As Wagner Approaches

[RedSoloCup]

How are you all feeling about the season, are you positive about the team or negative about the upcoming season?

I used to start every season with hope, thinking that we have great news coming out of camp... we have this guys doing so well, that guy in the best shape of his young career. No matter how bad LAST year was, THIS year will be better because.. "X". And then we settle in for some interesting times.

Not sure how feel about this season. I hope that there is hope, is that a thing? Shell-shocked and the bank is a bit empty? Not quite ready to buy into the 'at least we look like we are competing".

 

[Stainmaster]

It can’t get worse, so there’s that.

 

[HuskyAlum012]

It can’t get worse, so there’s that.

I mean I'm sure someone said that prior to last season too...

 

[ConnHuskBask]

It can’t get worse, so there’s that.

Until we go 0-12, it can always get worse.

 

[Afroabe224]

We haven't beat an FCS team by more than a TD since 2011. Can we at least please do that??

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

We haven't beat an FCS team by more than a TD since 2011. Can we at least please do that??

Holy crap...is that true? I know it's been bad....but yikes. It's amazing how much those PP teams underperformed.

 

[freescooter]

I actually think it is important for us to dominate Wagner in the opener the way Edsall teams used to dominate the 1aa opponents. 35-7 or something after 3 quarters with the backups playing the 4th quarter. Even the bad Edsall teams did that. Wagner is a notch below the CAA teams so it is really important that we do it.

 

[Pudge]

Loss to Towson in 2013 (bad)
Beat Stony Brook 19-16 late - 2014
Beat Villanova 20-15 - 2015
Beat Maine 24-21 - 2016
Beat Holy Cross 27-20 - 2017
Beat URI 56-49 last year

What does that look like?
Me Too

Yes. Wagner isn’t the scholarship level of CAA. We basically pulled a Rutgers; when they couldn’t beat Villanova (CAA) or Delaware, they brought in Howard & Delaware State.

Yes. I want them to hit early hit often. Be dominant on Defense. Look cohesive and fast on Offense. That OLine needs to be great.

 

[Purple Stein]

Wagner season preview published by Hero Sports yesterday:

FCS 2019 PREVIEW: Wagner Football Has Some New Faces On Offense

Long story short, 9 returning starters. QB is a transfer from FIU who started/won the Bahamas Bowl last year, RB is a transfer from WKU. They have a preseason FCS All-American LB (Cam Gill), but the secondary is essentially all newcomers.

I hope I'm wrong, but this doesn't smell like 35-7 to me.

 

[uconndogs]

I have no idea what to expect from this team versus Wagner or anyone else for that matter.

The defense was beyond horrific last season and while youth was certainly a big reason for that, we're still young and we have no idea if we will get play at LB. Will we be better? Sure, I think that's likely, but we couldn't be starting from a lower base. Without decent defense, nothing is assured.

We have no idea what we have at QB and little inkling of what we have at WR and TE. So the whole passing game is up in the air so to speak. We should have an OL and RBs that will allow for a decent running game, but I don't think you can run the football if your passing game is suspect, especially in today's college football.

I'm hopeful for meaningful improvement, but this thing has been badly broken.

 

[TheDoggPound]

Nobody has brought up kicking.. I guess it's low on the list of priorities, but that could be our worst position.

 

[Pudge]

Wagner?

They want to be somebody. Scheduled the Miami Hurricanes for 2020.

 

[uconndogs]

Nobody has brought up kicking.. I guess it's low on the list of priorities, but that could be our worst position.

Excellent point.

 

[RSTuthill]

No clue about what will happen against Wagner. Open mind. Not falling for the rose colored glasses evaluations so far, but neither am I negative. I think Wagner may tell a tale. Waiting for the result before I buy the Illinois tickets.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I am hopeful that Randy and the new staff has changed their mindset. Diaco broke that 2016 team with his utter stupidity. They went downhill after the Cinci win and have not had any confidence since.

I know the players have changed but they need to go out there and bloody Wagner's nose a bit. Dominate the game. Get some confidence and carry it forward.

 

[freescooter]

Wagner season preview published by Hero Sports yesterday:

FCS 2019 PREVIEW: Wagner Football Has Some New Faces On Offense

Long story short, 9 returning starters. QB is a transfer from FIU who started/won the Bahamas Bowl last year, RB is a transfer from WKU. They have a preseason FCS All-American LB (Cam Gill), but the secondary is essentially all newcomers.

I hope I'm wrong, but this doesn't smell like 35-7 to me.

You will note I didn’t say I expect us to dominate only that it is important that we in fact do it. If not it will be another difficult year. On the other hand despite some talented players I would not expect a team from Central’s league to have the depth comparable to URI or another CAA squad.

 

[gopher2]

As always at this time of the year, I'm hopeful and looking forward to the season. I plan to enjoy this feeling thoroughly between now and August 29.

 

[uconndogs]

I am hopeful that Randy and the new staff has changed their mindset. Diaco broke that 2016 team with his utter stupidity. They went downhill after the Cinci win and have not had any confidence since.

I know the players have changed but they need to go out there and bloody Wagner's nose a bit. Dominate the game. Get some confidence and carry it forward.

I was at the BC game at Alumni when we drove the opening kick-off deep into BC territory and then ended up with like a 4th and 18 at their 20. Then came the fake kick. No one really knew what to make of it, because it was such a stupid call. I was just sitting there with my mouth open. My wife, who doesn't follow football asked me what was wrong, and I said "I just watched someone commit career suicide".

I think Diaco became completely unglued. He simply was not ready to take the reigns of a program in so many ways. You make a hire like that and you need to own it. Ward headed out before he had to.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I was at the BC game at Alumni when we drove the opening kick-off deep into BC territory and then ended up with like a 4th and 18 at their 20. Then came the fake kick. No one really knew what to make of it, because it was such a stupid call. I was just sitting there with my mouth open. My wife, who doesn't follow football asked me what was wrong, and I said "I just watched someone commit career suicide".

I think Diaco became completely unglued. He simply was not ready to take the reigns of a program in so many ways. You make a hire like that and you need to own it. Ward headed out before he had to.

The insanity really started with the close of the Navy game, which we should have won. We went on to beat UVA anyway, but imagine how different that team would be at 3-0 with a win over ranked Navy, heading into the Syracuse game, which we lost by a touchdown.

 

[Pudge]

I refuse to think about Diaco.

 

[businesslawyer]

The insanity really started with the close of the Navy game, which we should have won. We went on to beat UVA anyway, but imagine how different that team would be at 3-0 with a win over ranked Navy, heading into the Syracuse game, which we lost by a touchdown.

The insanity started on opening day under P in '11 when he let Johnny Mc give a game away against Vandy in Nashville with a pick 6 when he needed to just not let our offense lose it and make them try to beat our D and special teams (which they weren't going to do).

Coach P isn't a bad guy, but his dislike of Edsall made him too focused on having to undo every bit of what Edsall built as opposed to just trying to simultaneously win and implement his way of doing things. Sort of like -- sorry, no political references are allowed.

 

[Austin316]

I just can’t see this game being close. Starting off 1-0.... 42-7.

 

[CL82]

The insanity really started with the close of the Navy game, which we should have won. We went on to beat UVA anyway, but imagine how different that team would be at 3-0 with a win over ranked Navy, heading into the Syracuse game, which we lost by a touchdown.

I was at that game. Navy fans were stunned that we gave the game to them.

 

[HuskyHawk]

The insanity started on opening day under P in '11 when he let Johnny Mc give a game away against Vandy in Nashville with a pick 6 when he needed to just not let our offense lose it and make them try to beat our D and special teams (which they weren't going to do).

Coach P isn't a bad guy, but his dislike of Edsall made him too focused on having to undo every bit of what Edsall built as opposed to just trying to simultaneously win and implement his way of doing things. Sort of like -- sorry, no political references are allowed.

I never thought of PP as actually crazy. More misguided, as you suggest. Diaco went full on looney tunes in 2016.

 

[Afroabe224]

The insanity really started with the close of the Navy game, which we should have won. We went on to beat UVA anyway, but imagine how different that team would be at 3-0 with a win over ranked Navy, heading into the Syracuse game, which we lost by a touchdown.

Probably the most impressive piece of coaching incompetence this century.