Cut the RU Recruiting Whining

[UConnRock]

UConn beat them 40-22 and was up 40-10 before giving up a couple of garbage time TDs. That is with UConn having one of the worst BCS QBs, a freshman RB, a new coaching staff with totally new systems

Lets list the 4-star players that were recruited by Rutgers in the years leading up to this game. These are guys that were or should have been on the roster.

Scott Vallone, Keith Stroud, Art Forst, Brandon Coleman, Rashad Knight, Isaac Holmes, LoganRyan, Tom Savage, De'Antwan Williams, Manny Abreau, Mason Robinson, Savon Huggins, Miles Shuler, Djwany Mera, Marquise Wright.

Yes, the last few are young and may contribute down the road, but how many of these guys would you take over what we have at UConn. Yes, a WR like Coleman would be great. Scott Vallone is a good DT, but I dont hear anybody talking about him as a first round pick like the 2-star Reyes. Some of these would contribute and likely start at UConn, but other than WRs and Savage at QB what is the difference?

What was the difference between Rutgers and UConn this year......Rutgers won some of their close games, OT wins against 'Cuse and USF and a 1 point win over Navy. While UConn lost 4th quarter leads to Vandy, Iowa St and Western Mich.

Rutgers got 3 highly rated OT in Muller, Denman and Brodie. I would bet money that in 4 years one or both of UConn OTs (Levy and Rugg) will be thought of as a better player than a couple of Rutgers guys. That is just the way it works.

 

[whaler11]

It's pretty funny to see the big deal made around here about Rutgers recruiting. The only people who care are Rutgers, UConn and Syracuse fans. Nobody else gives a damn about them.

 

[noeynox]

I generally don't care what topics people choose to post about, but I don't buy the RU recruiting hype machine (This year does look different and good for them), but lets look at four star recruit Art Forst vs. Two star Mike Ryan. Both offensive tackles graduating this year, who had the better career? Now lets look at "high" three star Caleb Ruch vs. barely ranked two star Moe Petrus. Both centers, again who had the better career. Scott Valone vs Kendall Reyes? Jordan Todman vs. any RB they've had since Ray Rice etc. etc.

They have consistently recruited better than us at QB and WR, as far the product on the field. According to the recruiting rankings they should be burying us every year. Maybe they have turned a corner but frankly, I could care less. P just needs to win more than them.

 

[buckley503]

Two examples of the BS of recruiting rankings:

Notre Dame consistent top 10 class. We know the results.
Texas consistent top 5 class. Crapshoot.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

There is not one damn thing about RU that we should envy other than the natural recruiting ground they sit on. RU is all sizzle and no substance.

 

[Eagleton96]

There is not one damn thing about RU that we should envy other than the natural recruiting ground they sit on. RU is all sizzle and no substance.

I remember the days of tailgating at RU in a mostly empty field, passing around a bucket of KFC and a bottle of whiskey. We had the place to ourselves, and we often didn't go into the games as we'd be down by 21 midway through the first quarter. So we'd just stay at the tailgate and drown our sorrows.

So to see quotes like the above is just amazing to me.

 

[epark88]

I remember the days of tailgating at RU in a mostly empty field, passing around a bucket of KFC and a bottle of whiskey. We had the place to ourselves, and we often didn't go into the games as we'd be down by 21 midway through the first quarter. So we'd just stay at the tailgate and drown our sorrows.

So to see quotes like the above is just amazing to me.

And I remember cheering for a nondescript, middling 1AA club that played in a glorified HS stadium, mostly because I had to do it (I was in the marching band).

Then there was this one game, the season finale vs. New Hampshire. Both teams were out of the playoff hunt, it was about 0 degrees at kickoff and only friends, family and the UCMB were in the stands.

It was a miserable day: half of the band's instruments froze during the pre-game show, and we just sang the Fight Song on the field for halftime. To top things off, UNH was stomping us by three TDs at mid-3rd qtr. All of the friends and half of the families had left by then, and the band director was asked whether we wanted the UCMB to leave as well. He of course said 'no'.

So we all decided to just make noise instead - a whole lot of noise. Yelling, chanting, singing, stomping, drumming, whatever we could manage. We were literally just going crazy.

The team noticed us and got pumped up big-time: before we knew it, the three-TD deficit was gone, the team ended up winning the game going away...and I have been 'going crazy' for my Huskies ever since.

Every now and again, I am flabbergasted at where our team has come from and what we as fans currently obsess about around here. We all, myself included, should enjoy the ride a bit more than we do.

We've got it good with this football thing, Husky Nation...

 

[FDNY99]

And I remember cheering for a nondescript, middling 1AA club that played in a glorified HS stadium, mostly because I had to do it (I was in the marching band).

Then there was this one game, the season finale vs. New Hampshire. Both teams were out of the playoff hunt, it was about 0 degrees at kickoff and only friends, family and the UCMB were in the stands.

It was a miserable day: half of the band's instruments froze during the pre-game show, and we just sang the Fight Song on the field for halftime. To top things off, UNH was stomping us by three TDs at mid-3rd qtr. All of the friends and half of the families had left by then, and the band director was asked whether we wanted the UCMB to leave as well. He of course said 'no'.

So we all decided to just make noise instead - a whole lot of noise. Yelling, chanting, singing, stomping, drumming, whatever we could manage. We were literally just going crazy.

The team noticed us and got pumped up big-time: before we knew it, the three-TD deficit was gone, the team ended up winning the game going away...and I have been 'going crazy' for my Huskies ever since.

Every now and again, I am flabbergasted at where our team has come from and what we as fans currently obsess about around here. We all, myself included, should enjoy the ride a bit more than we do.

We've got it good with this football thing, Husky Nation...

epark88 you bring back GREAT memories of Memorial stadium with that post! I started going to games there when John Dorsey and Vernon Hargreaves patrolled the field fom their lb spots...started buying season tickets on my own in 1990. My most memorable game...UMass
1994 when they put season ticket holders in the metal stands behind visitors bench..my buddy Paul Zenkert made a MONSTER hit on a UMass rb. Still one of the BEST hits I have EVER seen live at a football game college or NFL. The day I walked into Rentschler for the Indiana game...I realized who far we had truely come! Listening to Marty Glickman call the games on the radio with Wayne Norman. GREAT TIMES!!!

 

[TouchdownHusky]

I generally don't care what topics people choose to post about, but I don't buy the RU recruiting hype machine (This year does look different and good for them), but lets look at four star recruit Art Forst vs. Two star Mike Ryan. Both offensive tackles graduating this year, who had the better career? Now lets look at "high" three star Caleb Ruch vs. barely ranked two star Moe Petrus. Both centers, again who had the better career. Scott Valone vs Kendall Reyes? Jordan Todman vs. any RB they've had since Ray Rice etc. etc.

They have consistently recruited better than us at QB and WR, as far the product on the field. According to the recruiting rankings they should be burying us every year. Maybe they have turned a corner but frankly, I could care less. P just needs to win more than them.

Yeah . . . and Mohammad Sanu vs any of the glue fingered WR's UConn's had in the past couple of years. Oh . . . . . sorry, my bad. Maybe I should have gone with UConn's record vs Rutgers over the past four years. No wait . . .

 

[noeynox]

Yeah . . . and Mohammad Sanu vs any of the glue fingered WR's UConn's had in the past couple of years. Oh . . . . . sorry, my bad. Maybe I should have gone with UConn's record vs Rutgers over the past four years. No wait . . .

Maybe you missed the part where I stated they out recruited us at QB and WR consistently. Try reading the whole post next time.

Maybe you'd prefer four star D'antwan "rocket" Williams over Jordan Todman or even Lyle McCombs. Not me.

 

[sportsart]

Yeah . . . and Mohammad Sanu vs any of the glue fingered WR's UConn's had in the past couple of years. Oh . . . . . sorry, my bad. Maybe I should have gone with UConn's record vs Rutgers over the past four years. No wait . . .

Has TDH been thoroughly vetted? I get the feeling he is the longest running troll in the history of the boneyard.

The sad part is I'm only half kidding.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Has TDH been thoroughly vetted? I get the feeling he is the longest running troll in the history of the boneyard.

The sad part is I'm only half kidding.

I have never seen TDH and Rutgersal in the same room. Just saying.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Maybe you missed the part where I stated they out recruited us at QB and WR consistently. Try reading the whole post next time.

Maybe you'd prefer four star D'antwan "rocket" Williams over Jordan Todman or even Lyle McCombs. Not me.

Point made. My only point in return is stop the Rutgers bashing. When we run off a big string of wins against them then maybe . . . But for now, let's just take this year's win. Right now their three previous wins prior to '11 seem to indicate a possible upper hand in recruiting. Just saying. . . . Heck Rutgers gets bashed way more than Notre Dame and they've been a good loyal member of the Big East (facing the same challenges as UConn). ND could rescue the BE, but continue only to suck off it. And, just for the record . . . how many wins against Rutgers did Jordan Todman have.

 

[UConnRock]

Point made. My only point in return is stop the Rutgers bashing. When we run off a big string of wins against them then maybe . . . But for now, let's just take this year's win. Right now their three previous wins prior to '11 seem to indicate a possible upper hand in recruiting. Just saying. . . .

I'm sorry, a Ciaravano field goal attempt hitting the goal post for a 12-10 loss 2008, a fluke 80 yard TD pass in the last seconds in 2009, 10 points in the last 4:00 to win by 3 (Edsalls worst coaching job IMO) in 2010 does not make for an upperhand in recruiting.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

I'm sorry, a Ciaravano field goal attempt hitting the goal post for a 12-10 loss 2008, a fluke 80 yard TD pass in the last seconds in 2009, 10 points in the last 4:00 to win by 3 (Edsalls worst coaching job IMO) in 2010 does not make for an upperhand in recruiting.

Hope your list is it and doesn't continue in '12, '13,'14 . . . that would be a lot of bad luck for UConn even if you're correct and they do have every bit as much success on the recruiting trails as Rutgers. Heck with the "run of bad breaks" that you've cited UConn should be in great shape for the next few years (if, indeed, these things have a way of evening out).

One thing you and I might agree on . . . is the R Edsall part. I think, though, he coached worse in the '08 game (let's keep trying to run Donald Brown out of the endzone no matter how many close calls were under review prior to that safety). Unless it was the defensive scheme in the '09 disaster. The '10 game was just Randy being Randy - conservative, more conservative, absolutely conservative.