1977

[Carl Spackler]

THe game is still on in the cave, I'm in the den. To me, it's been like watching a really poorly skilled youth team, playing with not a lot of knowledge about the basics of the game, coached by a young parent, of a little kid, that is very well intentioned, and wants to do well, but doesn't really know much.

Those of you that have done the kid thing, and done kid sports, know what I'm talking about. I think.

So, instead of watch the 4th quarter - I'm going through the online UCONN football media guide. I will post this as soon as I'm done, and I hope we win, somehow, and everybody can beat me up like a red headed step child.

So I looked back though, and 1977 was the last 1 win season. 37 years ago. I remember doing something similar last season, wondering? How bad can it get? I'm thinking to myself tonight as I've watched this thing, that I bet SMU is watching, thinking, wow - we have a chance not to be the suckiest of the suckiest of all.

So. Diaco = Fail grade.

#1. reason. TIm Boyle. Why? Why take your starting QB out of the game if he's not hurt? I've seen enough of this. Until he stops doing it, I've got big problems with our new young coach, that coaches like he has a kid on the team that doesn't want to get bullied.

#2. reason. Foxx. Why the hell is he not catching kicks? Did coach watch the USF game?

THe good news, is that if we go 1-11, Coach, will be able to start from a level to grow, that we can't truly, get any lower.

People have often wondered where rock bottom is? I will tell you now.

1936: We went 0-6. That's absolute rock bottom. 68 years of at least winning one game.

1977 for now - is the benchmark. I will now forego another Yuengling, now available in CT, for 3 fingers of Scotch, and click Post - and go back to the cave to see what the damage is.

 

[Alum86]

Carl, exactly. We are at rock bottom. Pretty clear on that. We are going to get dusted at ECU. Maybe win 2 games this year. I am all for giving Diaco a pass this year, but not a pass when this team is absolutely the worst Husky team in 20 years.
Diaco needs to be held accountable.

 

[Dooley]

ECU 70-0? Sadly, I'm not so sure this will be far off.

 

[Alum86]

Word. Fire Ward. Yeah, I said it.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Let's not get out of hand here. It's just the reality of where we're at. We've got a coach that is fekking wet behind the ears, leading a team that is even wetter.

I want them all to grow the fekk up. Stop pulling the QB out of the game, when he's not hurt. You don't fekking do that. If you can't move your offense the length of the field consistently, make sure your damn punt returner fields the kicks. Stop letting it bounce back. You don't fekking do that.

Ball security? how about we scrap formal practice for day of "kill of the carrier.".

 

[storrsroars]

Carl, exactly. We are at rock bottom. Pretty clear on that. We are going to get dusted at ECU. Maybe win 2 games this year. I am all for giving Diaco a pass this year, but not a pass when this team is absolutely the worst Husky team in 20 years.
Diaco needs to be held accountable.

If UConn can't beat Tulane, where do you see that 2nd win coming from?

 

[Alum86]

If UConn can't beat Tulane, where do you see that 2nd win coming from?

LOL and touchè. Maybe Army or a cold game in December. SMU? Neah, you are probably right. One win

 

[Carl Spackler]

No takers on the "kill the carrier" comment?

When I played, we called it "spear the queer." That's not politically correct these days though.

 

[cryjeremiah]

Heads up, guys, sportsart should be along shortly to insult and demean you.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Just realized my math was wrong. 78 years since the last winless season, not 68. So at least we have extended that streak to 79. 37 years since the last 1 win season. Last year they played like they didn't care. This year we are coaching like they don't care? Why should any of us care?

 

[HistoryMajor]

THe game is still on in the cave, I'm in the den. To me, it's been like watching a really poorly skilled youth team, playing with not a lot of knowledge about the basics of the game, coached by a young parent, of a little kid, that is very well intentioned, and wants to do well, but doesn't really know much.

Those of you that have done the kid thing, and done kid sports, know what I'm talking about. I think.

So, instead of watch the 4th quarter - I'm going through the online UCONN football media guide. I will post this as soon as I'm done, and I hope we win, somehow, and everybody can beat me up like a red headed step child.

So I looked back though, and 1977 was the last 1 win season. 37 years ago. I remember doing something similar last season, wondering? How bad can it get? I'm thinking to myself tonight as I've watched this thing, that I bet SMU is watching, thinking, wow - we have a chance not to be the suckiest of the suckiest of all.

So. Diaco = Fail grade.

#1. reason. TIm Boyle. Why? Why take your starting QB out of the game if he's not hurt? I've seen enough of this. Until he stops doing it, I've got big problems with our new young coach, that coaches like he has a kid on the team that doesn't want to get bullied.

#2. reason. Foxx. Why the hell is he not catching kicks? Did coach watch the USF game?

THe good news, is that if we go 1-11, Coach, will be able to start from a level to grow, that we can't truly, get any lower.

People have often wondered where rock bottom is? I will tell you now.

1936: We went 0-6. That's absolute rock bottom. 68 years of at least winning one game.

1977 for now - is the benchmark. I will now forego another Yuengling, now available in CT, for 3 fingers of Scotch, and click Post - and go back to the cave to see what the damage is.

 

[HistoryMajor]

Carl - couldn't agree more and especially about #2 Foxx not catching punts. You and others know much more than me about FB so I have a Question. Considering how inept we are fielding punts, would it be a good idea to have TWO players back fielding punts? Thanks

 

[Carl Spackler]

Carl - couldn't agree more and especially about #2 Foxx not catching punts. You and others know much more than me about FB so I have a Question. Considering how inept we are fielding punts, would it be a good idea to have TWO players back fielding punts? Thanks

Look, I don't get paid millions of dollars to coach football. I think I know a bit about the game, but honestly after watching this season, on the heels of the past 3, I wonder if I ever knew anything, because there are groups of guys that have walked the UCONN sidelines and made collectively - MILLIONS - and they don't make any sense to me.

So - with that said - catching punts, is probably the most difficult thing to do on a football field, comparably across the board. You need a pair of giant sized stones. You got to see the ball off the punter's foot, keep your eyes on it, sprint to where you make the judgement it's going to come down, and then catch it. If you take your eyes off it, you drop it - then it's a live ball and hell breaks loose and usually not a good thing. You got to do that while 21 guys are running full speed at you - and they can't touch you - if you don't catch it, but if you do? You are free game.

So - again with that said - it's not an easy thing to do, there is high risk, little benefit to trying to catch every ball you can. when it comes to individual scenarios. But it's part of the game. An important part of the game.

When your offense can't move the ball consistently, you need to generate positive field position any way you can, to generate legitimate scoring chances - only so many possessions come any game usually b/w 12-15 at most a game. Offensive possessions that is.

I don't know what our average yardage gained per possession is for this season, but I can't imagine it's more than 25 yards reality. But lest play hypothetical....and lets be generous, and say that on average through 6 games, our offense has put together an average of 50 yards per offensive possession. If we're constantly starting inside our 20 yard line - on average - we have no legit scoring opportunities on average. SO - over the course of a season, if you're not generating positive field position by at least fair catching punts - you are hurting your chances to score and win.

Reminds of a concept Bill Parcells developed and used. By no means a scientific rule, or measureable reproducible concept, but a good idea. Parcells loosely graded offensive production based on points scored per 100 yards of offense. His concept was that if you advance the ball 100 yards, that's as far as you can go, so you should score a TD. Obviously, not scientific or mathematically accurate or anything - but a concept that makes sense over the course of time. Doesn't really apply here, but I just thought of it. Anyhoo...

There is significant risk of turnover and flubbing a catch, but I think given the quality of offensive production we have, the benefit over the course of a season far outweighs the risk.

THe player needs to be confident though, and confidence only comes from practice. It boggles my mind, especially after the USF game, Foxx may have not been told to field every kick he can run under. It boggles my mind that they may have not had he,and others, out practicing catching kicks for hours on end, so that when they do need to do it in a game, they've done it a few thousand times already over the past few weeks.

I have not anywhere given up on Coach DIaco. I'm at my edge though with the nonsense. You simply don't pull your starting QB in the middle of the game, when your offense needs to build some kind of consistency. That's just stupidity - or arrogance - or not caring about this season.

As for the Foxx - thing, just one of a couple things, that the guy, I think, needs to start paying attention to detail, if we really want to win games now.

Last thing: I remember having a discussion on here, when Pasqualoni was hired, with a parent of a player - a senior player that was concerned about at "throwaway season", as his kid had aspirations of playing in the NFL. I knew a little of Pasqualoni, been around the guy before, and I said then that I couldn't imagine the guy actually coaching to throw away a full season, in developing for the future, and furthermore, I couldn't imagine the leadership at UCONN allowing such a thing. As poorly as the old farts were unable to connect with the players in the current century, and their old timer bully coach approach did not work, they did not coach in such a way that they were more concerned about anything except the next game.

I cannot say the same thing about this coach, and our UCONN leadership right now, and that truly pisses me off, because I"ve spent a lot of my money over the past 12 years, on this product.

 

[Carl Spackler]

also to answer your question, putting two players back to field punts would be a bad idea, because you need the guys up front to block. putting two players back there, is going to give at least 2 players on the kicking team a free run.