Points to ponder...

[coachcap]

1. Eroding fan base
2. Millenials walking through Blue Lot pregame carrying 30 packs of Bud Light & not wearing protective gear against the elements.
3. Lack of imagination on offense: corollary- throw to other receivers beside Noel Thomas, a.k.a don't use them for window dressing
4. defensive backfield that plays soft instead of in your face
5. punt returner who won't return punts
6. quarterback that refuses to go through his progressions on pass plays
7. Inconsistency on pass protection by offensive linemen

I could go on, but you get the gist. Time to go to work

 

[UConnNick]

Nos. 1 and 3 through 7 are all reflective of coaching, or specifically, a lack of emphasis at practice on all of these matters. In fairness, the coaching staff cannot be blamed for No. 2. Then again, maybe they can. It might take pounding a 30 pack of 12 ouncers to be able to stand watching this team play, especially when you're paying money to be there in person.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

2. Millenials walking through Blue Lot pregame carrying 30 packs of Bud Light & not wearing protective gear against the elements.

I know people never miss a chance to condescend to "millenials," but they're college kids. They make dumb choices. That's what makes them college kids. I am 100% sure you were an idiot in college, too. Get over yourself.

 

[pepband99]

#5 is my main annoyance from this game, but not because we don't return...

If we're not going to return (which is growing on me by the week), and you're down 8 late in the game, and they're in their endzone...

SEND THE $%@#%@#$%@#$ing HOUSE. Ridiculous that we don't even try to block there.

 

[UConnNick]

Diaco is the anti-Frank Beamer when it comes to special teams play. Maybe he should be forced to sit in a room and watch a continuous video loop of VA Tech highlight reel ST plays.

 

[ibleedhuskyblue]

#5 is my main annoyance from this game, but not because we don't return...

If we're not going to return (which is growing on me by the week), and you're down 8 late in the game, and they're in their endzone...

SEND THE $%@#%@#$%@#$ing HOUSE. Ridiculous that we don't even try to block there.

I was just going to post this.

If we're not going to return punts, and we won't try to block punts, then what the hell are we doing with that phase of the game in practice ???

It makes no sense. It's as if everyone just stands in place. If we can't block for the returner (other teams can do it, why cant we ?), and we can't get close to the kicker (other teams can do it, why cant we ?), then what are we doing ??? Standard logic says that if were not sending guys to block the kick, then we should get a hand on the gunners to slow them up... instead, there 4 guys with the wrong color jersey within 3 feet of our returner every damn time he catches the ball.

I can think of 2 reasons why this may be happening:

1. BD doesn't want to waste practice time on this because practice time is limited

2. We are protecting against fakes, and basically playing prevent on all punts

Both of these reasons are idiotic. Every other team in football can do things that we just can't figure out.

I hate us

 

[coachcap]

I know people never miss a chance to condescend to "millenials," but they're college kids. They make dumb choices. That's what makes them college kids. I am 100% sure you were an idiot in college, too. Get over yourself.

WOW! Your idea of condescension & mine differ. It was just an observation, hence a point to ponder. And, yes, there were some things that I did in college that I wish I could do over.

 

[pnow15]

You know you are getting old when you worry more about protective gear than beer.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

WOW! Your idea of condescension & mine differ. It was just an observation, hence a point to ponder. And, yes, there were some things that I did in college that I wish I could do over.

I just don't even see why use the term millennial there. They're just college kids. Millennial has all kinds of connotations to me -- mostly negative. So it strikes me as an unnecessary categorization and in my experience when people use the term to refer to kids, they're almost always doing it in a "ugh kids these days" kind of way.

 

[Alum86]

I just don't even see why use the term millennial there. They're just college kids. Millennial has all kinds of connotations to me -- mostly negative. So it strikes me as an unnecessary categorization and in my experience when people use the term to refer to kids, they're almost always doing it in a "ugh kids these days" kind of way.

WGAFF that you're offended by that term. You get over yourself. It was an observation. I noticed kids as well, in tees and shorts soaked to the bone meandering through the lot. Felt bad for them but it was still funny. Millenials, Gen x , whatever.

 

[ZooCougar]

Someone point Irish Loop to the nearest safe space.

 

[CL82]

I was just going to post this.

If we're not going to return punts, and we won't try to block punts, then what the hell are we doing with that phase of the game in practice ???

It makes no sense. It's as if everyone just stands in place. If we can't block for the returner (other teams can do it, why cant we ?), and we can't get close to the kicker (other teams can do it, why cant we ?), then what are we doing ??? Standard logic says that if were not sending guys to block the kick, then we should get a hand on the gunners to slow them up... instead, there 4 guys with the wrong color jersey within 3 feet of our returner every damn time he catches the ball.

I can think of 2 reasons why this may be happening:

1. BD doesn't want to waste practice time on this because practice time is limited

2. We are protecting against fakes, and basically playing prevent on all punts

Both of these reasons are idiotic. Every other team in football can do things that we just can't figure out.

I hate us

Diaco has decided that the odds favor not returning. He doesn't care what you or I think or what's happening on the field. He's made his decision. Diaco and Sherriffs both have similar trait in that they tend to lock on to one option and ignore the alternatives.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

Someone point Irish Loop to the nearest safe space.

Actually not a Millennial myself, just tired of old people pretending they were sort of some great generation and tired of the whole "they're all self-entitled brats" trope that's dumbly parroted about.

The only thing I'm offended by is the stupidity.

 

[ZooCougar]

Actually not a Millennial myself, just tired of old people pretending they were sort of some great generation and tired of the whole "they're all self-entitled brats" trope that's dumbly parroted about.

The only thing I'm offended by is the stupidity.

It was the same thing with Gen X and whatever was before that. I just think people are too easily offended or just flat out want to be a victim.

 

[huskymedic]

Actually not a Millennial myself, just tired of old people pretending they were sort of some great generation .

Define the category "old people"...

 

[HuskyHawk]

Someone point Irish Loop to the nearest safe space.

Give him a trigger warning first.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

#5 is my main annoyance from this game, but not because we don't return...

If we're not going to return (which is growing on me by the week), and you're down 8 late in the game, and they're in their endzone...

SEND THE $%@#%@#$%@#$ing HOUSE. Ridiculous that we don't even try to block there.

Exactly! Particularly the last UCF punt from their end zone where we pretty much need a big play to swing momentum and help our anemic offense. I'm standing there screaming to send the house because he's not returning it anyways. We don't rush. We have our kick returner standing out at the 50 and 10 guys acting like they're playing a bush in a middle school play. The UCF punter actually out kicks his coverage and we fair catch yet again when he could have walked a gain of 5-10 yds

 

[SubbaBub]

My Disco Punt Strategy Decoder Ring says the following.

That prevent safe return we've been runningnfor three years finally paid off in stuffing the UCF.

Out of a healthy concern that we might draw a roughing the kicker penalty, eschew the block attempt and secure possession with a short field.

End decoded transmission.

 

[Sprague03]

umm Bryant Shirreff's QBR is 42.6, which ranks him 103rd out of 128. Terrible...

 

[zls44]

Honest question- why do you think a student should WANT to go watch this team? They're boring and they're bad.

 

[Husky68]

Actually not a Millennial myself, just tired of old people pretending they were sort of some great generation and tired of the whole "they're all self-entitled brats" trope that's dumbly parroted about.

The only thing I'm offended by is the stupidity.

"Probably smokes crack", you said it better than I could; should try a little time without.

 

[whaler11]

This turned into a good thread. I liked a Pnow post and Diaco's Army's like about the middle school play was funny.

Are kids in college today even millenials? I thought they were already calling these kids Gen Z or something stupid.

 

[whaler11]

Here you go @coachcap turns out it was the igen...

• iGen, Gen Z or Centennials: Born 1996 and later.

So the millenials needed to buy the beer for the Centennials so they could both go home before kickoff.

 

[JMick]

This turned into a good thread. I liked a Pnow post and Diaco's Army's like about the middle school play was funny.

Are kids in college today even millenials? I thought they were already calling these kids Gen Z or something stupid.

They change it all the time. I graduated in 2014 and am considered a millenial. My sister is graduating in 2018 and we are very different culture-wise but she is still considered a millenial by many. Flip phones were the cool thing when I was in high school. She had a smart phone as her first phone. I think the big difference between me and her is that my friends and I still cherish anonymity on the internet. Her and her friends post absolutely everything publicly out there with their name attached. That's the big divide in my opinion.

I think when trying to name the generations they're going to have a really tough time considering how fast technology is changing. I still remember dial-up. The high school freshman I coach don't even know what that is and most of them have never used a landline outside of talking to their grandparents that still call the house phone.

 

[The Viking]

So a couple of my own thoughts.

1) Maybe when Verducci is calling in the play to Sherriefs he should also shout out the name of who the primary receiver should be so that he won't automatically look to Thomas.
Example. play blah blah blah, DAVIS. Then he takes the snap and starts his progressions after looking at Davis and deciding he's not open. Then he go off to Thomas or whomever.
But at least that would force to spread the ball around and stop looking for his binky everytime. Crazy thought I know. But what the hell

2) As others have said, punt block every single time. Then if you don't block it and you want the returner to fair catch because he'll have 1 or 2 guys barreling down on him, fine. To not block and to fair catch seems like you're just feeding into the philosophy of UConn being so damn boring. Boring offense. Boring defense. Boring special teams unless Puyol is trying for a long FG. Boring schedule.