Desmond Conner : Pasqualoni walked into a train wreck

[huskymedic]

He may have been left with a walk on QB but I think this yearsQB could have performed well if needed 2 years ago.

You mean when he was @ Illinois?

 

[noeynox]

You mean when he was @ Illinois?

Yeah, I was puzzled by that also. What does that mean Jim?

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Like I said, it was understandable that there was a slight drop off given the coaching change, the attrition, and talent left on hand. I'll give you Frey, but Box hasn't really lit up at Division 2 to my knowledge. Randy's biggest failure at UConn was recruiting QB's post Orlovsky. For a former QB, he had trouble identifying talent at the position.

Calling it a trainwreck is stupid. I don't think anyone has defended that comment and P's coaching THIS year has been terrible. From idiotic offensive strategy, to not using timeouts, to trying to sit on a 14 point lead in the first quarter, the coaching has been a trainwreck. To be fair, P has gone out and in his first class landed a QB better than any Edsall brought in post DO. Now that and 2.00 bucks will get me a cup of coffee, but I'm not so sure we go bowling last year regardless of coach, though I think Edsall would have squeezed one more win out of WMU, ISU last year. No excuses for this year. None, and fair or unfair P may not deserve a third year to get "his guys" on the field.

I think this is fair. My take, being a former Apologista, is that some here who supported Edsall downplay the lack of returning talent on offense. We did not have a QB on the roster that was capable of leading that team to even contend for a BE title. That's on Randy.

 

[Carl Spackler]

The challenge in January 2011, coming off the Fiesta bowl loss....... the charge for the staff - was to maintain growth and elevate the program.

Randy Edsall skipped town on that challenge to take on a different challenge - than to continue the growth of UConn football the local and national landscape.

Paul Pasqualoni was hired to do that job, that Edsall skipped on - maintain and elevate UConn football.

There's no hiding that we were deficient in the depth chart in 2011, especially after the coaching change and attrition. But that's not an excuse for where we are in 2012, we have had an amazing roster turnover from top to bottom since January 2011.

So what really has happened? Twenty games, and twenty months later? 8-12 overall? (leaving out ST's in this for now - focus just on O and D)

Coach P authorized Coach B to change things in the program on the defensive side of the ball, completely - and the results with a different defensive system, took a step back in 2011 allowing 22pts a game, but again has moved forward this year and is allowing less than 20 a game (with the 40 we just gave up included)...this is the same level of defense points allowed that we had in 2007 and 2008, our best defensive years in 1-A/Big EAst play.....Coach B has successfully changed the defense, and delivered the same results as we had with other successful defenses.

(Now - the Cuse game? Enigma - the question is how the D responds - and all the talk about "quitting", "effort", etc...I think is mostly geared toward the D. THat unit, needs to maintain their pride and effort, and carry the team. They have to, they got destroyed by Syracuse Friday - how does that happen? How do they recover? Those are the questions of teh day, and will have a huge impact on the rest of the season.

WHat else happened in 2011? Coach P authorized Coach D, to change the offense, and a slow process of change was started in 2011, and accelerated into 2012. What he has done, is changed everythign, and so far, delivered one of the worst offenses, if not the worst division 1-A offense we have ever had, over nearly 24 games now, and while the passing offense shows signs of life that haven't been there at any time in recent memory, the heart of the offense, the foundation of the offense has been destroyed - we can no longer block.

Trainwreck? That's where we're headed, not where we were.

 

[jrazz12]

"YES I SUPPORT COACH P. He walked into a train-wreck, tried to fix it and is trying 24 games isn't enough to fix all that needs to be addressed here."

Desmond Conner, from today's chat.

You can't take the controls of a train that is maybe, maybe slowing down a hair at the time, run it off the track, through a couple suburban neighborhoods and into a nuclear facility that subsequently explodes and make that excuse.

 

[sportsart]

By the way. Didn't our RB have a pretty good year last year? Didn't he win some kind of award?

Let's remove RB from the list of positions included in the train wreck.

Also, is their any reason to believe if Foley was able to continue to coach our OL, with the schemes they were taught, we would have these line problems?

The OL struggles, while trying to learn the new scheme, and GDL is non stop p.rick. Great people skills yes? How about a transition year GDL.

Does any of this have anything to do with what may look like a train wreck to Dez and other RE haters?

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

The challenge in January 2011, coming off the Fiesta bowl loss....... the charge for the staff - was to maintain growth and elevate the program.

Randy Edsall skipped town on that challenge to take on a different challenge - than to continue the growth of UConn football the local and national landscape.

Paul Pasqualoni was hired to do that job, that Edsall skipped on - maintain and elevate UConn football.

There's no hiding that we were deficient in the depth chart in 2011, especially after the coaching change and attrition. But that's not an excuse for where we are in 2012, we have had an amazing roster turnover from top to bottom since January 2011.

So what really has happened? Twenty games, and twenty months later? 8-12 overall? (leaving out ST's in this for now - focus just on O and D)

Coach P authorized Coach B to change things in the program on the defensive side of the ball, completely - and the results with a different defensive system, took a step back in 2011 allowing 22pts a game, but again has moved forward this year and is allowing less than 20 a game (with the 40 we just gave up included)...this is the same level of defense points allowed that we had in 2007 and 2008, our best defensive years in 1-A/Big EAst play.....Coach B has successfully changed the defense, and delivered the same results as we had with other successful defenses.

(Now - the Cuse game? Enigma - the question is how the D responds - and all the talk about "quitting", "effort", etc...I think is mostly geared toward the D. THat unit, needs to maintain their pride and effort, and carry the team. They have to, they got destroyed by Syracuse Friday - how does that happen? How do they recover? Those are the questions of teh day, and will have a huge impact on the rest of the season.

WHat else happened in 2011? Coach P authorized Coach D, to change the offense, and a slow process of change was started in 2011, and accelerated into 2012. What he has done, is changed everythign, and so far, delivered one of the worst offenses, if not the worst division 1-A offense we have ever had, over nearly 24 games now, and while the passing offense shows signs of life that haven't been there at any time in recent memory, the heart of the offense, the foundation of the offense has been destroyed - we can no longer block.

Trainwreck? That's where we're headed, not where we were.

Carl, this is one of your best posts. Everything is spot on.

 

[huskymedic]

Carl, this is one of your best posts. Everything is spot on.

Must be pressed for time

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

By the way. Didn't our RB have a pretty good year last year? Didn't he win some kind of award?

Let's remove RB from the list of positions included in the train wreck.

I'm going to assume that you don't believe there wasn't a significance dropoff in talent from JT to LM.

 

[noeynox]

True but you would think a professional would let it go and move on. Anyone who says PP inhereted a train wreck is not being honest.

PP allows more access to coaches and players so now Des appears to have a man crush.

Human nature causes people to hold grudges. I don't know who exactly Edsall was addressing but when he told a reporter "I'd explain it to you, but you wouldn't understand it anyway, so what's the point", that was pretty telling on what Edsall felt about dudes doing their job.

Now that is not an excuse to defend PP's coaching job, but any shots at RE were earned on his part.

 

[sportsart]

No I'm dead serious. Whitmer, and Cochran are all I can give you right now but what else would you expect when P's first recruiting class are all true freshmen right now. Did you expect P to recruit Freshmen who are ready to play right away?

You said PP was going to leave behind more talent than RE. I was wondering how you came to that conclusion. Remember Cochran has not seen the field so we don't know about him yet.

 

[noeynox]

I know he had a nice year last year, but his yards per carry last year were average and this year putrid. Admittedly the oline is terrible this year, but when you combine a walkon qb with a 160 lb running back that isnt sensational, your already starting behind the 8 ball sort of speak.

 

[Carl Spackler]

IN 2007 - averages.

Points scored: 26.5
Points allowed: 19.0

2008
Points scored: 24.9
Points allowed: 19.8

2009
Points scored: 31.9
Points allowed: 23.6

2010
Points scored: 26.4
Points allowed: 22.0

2011
Points scored: 24.3
Points allowed: 24.3

2012:
Points scored: 17.9
Points allowed: 19.8


maybe one of you computer savvy guys, can take that simple data and put in a line graph. Points on the Y axis and 2007-2012 on the X-axis.

Two lines - one for offense one for defense.

I think you'd get a clear idea where the arrows are pointing up and pointing down.

Our offense is in a 4 year nose dive, that's only accelerating down.

 

[metsfan2323]

You said PP was going to leave behind more talent than RE. I was wondering how you came to that conclusion. Remember Cochran has not seen the field so we don't know about him yet.

Cochran outperformed Nebrich during the Spring game. The kid looked like a real talent to me. If you don't like that opinion good for you.

 

[sportsart]

I'm going to assume that you don't believe there wasn't a significance dropoff in talent from JT to LM.

JT over LM hands down. But when you have a 1,000+ yd rusher can you say the RB position was left bare? With LM potential why does it seem like he has regressed this year? Obviously the brilliant new schemes for the OL haven't helped along with the starters we lost, but non the less.

Could it also be he is being used too much and is beat up and worn down from last year and this year? JT and Donald Brown were exceptional talents and great physical specimens.

Maybe LM isn't an every down back. But he had a pretty good year last year and should have shown more improvement this year.

 

[businesslawyer]

Like I said, it was understandable that there was a slight drop off given the coaching change, the attrition, and talent left on hand. I'll give you Frey, but Box hasn't really lit up at Division 2 to my knowledge. Randy's biggest failure at UConn was recruiting QB's post Orlovsky. For a former QB, he had trouble identifying talent at the position.

Calling it a trainwreck is stupid. I don't think anyone has defended that comment and P's coaching THIS year has been terrible. From idiotic offensive strategy, to not using timeouts, to trying to sit on a 14 point lead in the first quarter, the coaching has been a trainwreck. To be fair, P has gone out and in his first class landed a QB better than any Edsall brought in post DO. Now that and 2.00 bucks will get me a cup of coffee, but I'm not so sure we go bowling last year regardless of coach, though I think Edsall would have squeezed one more win out of WMU, ISU last year. No excuses for this year. None, and fair or unfair P may not deserve a third year to get "his guys" on the field.

Be fair -- I didn't say Box would have lit it up, or be as good as Whitmer will end up being. But we do know that FHCRE had him ahead of McEntee on the depth chart, and played him one game over a healthy Zach before Box got hurt, so all I'm saying is we don't know that the QB play we got in '11 wouldn't have been better than the tri-headed failure P created if the old staff stayed and Box played.

 

[sportsart]

Cochran outperformed Nebrich during the Spring game. The kid looks like a real talent to me. If you don't like that opinion good for you.

You are avoiding my question. How did you come to the conclusion PP will be leaving more talent than RE did?

 

[CTMike]

Our offense is in a 4 year nose dive, that's only accelerating down.

Holy smokes those numbers are atrocious.

 

[businesslawyer]

The challenge in January 2011, coming off the Fiesta bowl loss....... the charge for the staff - was to maintain growth and elevate the program.

Randy Edsall skipped town on that challenge to take on a different challenge - than to continue the growth of UConn football the local and national landscape.

Paul Pasqualoni was hired to do that job, that Edsall skipped on - maintain and elevate UConn football.

There's no hiding that we were deficient in the depth chart in 2011, especially after the coaching change and attrition. But that's not an excuse for where we are in 2012, we have had an amazing roster turnover from top to bottom since January 2011.

So what really has happened? Twenty games, and twenty months later? 8-12 overall? (leaving out ST's in this for now - focus just on O and D)

Coach P authorized Coach B to change things in the program on the defensive side of the ball, completely - and the results with a different defensive system, took a step back in 2011 allowing 22pts a game, but again has moved forward this year and is allowing less than 20 a game (with the 40 we just gave up included)...this is the same level of defense points allowed that we had in 2007 and 2008, our best defensive years in 1-A/Big EAst play.....Coach B has successfully changed the defense, and delivered the same results as we had with other successful defenses.

(Now - the Cuse game? Enigma - the question is how the D responds - and all the talk about "quitting", "effort", etc...I think is mostly geared toward the D. THat unit, needs to maintain their pride and effort, and carry the team. They have to, they got destroyed by Syracuse Friday - how does that happen? How do they recover? Those are the questions of teh day, and will have a huge impact on the rest of the season.

WHat else happened in 2011? Coach P authorized Coach D, to change the offense, and a slow process of change was started in 2011, and accelerated into 2012. What he has done, is changed everythign, and so far, delivered one of the worst offenses, if not the worst division 1-A offense we have ever had, over nearly 24 games now, and while the passing offense shows signs of life that haven't been there at any time in recent memory, the heart of the offense, the foundation of the offense has been destroyed - we can no longer block.

Trainwreck? That's where we're headed, not where we were.

It is not where we are headed. The train has wrecked.

 

[noeynox]

Be fair -- I didn't say Box would have lit it up, or be as good as Whitmer will end up being. But we do know that FHCRE had him ahead of McEntee on the depth chart, and played him one game over a healthy Zach before Box got hurt, so all I'm saying is we don't know that the QB play we got in '11 wouldn't have been better than the tri-headed failure P created if the old staff stayed and Box played.

I'm saying a guy who hasn't lit it up in division 2, was unlikely to make much of a difference on a BCS team. The one game Box played he was like 4-16, and didn't look like he belonged. Could he have improved? I suppose, but he certainly didn't look the part when he got his shot (think Dennis Brown when he started as true frosh). Even back when Edsall had Box ahead of Mac, we heard reports from practice that Mac was better. That one was ahead of the other means nothing since one was a walk on and one was a recruited scholarship QB.

 

[sportsart]

Human nature causes people to hold grudges. I don't know who exactly Edsall was addressing but when he told a reporter "I'd explain it to you, but you wouldn't understand it anyway, so what's the point", that was pretty telling on what Edsall felt about dudes doing their job.

Now that is not an excuse to defend PP's coaching job, but any shots at RE were earned on his part.

But aren't we talking about paid professionals? How do you trust what Des writes when he keeps slamming RE, who did not treat the media well, but now loves PP due to the access he gets. The train wreck comment says it all.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

JT over LM hands down. But when you have a 1,000+ yd rusher can you say the RB position was left bare? With LM potential why does it seem like he has regressed this year? Obviously the brilliant new schemes for the OL haven't helped along with the starters we lost, but non the less.

Could it also be he is being used too much and is beat up and worn down from last year and this year? JT and Donald Brown were exceptional talents and great physical specimens.

Maybe LM isn't an every down back. But he had a pretty good year last year and should have shown more improvement this year.

We're on the same page here.

 

[businesslawyer]

I'm saying a guy who hasn't lit it up in division 2, was unlikely to make much of a difference on a BCS team. The one game Box played he was like 4-16, and didn't look like he belonged. Could he have improved? I suppose, but he certainly didn't look the part when he got his shot (think Dennis Brown when he started as true frosh). Even back when Edsall had Box ahead of Mac, we heard reports from practice that Mac was better. That one was ahead of the other means nothing since one was a walk on and one was a recruited scholarship QB.

He looked good for one drive and then got concussed. I don't think you can judge him from the Louisville game. And, given Edsall's success here (lack of a passing game or not), forgive me for taking the program's word for who rates where on the depth chart instead of snippets we here from people who observe a practice.

Again, I'm not saying Box would have been even average -- just that Edall & Co. thought he would be better able to manage a game than JM.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

It is not where we are headed. The train has wrecked.

Oh will you just join the rest of us and go on the record that P needs to be fired. Come on over already.

 

[businesslawyer]

Oh will you just join the rest of us and go on the record that P needs to be fired. Come on over already.

Jimmy: I think I'm making clear what I think of his performance to date.

My only point is that I don't see firing him during the season, so why not wait for as much evidence as there will be to make a conclusion and then make it at the appropriate time?

 

[ktuck911]

I'm going to assume that you don't believe there wasn't a significance dropoff in talent from JT to LM.

Bottom line... reality, considering all that has transpired as soon as Edsall bolted, we hired the wrong guy... the response on the DC comment a little overboard... but we pretty much all agree Burton was correct in getting ticked and voicing his public opinion when he did once the Coach P hire went through...

 

[ktuck911]

Now I hope Coach P can save face so that my last comment on this thread turns out to be B.S. We got 2 weeks off to prepare for our final 4 games... We got talent to win these games ... Hopefully the team can shock us all and run the table....

 

[Excalibur]

JT over LM hands down. But when you have a 1,000+ yd rusher can you say the RB position was left bare? With LM potential why does it seem like he has regressed this year? Obviously the brilliant new schemes for the OL haven't helped along with the starters we lost, but non the less.

Could it also be he is being used too much and is beat up and worn down from last year and this year? JT and Donald Brown were exceptional talents and great physical specimens.

Maybe LM isn't an every down back. But he had a pretty good year last year and should have shown more improvement this year.

LM had 1,000 yards with a line that still had a fair number of Edsall guys on it and was still being coached by Foley. Even with that, his YPC was barely adequate.

Besides that, I trust my eyes, and my eyes tell me that there is a massive gap between Brown/Dixon/Todman on the one hand, and McCombs on the other.

P had some challenges that can be pinned on his predecessor. Those challenges are not relevant to the fact that he's failed miserably in addressing them, weakened many of the program's areas of strength, and completely lost the trust of his players.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Jimmy: I think I'm making clear what I think of his performance to date.

My only point is that I don't see firing him during the season, so why not wait for as much evidence as there will be to make a conclusion and then make it at the appropriate time?

Yeah, you're feelings are clear. But short of us running the table and grasping this offense, what will save his job at this point in time?

 

[businesslawyer]

Yeah, you're feelings are clear. But short of us running the table and grasping this offense, what will save his job at this point in time?

The short answer is wins.

I am viewed by some as an Edsall shill (for no other reason than I remain convinced that he vastly overperformed the reasonable expectations for what he should have been expected to accomplish here) so I'm trying not to be the one who hangs his successor. I don't think that is unreasonable.