Turning the Page to 2017: The Offense

[Ldandy]

Dear God it should not be this hard. Fire this turd, and by fire I mean out of a G-Damn cannon. He can't coach. It is obvious to everyone with two eyes and a functioning brain. Hell you don't even need two eyes to know how bad he is because you could just listen to the groans of the fans and the other team's band playing their fight song after each score. He has built zero equity with fans or administrators that have saved other coaches. He has been a colossal failure in every way except maybe fixing everybody's Vitamin D Levels. Put pressure on your AD. Put pressure on your administrators. Tell them to find the money. Let them know in no uncertain terms that if this clown shoe is back you won't be.

Wait until Jan 1, 2017 if you must, but do not allow this guy to take the field next September. Think about it. This recruiting class is a total loss. If Coach VV is back he'll either be fired after 3-4 games or not long after that season ends. You will have effectively lost two recruiting classes in a row. No kid with options above FCS is going somewhere with a product that looks like a dog's breakfast and a coach who most supporters would rather punch in the throat than shake hands with. Unless its ND.

 

[whaler11]

Only problem with your logic is you just don't know how the young pups are going to perform next year. Including Donovan Williams, Mr. Eye ball test!

Well none pushed themselves onto the field did they?

We don't have to do this all winter but you are 100% totally and completely wrong about Williams. They might go 0-12 if they don't upgrade at QB.

Carl take two seconds and look around. This recruiting class is so far behind the rest of the world it's criminal. The entire world has passed the correct judgement on this staff except you, Matt and Herbst.

 

[Confident Carl]

Well none pushed themselves onto the field did they?

We don't have to do this all winter but you are 100% totally and completely wrong about Williams. They might go 0-12 if they don't upgrade at QB.

Carl take two seconds and look around. This recruiting class is so far behind the rest of the world it's criminal. The entire world has passed the correct judgement on this staff except you, Matt and Herbst.

0-12? What ever floats your boat! I choose to be optimistic about the future. Merry Christmas!

 

[whaler11]

0-12? What ever floats your boat! I choose to be optimistic about the future. Merry Christmas!

Yeah 0-12. That is how bad this situation is. I choose to realize the school needs to replace the coach immediately. You can choose to ignore reality.

Don't worry Linus. I'm sure the Great Pumpkin will show up this year.

Being positive about nonsense is part of what got us here. Why don't we do it the right way going forward and be honest about what we have.

Hope and faith is not a strategy.

 

[Hoophound]

I didn't expect anyone to be falsely hopeful until at least July. This is lunacy. I still have the bad taste of Diaco in my mouth. (Not that there's anything wrong with that)

 

[FartMan69]

We can fit our entire recruiting class in a Dodge Caravan.. that itself should get this man fired... oh and the 3 years of awful football

 

[JMick]

We can fit our entire recruiting class in a Dodge Caravan.. that itself should get this man fired... oh and the 3 years of awful football

The fact that he can't get guys here just by showing them all of the starting playing time opportunity is unbelievable.

 

[Adios]

Matt, your writing approach does not work. You're telling fans what to think, even. And you've ruined your rep. Pass on the torch.

 

[king conn]

[QUOTE If last year it didn't kill them it will makes them stronger


They were pronounced DOA at East Carolina. Not a pulse since.

 

[J187Money]

Of course they are probably better on offense next year. They were last this year. They might to better by just showing up.

 

[UConnDan97]

Of course they are probably better on offense next year. They were last this year. They might to better by just showing up.

I didn't want to be the one to type this first, so thank you.

Honestly, how does a team NOT get better than no first quarter touchdowns, 14 straight quarters without a touchdown, and two shutout losses in a row? I would certainly hope we're going to get better, or else my whiskey therapy is going to increase in frequency...

 

[zls44]

I can see the offense doubling their production next year! The O line is bringing back some good people.

1. That's an impressively ow bar to clear.

2. Good people who are among the worst in the country at their positions.

 

[UConnDan97]

1. That's an impressively ow bar to clear.

2. Good people who are among the worst in the country at their positions.

Let me say this; I'll show off some of my optimistic spirit by saying that I hope De George and Leone are as good as advertised and can fit in right away, along with a healthy Hopkins and an improved Rutherford, Vechery, etc. I do believe that we have players here that could form a decent line.

But do I have even one iota of faith in the O-LINE coach at this point??? Good God, the guy has made the line progressively worse every year!

The quickest way to fixing the line is fixing the person responsible for the line...

 

[blue93]

Let me say this; I'll show off some of my optimistic spirit by saying that I hope De George and Leone are as good as advertised and can fit in right away, along with a healthy Hopkins and an improved Rutherford, Vechery, etc. I do believe that we have players here that could form a decent line.

But do I have even one iota of faith in the O-LINE coach at this point??? Good God, the guy has made the line progressively worse every year!

The quickest way to fixing the line is fixing the person responsible for the line...

I actually think the oline was better this year than the past few years. Pretty low bar to pass, but I thought they were simply below average, as opposed to dreadful, this year.

 

[Woof 101]

Probably about as much hypothetical conjecture as those who trash next years team with not one bit of logic behind it.

WAY OVER Confident Carl...No personal attack as I realize your a fan but you have to read what you print some times. As for hypothetical conjecture you are the master. Reading many of your posts leads me believe if you were sent to prison for oh say a simple 10 years it would be a wonderful thing because the diet would keep your cholesterol down.
NOBODY here is attacking next years team or doubting there is talent on board. It's the the wacky leadership displayed with a team this year that was projected to be better than last years by that leader. I have to say from what I have read by most here that other than a few most are not being optimistic nor pessimistic but rather realistic! You can have all the high hopes in the world for the team but if Wacky Bob is at the helm 11 young men take the field at a disadvantage. Recruits and parents are already seeing it sad to say.
Again no attack but how about an explanation of what you think at this time will be different next year? Will we have punt catchers or returners? As he has claimed wanting to play NE style football will we have a fullback or receivers out of position trying to block for our 170# RB? Will special teams actually be special because some of the starters play on them rather than the everybody will play mentality? Will stunting or blitzing be part of the game rather than giving opposing QB's enough time to send a text before throwing the ball? How is the recruiting going? I could go on but I'll invoke the mercy rule myself.

We can fit our entire recruiting class in a Dodge Caravan.. that itself should get this man fired... oh and the 3 years of awful football

Been avoiding the topic as it simply is rock bottom but maybe Carl has the bright side of this one....

 

[UConnDan97]

I actually think the oline was better this year than the past few years. Pretty low bar to pass, but I thought they were simply below average, as opposed to dreadful, this year.

And yet we ranked #118 in sacks allowed while having two QBs that are relatively elusive. Any development you sensed in the line is likely due to Newsome being an absolute stud and Shirreffs being an absolute warrior...

 

[huskymedic]

And yet we ranked #118 in sacks allowed while having two QBs that are relatively elusive. Any development you sensed in the line is likely due to Newsome being an absolute stud and Shirreffs being an absolute warrior...

Check TFL allowed...

 

[UConnDan97]

Check TFL allowed...

We are tied for #121 in that stat, with only 3 teams worse! Further illustration that Cummings is pretty worthless...

 

[kris1]

And yet we ranked #118 in sacks allowed while having two QBs that are relatively elusive. Any development you sensed in the line is likely due to Newsome being an absolute stud and Shirreffs being an absolute warrior...

Totally agree.....had the OLine been any good, Newsome easily is a 1,000+ yard rusher, Sherriffs stays healthy (and upright), Williams keeps his red-shirt, and this team at the very least is. 500 and bowl eligible. There's a reason none of those things happened. Most of us know the cause, except those that have to power to stop the bleeding. It's time to stop putting bandaids on bullet holes.

I'm tired of people saying this team doesn't have talent. UConn is NEVER getting elite talent. We have to make due with what we do get. You do that by hiring a coach that can motivate kids to play above their recruiting rank. If you want to be physical. Commit to it!!! You have to teach that way. Prepare that way. Train the way. Coach that way. Play that way. Enough with the endless drivel from the head coach, and the pats on the back for good effort. The culture has to change, in all phases of the game.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

Of course they are probably better on offense next year. They were last this year. They might to better by just showing up.

I didn't think about that. It's impossible for them to get worse on offense when they are already last in the country.

So there's that.

 

[CTMike]

OL coaching hire is more important than the OC hire, really. A competent line can make most OCs look good. If we don't change OL coach then we are toast.

 

[Bubba1957]

I've had a couple of post in the past where I quoted Bum Phillips who said, "He can take 'hisuns' and beat 'yoursuns' and he could take 'yoursuns' and beat 'hisuns'. I think he was referring to Tom Landry. Think of that when you think of what good coaching should look like. So while the OL was bad, nothing seemed to improve them or keep them from being exposed. The OL was bad the last three games of 2013 too. Yet, they put up a lot of points and started to believe. Can anyone say they BD did not lose the team this year? This was a team that could have beaten Navy. If they played them today today, what would the point spread be? 30, 40?
It's time to move on. If we are stuck with him, I hope I'm proven wrong. But remember how it felt watching the Maine game where all that optimism built up in the off season, just dissipated.

 

[Tdaley]

And yet we ranked #118 in sacks allowed while having two QBs that are relatively elusive. Any development you sensed in the line is likely due to Newsome being an absolute stud and Shirreffs being an absolute warrior...

I would respectively disagree. The oline pass blocking was definitely better this year over last year to my eyes although arguably the run blocking was worse. More and more teams rush anywhere between 5 and 7 players on every play because they know that we are very slow to throw the ball ( quarterback with a slow release and offense strategy that doesn't appear to provide our quarterback dump off pass option when the primary receiver is covered may explain this). Pass blocking depends on everyone playing well not just the 5 offensive lineman. I watched Houston play at least 7 times this year and their o-line is no great shakes. The difference though is Ward is very elusive and was able to run away from the pass rush and then find a open receivers down field even though he was running for his life. Shirreffs on the other hand wasn't nearly elusive as Ward but more importantly did not throw very well on the run. Further, our wide receivers were no where near fast Houston's wide receivers and as such Sherriffs probably didn't have as many open targets as Ward did. I am not arguing that our oline doesn't need to improve a great deal for this program to get better but I think its unfair to point to the statistics and blame just the lack of improvement in the oline. A lack of a real OC doesn't help either. I am, however, in no way defending any of the coaches here. It appears that UConn football program has made 2 bad hires in a row for their head coach.

 

[SubbaBub]

I know when I saw DW sail his third easy pass into the bench against Tulane, I was thinking Heisman.

 

[Adios]

If someone wants to step up and write, they can. But you're going to age faster.