.

Simpler is better, easier, I think, when you're developing a program - especially against an opponent that hopefully, we are physically better than.

That's what worries me about Diaco's "plan". I wonder if the guy is just way overthinking things. PIck your players, line up and play ball. Save the complex game plans, and all the other development game experience stuff for the round table talks.

Have people forgotten that Pasqualoni and co? did the exact same thing, rotating players all over the place - to get experience? How did that work out?

Pick your damn lineup and play them. Honestly, if we have to be concerned about scheming and game plans to beat Stony Brook, we are really in a hole with this program. I refuse to believe that until I see it.

I think what's best is that we pick a lineup of 22 players, on offense and defense, and run a handful of sets, and keep running them, and ideally, if we are able physically, and size, speed to compete at 1-A, we should roll this team in the dirt, and at the same time, get a whole bunch of players the good feeling of what destroying a team, and winning and breaking their will feels like. THey need that, more than anything- not everybody on the team, the 11 best on offense and defense - right now.

Ok - I got it out. Deep breath.

 

[06029]

I do expect us to get better in those basic fundamentals, by next Saturday. because I expect them to practice it. What concerns me about Diaco, and I've held this all along, is that if there is really anything under that polished salesman, with a plan. If your players can't make the blocks, and can't make the tackles, then you're not coaching them well. Football is not a sport where you need life long developed physical skills to compete (i.e. soccer, baseball, basketball, etc.)

If your players aren't able to block and tackle well, then you've failed as a coach. These players, for the most part, have been playing football for a few years now, and should have knowledge of the basics, they just need to be perfected on it. When they are coached well, when they can maintain good positioning, contact, and leverage, and can move together as a team, within a basic framework of creating space and taking away space, it's a matter of how well you match up with the basic measurable of weight, height and speed with your opponents.

With an opponent like Stony Brook, we are going to get a good look at where our program is. If we have the size, speed, and strength to compete at the 1-A level, we should be able to take a handful of offensive plays, and defensive sets, and run them all day long, and destroy this team. We should be drilling all week long, and a short handful of plays, to make sure that every single block, and every single run fill, gap assignment tackling, and pass coverage is perfect.

Practice doesn't make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect, and it's harder to be perfect in practice when you're using 53 players on offense, and running all kinds of schemes.

Simpler is better, easier, I think, when you're developing a program - especially against an opponent that hopefully, we are physically better than.

That's what worries me about Diaco's "plan". I wonder if the guy is just way overthinking things. PIck your players, line up and play ball. Save the complex game plans, and all the other development game experience stuff for the round table talks.

Have people forgotten that Pasqualoni and co? did the exact same thing, rotating players all over the place - to get experience? How did that work out?

Pick your damn lineup and play them.

Ok - I got it out. Deep breath.

If this is moving on, I hate to see what your dwelling on something that bothers you is.

1 theme for the week needs to be heard in practice: execute and win. Simple. Don't listen to what I say to the media. Dont worry about playing time and substitution patterns. Focus: execution and win.

For fans, a win will calm everyone down a little.

 

[Confident Carl]

I just tried to watch the game on replay DVR. Couldn't get past the first offensive play from scrimmage. Shut it off. What am I glad to take from the first game? The guys on the field didn't shut off.

We got knocked out like Frazier vs. Tyson. I would have loved a better start, and what killed me most was our let down on D after scoring the TD.

Need to get better. Need to get faster. Need better and more reliable and consistent I fundamentals on blocking and tackling. Both were horrendous at times.

We just got spanked by 25 points in our opener against BYU.

We have a real good opportunity to get things going in the right direction this week. Those of us that have the stomach for it will be there to see. I'm expecting a small crowd.

I normally go to ALL the games but this weekend I have a two day Member-Member at my Golf Club so will be relying on recordings of either SNY or ESPN3 replay. Last I checked both were being broadcast, am I correct on that? My game bud is also away this weekend but we have given our tix away so there will be cheeks in our seats!

 

[Carl Spackler]

If this is moving on, I hate to see what your dwelling on something that bothers you is.

1 theme for the week needs to be heard in practice: execute and win. Simple. Don't listen to what I say to the media. Dont worry about playing time and substitution patterns. Focus: execution and win.

For fans, a win will calm everyone down a little.

LOL. I've been fighting the urge to let my thoughts fly after that first game, and I'm tired of seeing excuses for losing. I couldn't keep it in any longer. I've had my disagreements around here, many times, with many posters, but guys like whaler11, for instance, and I - we're not having the wool pulled over our eyes.

I don't buy this crap that BYU was not winnable, we could have won that game, but we came out and completely stumbled all over ourselves with lack of basic fundamentals. Leverage - individual and team, pad level, blocking assignments, arm tackling, penalties, turnovers. The decision to kick, down late in the game. I wrote elsewhere - mulligan for Diaco - but if there is an ounce of truth that he started making decisions to get players experience, rather than attempt to win the game - then Warde Manuel, needs to bring him into his office for a sit down.

The team was not prepared fundamentally, and we lost. THat's the bottom line, and moving on - truly toward Stony Brook - that needs to change. If we are relying on scheming and game planning to get players experience, and scheming to win against Stony Brook, instead of simply lining up and practicing a handful of bread and butter offensive and defensive sets, with a limited roster - then we are in trouble. Either because we don't have the size, speed, and strength to dominate, or because our coaching staff, is perhaps screwing up, and way overthinking things. or worse - both.

F------king beat Stony Brook, badly.

 

[06029]

LOL. I've been fighting the urge to let my thoughts fly after that first game, and I'm tired of seeing excuses for losing. I couldn't keep it in any longer. I've had my disagreements around here, many times, with many posters, but guys like whaler11, for instance, and I - we're not having the wool pulled over our eyes.

I don't buy this crap that BYU was not winnable, we could have won that game, but we came out and completely stumbled all over ourselves with lack of basic fundamentals. Leverage - individual and team, pad level, blocking assignments, arm tackling, penalties, turnovers. The decision to kick, down late in the game. I wrote elsewhere - mulligan for Diaco - but if there is an ounce of truth that he started making decisions to get players experience, rather than attempt to win the game - then Warde Manuel, needs to bring him into his office for a sit down.

The team was not prepared fundamentally, and we lost. THat's the bottom line, and moving on - truly toward Stony Brook - that needs to change. If we are relying on scheming and game planning to get players experience, and scheming to win against Stony Brook, instead of simply lining up and practicing a handful of bread and butter offensive and defensive sets, with a limited roster - then we are in trouble. Either because we don't have the size, speed, and strength to dominate, or because our coaching staff, is perhaps screwing up, and way overthinking things. or worse - both.

F------king beat Stony Brook, badly.

My preference was someone that was not a first time head coach and who was unable to capitalize on his prior school's national championship game run. Add in that BC passed on him with some of the things I have heard from ND fans, and I have my fair share of doubts. But no one asks me and I don't have money influence at Uconn to be consulted. I find most of his public comments to be way too rambling, vague and outright confusing but public comments are not really a concern. What really matters are his comments to the players, recruits and his results.

Fact is that he is here for at least 2 seasons, more likely 3 to 4 (which is fair as he needs to build the program) based on his reported contract and buyout clause even if he continues the pattern from Friday. A win on Saturday will calm everyone's nerves, even mine. Boise is the next real test as far as I can see and the learning/pre-season talk and coaching needs to be gone by then. Even to the public. Sure manage expectations but show that you actually care about winning every time out. And this is not UMass. Uconn has been playing big boy football with excellent facilities long enough that the rebuild process should have visible results quickly.

 

[Confident Carl]

I do expect us to get better in those basic fundamentals, by next Saturday. because I expect them to practice it. What concerns me about Diaco, and I've held this all along, is that if there is really anything under that polished salesman, with a plan. If your players can't make the blocks, and can't make the tackles, then you're not coaching them well. Football is not a sport where you need life long developed physical skills to compete (i.e. soccer, baseball, basketball, etc.)

If your players aren't able to block and tackle well, then you've failed as a coach. These players, for the most part, have been playing football for a few years now, and should have knowledge of the basics, they just need to be perfected on it. When they are coached well, when they can maintain good positioning, contact, and leverage, and can move together as a team, within a basic framework of creating space and taking away space, it's a matter of how well you match up with the basic measurable of weight, height and speed with your opponents.

With an opponent like Stony Brook, we are going to get a good look at where our program is. If we have the size, speed, and strength to compete at the 1-A level, we should be able to take a handful of offensive plays, and defensive sets, and run them all day long, and destroy this team. We should be drilling all week long, and a short handful of plays, to make sure that every single block, and every single run fill, gap assignment tackling, and pass coverage is perfect.

Practice doesn't make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect, and it's harder to be perfect in practice when you're using 53 players on offense, and running all kinds of schemes.

Simpler is better, easier, I think, when you're developing a program - especially against an opponent that hopefully, we are physically better than.

That's what worries me about Diaco's "plan". I wonder if the guy is just way overthinking things. PIck your players, line up and play ball. Save the complex game plans, and all the other development game experience stuff for the round table talks.

Have people forgotten that Pasqualoni and co? did the exact same thing, rotating players all over the place - to get experience? How did that work out?

Pick your damn lineup and play them. Honestly, if we have to be concerned about scheming and game plans to beat Stony Brook, we are really in a hole with this program. I refuse to believe that until I see it.

I think what's best is that we pick a lineup of 22 players, on offense and defense, and run a handful of sets, and keep running them, and ideally, if we are able physically, and size, speed to compete at 1-A, we should roll this team in the dirt, and at the same time, get a whole bunch of players the good feeling of what destroying a team, and winning and breaking their will feels like. THey need that, more than anything- not everybody on the team, the 11 best on offense and defense - right now.

Ok - I got it out. Deep breath.

Carl - You surprised me with this post. UCONN football in a total retrofit lost the second half 7-3 to BYU going against a potential Heisman candidate QB and fresh from 9 straight bowl appearances. The pros play what, 4-5 dress rehearsals before they get things rolling? Unless I was watching a different game, I was very pleased with the way the team hung in the second half. That is a direct reflection of mental and physical conditioning and coaching.

Playing two QB's and studying results on film early in the season gives coaches, players, QB's and fans more clarity for future decisions. Diaco can now give better articulation and rational to wondering fans. Stats and facts say a lot. Just my opinion but i think we are going to see way more Cochran and also a huge game from him as a build up for BSU. IMO there will be more seperation as the season rolls on. If Cochran is having an off day, you will see more of CW. It's important for HCBD to be a man of his word. He made some commitments to CW by saying there would be a level playing field. HCBD wants his players trust. Giving CW an even chance speaks volumes to the team! And he didn't make the decision just to be a nice guy. It was about performance and then tangibles and intangibles! Knowing he can be trusted is a big reason, why HCBD will be a success!

We continually hear that UCONN has got to sell the program so Ward brings in the complete guy, Promoter, Recruiter, Player advocate, Politician and a detailed X&O guy. HCBD then brings in one of the best trainers and also coaches from D-1 schools . Players are stronger,healthier, faster, more confident and he has recruited some really good players from the region and you're concerned about whether there is any substance to Bob Diaco? Really?

 

[Carl Spackler]

Carl - You surprised me with this post. UCONN football in a total retrofit lost the second half 7-3 to BYU going against a potential Heisman candidate QB and fresh from 9 straight bowl appearances. The pros play what, 4-5 dress rehearsals before they get things rolling? Unless I was watching a different game, I was very pleased with the way the team hung in the second half. That is a direct reflection of mental and physical conditioning and coaching.

Playing two QB's and studying results on film early in the season gives coaches, players, QB's and fans more clarity for future decisions. Diaco can now give better articulation and rational to wondering fans. Stats and facts say a lot. Just my opinion but i think we are going to see way more Cochran and also a huge game from him as a build up for BSU. IMO there will be more seperation as the season rolls on. If Cochran is having an off day, you will see more of CW. It's important for HCBD to be a man of his word. He made some commitments to CW by saying there would be a level playing field. HCBD wants his players trust. Giving CW an even chance speaks volumes to the team! And he didn't make the decision just to be a nice guy. It was about performance and then tangibles and intangibles! Knowing he can be trusted is a big reason, why HCBD will be a success!

We continually hear that UCONN has got to sell the program so Ward brings in the complete guy, Promoter, Recruiter, Player advocate, Politician and a detailed X&O guy. HCBD then brings in one of the best trainers and also coaches from D-1 schools . Players are stronger,healthier, faster, more confident and he has recruited some really good players from the region and you're concerned about whether there is any substance to Bob Diaco? Really?

Bob Diaco, I like the guy, I do - fireball of energy. But you are false, in stating that Ward brought in the complete guy, and if it's true that Diaco was coaching to get players experience, rather than decision making to work toward a win - he needs to have his Azzi Fudd chewed up by Ward. Why the hell should I pay my money for seats, to watch a team on game day playing to get players experience - scrimmage practice - a friendly in soccer?

He is far from complete, and he needs to own up to his mistakes. The decision to kick late, and then the explanation afterward, are the most grievous from game 1. 28-7, getting late in the game, you need to start being acutely aware of possessions. THe game, was still within reach, especially with a D that had actually shut down BYU scoring for the second half to that point. Three TD possessions with and extra point. To TIE the game. Doable, with the clock that was left. A kick, there - gets you NOTHING. You're still down 18 points, and need three offensive possessions, 2 TD's, even with the 2 pt conversions successful, still don't make up the 18 points. 7 points puts you down 14, and striking distance to tie, and potentially win 2pt conversion. Failing to convert on 4th, leaves you with BYU pinned back, and in the exact same position that a 3pt kick gets you, except you've got the variable of the kickoff return. It was a terrible decision, and the equivalent of throwing in the towel, and the venom that was spewed about it, was deserving. Truth be told, me and my crew, left and went out for a nightcap in the parking lot, after that kick.

He's a very good hire, for this program, but he's got to develop himself, and saying he was a "complete" hire, is just false, and the guy better be able to accept criticism, self evaluate, identify mistakes and improve. The 2 QB rotation, is another valid area of criticism, as is the rotation of players he's using all over the place, but those are less grievous.

Look - if we're in a bowl game, and we're down 21 points, late in the game, and our D has held strong all 2nd half, do we go for it on fourth deep in their territory, or kick a FG?

Coach to win. Do not coach, to make your players feel good during the game. That kind of stuff is for the week, not the weekend.

 

[Confident Carl]

Bob Diaco, I like the guy, I do - fireball of energy. But you are false, in stating that Ward brought in the complete guy, and if it's true that Diaco was coaching to get players experience, rather than decision making to work toward a win - he needs to have his Azzi Fudd chewed up by Ward. Why the hell should I pay my money for seats, to watch a team on game day playing to get players experience - scrimmage practice - a friendly in soccer?

He is far from complete, and he needs to own up to his mistakes. The decision to kick late, and then the explanation afterward, are the most grievous from game 1. 28-7, getting late in the game, you need to start being acutely aware of possessions. THe game, was still within reach, especially with a D that had actually shut down BYU scoring for the second half to that point. Three TD possessions with and extra point. To TIE the game. Doable, with the clock that was left. A kick, there - gets you NOTHING. You're still down 18 points, and need three offensive possessions, 2 TD's, even with the 2 pt conversions successful, still don't make up the 18 points. 7 points puts you down 14, and striking distance to tie, and potentially win 2pt conversion. Failing to convert on 4th, leaves you with BYU pinned back, and in the exact same position that a 3pt kick gets you, except you've got the variable of the kickoff return. It was a terrible decision, and the equivalent of throwing in the towel, and the venom that was spewed about it, was deserving. Truth be told, me and my crew, left and went out for a nightcap in the parking lot, after that kick.

He's a very good hire, for this program, but he's got to develop himself, and saying he was a "complete" hire, is just false, and the guy better be able to accept criticism, self evaluate, identify mistakes and improve. The 2 QB rotation, is another valid area of criticism, as is the rotation of players he's using all over the place, but those are less grievous.

Look - if we're in a bowl game, and we're down 21 points, late in the game, and our D has held strong all 2nd half, do we go for it on fourth deep in their territory, or kick a FG?

Coach to win. Do not coach, to make your players feel good during the game. That kind of stuff is for the week, not the weekend.

Carl:

I maintain my stance: Bob Diaco was the complete hire.

Bobby Puyol and team will greatly benefit from his second UCONN field goal. He didn't get to try his first. We will be in some tight games this year and we need Bobby to perform. This only helps build confidence.

Most say I am over optimistic and even I say regrettably that UCONN was not winning that game.

Bob Diaco can take criticism? I find him to be a brutally frank and open human being. When he truly screws up, he will be the first to admitt it. He has the attention, respect and admiration of his players. With that great leaders can take on any obstacle and the chances of long term success are great!

Some of the quotes after the game say it best!

Casey Cochran:

"It's a microcosm of how much the program has changed, It's the little things that cause winning and when everything is a certain way there is professionalism about the program. We all love it."

Chandler Whitmer

"This feels much different than a loss last year," said senior quarterback. We saw a lot of improvement especially in the second half and we can build on it. BYU is a tough team and despite a tough start we hung with them for the most part."

Bob Diaco

"We have built a foundation, maybe you can't see it by looking at the scoreboard, but if you watched the game and saw the strain and grit and the toughness that the players displayed, You didn't see 12 or 10 guys on the field, you didn't see delay of games, you didn't see guys moving or jumping you didn't see guys out of their stance or walk on or off the field. The foundation is built and it's strong

"Joshua looked very very good, he was hard to tackle for them, said Diaco. " Arkeel (Newsome) and Ron (Johnson) bring a new element to the game with two very different styles. I hope you enjoyed seeing the running backs play."

Casey Cochran

"I'm sure Coach has said it, but we improved within the game," said Cochran "We played so many guys, so many freshmen and guys who hadn't played before and I think everyone can say they got better tonight," said Cochran.

Bob Diaco

"There was a lot of stuff we learned about these guys," said Diaco. "At the end of tonight, we are a better team than when we started four hours ago. We will be better in our next game than we were tonight. Because it's about the process."


Carl, you feel you have been cheated, As for this Carl although I detest losing, I am thrilled I got to see, Arkeel Newsome, Ron Johnson and Josh Mariner all play. I can't wait to see what they do against Stony Brook. Seeing Alec Bloom catch that diving pass was awesome! Seeing frosh lineman Trey Rutherford and Ryan Crozier gain experience was vital. Also tight ends Tommy Myers and Alec Bloom was somehting I would not have seen last year. I also saw Folorunso Fatukasi, Cam Stapleton and Cole Ormsby on D. Coach knows you need good back ups, player get hurt.

So as you can see, I agree with coach and his QB's on this one. Only time will tell who is right on this. If for some reason Diaco ends up being a flop (Which I cannot imagine), I will be the first to admitt I was wrong.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Dude - big difference between respecting a guy, doing the job of a football head coach, and saying he's 'complete'. I think Diaco would be the very first to admit he is not a "complete" head coach. He's 0-1 all time as a head coach at any level - far from 'complete'.

He is a work in progress, just like the entire program,and really - it's Warde Manuel's job to make sure that the head coach, is also developing, as much as it's the head coach's job to make sure the program is developing.

And there is some serious stuff, that I think that Diaco's boss, needs to make sure he gets clear to his head coach. You need to play the game, and coach the game, to win. Period. Fans don't like to be told that things are happening such that the team doesn't necessarily expect to win. Fans don't like to see things happening that suggest that the team is not there to win. To the players credit, there was no moment, in that game, where they seemed to cave and crumble mentally. And that alone, is a huge triumph over what we've seen for the past 3 seasons. It's not enough though, by any means, it's a baseline for winning.

Mistakes will happen, from everybody, somebody has to recognize them, point them out, and go about correcting them, and that's Warde Manuel's job regarding the first time ever, head coach.

Us nimrods on the boneyards just like to yap. It's Warde Manuel's job to determine the kinds of things were talking about and what needs to be done about them, if anything, regarding the head coach. I doubt the guy would talk about it publicly though, but I bet he will, or already has had, a discussion with his head coach sometime this week.

 

[Confident Carl]

Dude - big difference between respecting a guy, doing the job of a football head coach, and saying he's 'complete'. I think Diaco would be the very first to admit he is not a "complete" head coach. He's 0-1 all time as a head coach at any level - far from 'complete'.

He is a work in progress, just like the entire program,and really - it's Warde Manuel's job to make sure that the head coach, is also developing, as much as it's the head coach's job to make sure the program is developing.

And there is some serious stuff, that I think that Diaco's boss, needs to make sure he gets clear to his head coach. You need to play the game, and coach the game, to win. Period. Fans don't like to be told that things are happening such that the team doesn't necessarily expect to win. Fans don't like to see things happening that suggest that the team is not there to win. To the players credit, there was no moment, in that game, where they seemed to cave and crumble mentally. And that alone, is a huge triumph over what we've seen for the past 3 seasons. It's not enough though, by any means, it's a baseline for winning.

Mistakes will happen, from everybody, somebody has to recognize them, point them out, and go about correcting them, and that's Warde Manuel's job regarding the first time ever, head coach.

Us nimrods on the boneyards just like to yap. It's Warde Manuel's job to determine the kinds of things were talking about and what needs to be done about them, if anything, regarding the head coach. I doubt the guy would talk about it publicly though, but I bet he will, or already has had, a discussion with his head coach sometime this week.

Coach Diaco does not need me to defend him. I thought his use of many young players will pay dividends in the near future. My business analogy would be a company investing in quality to develop the best product and service long term (Quality Circles approach) vs. a company that is merely seeking immediate profits for the shareholders. The Japanese auto makers developed for the long term and have been kicking butt in cars sales in America ever since. Only in recent years have American manufacturers made up some ground. When the started to build better quality cars.

Thought you would like to see some Hayden Fry quotes. Wondering who you've heard say similar things? Diaco is obviously a disciple of Coach Fry!

"When I came to Iowa, we had to change everything that was associated with a long-held losing mentality. We had to change the total environment-from the players' conduct downtown, from their record of class attendance, from their way of dealing with people. We had to work with the total individual athlete and reconstruct his values and image." HF

Maybe this is why Diaco feels comfortable with two QB's

"(Having a proven winner returning at quarterback) makes you feel very confident about your offense, ... But the thing that offsets that confidence is the fact that as a coach you're always scared to death that your number one quarterback, who is really outstanding, is going to become injured. Normally, the drop-off to number two is pretty big because they are so good that it's pretty hard for the number two to fill their shoes."
HF

This is one of the reasons Diaco loves CT (in addition to it being close to NJ family)

"We're the only dance in town. We don't compete with any professional teams for the entertainment dollar." HF

Remember how deliberate and slow the captains came out to the field Friday?

"I wanted the players to feel like they were part of a family, to be conscious of that controlled togetherness as they made that slow entrance onto the field. It had a great psychological effect on the opposing team, too. They'd never seen anything like it."
HF

"We changed our image. At least when we ran out on the field or broke the huddle, we would look like winners."HF

 

[UConnDan97]

We have a correctable problem. Red zone play calling and offense. This isn't last year's team that couldn't move the ball at all. So I feel like he is a smart guy and will correct it.

Let me add to this by saying that I have this gut feeling that we are going to run the ball for about 1,000 yards on Saturday. In all seriousness, I think that we'll have two backs go for over 100 yards each (and my money is on Marriner and Newsome). I think we'll see a heavy dose of "solve your problems with aggression." And if we aren't chasing the game the way that we were against BYU, I think that it will really take the pressure off of the QBs, which will make them look even better. Just my gut feeling...

 

[Carl Spackler]

Holy hell.

Diaco has coached 1 game, all time, as a head coach, and he's 0-1, with a whole bunch of head scratching going on as to what happened in that game. How in the holy hell, can he be called a complete hire?: "Ward brings in the complete guy, Promoter, Recruiter, Player advocate, Politician and a detailed X&O guy".

He's not a complete hire, because he's got zero experience as a head coach, except for the past 9 months and 1 game. He is a work in progress hire, with fantastic potential and a great fit for the program needs - and it's up to Warde Manuel to make sure develops.

There' is nothing else we're disagreeing about, and Hayden Frye quotes, and Diaco's enthusiasm and dedication to his work, aren't going to change my opinion, which is that he's got a long way to go, before anybody can put him anywhere near the same level as a "complete" coach - like a Hayden Frye. I'd go as far as to guarantee that Diaco himself would agree with me.

The bottom line is that losing begets losing, and winning begets winning, and there is no greater measure of success - than having the W on the board at the end of the game. No amount of small victories add up to more than that W in the win column. You need a lot more small victories than small losses to get that big W, but that's what coaching and playing is all about - accumulating enough small wins - to get the big W.

 

[businesslawyer]

What concerns me about Diaco, and I've held this all along, is that if there is really anything under that polished salesman, with a plan.

We should be drilling all week long, and a short handful of plays, to make sure that every single block, and every single run fill, gap assignment tackling, and pass coverage is perfect.

Simpler is better, easier, I think, when you're developing a program - especially against an opponent that hopefully, we are physically better than.

That's what worries me about Diaco's "plan". I wonder if the guy is just way overthinking things. PIck your players, line up and play ball. Save the complex game plans, and all the other development game experience stuff for the round table talks.

Have people forgotten that Pasqualoni and co? did the exact same thing, rotating players all over the place - to get experience? How did that work out?

Pick your damn lineup and play them.

I think what's best is that we pick a lineup of 22 players, on offense and defense, and run a handful of sets, and keep running them, and ideally, if we are able physically, and size, speed to compete at 1-A, we should roll this team in the dirt, and at the same time, get a whole bunch of players the good feeling of what destroying a team, and winning and breaking their will feels like. THey need that, more than anything- not everybody on the team, the 11 best on offense and defense - right now.

Ok - I got it out. Deep breath.

Wow Carl. This does everything short of saying you want Edsall back.