Delaware Post Game Meltdown

[FightOnCT]

Problem is we've been saying that for years. Why can't we win against teams when we have more money invested in the program than they do and more NIL money? It's baffling.

Virginia Tech just lost to Old Dominion and UCLA to New Mexico. Having money doesn’t exclusively mean you win but it does usually help. It’s more of a coaching/program issue at that point. It’s been very up and down coaching wise for us with Mora; great last year but this is easily the worst lost of his tenure.

 

[huskyblooz]

Remember when we thought this team could go 12-0

8 days ago.

 

[hookshot]

Defense was terrible. The team is undisciplined with all of the penalties. Fagnano is a mediocre quarterback whom we are stuck with. Rosa has a nose for the goal line, yet he barely gets touches. McDonald comes in cold off the bench on 1st and 10 and they dial up a pass play? Bell needs to get the ball more, but he is probably double covered because we've developed no other receiving threats, nor a quarterback who shows any consistency with passing. Clock management at the end was questionable. Lots of blame to go around.

Bingo, Rosa finds the hole on any of those key short yard run opportunities that would have turned the game, but he can't do that from the bench

 

[HuskiesFourLife]

I don’t understand how our defense could hold Syracuse to 6 points for 3 1/2 quarters and then gives up 44 to Delaware?? I honestly thought that even with the collapse at the end of the ‘Cuse game, our defense was gonna be ok. Right now I feel like I’m done with UConn football and counting down to basketball…. but I’ll recover and be there at the Rent next week. Huskie for life

 

[Alum86]

He lost the fumble. The penalty saved us.

 

[ktuck911]

I realize today that I take this team way too serious. I got overly stressed watching this game today.

I know we all love Fagnano, but, he's got execute short passes in BIG spots. His ball placement on that 4th & 2 prior to regulation ending was on him. That shoulda been a simple pitch and catch throw. Then again in OT the placement of the pass to the TE.
And don't let me start on our D. Wow. They washed us on big running plays by the RB and, worse, the QB. We should've had a spy on the QB the entire 2nd half. All of his running plays were between the Tackles. Our LB play looked more like a deer in headlights. You add the Homer referees calls and you get a recipe for disaster.

Right now we're a tough watch, because we can look great one moment offensively, then, at the same time, we find a way to give the game away.

We play like those New York Football Jets teams that always seemed to find a way to lose.

Not good.

 

[Scrutineer]

If he doesn't throw the ball behind his shoulder, Hansen is literally walking in to the endzone. 120 other college teams can make that play.

You absolutely can't blame Sammis on a call that allows your player to walk in...

Amen. Good quarterbacks today are much more accurate with their throws, just like kickers today make a much higher percentage of field goals.

We've got the kicking part covered but if you watch other games you won't see the number of bad throws we're seeing now from our QB. Long, behind the receiver, short, etc.

We either didn't have the money to buy a better QB off the bench at a school loaded with talent (like Lonergan from Alabama now at BCU) or we overvalued Joe based on his better than average year (at least for UConn) in 2024.

To this point, the uNC and G5 wins last year are increasingly looking like fool's gold. We had a better running back corps and a very good and experienced line to protect Joe last year and uNC's roster was depleted.

Look back a couple games to the perfect throw Nieder made for a 15 yard TD to the tight end. Perfectly placed by a guy who hadn't thrown a pass in a game in three years. Maybe it was luck, but it ought to be the standard we expect to meet, especially from a seventh year guy.

Joe needs to throw like that all the time or we're going nowhere.

 

[JcHusky95]

I think we will have to accept FBS independence and 5 more men's and women's basketball championships, I'm ok with that

You don’t think not being P4 is gonna eventually negatively affect our basketball programs? $$$ and NIL etc. Isn’t the athletic program running a massive deficit? Not trying to be negative. Just asking for opinions. Maybe it won’t matter.

I still think our football needs to win

 

[Kolumbo]

Virginia Tech just lost to Old Dominion and UCLA to New Mexico. Having money doesn’t exclusively mean you win but it does usually help. It’s more of a coaching/program issue at that point. It’s been very up and down coaching wise for us with Mora; great last year but this is easily the worst lost of his tenure.

Power programs with money and historical success can suck. UConn is still in independent no man's land fighting an uphill battle with fewer resources and less commitment. The odds of climbing out of this hole and succeeding seem to get slimmer each season. It already looks like we are underachieving this year based on what our winning percentage could have been. The only chance for UConn football is if something really crazy happens and an invitation materializes for some crazy reason. UConn is not getting invited because of sudden football success. The odds are not very good at all.

 

[gsmooth]

Yes, Sammis can, because he has chosen the starting QB, and has further chosen to stay with him. His choices, his responsibility.

Sammis can be blamed for a lot of things, but his job as a coordinator is put the players in good positions to make winning plays. Scheming an open TE for a short 2 yard gain (7 air yards on the throw) is all he can do-he can't throw the ball for Fagnano, Joe has to do that and he failed twice to do that. There are FCS QBs that can execute those plays with regularity.

Having said all of that, the defense was the main reason UConn lost. This defense was reminiscent of the Edsall 2.0's defenses that were the worst in college football history.

 

[gsmooth]

Had a convo with a kid from our incoming class today about this exact thing. He’s gonna be solid, will take care of the football but he’s never gonna make the “oh my god” throw. Needless to say, he wasn’t upset a different guy is gonna be throwing him the ball next yr.

That is true, Fagnano is not going to make the big time plays, but he doesn't need to make the "oh my God" throw. Fagnano needs to make the simple throws like the 4th and 2 in regulation, the pass to Honig in OT, and going back to last week on the first drive of the game, the TE for the 25 yard gain (at least) with the nearest defender about 10 yards away.

 

[Jetskies]

Amen. Good quarterbacks today are much more accurate with their throws, just like kickers today make a much higher percentage of field goals.

We've got the kicking part covered but if you watch other games you won't see the number of bad throws we're seeing now from our QB. Long, behind the receiver, short, etc.

We either didn't have the money to buy a better QB off the bench at a school loaded with talent (like Lonergan from Alabama now at BCU) or we overvalued Joe based on his better than average year (at least for UConn) in 2024.

To this point, the uNC and G5 wins last year are increasingly looking like fool's gold. We had a better running back corps and a very good and experienced line to protect Joe last year and uNC's roster was depleted.

Look back a couple games to the perfect throw Nieder made for a 15 yard TD to the tight end. Perfectly placed by a guy who hadn't thrown a pass in a game in three years. Maybe it was luck, but it ought to be the standard we expect to meet, especially from a seventh year guy.

Joe needs to throw like that all the time or we're going nowhere.

anyone who put any stock at all in that UNC bowl win was lying to themselves. I'm happy we won, but not once did I ever think we faced THE university of North Carolina, during that game.

 

[Jetskies]

Is this what it feels like to be a JETS fan? I don’t like it.

yes. yes it is.

 

[AllHusky]

Remember when we thought this team could go 12-0

They should be 3-0 right now

 

[BlueandOG]

Remember when we thought this team could go 12-0

I maintain that we have the talent to win every game on the schedule. Coaches blew it against Cuse (with help from some poor execution) and the players, mostly the D, blew it against Delaware.

 

[RSTuthill]

Correct me if I am wrong please. Last year the DL was primarily 4.down linemen, occasionally 3, right? Have I got that right? I don't recall the DL ever being an issue so I did not pay attention. So I may be wrong.

And this year UConn has a new DC and play exclusively a 3 down linemen front. The CCSU game seemed that was the case.

I think the last time UConn tried that was in 2018 with disastrous results. I remember that URI game in particular. 56-49 a highly entertaining win but just barely. And the rest of the year forgettable. Doesn't seem like this year will be any different from 2018.

 

[huskymedic]

Correct me if I am wrong please. Last year the DL was primarily 4.down linemen, occasionally 3, right? Have I got that right? I don't recall the DL ever being an issue so I did not pay attention. So I may be wrong.

And this year UConn has a new DC and play exclusively a 3 down linemen front. The CCSU game seemed that was the case.

This is DC Matt Brock’s second year in Storrs.

DL depth is definitely a problem - Smiley was in concussion protocol and unavailable yesterday contributing to debacle.

 

[Hamms30]

Correct me if I am wrong please. Last year the DL was primarily 4.down linemen, occasionally 3, right? Have I got that right? I don't recall the DL ever being an issue so I did not pay attention. So I may be wrong.

And this year UConn has a new DC and play exclusively a 3 down linemen front. The CCSU game seemed that was the case.

I think the last time UConn tried that was in 2018 with disastrous results. I remember that URI game in particular. 56-49 a highly entertaining win but just barely. And the rest of the year forgettable. Doesn't seem like this year will be any different from 2018.

Brock was our DC last year as well and we ran the 3 3 5 last year too. 3 down linemen and then bringing a 4th up to the line or dropping back into coverage depending on the call. We lost a lot of talent up front form last year. New crop needs to sort it out and dig in.

 

[RSTuthill]

Brock was our DC last year as well and we ran the 3 3 5 last year too. 3 down linemen and then bringing a 4th up to the line or dropping back into coverage depending on the call. We lost a lot of talent up front form last year. New crop needs to sort it out and dig in.

I had heard a lot about them 3 3 5 when he came but my memory of the games I saw was they changed up quite a bit. Maybe I am think of the year before.

 

[giddyup]

Brock was our DC last year as well and we ran the 3 3 5 last year too. 3 down linemen and then bringing a 4th up to the line or dropping back into coverage depending on the call. We lost a lot of talent up front form last year. New crop needs to sort it out and dig in.

Yeah, after CCSU it was clear we have a very weak D line. But then comes Cuse, and I’m thinking, ok, we’ve got a D line that can get after it. Then, Delaware makes it plain that we are small, slow and can be easily exploited.

 

[Kolumbo]

I maintain that we have the talent to win every game on the schedule. Coaches blew it against Cuse (with help from some poor execution) and the players, mostly the D, blew it against Delaware.

I didn't see the game but as you said, the defensive players blew it against Delaware. Gave up 44 points to a first year FBS program getting its first FBS win. So perhaps UConn does not have the talent to win every game. Delaware on the other hand could be poised to win out.

 

[Stinger92860]

2 weeks in a row neither the defense or the offense nor the staff was able to execute at key times. They have lost me for this year, I cannot invest beautiful days inside watching their games live and probably won’t be attending any games this year. It’s not worth the emotional downside caused by the way they lose, because you know it’s coming.

 

[uchusky32]

Fagano didn’t through with touch. Missed way to many short yardage throws. Also he never was a threat to run the ball on our zone option runs. That made us predictable when we lined up with the back off left or right of the qb. Terrible philosophy on D. 2/5/4 is terrible against the run. Can’t defend the edge. And our dbs and safeties are to fall of the line of scrimmage at the snap.

 

[ScottVib]

The last two weeks the team has failed to execute in big moments. It feels like a case of trying to be too perfect in the big moments. Both the 4th and 2 and 2nd and goal plays get the first down/touchdown with well thrown balls. Those passes aren't the cause of the loss, as even average defense wouldn't have left the game in contention late. The 4th and 9 pass by Delaware was a pass thrown short of the receiver who is 7 yards away, if he dives and catches it he's down 4 yards in front of the line to gain, square up and be in position to make the stop and UConn wins. Then there was the dropped pick opportunity on the same drive, immediately after the targeting foul was wiped off... when things got close late, the team struggled to execute.

The defense was bad, terrible. Other than Parham, no one was able to get pressure on the play and on the run, nobody in the front seven showed the ability to shed a block and make a stop. Frequently linebackers over-pursued the play rushing into the backfield with their head down as the play went past them (Delaware had 9 "chunk" runs of 10+ yards). Just felt like too many people trying to make the big play, rather than the team play.

It was the running defense in particular that was the problem, outside of the one big pass, Minnicucci threw 33 times for 199 yards. They gained 276 yards on 40 rushes (taking away the sacks). They managed 9 conversions in 18 attempts at 3rd or 4th down (6 of 15 and 3 of 3); and UConn gifted Delaware with 5 first downs via penalty.

 

[Slick]

Just a series of mistakes. The LB core could not get off a block, failure to tackle. Monster, unnecessary penalties. An inability to complete short completions that would put the game away in big spots. Critical failures in pretty much every phase of the game. Such a disappointing game.

Bingo, Rosa finds the hole on any of those key short yard run opportunities that would have turned the game, but he can't do that from the bench

The worry with victor is he will fumble. He is outstanding finding the hole and finishing with touchdowns