Cochran is the starter

[Carl Spackler]

Disagree with what I bolded. It was necessary to show team unity. Similar to the Patriots being introduced as "a team" before beating the Rams in the Super Bowl, this shows unity in the QB ranks. I think one thing we are all seeing is there is a real team bond here. From the speakers he's brought in to Six Flags day to the entire team buying into Coach Balis' offseason program, the guys seem to really have bought in to playing for the guys in the huddle and on the sidelines. Very refreshing.

But I agree with you, all I care about is next Friday night and seeing the guys hit the field.

DOn't get me wrong - I agree with every thing you wrote. I just think it's supposed to be a given, expected - that that kind of thing exists in a winning football program. That's why I felt it was unnecessary to do what was done. I completely understand the points made, in that it helps - establish that as an expected baseline - coming from where we were not too long ago as a program.

I'm just sick and tired of looking back, I think everybody has learned from the mistakes - I for one, and I'm not alone it appears, just want to start moving forward. I'm tired of things being done "because of what was done before". I want to see what's being done now, to win now, and to win ahead.

 

[freescooter]

Heaven help me but I agree with Carl. totally unnecessary to go through all this rigamarole. Just say Casey Cochran is our starter and Whitmer is his backup and he knows he needs ot ready to play. I think the idea of playing 2 quarterbacks is insane. If one is Tim Tebow and the other is also a pro prospect, sure, maybe you do something in specific situations, but under normal conditions its usually not good. Back in the old days when quarterbacks called their own plays, The Cowboys didn't. Tom Landry would send in the play via a wide receiver. He also had 2 really good quarterbacks, Staubach and Merideth. He said he experimented with alternating quarterbacks in practice. It would save time, avoid mis-communications, eliminate any quarterback controversy and his original thought was "why not? I have no problem doing it with a receiver or a running back." But he dropped the idea because he said, quarterback is different. You need a guy who is in charge of the offense even if he doesn't call his own plays, which was a huge deal at the time. I don't know if he coined the phrase about if you have 2 quarterbacks you have none, but he became convinced of it after he tried to go with two.

 

[Dooley]

DOn't get me wrong - I agree with every thing you wrote. I just think it's supposed to be a given, expected - that that kind of thing exists in a winning football program. That's why I felt it was unnecessary to do what was done. I completely understand the points made, in that it helps - establish that as an expected baseline - coming from where we were not too long ago as a program.

I'm just sick and tired of looking back, I think everybody has learned from the mistakes - I for one, and I'm not alone it appears, just want to start moving forward. I'm tired of things being done "because of what was done before". I want to see what's being done now, to win now, and to win ahead.

Completely agree. Moving forward is what is most important for the program (and our fanbase) now. I am so friggin' fired up for the new season and the new era, I can barely sleep at night knowing 8/29 is so close!

 

[Dooley]

Let's see how everything plays out first before being overly critical. Like I said in another thread, if Cochran puts up 18-20 250 Yds, 3TDs and Whitmer posts 10-14 150 Yds, 2 TDs and we win, everyone will LOVE the 2 QB system. For all we know, this is just "coach speak" to either throw off BYU or keep Whitmer and Cochran engaged/focused from thinking that their position on the depth chart is fluid. Cochran could start and play the entire game. Let's see how it looks against BYU and going forward before lighting the Boneyard dumpster fires.

 

[sportsart]

The positive I take from all this is all the players would run through a brick wall for Diaco and company.

That alone is worth 1 or 2 wins.

Diaco seems to be to smart to screw up his audition for a P5 coaching gig.

I'll give him the benefit of the doubt for now.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

Agreed, the millennials tend to have inflated self images, and are easily hurt. Years of schools/parents downplaying competition, downplaying grades, and replacing the concept of winners and losers with "everybody wins" has lead to this. That Whitmer almost quit shows it.

Oh , come off it. Nobody ever quit in your generation? Please. Y'all have such an inflated sense of toughness. Every generation thinks the youngest generation is wrong/immature/whatever. So tired of hearing old folks think the young whippersnappers are all a bunch of pansies who think they're special.

The idea that Whitmer almost quitting football is proof of anything about a whole generation of kids has to be one of the most laughable conclusions I've ever seen anybody draw on the Boneyard.

But I digress...

 

[ktuck911]

Love the way CC does his own thing with his hair.. kinda bringing back another rendition of the mullet from the 80's (busines in the front party in the back)
http://football.adimeback.com/business-in-the-front-party-in-the-backfield/

 

[HobokenHusky]

Hahahahahahahahahah - yes!!!!

I can only hope that Cochran's celebrity gets to the point where little Fairfield county boys are asking their hedge fund managing parents for that haircut.

 

[junglehusky]

The thing that cracks me up, well usually it cracks me up, sometimes it is irritating depending on what he's saying- and I think some boneyarders will agree with me - is the number of sentence fragments you have to read, separated by commas - or sometimes by dashes - before you get to the point that Spackler is making, as if you're reading Dostoyevsky or something, who was a great writer and everything, but I just couldn't get through his writing in freshman English, and just when you think he's done he tacks on some more just for good measure.

 

[Waquoit]

Diaco seems to be to smart to screw up his audition for a P5 coaching gig.

I'll give him the benefit of the doubt for now.

I agree, this may just be some unfortunate wording and the players know what he means. But I don't want my starter beginning the season looking over his shoulder. OTOH, CC seems to be the type that won't let this affect him and will just go out and play his game.

 

[IMind]

You have to keep in mind that he inherited a really screwed up situation. All three guys played multiple games last year. Diaco didn't really know what he had at quarterback. I think that as much as anything explains the press conference.

I like the fact that Diaco laid it out for Whitmer: "Diaco told Whitmer if he could handle being in a situation where he worked with the scout team and didn't get a snap during games he was welcome to come back." It says a lot about Whitmer that he came back with Diaco stating that.

 

[Dave Carlson]

No bashing here but only the uninformed and those not following the program would have thought this would have gone any different or not known who the starter would be.
As for the 51/49 nonsense. Read closer and realize that it is stated as closer to 49% rather than 15% ...Not a stickler for stats but the fact is he meant and said the back-up would get a hand full of plays. Nothing close to half of them.
http://www.courant.com/sports/uconn...ootball-column-0819-20140818,0,2443975.column

I hate it when alums post that cannot read, it does not look good for the school....

"I hate it when alums who cannot read post. It does not look good for the school."

 

[Palatine]

Diaco said the relationship between any starter and his "key" back up if one exists could result in a game rep ratio from 85-15% to 51-49% depending on a per game situation(s). Therefore you need to prepare for 51-49%. Its not just the Qbs.

From the NH Register -In practice Diaco said the repetitions with the starting offense will likely be closer to a 51/49 percent breakdown than the maximum 85/15 allotment of snaps.

 

[CL82]

Both QB's look stressed but especially Chandler. I'm saying BD may not have earned top marks for this presser. Too much faint praise and equivocation. Would like to seen something like "We are fortunate to have two outstanding young men who are both ready and able to play quarterback for us.. But in any competition someone will prevail. And it was a great, great competition with two guys giving their all. In this case by the narrowest of margins it was CC but CW just brings too much to the table for us not have him as part of game planning. So the coaching staff and I have come up with a way to utilize the talents of both this excellent young men. So I promised to name a starter by today, and that starter is CC but I think all of you, who care so much about UConn Football, are going to be excited by what Casey and Chandler will do this season. Any questions?" and less talk about last season and their shortcomings.

 

[Dogged]

Both QB's look stressed but especially Chandler. I'm saying BD may not have earned top marks for this presser. Too much faint praise and equivocation. Would like to seen something like "We are fortunate to have two outstanding young men who are both ready and able to play quarterback for us.. But in any competition someone will prevail. And it was a great, great competition with two guys giving their all. In this case by the narrowest of margins it was CC but CW just brings too much to the table for us not have him as part of game planning. So the coaching staff and I have come up with a way to utilize the talents of both this excellent young men. So I promised to name a starter by today, and that starter is CC but I think all of you, who care so much about UConn Football, are going to be excited by what Casey and Chandler will do this season. Any questions?" and less talk about last season and their shortcomings.

Can't agree with you CL82. After watching the videos, I believe the players have totally bought in to the team concept which Coach Diaco professes. I think this is the only approach that offers the Huskies a better than average return on investment. I think the coaches buy into this philosophy as well. The incoming recruits are buying in also which is why I think the only direction here is up.

We have seen this with JC and GA and KO as well. I'm pumped about what is coming up. We're really going to enjoy this season.

 

[Palatine]

I think this is a reward for Chandler for coming back and competing. He wasn't promised anything but he fought his heart out and put UConn ahead of himself. I also think, in his heart that Diaco knows it has to be Casey. As much as Diaco stressed limiting TOs, it just had to be Casey. But I also believe that Diaco has a very strong appreciation for how Chandler handled himself. And he wanted to thank Chandler in a tangible way. I see this decision as part of Diaco's sense of fair play. He really wants to reward CW.

 

[Waquoit]

I buy that.

 

[Husky25]

How do you know you've arrived? When you've made Deadspin...in a good way.

UConn Marketing has to recall all those bucket hats and attach Casey's mullet to them.

(check out the comments too:

That haircut has so much party in the back it's wrapped around the block and is up at the front.

The haircut says "I dig chicks" while the mustache says "did you not hear the haircut?"

The haircut brought the keg to the party, and doesn't give a if it gets the deposit back.

The haircut knows that Neil Peart is the best goshdarn drummer in the goshdarn universe, and you will get your a-- *kicked* for saying otherwise.)

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Silver chimes in.

 

[jbdphi]

The haircut says "I dig chicks" while the mustache says "did you not ing hear the haircut?"

Loved this one.

On a more football note, I assume everyone would have preferred to have one QB clearly separate themselves from the others, it seems like that didn't happen which begs the question - would you prefer that your coach pretended someone did separate themselves and go whole hog with that guy or would you prefer what HCBD did?

 

[FAIRTIDES]

Not my favorite Diaco move. This seems like a bit of a gaff, but you have to expect some. He's a new head coach, and everything he's done so far vastly outweighs this small miscue. And, frankly, we don't know the dynamics at play and what he has said to the QBs. They may be very comfortable with that portrayal. If it was old regime, I would not think twice that they never gave a crap about the kids and played unhealthy head games. But, Diaco seems to know the value of buy-in and team building. If we gave PPGDL 3 seasons of hell, we can give Diaco a break before he hits the field.

Is this the first we're hearing of CW "clashing" with last year's staff, or is it just something I missed?

 

[Confident Carl]

Oh my god that mullet on Cochran. I just... I don't even know where to start.

Please get Casey a scissors, he will lose another 1/2 pound!

 

[pepband99]

"you see that haircut and you wonder if a Fiero is parked nearby"

...as the owner of a 1985 fiero that essentially disintegrated during the 1999 school year, this is mojo on steroids!!!

 

[Bezzz]

"you see that haircut and you wonder if a Fiero is parked nearby"

...as the owner of a 1985 fiero that essentially disintegrated during the 1999 school year, this is mojo on steroids!!!

Shoulda got the Toyota MR2. Drove it for 8 years then traded it for a mini-van once the kids came. Fun car.

 

[FAIRTIDES]

First of all, Casey looks like he should be on musket duty at WVU games.

About Diaco....it really was an odd press conference. It's amazing to me that the local reporters don't pick up on this stuff. They just report "Casey is the starter". I know there is the whole beat reporter just reports the facts argument...but that's what blogs are for. If i hadn't have watched the video, I wouldn't have caught just how unique this announcement was.

From my standpoint...Diaco is very interesting to watch. His leadership style is very different than the Parcells....Edsalls of the world. My initial reaction is that he is more concernced that everyone feels warm and happy than he is to build a winning team. But....working in corporate environment...one thing that is very obvious to me is that the millennials or whatever they are colled today, are VERY different than baby boomers and gen X to manage. Being closer to their generation, I think Diaco is using a leadership approach that is more in tune with today's generation (you know...the generation where everyone plays and everyone gets a trophy).

It feels odd to me (being a 50yo guy)....but I would guess it feels right to the players. Time and results will tell.

Remember, we've only seen a very small piece of his interaction with his players. The part he puts out for public consumption. We don't know about the demands he puts on the players during practice or how he, or his coaches, react when someone screws something up. It's possible to be demanding while, at the same time, leaving people with their dignity. Just the way he handled the physical conditioning issues and purged the team of malcontents tells me he's no pushover.