Coach Bob Diaco Under No Illusions About This UConn Team (Des)

[sdhusky]

UConn almost lost to Stony Brook and got dominated by USF. Not so hard to understand.

I think a team has to score more than 3 points in the final 3 quarters and win by more than 3 to claim domination.

 

[DoctorWho85]

When looking back at the USF game, I can't say we got completely dominated by USF... Our OL did in the first 3 quarters...

I was thinking the same thing. Maybe the game wasn't as close as the box score says, but the defense didn't buckle under and only allowed 17 points. They gave up some yards which isn't great, but they played well to, at least to me, that there was a chance to win the game until the last whistle. The Oline got hammered plain and simple. But someone on another threat pointed out that it was the players getting beat just kids missing blocks which is correctable with better communication and more coaching.

 

[ktuck911]

I was thinking the same thing. Maybe the game wasn't as close as the box score says, but the defense didn't buckle under and only allowed 17 points. They gave up some yards which isn't great, but they played well to, at least to me, that there was a chance to win the game until the last whistle. The Oline got hammered plain and simple. But someone on another threat pointed out that it was the players getting beat just kids missing blocks which is correctable with better communication and more coaching.

IMO, the D gave up only 10 points... The offense gave up the first 7...

 

[DoctorWho85]

IMO, the D gave up only 10 points... The offense gave up the first 7...

I like the D minus Obi. They play hard and keep us in the game until turnovers happen. They're good this year, but they're not miracle workers.

 

[Palatine]

http://www.courant.com/sports/uconn...rss&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

>>Diaco said now is the time to be honest with the players. "You tell them the truth and you show them the truth," Diaco said. "You don't blow smoke. You don't make stuff up. You show them the truth and you tell them and in doing that, particularly with the offensive line, they're going to see a lot of positives. A lot of new positives. They're still going to see negatives. There's no doubt about that, and we've got a lot of areas to clean up."

Communication, how it's done, will be important, too.

"We have respect and love and care built as a baseline in the foundation. In doing that, after that, if you're respectful — listen. if you're going to communicate and berate and demoralize and dehumanize and emasculate and you're going to communicate like that, no one is going to listen to you. "But if you're coaching them and you're caring for them and you're showing them instances of getting better, and you're telling the plan you're excited to execute to try to help them get better, then why would you have it any other way from a communication standpoint? And why wouldn't they be encouraged?

"They understand. Our whole organization here and our whole team understands how much work needs to be done, how far away this program was and is, so no one in this building is under false pretenses. Everybody here understands the work that's needed."<<

This is complete bull spit.

 

[noeynox]

@Confident Carl , those are some good points you make, but no amount of spin changes that those kids looked deflated after the three straight runs and a punt late in the game. What I take from Diaco's comments upon further review, is that last year's coaches would tell the team, "we can't open up the offense cause you all frigging suck, you lousy, free ride for nothing POS's", this year Diaco tells them "we can't open up the offense, because we're not good enough, but it is okay that we suck, there will be better days". I'm half joking of course. Anyways on to Temple, hoping for good weather and more than ONE pass for Geremy Davis.

 

[UConn '89 "98]

I guess I understand why the offense was shut down on Friday, but I don't understand how it achieves HCBD's message below:

"..... if you're going to communicate and berate and demoralize and dehumanize and emasculate and you're going to communicate like that, no one is going to listen to you. "But if you're coaching them and you're caring for them and you're showing them instances of getting better, and you're telling the plan you're excited to execute to try to help them get better, then why would you have it any other way from a communication standpoint? And why wouldn't they be encouraged?"

If I'm a player on the offense, and the offense gets shut down because we can't do our jobs, I'm demoralized, dehumanized and emasculated. Might as well have Whitmer just take 3 knees because he, or one of the fifteen RB's he might hand off to, could possibly fumble.

Also growing very tired of the quotes regarding how much work needs to be done, how bad this program was/is, blah, blah, blah. We all get that. Don't recall Calhoun repeatedly saying that back in the day, and he had to have a couple of guys from the Soccer team and one or two intramural basketball players suit up that first year when Cliff and Phil had their academic issues. Plus, they played in that crappy field house. Give me a break.....That being said, I'll be at the Temple game!

 

[Husky25]

Also growing very tired of the quotes regarding how much work needs to be done, how bad this program was/is, blah, blah, blah. We all get that. Don't recall Calhoun repeatedly saying that back in the day.

You don't remember that? It was all over the message boards, Twitter, and the 24/7 sports talk radio shows.

Diaco is coaching in a different environment than Calhoun did when he started at UConn 28 years ago and a basketball team can be turned around with 2 or 3 players. If the same proportion holds for a football team, that means Diaco has to develop 9 to 13 players in order to make an immediate difference (and that is not counting Special Teams).

 

[sdhusky]

You don't remember that? It was all over the message boards, Twitter, and the 24/7 sports talk radio shows.

Diaco is coaching in a different environment than Calhoun did when he started at UConn 28 years ago and a basketball team can be turned around with 2 or 3 players. If the same proportion holds for a football team, that means Diaco has to develop 9 to 13 players in order to make an immediate difference (and that is not counting Special Teams).

Yeah. Everything was sunny and peachy during that first year when Calhoun went 3-13 in the conference. I don't remember a single negative comment on the boneyard or twitter than entire year.

 

[Husky25]

At the very least, Diaco is not blaming the kids. After almost every loss for the last 3 years. Former "Coach" Pasqualoni threw his kids under the bus (Every play is designed to be successful. The players didn't execute.).

 

[Calhoun's Court]

How fast we forget, watch this video and tell me.

I must have missed the exciting part HCBD is talking about

 

[businesslawyer]

What I read was Diaco saying that he can not take a team that was competitive at times last year and reasonably hope to beat the worst teams in FBS.

We all get that this team is bad, and I think even the most optimistic expected a lot of losses. The thing I did not expect was such a huge drop off from Weist.

He doesn't have the roster Weist had. For all your efforts to pretend otherwise, Weist still had players that the Edsall regime had recruited and given their first taste of what it takes to in. And he lost his QB on opening day. Weist was zero for the season except when Cochran was his QB.

 

[Bonehead]

At the very least, Diaco is not blaming the kids. After almost every loss for the last 3 years. Former "Coach" Pasqualoni threw his kids under the bus (Every play is designed to be successful. The players didn't execute.).

He might not be blaming them but I dont see confidence building when you are afraid to pass because the OL is that bad...

 

[businesslawyer]

Yeah. Everything was sunny and peachy during that first year when Calhoun went 3-13 in the conference. I don't remember a single negative comment on the boneyard or twitter than entire year.

I guaranty you there wasn't a single negative comment on the boneyard or twitter during Calhoun's first year.

 

[Palatine]

He doesn't have the roster Weist had. For all your efforts to pretend otherwise, Weist still had players that the Edsall regime had recruited and given their first taste of what it takes to in. And he lost his QB on opening day. Weist was zero for the season except when Cochran was his QB.

The old the cupboard is bare argument, a Boneyard (and media favorite). Except we all know it isn't rue and in a couple of years as many of these same players graduate to the NFL, it will all be forgotten.


BTW, you're blaming the kids.

 

[businesslawyer]

The old the cupboard is bare argument, a Boneyard (and media favorite). Except we all know it isn't rue and in a couple of years as many of these same players graduate to the NFL, it will all be forgotten.


BTW, you're blaming the kids.

Poppycock.

Is it blaming me to say I can't paint as well as Picasso, or win trials as well as David Boeis. Not everybody is good enough to do everything at the top level. Would I be "blaming the kids" if I said they weren't good enough to win against NFL teams no matter who was coaching them?

And cut the crap comparing this to what people said about P. I didn't say P took over a team where the cupboard was bare. But if you can't tell the difference between the quality of the football players we had in 2012 to the quality of football players we have now, you don't know anything about football. Because I'm far from an expert and it's fairly obvious.

 

[Carl Spackler]

I like that BL wrote: "poppycock"

poppycock. poppycock. poppycock.

 

[sdhusky]

I guaranty you there wasn't a single negative comment on the boneyard or twitter during Calhoun's first year.

But don't you remember all the Vines of him stomping on the sidelines in the old field house?

 

[sdhusky]

Poppycock.

Is it blaming me to say I can't paint as well as Picasso, or win trials as well as David Boeis. Not everybody is good enough to do everything at the top level. Would I be "blaming the kids" if I said they weren't good enough to win against NFL teams no matter who was coaching them?

And cut the crap comparing this to what people said about P. I didn't say P took over a team where the cupboard was bare. But if you can't tell the difference between the quality of the football players we had in 2012 to the quality of football players we have now, you don't know anything about football. Because I'm far from an expert and it's fairly obvious.

Palatine is one of the those "everybody is a big winner" softies.

 

[Husky25]

He might not be blaming them but I dont see confidence building when you are afraid to pass because the OL is that bad...

I see it as a little bit of many things, not just the O-line. How about the starting QB is one headshot from believing he is Batman, with a hobbled back up, and a Third String walk on?

 

[06029]

What I read was Diaco saying that he can not take a team that was competitive at times last year and reasonably hope to beat the worst teams in FBS.

We all get that this team is bad, and I think even the most optimistic expected a lot of losses. The thing I did not expect was such a huge drop off from Weist.

Uconn does not play Wake Forest this year.

 

[businesslawyer]

Palatine is one of the those "everybody is a big winner" softies.

Now that may be the line of the year.

 

[Dogged]

This is complete bull spit.

Sorry, I think this is right on the money.

 

[Dogged]

Uconn does not play Wake Forest this year.

This year's team is nothing like last year's team. Thank God.

 

[Pudge]

Yet the final score was 17-14. And we had a chance well into the third quarter to get that turnover or score on a broken play.

That doesn't square with your dismal Program view. That Team knew they were in a game. And it wasn't 35-zip. BTW - USF v UConn was also about match ups. They might not be a good D1 team; however, I think you'd find their DLine (with a former DC from the NFL) were a damn good unit in contrast to our OLine weakness.

The facts don't square with your "story" being spun. The Coach is all right.