2023 Season - What Does Success Look Like? What Say You?

[ScottVib]

I'd be very happy, but also very surprised if we go over 30k (legitimate) once, let alone twice this season. It would take a lot of buzz building up and the most attractive games are earlier in the season (when they also face more competition with youth sports). The average attendance was 22,095 tickets distributed last year, with a high water mark of 25k that was hit twice, against local P5 programs (Syracuse & BC). We hit 23k with UMass and 22k with CCSU; Fresno drew 20k and Liberty 15k.

This year you have NC State as an opener.. on a Thursday night. Duke, 4 weeks later might have a chance if the team pulls the upset against NC State, otherwise USF in mid/late October is the best shot to hit the mark.

 

[RSTuthill]

Pretty solid consensus for early summer. I think we all agree on:

1. >= 7 W + Bowl game
2. Win the games UConn should win
3. Competitive almost every game, no massive blowouts (> 21 pts.)
4. At least one P5 W
5. QB and WR improvement that enables a legit passing threat (short and long) & closer to optimum R/P ratio (preventing defenders from stacking the box)
6. Stout DL and no backsliding on the OL
7. Secondary which does not need massive cushions
8. Get the Rent close to capacity at least once or twice

 

[shizzle787]

We need to win the 7 games against non-James Madison G5/FCS programs.
James Madison will be the most difficult G5 game, but the rest we need to win.

 

[SubbaBub]

Winning record and/or bowl win. Being a laughing stock, bankable win for anyone except the top 20 teams is no longer acceptable. Yeah, we had a weak schedule last year and this year looks even softer but we made a bowl game without a reliable quarterback or our top RB's and WR's. Mora proved once and for all that any team can win games if they know what they are doing and are committed.

I'm now convinced that our past problems were directly attributable to players losing faith in PP, Diaco, and RE 2.0 rather quickly. I hope Mora can keep up the energy in the program.

 

[Bongo Fury]

People are very optimistic. My expectations are more tempered I believe the offense will improve and want to see if the D can match up better with the top offenses this season. Guessing NCST is one of them?

 

[Waquoit]

Winning helps but our attendance will be opponent dependant for the near-term.

 

[Exit 4]

I'd be very happy, but also very surprised if we go over 30k (legitimate) once, let alone twice this season. It would take a lot of buzz building up and the most attractive games are earlier in the season (when they also face more competition with youth sports). The average attendance was 22,095 tickets distributed last year, with a high water mark of 25k that was hit twice, against local P5 programs (Syracuse & BC). We hit 23k with UMass and 22k with CCSU; Fresno drew 20k and Liberty 15k.

This year you have NC State as an opener.. on a Thursday night. Duke, 4 weeks later might have a chance if the team pulls the upset against NC State, otherwise USF in mid/late October is the best shot to hit the mark.

I don’t disagree about attendance- but a meaningful step up is part of the formula for success if we want to keep us atop of the power conf upgrade discussion. Having a seven win season and drawing 22k on avg will give pause to some looking at us for a CRA upgrade. We need to get to 30k… the OP asked for definition of a good season and I think wins w/o a step up in attendance would be the equivalent of coming up a bit short. Attendance will matter and is part of my definition of a good season.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

At the moment I'm following the "I'll know it when I see it" path as the possibility exists of a five win season with above anticipated growth while a seven or eight win season without eliminating weaknesses we believe we should be able to eliminate can also happen.

As an independent, continually improving our W/L record and bowl game/results will help on a number of levels (attendance, perception, recruiting) so obviously this should always be a goal. Building a sustainable foundation that will allow us to compete at an increasingly higher level should be the goal.

 

[Patman]

People are very optimistic. My expectations are more tempered I believe the offense will improve and want to see if the D can match up better with the top offenses this season. Guessing NCST is one of them?

I think people see that if we had some semblance of a passing game last year another two games was well within reach. I've seen enough weird stuff happen that I won't play the "must win" game.

 

[Bongo Fury]

If they can run the ball on people pretty much at will, I’d be okay with that.

 

[Rich]

Top 60 defense
Top 70 offense

Gimme 8 wins that's including the related bowl game, and I want at least a 50 burger slapped on BC.

Mora-you want more money for the operation? We gotta see further growth in proof of concept. Get 'er done.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

People are very optimistic. My expectations are more tempered I believe the offense will improve and want to see if the D can match up better with the top offenses this season. Guessing NCST is one of them?

They got a good grad Qb from UVa. 220+ yds/g

 

[Bongo Fury]

They got a good grad Qb from UVa. 220+ yds/g

Linking up with former OC?

 

[RSTuthill]

They got a good grad Qb from UVa. 220+ yds/g

Guess I missed that memo. Who are we talking about?

 

[B1GEast]

For me success would be if the team isn't disrupted when a starter goes down or is taken out of the lineup.

The second team needs to be as good as the first team as far as having a cohesive unit goes.

Often times you'll see a team go downhill at a certain position when a starter is injured and it seems to impact the whole team.


Injuries happen, but a solid, talented and well coached team continues to grind through it and not crumble.

I want to see the team get better, minimize penalties and be competitive and fight through the whole game.

That doesn't always translate to victories, but being able to keep games in reach and have a chance to win games is all you can ask for when you not fortunate to have the best recruits.

You go to war with the weapons you have, and if the coach and staff can get kids to be where they're supposed to be on the field and the can make plays, you got a shot.

That's the mark of a disciplined program.

That type of culture will lead to wins

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Linking up with former OC?

Yep.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Guess I missed that memo. Who are we talking about?

NCST's offense, our D. See Bongo's post #35.

 

[Buffett10]

Guess I missed that memo. Who are we talking about?

Brennan Armstrong transferred from UVA to NC St after Leary transferred to Kentucky

 

[RSTuthill]

NCST's offense, our D. See Bongo's post #35.

Ahh ... context is everything and one skips a post at one's peril. Thx.

 

[RSTuthill]

Brennan Armstrong transferred from UVA to NC St after Leary transferred to Kentucky

Thx.

 

[Ldandy]

Brennan Armstrong transferred from UVA to NC St after Leary transferred to Kentucky

They also lost one of their top wide receivers, Devin Carter as a transfer to WVU. While I think Armstrong is a solid pick up as an experienced QB, Leary is a better player. Leary + Carter is a significant loss for them. Getting them early before they have a chance to build some chemistry with their new QB is about as good of a scenario as you can hope for as a UConn Fan.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[RSTuthill]

If they can run the ball on people pretty much at will, I’d be okay with that.

Tall order without any kind of a legitimate passing threat.

 

[RSTuthill]

I have forgotten. Are BC and Utah State underdogs to UConn this preseason?

 

[gsmooth]

If they can run the ball on people pretty much at will, I’d be okay with that.

look at RSTuthill's post #53. UConn's run game was very good last year for sure and Mora and his staff deserve a lot of credit. However, the threat of a pass needs to be there or opposing defenses will stack the box. Running can work against stacked boxes if the opponent doesn't have the talent or physicality UConn has, but the more talented P5 teams will be much tougher to run against if the threat of a downfield passing attack isn't there.

 

[SubbaBub]

If the new WR are half as good as Mora claims, our passing game should be better. I'm confident that our QB play will be better. Question is will it be good enough to lead to a special season.

 

[Patman]

look at RSTuthill's post #53. UConn's run game was very good last year for sure and Mora and his staff deserve a lot of credit. However, the threat of a pass needs to be there or opposing defenses will stack the box. Running can work against stacked boxes if the opponent doesn't have the talent or physicality UConn has, but the more talented P5 teams will be much tougher to run against if the threat of a downfield passing attack isn't there.

Also it is clear that they couldn't just "run at will", they certainly had some big runs from some key players. Some of those guys aren't there anymore. I'm sure we'll be fine in the run game but that's just the way it is. Credible passing game will help.

 

[Dizzy21]

I have forgotten. Are BC and Utah State underdogs to UConn this preseason?

It pretty much looks like he thinks so, unless Northern Illinois, Holy Cross are going to make a run at it.

 

[Hoophound]

If the new WR are half as good as Mora claims, our passing game should be better. I'm confident that our QB play will be better. Question is will it be good enough to lead to a special season.

Who will the QB be?

Fagnano is the only QB we have that we know can really throw it. Charlton may have a hard time sitting him.

I’m hoping Roberson can make throws, but we have no evidence that he can.

Zion seemed limited throwing but even more so, he seemed hesitant to throw it. He didn’t see open receivers when they were there. Admittedly, they weren’t open enough.

 

[Scoe]

Win another banner and win a bowl game, I don’t care if it’s a Cumberland Farms trophy. Bottom line eclipse a winning season, would like that to happen going into a bowl game so I say 8 wins.