before you kill diaco

[Waquoit]

The credit for the chance to win late goes to the kids - the credit of running the third fake ST play of the game goes to the coach.
That's the life of a coach and QB.

The coach doesn't get credit for going to an empty backfield on the last drive that moved the ball? Or having the players prepared so they pull off the change effectively?

 

[UConn990411]

I'm stunned that so many are putting more weight on the final play call than the successful effort it took to take this team from that SMU home game to the having a chance to win late on the SEC road. It's like they were just ready to go off the guy the first chance they got..

Why can't we do both?

The improvement from last year is remarkable, and they had an absolutely perfect game plan against Missouri. Overall, I'm ecstatic with Saturday's performance, as well as the direction this team is going.

But the play call was inexcusable, and this is coming from someone who was firmly against them kicking a field goal in that situation. Just run your best offensive play with your best offensive unit on the field. And if you're gonna try a fake, don't use the same exact one you used earlier in the game.

 

[Bonehead]

The coach doesn't get credit for going to an empty backfield on the last drive that moved the ball? Or having the players prepared so they pull off the change effectively?

Verducci most likely yes, Bob, most likely, no. All your examples are offensive, in more ways than one, most likely Bat Shot Bob has nothing to do with that - but I could be wrong.

If Diaco is calling the offensive plays - sure. If he told Verducci to go empty back - sure. We don't know so it is hyperbole. If it comes out that what you stated actually occurred I will give him that credit, otherwise I will go off the reasonable assumption he stays out of the offense - but I could be wrong.

I would ASSUME a reasonable football mind like yours would agree Bob Diaco decided the third special teams fake play call of the game - he gets the credit. I am not wrong here.

 

[Carl Spackler]

The coach doesn't get credit for going to an empty backfield on the last drive that moved the ball? Or having the players prepared so they pull off the change effectively?

I'm assuming that it was touched on, but maybe not. I read something last week from St.Louis writer about Mizzou coaches quoting Verducci's offense as 'plodding.' I remember it, because it's a good word. Plodding.

In the first half, we were the plodding offense we've been through 2 games. In the second half, we were anything but. It's good to see that ability to change pace. I'm not going to go as far as to give credit for changing in game, because I think it was planned all along that we would play the second half like that on O, but it's good to know that if we find an offensive game plan not working, we have the ability to change, rather than scrapping the entire playbook, like what happened last year in the first quarter of a game.

I could be wrong, but the second half offense all the way up to the last drive looked a lot like the life we had against ECU last year on that side of the ball.

Sooner or later, Colonel Hannibal Smith's "I love it when a plan comes together" is really going to apply to Diaco and our Huskies, and it will be a championship.

 

[Carl Spackler]

It's the QB chainsaw start signal that gave it away to me, for anybody reading.

 

[Nostical]

Stay with me here. Let's say we still lost the game but had tied it on a Puyol FG and then lost in OT. The reports would have said "Mizzou wins in OT". Big deal. Losing the way we did got us noticed. All over the country. in every media outlet, on Twitter etc. So we tried an ill advised fake FG, but in doing so got fans all over the nation to take notice of UConn-- the amazingly close score, the huge defensive effort, the fact that we stayed on that field and almost beat the SEC East winner from last year. Think about that. UConn hasn't been noticed for years!!!! Not even a ripple in the conversation. I don't mind any of the ridicule for the play call. I love the attention. When we beat Navy and BYU there'll be a different take by the media on that Mizzou game." But for a bad call at the end of the Mizzou game, UConn would be 5-0".

 

[Carl Spackler]

Stay with me here. Let's say we still lost the game but had tied it on a Puyol FG and then lost in OT. The reports would have said "Mizzou wins in OT". Big deal. Losing the way we did got us noticed. All over the country. in every media outlet, on Twitter etc. So we tried an ill advised fake FG, but in doing so got fans all over the nation to take notice of UConn-- the amazingly close score, the huge defensive effort, the fact that we stayed on that field and almost beat the SEC East winner from last year. Think about that. UConn hasn't been noticed for years!!!! Not even a ripple in the conversation. I don't mind any of the ridicule for the play call. I love the attention. When we beat Navy and BYU there'll be a different take by the media on that Mizzou game." But for a bad call at the end of the Mizzou game, UConn would be 5-0".

I wish I could like this 5 times, because not even I can make the leap that Diaco intended to make that last fake FG call, to generate attention to UCONN football. Bravo. Bravissimo!

 

[Bonehead]

Stay with me here. Let's say we still lost the game but had tied it on a Puyol FG and then lost in OT. The reports would have said "Mizzou wins in OT". Big deal. Losing the way we did got us noticed. All over the country. in every media outlet, on Twitter etc. So we tried an ill advised fake FG, but in doing so got fans all over the nation to take notice of UConn-- the amazingly close score, the huge defensive effort, the fact that we stayed on that field and almost beat the SEC East winner from last year. Think about that. UConn hasn't been noticed for years!!!! Not even a ripple in the conversation. I don't mind any of the ridicule for the play call. I love the attention. When we beat Navy and BYU there'll be a different take by the media on that Mizzou game." But for a bad call at the end of the Mizzou game, UConn would be 5-0".

Is there a sort of like button?

I don't want to debate your dream as I like your thought process...

 

[Storrsbred]

Stay with me here. Let's say we still lost the game but had tied it on a Puyol FG and then lost in OT. The reports would have said "Mizzou wins in OT". Big deal. Losing the way we did got us noticed. All over the country. in every media outlet, on Twitter etc. So we tried an ill advised fake FG, but in doing so got fans all over the nation to take notice of UConn-- the amazingly close score, the huge defensive effort, the fact that we stayed on that field and almost beat the SEC East winner from last year. Think about that. UConn hasn't been noticed for years!!!! Not even a ripple in the conversation. I don't mind any of the ridicule for the play call. I love the attention. When we beat Navy and BYU there'll be a different take by the media on that Mizzou game." But for a bad call at the end of the Mizzou game, UConn would be 5-0".

The Tin Cup moment of UCONN football! What's the difference between an 18 on the final hole of of the U.S. open and the final fake field goal. The only problem is someone might remember who won the game, but right now "they" are talking about the play.

 

[Nostical]

Just got back to my hotel room in Tulsa, turned on TV and the talk was about the play, and the play call. "At least Diaco was going for the win, usually that's laudable". Mizzou won the SEC EAST the last TWO years." Let's see what it all means"
I say keep on talking about the Huskies.

 

[ibleedhuskyblue]

In keeping with the last couple posts...Dan LeBatard mentioned Diaco's "cantaloupes" on his ESPN radio show this morning. Said the call was crazy, but he loved it. I agree - crazy, but a very endearing kind of crazy.

National broadcasts are talking about UCONN. It's been a long time since that's happened.

 

[Stray_Dog]

Thanks Sherlock. You're right and everyone else is wrong. We should have demanded that we go from Old Dominion to Alabama all at once, instead of over a reasonable period of time.

I apologize for my comments coming across as harsh as they did, I meant no disrespect to the team or to our fan base. I would just like to see more offense and less of it by me on this board. LOL

 

[Excalibur]

I'm stunned that so many are putting more weight on the final play call than the successful effort it took to take this team from that SMU home game to the having a chance to win late on the SEC road. It's like they were just ready to go off the guy the first chance they got..

I can't believe we are surprised by that. We should know better by now. We have a fair number of posters indicating that they are off the bandwagon if we lose to Navy, who has the best offense we have faced this year by a wide margin.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Our group got together and watched the game at my cousin's house. A disappointing ending, yes. However we all agreed it elicited the most out of us as a game had in a very long time. Cant remember when we were so amped at the end of a game.

 

[31GuardTrap]

It was the first time in a lonnnnnnng time that I was sick to my stomach 3 days after a loss.

I am chalking that up to being a good thing. Now, we move on to Navy and a "disruption to our central nervous systems".