2024 Season Preview: Connecticut Huskies (T'N'T College Football Blog) | The Boneyard

2024 Season Preview: Connecticut Huskies (T'N'T College Football Blog)

I agree with a lot of it. Last year was a team that was borderline and needed to just make a few plays to be back in a bowl game. I think the upgraded all the positions where those plays were needed. I don’t for a minute that Fagnano will be the starting quarterback, though. They brought in Evers to be the quarterback, not to “compete” for the job. Unless he turns out to be a total disaster or gets hurt he is qb1.
 
ktuck911 said:
Yup, but still, cautious optimism... TNT is a glass half full guy when it comes to our program.... he believes... much like we all do (no matter how much we might complain at times)
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He is a glass half full. Some of us still have 3-3-5 PTSD. We were rated the worst defense in college football history under that system run by Crocker. I'm torn on Fagnano, he is a baller but his ceiling seems lower than Evers but I also can't recall a transfer of Evers caliber going through two schools and then coming out a miracle worker as far as passing goes. If he can stay healthy he has wheels which could help some. I predict another run-heavy, slow-developing offense and pray that the defense doesn't repeat the 3-3-5 we saw prior. I will be pleasantly surprised if we break .500, I don't see it happening, though. Other teams have also loaded up on talent.
 
Forte said:
He is a glass half full. Some of us still have 3-3-5 PTSD. We were rated the worst defense in college football history under that system run by Crocker. I'm torn on Fagnano, he is a baller but his ceiling seems lower than Evers but I also can't recall a transfer of Evers caliber going through two schools and then coming out a miracle worker as far as passing goes. If he can stay healthy he has wheels which could help some. I predict another run-heavy, slow-developing offense and pray that the defense doesn't repeat the 3-3-5 we saw prior. I will be pleasantly surprised if we break .500, I don't see it happening, though. Other teams have also loaded up on talent.
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I think that makes sense with the amount of DB's Mora and company have recruited this year. When Crocker was here he had zero players that fit his mold and seemed like it was just over his head at that point. Crocker did have, I think, the best defense statistically at Nova the year before, but things just didn't fall the way anyone wanted.

That being said, the new DC has coached in the SEC and was relatively successful at having MSU in the top half of the conference which is no slouch. Do I expect to see the defense shut everyone down completely? No, but I absolutely think he can bring an immediate impact on play calling and scheming.
 
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SubbaBub said:
I keep relying on the fallacy that it shouldn't be this hard to be mediocre.

I mean how difficult is it to scheme and execute a 6 yard pass play consistently. As in 50% of the time?
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If you team never learned to tackle, you're in deep, deep trouble.
 
DoctorWho85 said:
I think that makes sense with the amount of DB's Mora and company have recruited this year. When Crocker was here he had zero players that fit his mold and seemed like it was just over his head at that point. Crocker did have, I think, the best defense statistically at Nova the year before, but things just didn't fall the way anyone wanted.

That being said, the new DC has coached in the SEC and was relatively successful at having MSU in the top half of the conference which is no slouch. Do I expect to see the defense shut everyone down completely? No, but I absolutely think he can bring an immediate impact on play calling and scheming.
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we started with HS/Prep kids mainly... kids that had to grow into manhood... making us a total disadvantage to everybody else... can't run that 3-3-5 that way ... or any other defense at the FBS level for that matter...
 
SubbaBub said:
I keep relying on the fallacy that it shouldn't be this hard to be mediocre.

I mean how difficult is it to scheme and execute a 6 yard pass play consistently. As in 50% of the time?
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as hard and grueling as football is, it is not as hard as uconn and umass have made it look the last 10 years. :(
 
DMTCYNAW said:
as hard and grueling as football is, it is not as hard as uconn and umass have made it look the last 10 years. :(
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It is hard when the opponent has 9 or 10 of the best players on the field most of the time. Need a lot of things to go just right to stay close, never mind actually win. 2024 looks like potentially a competitive level of talent, that would be a big step forward. Can't be always trying to win in spite of QB play.
 
Husky68 said:
It is hard when the opponent has 9 or 10 of the best players on the field most of the time. Need a lot of things to go just right to stay close, never mind actually win. 2024 looks like potentially a competitive level of talent, that would be a big step forward. Can't be always trying to win in spite of QB play.
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Right! The game has changed and you can’t really win with defense anymore. And rarely with “game managers”.
 
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I think the team will be better, but QB is a question in my mind. I don't understand all of the hate around Fagnano given we had limited exposure to him last year. It wouldn't surprise me if Fagnano starts the Maryland game given it's the first game of the season, on the road, against one of the toughest opponents of the season. Give Evers some snaps if the game doesn't go well. Probably best to start Evers against Merrimack in week 2 at home to build his confidence. Remember, Evers has thrown 1 college pass (incomplete) and it was in 2022.
 
SubbaBub said:
I keep relying on the fallacy that it shouldn't be this hard to be mediocre.

I mean how difficult is it to scheme and execute a 6 yard pass play consistently. As in 50% of the time?
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So true. We have trouble reverting to the mean.
 
UConnJim said:
I think the team will be better, but QB is a question in my mind. I don't understand all of the hate around Fagnano given we had limited exposure to him last year. It wouldn't surprise me if Fagnano starts the Maryland game given it's the first game of the season, on the road, against one of the toughest opponents of the season. Give Evers some snaps if the game doesn't go well. Probably best to start Evers against Merrimack in week 2 at home to build his confidence. Remember, Evers has thrown 1 college pass (incomplete) and it was in 2022.
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We are trying to beat Maryland. They won’t be holding back. I could see it against Ohio St or Alabama but not Maryland.
 
Mora brought in 85 new players over the last two years and now a new staff with possible new D and O preference, especially on D. So who really has a feel for this team. Always preferred a Merrimack being the first game. Hopefully they will get better through the season and be a fun watch to see them grow.
 
ktuck911 said:
we started with HS/Prep kids mainly... kids that had to grow into manhood... making us a total disadvantage to everybody else... can't run that 3-3-5 that way ... or any other defense at the FBS level for that matter...
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You got me there. I did try to do a little research into Brock's philosophy and he seems like he's able to adjust his defense to fit the players rather than the other way around. So I still think be makes an immediate impact.
 
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Hoophound said:
We are trying to beat Maryland. They won’t be holding back. I could see it against Ohio St or Alabama but not Maryland.
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Agreed... Isn't Maryland breaking in a new QB too??? should be a fun competitive matchup.... I see us going with Evers... He's been through a few P5 camps and we didn't bring him in to sit... He's gotta(better) be our guy from the start
 
Palatine said:
If you team never learned to tackle, you're in deep, deep trouble.
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Tackling has been atrocious at every level since they changed contact rules for practice. Now couple with that inferior athletes and it looks something like our game against Fresno State where we brought "the wrong cleats".
 
UConnJim said:
I think the team will be better, but QB is a question in my mind. I don't understand all of the hate around Fagnano given we had limited exposure to him last year. It wouldn't surprise me if Fagnano starts the Maryland game given it's the first game of the season, on the road, against one of the toughest opponents of the season. Give Evers some snaps if the game doesn't go well. Probably best to start Evers against Merrimack in week 2 at home to build his confidence. Remember, Evers has thrown 1 college pass (incomplete) and it was in 2022.
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You either have confidence that Evers is your guy or you don’t. If you do then he starts whether it is on the road against Maryland or on the road against the KC Chiefs. If you “protect” him by letting someone else start at UMD, you send the message that you aren’t even trying to win. And as AD Dave said, Coach Mora want to win them all.
 
Assuming Evers was paid to come here, let's hope it's not gambling money.
 
freescooter said:
You either have confidence that Evers is your guy or you don’t. If you do then he starts whether it is on the road against Maryland or on the road against the KC Chiefs. If you “protect” him by letting someone else start at UMD, you send the message that you aren’t even trying to win. And as AD Dave said, Coach Mora want to win them all.
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I hope the days of RE sacrificing the present for a potentially better future are behind us.
 
Hoophound said:
We are trying to beat Maryland.
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It would be the most improbable win in the history of our football program. It's a borderline body-bag game, basically a body bag game without the payday.

This is what I hate about our current scheduling, everyone including the team, gets fired up for the P4 games, and then we have letdowns for the winnable games. It's the opposite of what we should be doing.
 
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metsfan2323 said:
It would be the most improbable win in the history of our football program. It's a borderline body-bag game, basically a body bag game without the payday.

This is what I hate about our current scheduling, everyone including the team, gets fired up for the P4 games, and then we have letdowns for the winnable games. It's the opposite of what we should be doing.
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Played three years of an indy schedule. When did this actually happen?
 
Hoophound said:
We are trying to beat Maryland. They won’t be holding back. I could see it against Ohio St or Alabama but not Maryland.
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True. But Evers has not played in years. It will take some time to get acclimated to the speed relative to high school. It is the same for most players transitioning from College to the Pros. If Evers starts do not be surprise if he has a bad game against Maryland. If that happens you will see plenty of people on the Boneyard saying he sucks after one game.
 
metsfan2323 said:
It would be the most improbable win in the history of our football program. It's a borderline body-bag game, basically a body bag game without the payday.

This is what I hate about our current scheduling, everyone including the team, gets fired up for the P4 games, and then we have letdowns for the winnable games. It's the opposite of what we should be doing.
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Wow, is Maryland that good? Thought we had a punchers chance in that one.

Looked at their schedule and one preview, they could be an 8 win team without beating anybody all that good. Don’t confuse them with Ohio St or Michigan though.
 
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metsfan2323 said:
It would be the most improbable win in the history of our football program. It's a borderline body-bag game, basically a body bag game without the payday.

This is what I hate about our current scheduling, everyone including the team, gets fired up for the P4 games, and then we have letdowns for the winnable games. It's the opposite of what we should be doing.
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This is a huge problem. There are certainly winnable P4 games on the schedule. BC last year. Maybe NC State, Wake, but we can’t be getting blown out or be flat for Georgia State and Temple. Realistic result should be 6-2 G5 1-3 P4
 
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