A crappy season is a plus for Pasqualoni

[ruskin]

With 9 starters back on defense (before BWWs injury), and two All-Big East O linemen I don't think it was unreasonable to expect P to meet the Edsall standard of 7-5/8-4 bowl even w/QB-RB issues. The only way this isn't a "program took a step back" season is with a 4-2 or 5-1 finish.

BTW, Dave Carlson, you're 0-for-2 on your attempts at brilliant sarcasm. Feel free to explain why you think P is doing such a great job, why Hathaway was right to hire him, why those who criticize him on this board are stupid d-bags and why you've chosen to use your valuable time to communicate with such low-lifes who don't possess your savvy knowledge of the game.

 

[Dave Carlson]

BTW, Dave Carlson, you're 0-for-2 on your attempts at brilliant sarcasm. Feel free to explain why you think P is doing such a great job, why Hathaway was right to hire him, why those who criticize him on this board are stupid d-bags and why you've chosen to use your valuable time to communicate with such low-lifes who don't possess your savvy knowledge of the game.

Sorry, you can be on the Council of Overseers that signs off on Pasqualoni's coaching, too, since you are an expert at football AND at politics. You are a real two-way threat in that regard, like Gordie Lockbaum from back in the dizzay (which means "day" to the young people). Maybe you could get Senator Blumenthal to work on getting the Council of Overseer by-laws into place after he's done taking care of Boston College, which I assume is top item on his agenda.

We need all the smart people we can get working on this or else Pasqualoni will destroy the entire state.

PASQUALONI IS NOT DONE WITH HIS LOSING GAMES THIS YEAR! HE IS GOING TO LOSE MORE, BOOK IT.

 

[ruskin]

0-for-3.

 

[businesslawyer]

Apparently reading comprehension is not a strong point for you.

I was talking about stuffing a new complex offensive and defensive scheme down their throat all at once. He was so desperate to impress he forgot to transition it over time.

Especially if you don't have the right players. Gotta give lots of credit though on how he handled the QB situation.

I think there is something to this. Every coach has to balance winning in year one with moving the program towards doing it his way. Did P have power to do what he didi? Of course. But would we have won more game if he had relied on Hughes and Foley and Morehead to make sure we didn't abandon as much of what we had been doing successfully, and what our personnel was built to do? I think there is something to that. I also think P wouldn't be alone among coaches (or bosses in other walks of life) who wanted to do it there way immediately, thinking that would be best in the long term.

 

[UConnJim]

How can people not see the player losses from last year? No matter what, you can not win many games with an inexperienced QB. Throw in that we lost our top 4 RBs from last year, arguably our top wr, an All Big East OG, and it was pretty clear the offensive was going to struggle this year, at least at the beginning of the year, especially with a new system. Face fact, UConn has not had a decent QB since Orlovsky and this is the first time since moving to 1A that we haven't had depth at RB.

Coach P is no Greg Robinson. Robinson was never a head coach and had questionable credentials as an assistant. In addition, Coach P understands that you have to develop players at Northeastern schools as the local recruits are not as fully developed as Southern players. Robinson never understood this.

 

[NHUConnfan]

I'll just say it again - Cincy was 4-8 in Butch Jones first year.

They're clearly on their way to a bowl game this year and in the top 2-3 BE teams. If the games fall right, they could be BE champions.

I'd say PP is in a similar situation as Butch was - maybe a little different in personnel lost - but it wasn't like PP came to a loaded team and is doing this. There are clear holes. Our QB and RB are gone. Few key players on defense. Anthony Sherman - seriously this guy was clutch for us! And let's be honest, it's not like the past few years have been that great for recruitment.

Gotta give PP a year to implement his system - get the right players on the field. I will give him a pass. The test starts this offseason on who signs on and then how many games we win.

He's clearly not a long term coach - but I think he'll be solid enough to keep the program at least relatively relevant while we search for our dream coach.

 

[sportsart]

How can people not see the player losses from last year? No matter what, you can not win many games with an inexperienced QB. Throw in that we lost our top 4 RBs from last year, arguably our top wr, an All Big East OG, and it was pretty clear the offensive was going to struggle this year, at least at the beginning of the year, especially with a new system. Face fact, UConn has not had a decent QB since Orlovsky and this is the first time since moving to 1A that we haven't had depth at RB.

Coach P is no Greg Robinson. Robinson was never a head coach and had questionable credentials as an assistant. In addition, Coach P understands that you have to develop players at Northeastern schools as the local recruits are not as fully developed as Southern players. Robinson never understood this.

We did not lose our games because of our offense (if you want to count some terrible play calling you can) but there has been enough scoring to win "winnable" games which were all but WVU.

 

[ZooCougar]

Heard it this morning ... and it is absolutely true:

A NEW coach needs to do something EARLY to make it his team. A WIN at Vandy by tightening the Offense & playing mistake free. A WIN in a big situation. I don't think PP was a bad hire (certainly not what Kragthorpe & GROB turned into); but, he needs to grab ahold of this situation NOW.

I agree. This is why I think the GROB comparison fits. He didn't show anything early to indicate that there was a reason to believe in what he was doing. We're basically seeing a flat line with P.

 

[businesslawyer]

I agree. This is why I think the GROB comparison fits. He didn't show anything early to indicate that there was a reason to believe in what he was doing. We're basically seeing a flat line with P.

I'm sorry. You can't see a flatline half a year into a coach's first season. Do I think they are off to a great start. Nope. But you can't conclude from what they've done that they won't get it done.

 

[uconnfan68]

What could he do? The cupboard was bare. Waa waaa.

Then the five win season next year can be seen as improvement (three win season?). We're moving in the right direction. Waa waa. By next year, Mac should be a mid-level Sunbelt starter. That alone should help the W column.

P gets a pass this year. Setting the bar low means in year three the bar is still low. Winning all the OOC games, as was possible this year, wouldn't have made much difference in his tenure. But I think, it would actually made it harder for P in the long run.

It reminds me of a team playing for a first round draft pick. Wins are not important. It's only important that P be seen as a steady hand on the wheel

Wow, has anyone ever seen you smile?

 

[Pudge]

I'm sorry. You can't see a flatline half a year into a coach's first season. Do I think they are off to a great start. Nope. But you can't conclude from what they've done that they won't get it done.

And ... our friend Wiscy took this in a direction I did not intend.

You need to get some good things going early in a position like this. He hasn't. That does not mean, imho, that this is a GROB. It just is two entirely different situations. GROB, as you might remember, did an awful job gathering assistants. That is NOT something I think in PP's case.