Cochran is the starter | Page 3 | The Boneyard

Cochran is the starter

Status
Not open for further replies.
Casey is a gamer based on evidence we have to work with. If he performs he is locked in, if he doesn't, coach has Whitmer confident and motivated. Honestly, I like this situation. Casey is a tough as nails, rise to the occasion type guy and we have a backup QB that is actually a pretty good QB rather than a walk on or a guy who should really be a TE or something.

Stay positive, coach is just trying to keep his key players engaged and feeling valuable. Chandler is always one play away. I like Diaco's strategy, hopefully it all results in good football and not a realization hat he's just a crazy whack job that never shuts up!
 
junglehusky said:
Well honestly, do you feel confident about the QB situation? I'm OK with starting CC but I have no reason to expect he'll have a death grip on the position, though it would be great if he does progress this season to become the clear-cut, no questions top guy. I think that's what Diaco was getting at with "key starter" versus "starter". I don't think anyone can really claim CC is a "key starter" right now, though some wish he were. It is coach-speak, but it's primarily setting goals for improvement for his players over the course of the season. Pretty obvious what he was doing, at least to my ears.
Expand ...

I feel more confident than I have in quite some time.
 
Woof 101 said:
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....
Expand ...

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.
 
Jerry27 said:
Diaco sat with all QB's by his side. Another reminder that more than one QB will be playing this season. #UConn
Expand ...
They should have the same number. So that the other team never knows who's in the game! Is that Casey? Oh it's Chandler! Fox just caught a 60 yd TD pass from Whitmer!
 
.-.
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.
 
junglehusky said:
Well honestly, do you feel confident about the QB situation? I'm OK with starting CC but I have no reason to expect he'll have a death grip on the position, though it would be great if he does progress this season to become the clear-cut, no questions top guy. I think that's what Diaco was getting at with "key starter" versus "starter". I don't think anyone can really claim CC is a "key starter" right now, though some wish he were. It is coach-speak, but it's primarily setting goals for improvement for his players over the course of the season. Pretty obvious what he was doing, at least to my ears.
Expand ...

Again the starter is a non key player but the back up is a "key" player. Seemed like an awful lot of over explaining. To not hurt feelings? To keep Whitmer focused and sharp? IDK, but he is a first time head coach so, if that is as bad as it gets he is going to be great.
 
I like it. This is college, the coach should be developing every player on the roster. In this case, Casey and Chandler are very close to one another, and with continued development Chandler might leapfrog Casey; or at least he might be the superior QB in certain situations, such as when you have to throw far downfield. I think it's good to give Chandler some reps in game conditions.
 
Duncan Idaho said:
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.
Expand ...

I didn't even get to any of this in the video, as I watched, I kept thinking to myself: "Why is he doing this? In my mind, I'm thinking it's not a good thing, and then he went on and on about each player strengths and building this weakness up and that weakness up to a strength, etc. etc. I stopped it about half way through. I'm ready for football, enough of this.......for me - name the starter and move on. In my mind, it's expected - a given, that the back up QB be argueably the most mentally tough and well prepared practice player on the entire team - more than the starting QB - really - that's the way football works.

Then I read here, and that's why the boneyard is so cool for me - to get other opinions - and it makes sense, coming from where we were, what these players went through - having their head coach sit up there in front of the cameras might be a carefully thought out process, so that a guy like Chandler Whitmer, who has been through everything he's been through - remains as mentally tough and dedicated in practices that he needs to be - through the course of his senior season. THat makes sense.

I still think that whole press conference was unnecessary, and way overboard, and I doubt that Diaco ever does something like that again - but whatever. Cochran is the starter, and Whitmer needs to be ready to be the starter at any time - and we might just need him at a very important time in a game - or the season - so he better be ready, and that's not a switch that gets flipped on and off like a light - he needs to be preparing every day, every week, even though he may never take a live snap in a game- that's football, and the QB position, and the mental toughness that goes with it. After the old timer approach to coaching these players went through, I think it makes sense that something like that press conference was something the players probably needed.

Which brings me, again in so many words, back to the point - the reps. I took the numbers, as I first read them here, at 51/49 to mean practice reps. I will be very surprised to see this offense shuttling in two QB's during games. I just don't see it. I agree that the message was probably closer in meaning to what you interpret - in that Diaco was speaking in general about the two deep rotation of players - all over the roster (i.e. LB's, DL's, RB's, WR's, TE's - etc. that the starter would probably get 85% of game reps, while the backups would be in 15% something like that. I would think the QB, and OL - are full time game players.

Anyway - all I care about is seeing the team come out next Friday night, and start playing the game again - playing UCONN football again. We saw some glimpses at the end of last season, but that's long gone. It's opening day, primetime television nationally on ESPN. We'll see how they do when the spotlight is on. Can't wait.
 
.-.
The decision was the smartest one available. Whitmer is older so therefore more mature. He can probably handle being the back-up better than Cochran. From everything Whitmer has said publicly, it seems that he has really bought in to the team-first mentality. If he didn't, he wouldn't have come back to UCONN. He really deserves a TON of credit. He will be able to push Casey in practice and, should something happen (ex - injury), he will be ready to come up in relief. I truly believe that when Whitmer sees the field, he will be a bit better with proper coaching and OL play (hopefully).

But yes, Cochran should have been the choice given his play last season and how the team clearly responded to his leadership. They looked like an entirely different offense and, by that time, there was nothing to play for. That says a lot.

#FearTheMullet
 
ShakyTheMohel said:
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.
Expand ...

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. I think HCBD is teaching them to be men, while trying to ensure that they both remain confident. He needs Whitmer to be ready if he's going to get through the season without burning Boyle's redshirt. I see this move about protecting Boyle by making sure Whitmer can do the job if Cochran is hurt or falters.
 
Carl Spackler said:
I didn't even get to any of this in the video, as I watched, I kept thinking to myself: "Why is he doing this? In my mind, I'm thinking it's not a good thing, and then he went on and on about each player strengths and building this weakness up and that weakness up to a strength, etc. etc. I stopped it about half way through. I'm ready for football, enough of this..for me - name the starter and move on. In my mind, it's expected - a given, that the back up QB be argueably the most mentally tough and well prepared practice player on the entire team - more than the starting QB - really - that's the way football works.

Then I read here, and that's why the boneyard is so cool for me - to get other opinions - and it makes sense, coming from where we were, what these players went through - having their head coach sit up there in front of the cameras might be a carefully thought out process, so that a guy like Chandler Whitmer, who has been through everything he's been through - remains as mentally tough and dedicated in practices that he needs to be - through the course of his senior season. THat makes sense.

I still think that whole press conference was unnecessary, and way overboard, and I doubt that Diaco ever does something like that again - but whatever. Cochran is the starter, and Whitmer needs to be ready to be the starter at any time - and we might just need him at a very important time in a game - or the season - so he better be ready, and that's not a switch that gets flipped on and off like a light - he needs to be preparing every day, every week, even though he may never take a live snap in a game- that's football, and the QB position, and the mental toughness that goes with it. After the old timer approach to coaching these players went through, I think it makes sense that something like that press conference was something the players probably needed.

Which brings me, again in so many words, back to the point - the reps. I took the numbers, as I first read them here, at 51/49 to mean practice reps. I will be very surprised to see this offense shuttling in two QB's during games. I just don't see it. I agree that the message was probably closer in meaning to what you interpret - in that Diaco was speaking in general about the two deep rotation of players - all over the roster (i.e. LB's, DL's, RB's, WR's, TE's - etc. that the starter would probably get 85% of game reps, while the backups would be in 15% something like that. I would think the QB, and OL - are full time game players.

Anyway - all I care about is seeing the team come out next Friday night, and start playing the game again - playing UCONN football again. We saw some glimpses at the end of last season, but that's long gone. It's opening day, primetime television nationally on ESPN. We'll see how they do when the spotlight is on. Can't wait.
Expand ...

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.
 
Dooley said:
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.
Expand ...

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.
 
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.
 
Carl Spackler said:
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.
Expand ...

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!
 
.-.
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.
 
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.
 
HuskyHawk said:
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.
Expand ...

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...
 
pepband99 said:
Hahahahahahahahahah - yes!!!!
Expand ...

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.
 
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.
 
.-.
sportsart said:
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.
Expand ...

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.
 
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.
 
Woof 101 said:
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....
Expand ...

"I hate it when alums who cannot read post. It does not look good for the school."
 
Duncan Idaho said:
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.
Expand ...

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.
 
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.
 
CL82 said:
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.
Expand ...



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.
 
.-.
Status
Not open for further replies.

Forum statistics

Threads
168,385
Messages
4,569,794
Members
10,475
Latest member
Tunwin22


Top Bottom