2014 Expectations?

[Matrim55]

I'm a UConn alum who's not a football fan, but am trying to become one.

So, as I dive into the whole thing, let me ask a simple question: What should my expectations be, record-wise, for this coming year? I don't see a lot of traditional powers on the schedule, and given our good run to end last season, I've become (irrationally?) optimistic.

Is an eight-win season and a trip to a minor bowl game out of reach?

 

[huskysupporter]

I'm a UConn alum who's not a football fan, but am trying to become one.

So, as I dive into the whole thing, let me ask a simple question: What should my expectations be, record-wise, for this coming year? I don't see a lot of traditional powers on the schedule, and given our good run to end last season, I've become (irrationally?) optimistic.

Is an eight-win season and a trip to a minor bowl game out of reach?

I think that is the ceiling. The team was really bad last season, and I attribute some of that to coaching.

 

[sportsart]

If we get to 6-6 it will be a successful year. If we hit 7-5 or better then it's Christmas has come early. If it's 8-4 or better then HCBD truly has a connection upstairs.

 

[CTMike]

I don't think it's out of reach... but I didn't think that was asking too much under the previous regime, either. Diaco's attention to detail and focus on strength training are enormous steps forward though. The big question is our offensive line - it's not particularly deep. I think a lot of our season will depend on that unit. I would temper expectations just slightly to say that any sort of bowl eligibility would be a GREAT success.

 

[SubbaBub]

There are 7 near gimees on the schedule this year. 8 is my expectation.

 

[Dooley]

I'm a UConn alum who's not a football fan, but am trying to become one.

So, as I dive into the whole thing, let me ask a simple question: What should my expectations be, record-wise, for this coming year? I don't see a lot of traditional powers on the schedule, and given our good run to end last season, I've become (irrationally?) optimistic.

Is an eight-win season and a trip to a minor bowl game out of reach?

First, welcome aboard! Go UCONN!

Now to address your question: my opinion is that the team can get to a bowl game this year. The early part of the schedule presents some challenging out of conference home games in BYU and Boise State. Once conference play begins, our toughest games (Cincinnati and UCF) will also be played at home. If we can split those 4 and then win the majority of our "winnable" games, we'll be in good shape. I will say this: it is much more difficult and typically takes much longer to turn around football than basketball. In basketball, a program can get a huge lift with one standout recruit. Football needs more time for recruiting to start paying dividends.

Probably every bit as important as wins is how the team plays this year. We've seen the team mail in games in the Pasqualoni era, including several stinkers last season. I don't think we will see that under Diaco. I think we will see a team that plays hard all season and with energy. The team, like all college teams, really responds to the energy in the stands and I think that there is really good buzz for the upcoming season and especially after this past week! At the risk of channeling my inner Captain Obvious, a team that plays with energy always has a chance to win. I expect our energy levels to improve drastically in 2014.

If you can, come to the Spring Game on Saturday! It's 3PM. Parking and admission is free and it's a nice "sneak peak" at what the game day atmosphere is like with tailgating and football.

 

[UConnDan97]

13-0. Period.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

If we get to 6-6 it will be a successful year. If we hit 7-5 or better then it's Christmas has come early. If it's 8-4 or better then HCBD truly has a connection upstairs.

I think this about right.

 

[Adios]

Winning ANY bowl game would be a solid start.

Regarding programs we've played and will play, you already know who we're playing. We still have plenty of history in football and plenty more to come.

http://www.the-boneyard.com/threads/connecticut-huskies-football-timeline.14987/

That can be found on UConn's web site and media guides.

 

[Matrim55]

I will say this: it is much more difficult and typically takes much longer to turn around football than basketball. In basketball, a program can get a huge lift with one standout recruit. Football needs more time for recruiting to start paying dividends.

How was last year's team able to turn it around so quickly? Just getting rid of PP seemed to give them a boost, and then when Cochran took over at QB they seemed to take off.

I imagine strength of schedule had a lot to do with that, but just not losing to teams that suck was such a big step forward.

How good is Cochran, by the way?

 

[metsfan2323]

If Diaco is as good of a coach as Randy Edsall then 6 wins is very doable (even P won 5 twice), if he is a better coach than Edsall more wins are very possible. I personally think we are very talented at QB, WR and RB and should be able to move the ball. If offensive line is a problem then put Casey at QB, problem solved. Actually, put Casey at QB if the OL is good too.

The biggest question mark in my opinion is the 3/4 defense. Can the players be productive in it and if they are not will Diaco stick with it or switch to a 4/3.

The team's improved strength and conditioning and Diaco's personality and experienced staff have me very hopeful for a great season. On paper the schedule, while solid, is not nearly as difficult as last year.

 

[UkonCornelius]

10-2. Take it to the bank!

 

[CTMike]

How was last year's team able to turn it around so quickly? Just getting rid of PP seemed to give them a boost, and then when Cochran took over at QB they seemed to take off.

I imagine strength of schedule had a lot to do with that, but just not losing to teams that suck was such a big step forward.

How good is Cochran, by the way?

Cochran seems to be quite good, though we only had a few games to go on. It looks like he has the early lead on remaining the starter. The other factor last year was coaching of the offensive line - P's buddy George DeLeone wasn't exactly the best teacher in that regard. Once they were both gone and responsibility fell back to Coach Foley (who was responsible for the unit in the Edsall years, when we put some lineman in the NFL) - we started to turn a corner.

 

[huskysupporter]

How was last year's team able to turn it around so quickly? Just getting rid of PP seemed to give them a boost, and then when Cochran took over at QB they seemed to take off.

I imagine strength of schedule had a lot to do with that, but just not losing to teams that suck was such a big step forward.

How good is Cochran, by the way?

The teams that UCONN faced were horrid.

Cochran can be a very good college qb. Reminds me of Chad Pennington. Smart, quick decisions.

 

[HuskyFan16]

13-0. Period.

Hahaha I knew this was coming.

 

[Rondogg]

I am reminded of 2011 when bb newbs would come over here and tell us that we needed to recruit better players.

 

[Stinger92860]

Strength and conditioning is going to have a huge positive impact on its own. These guys will have another 4 months to get stronger, bigger and faster.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

If the Huskies play like they did in the last 10 quarters of 2013, then there is an upside. Need to score TD's with some level of regularity. We saw that against Memphis, Rutgers and second half against Temple. UConn didn't even look remotely close in that stretch to the inept bunch we saw during the first nine games. Upgrade the offense and they'll upgrade the win column.

 

[CodyJ.]

I honestly only see 5 wins this year. Stony Brook, Tulane, USF, Army, and Memphis.
Too much work to do for one year. This is a 3 year plan for sure.

 

[metsfan2323]

I honestly only see 5 wins this year. Stony Brook, Tulane, USF, Army, and Memphis.
Too much work to do for one year. This is a 3 year plan for sure.

So you have us winning just one home game? Geez, give us the Temple game at least.

 

[junglehusky]

Stony Brook, Army, Memphis. Though we are still scarred as a fanbase from Towson and Buffalo last year, I think we can pencil in those 3 W's. USF, Temple, SMU - will be more competitive, if Diaco has things clicking we should get at least 2 wins out of there, so that's five. We have BYU and Boise in the Rent very early in the season. That might be too soon to see the fruits of Diaco's and the team's labors, but if it's not, it'll set the tone and raise the bar for my expectations. I believe Diaco is the right guy to change the culture of the program, and based on his quotes (taken with a giant grain of salt) it sounds like that process is well underway. So I'll say 6-7 wins is my expectation, and if we start out gangbusters going 3-0 then that gets raised. Of course in football things like injuries can really mess with predictions.

 

[freescooter]

I don't think Diaco is in this as a quick fix, but it might be possible to see pretty good progress. I hope we are better in November than we are in August or early September. I agree with junglehusky that BYU and Boise probably come too early in the year to be legitimate candidates for the win column, but you never know, especially with Boise going through a coaching change. Stony Brook, Army, Memphis, Temple and USF are all winnable games. SMU, and Tulane seem like at worst toss ups. Split those and upset somebody (I'm lookin' at you Cincy) and that would be a great season, in my estimation. It is also possible that this team will be pretty awful early and be pretty good late. That isn't an unlikely scenario under a new head coach.

 

[Husky25]

You really have to divorce yourself from last years' results.

From the moment UConn players started to work out "on their own," Coach Diaco has been done everything to indicate, except outright state, that last years team was terrible in almost every way. His goal since Spring practice began is to break down the entire team and build them back up. Hopefully that process is complete by August and UConn can pull out a W in front of 40,000 strong.

Fans won't know anything until Saturday afternoon, and even then...I don't expect Diaco to work miracles (i.e. 9 or 10 wins), but a bowl game is certainly not out of the realm of possibility. I want to see the stadium at over 90% capacity every game (even Stonybrook) and a good showing in the Bronx.

 

[Palatine]

13-0

 

[Carl Spackler]

I'm a UConn alum who's not a football fan, but am trying to become one.

So, as I dive into the whole thing, let me ask a simple question: What should my expectations be, record-wise, for this coming year? I don't see a lot of traditional powers on the schedule, and given our good run to end last season, I've become (irrationally?) optimistic.

Is an eight-win season and a trip to a minor bowl game out of reach?

The football approach to thinking is that we go 1-0, twelve times. It's mostly for entertainment value to try to predict the numbers of wins and losses over the course of an entire season. Expectations, realistic expectations for the season are that we re-establish our winning tradition at home field, and that come late November, we are in contention for a conference championship. If we're in contention for a championship by November. For perspective sake - in 116 years or something like that of UCONN football, there has only been one 10 win season - in 1998. We've got several conference championships over the past 3 decades and were 3-2 in bowl games in the past decade - yet won 10 games only once - to date - ever.

Right now - we need to go 1-0 against BYU. We have a good opportunity to do so. Home game. First game of the season. The team will be fired up and ready to play. The only real question mark as to what can really help us go 1-0 is the stadium environment that day. The past 3 seasons have been very rough on the fanbase. Randy Edsall did a fantastic job from 2003-2010 of building a real home field advantage for UCONN. We were 39-12 at home with Edsall running the whole show, with the only program we really had trouble with being West Virginia. We developed a real home field advantage - and that involved the fans. THe past 3 seasons saw more games lost at home, than in the previous 8 years.

Before I belabor the point anymore - I know I will be there + my crew. I know many other loyals will be there. We need everybody else to come back, and help the team win too, and it would be great for you to be there and bring as many folks as you know. Walk through the parking lots and say hi - lots of friendly people will be tailgating. Keep a safe arm's length distance from the young college drunks tailgating. They'll just accidently dump beer on you while trying to tell you how awesome everything is.