A Confusing, Infuriating Finish For Huskies (Jeff Jacobs)

[huskymedic]

Jeff Jacobs: A Confusing, Infuriating Finish For Huskies

>>Yet, in linear terms, games often evolve to a climactic moment in the closing seconds. This one certainly did. The confusion, clock mismanagement and head-scratching play call screamed to a lack of creativity, ingenuity and composure in the closing seconds. Diaco has this UConn ship headed in the right direction, but, man, there have been games the past few years where the finishing touch has the fingerprints of final-scene failure.<<

 

[ASweet3781]

I thought time would heal the wounds. It hasn't. I'm still ticked.

 

[Jimdish255]

"The play to Hergy, we didn't know if it was complete, where, on the 1, on the half, incomplete," Diaco said. "The [play] clock is running down, the ball gets spotted. We're having that, 'What is it on the 1, on the half, was it incomplete, was it complete moment as the clock is running down?

"They break the huddle and we were not going to get the play off. So I burned the timeout."

Who is "we" that's having this total meltdown moment and why does it matter if the ball is on the 1 yard line, the 1/2 yard line or it's 1st or 2nd down? All that matters is 17 seconds and 1 timeout and how many shots can we get to score. Get a play run and go from there.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Jeff Jacobs: A Confusing, Infuriating Finish For Huskies

>>Yet, in linear terms, games often evolve to a climactic moment in the closing seconds. This one certainly did. The confusion, clock mismanagement and head-scratching play call screamed to a lack of creativity, ingenuity and composure in the closing seconds. Diaco has this UConn ship headed in the right direction, but, man, there have been games the past few years where the finishing touch has the fingerprints of final-scene failure.<<

This is the response that is demanded by the media. Glad Jacobs isn't letting him off the hook here or for the overall trend of mystifying and gutless game management decisions.

 

[huskymedic]

Who is "we" that's having this total meltdown moment and why does it matter if the ball is on the 1 yard line, the 1/2 yard line or it's 1st or 2nd down?

>>"I'm just describing the final seconds, because I know you're going to ask, as you should. And I know UConn Nation wants to know, as they should. All I'm doing is giving the explanation without even reviewing it. I'm recapping in my mind what I lived in that moment. I'm not even sure if I'm all spot on. I haven't even had a second. I addressed the team and came up here."<<

I believe Coach probably has a much clearer vision of the cluster that occurred after watching the tape (which he admits he hadn't seen yet prior to post game presser)... I want to see if the explanation changes during next week's call w/ media.

 

[lavuuk153]

Hey Coach...if they spot it at the 1 at that moment, it was complete. Is that hard to figure out?

 

[Adios]

Dumb decisions repeatedly don't right a ship.

On the bright side, now the country knows we've sucked because of the coaches we've had.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Why doesn't the defense just keep sitting on the ball carrier for 40 seconds all game?

 

[BugsyCT]

How do you not know it's 2nd down and not 3rd?

 

[Carl Spackler]

How do you not know it's 2nd down and not 3rd?

Only thing that mattered in that situation was that it wasn't 4th down.

 

[lavuuk153]

When I saw the formation I just assumed we were going to the WR in 1v1 coverage to the outside. Perhaps the run was because no sane person would do it so of course it would score easily...or something.

 

[Jimdish255]

How do you not know it's 2nd down and not 3rd?

Only 1 play earlier your tight end caught a pass for a first down. Not many choices left.

 

[BugsyCT]

Only thing that mattered in that situation was that it wasn't 4th down.

If they had done it quickly, they could have had time for as many as 3 plays. Instead they only got 1. That last 10 seconds ticking down while nobody budges from the pile still infuriates me.

 

[huskymedic]

Only 1 play earlier your tight end caught a pass for a first down. Not many choices left.

Uconn 1-10 at Navy23 Timeout UConn, clock 00:45.
Uconn 1-10 at Navy23 SHIRREFFS, Bry. pass complete to THOMAS, Noel for 9 yards to the NAVY14 (THOMAS, Micah).
Uconn 2-1 at Navy14 SHIRREFFS, Bry. pass complete to Davis, Tyler for 4 yards to the NAVY10, 1ST DOWN UCONN.
Uconn 1-G at Navy10 SHIRREFFS, Bry. pass complete to Mayala, Hergy for 9 yards to the NAVY1, out-of-bounds (GILMAN, Alohi).
Uconn 2-G at Navy01 Timeout UConn, clock 00:17.
Uconn 2-G at Navy01 Johnson, Ron rush for no gain to the NAVY1 (MASON, Amos;FORRESTAL, P).
Uconn 3-G at Navy01 End of game, clock 00:00.

 

[Walker11]

I think Jacobs is spot on. We see a very motivated and well conditioned team that is clearly an overall better unit. Diaco deserves credit for this. But at the same time, this is a guy who has repeatedly made Andy Reid look like a clock management guru. I hate the offensive philosophy which doesn't seem to fit the skillset of the roster but the team actually does seem to be trending in the right direction. I wish Diaco could hold a figurehead/motivational/defensive role and just let someone else handle the game calling and timeout management (and not Verducci). Diaco has a lot of positive attributes and could be a better than average coach but good Lord his ineptitude in certain facets make it hard to support him.

 

[Jimdish255]

The only slightly ambiguous part came from trying to figure out the spot on the Davis catch. But that's because on TV they didn't show us the spot which looked like he went out around the 10 1/2 and when they ran the next play the nose of the ball was almost on the 10 yard line. But after the Mayala catch it was apparent that the down didn't matter anymore, only the clock.

 

[uconnfan68]

I think Jacobs is spot on. We see a very motivated and well conditioned team that is clearly an overall better unit. Diaco deserves credit for this. But at the same time, this is a guy who has repeatedly made Andy Reid look like a clock management guru. I hate the offensive philosophy which doesn't seem to fit the skillset of the roster but the team actually does seem to be trending in the right direction. I wish Diaco could hold a figurehead/motivational/defensive role and just let someone else handle the game calling and timeout management (and not Verducci). Diaco has a lot of positive attributes and could be a better than average coach but good Lord his ineptitude in certain facets make it hard to support him.

Leave out the defensive role and I'm with you. So many places where they look coach less and clueless. Defense played much better in the 2nd half, but for much of the game Navy's lines were in charge.

 

[Walker11]

Leave out the defensive role and I'm with you. So many places where they look coach less and clueless. Defense played much better in the 2nd half, but for much of the game Navy's lines were in charge.

It was a tale of 2 halves on D. I'm not smart enough to know if it was strategy or conditioning. I really don't like to watch Bob's bend but not break D but it has proven to be successful. The backfield looked like crap in the first half but it is extremely tough for a safety when you have to controll the pitch and the deep ball as a safety.

 

[Stinger92860]

When I saw the formation I just assumed we were going to the WR in 1v1 coverage to the outside. Perhaps the run was because no sane person would do it so of course it would score easily...or something.

I as expect BS to roll out to his left.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Hey Coach...if they spot it at the 1 at that moment, it was complete. Is that hard to figure out?

And if he wasn't sure if it was a legitimate completion, the correct move would have been to hurry to the line and try to get a play off before a review.

One thing (of many) that irritates me is I am pretty sure the year Diaco won the Broyles award, one ND win (USC?) was due to exactly what happened yesterday, not getting another play at the goal line because of a running play with no remaining TO's and no urgency to end the play and reset at the LOS. He should have known from e produce what can kill you there.

 

[MattMang23]

When I saw the formation I just assumed we were going to the WR in 1v1 coverage to the outside. Perhaps the run was because no sane person would do it so of course it would score easily...or something.

I knew it was a run. The second I saw Allmendinger run by the camera and get in position I said "great it's a run and we lose." My friends were like "maybe it's a fade pass to the outside." Nope. It was a run.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Dumb decisions repeatedly don't right a ship.

On the bright side, now the country knows we've sucked because of the coaches we've had.

three lefts do make a right, a broke clock is right twice a day and even a blind squirrel finds a nut. Unfortunately that means you made three wrong decisions to get to the right decision, that you are right 2/86400th of the time and you didn't see the hawk. Low percentages.

 

[SubbaBub]

Does it really matter if it's the half yard line or the one yard line? No, it doesn't. Especially, when after your last TO, it's spotted at the one and you run up the middle.

You do practice two minute drill. You do practice goal line. Pick one the plays you practice with the personnel group you have on the field and run it. No excuse not getting the play off. In fact, it doesn't really matter if you take a delay penalty there. The clock is everything. BE READY WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO WIN THE GAME PRESENTS ITSELF. It's what winners do.

 

[Chief00]

Another thing - there needs to be recognition to the QB that a certain amount of leadership is expected on the field. Getting the team out of the huddle quickly - knowing when to spike the ball

 

[businesslawyer]

Another thing - there needs to be recognition to the QB that a certain amount of leadership is expected on the field. Getting the team out of the huddle quickly - knowing when to spike the ball

You need counseling. Seriously, trying to pin any of this on BS? Do you need help looking at your health insurance to see if getting someone to pronounce you clinically insane is covered?