Do we have better players than URI?

[Palatine]

I think we do, by a lot. Is that the consensus view? If that's true we should beat URI, no?

I believe these players are much better than they have shown. By the results say they are the worse defensive players in the entire FBS. And they were the worst last year too. The cupboard is bare.

I will root for these players regardless of results. But the coaches and the coaching are another matter.

 

[polycom]

This is a bad take pal.

 

[noeynox]

We have more players than URI! BETTER? We will find out Saturday.

The problem I think is after two blowouts, and Randy publicly saying "they suck but they're trying ", is that they can not be feeling too good about themselves.

 

[TRest]

I guess we have smarter ones.

 

[BlueDogs]

Well, if we didn’t out recruit URI for football talent, then we are in worse shape than I ever imagined. We should have better atheletes. But, the question is whether we have better football players. That is the question.

 

[Dooley]

Doesn't matter. We've struggled to beat FCS teams since Edsall left and I don't expect a comfortable win, if we win at all, on Saturday either.

 

[uconn34]

OR They can just get mad and hit something, anything! Can handle losses, embarrasment this year but flat hate the hesitation, arm tackling, soft schemes, softblocking etc... HCRE's teams have lost before but have showed up and beat ND, SC etc...with efforts to be proud of. I just want to be proud of them.
WITH PRIDE WINS WILL COME.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Anyone get a line on this yet? Only thing I've found was URI -110.

 

[UConnNick]

Typically your average FBS team has more speed, particularly getting to the edges on D, than almost any FCS teams have. Unfortunately for us, defense is our weakest link, and we have quite a few recruits who only had FCS offers other than ours. That may mean our overall speed and talent levels are only slightly better than your average FCS team, and URI appears to be quite a bit better than average. Our results vs. FCS teams over the past few seasons bear this out. An average FCS team isn't much worse than we are. A good FCS team can beat us, and they almost have repeatedly over the past few seasons.

 

[blue93]

The hope is that the game will finally slow down for our young defense. Both literally and figuratively.

The reality is we don't have a good team right now, but we've only played against teams that didn't make any mistakes whatsoever. I think we can count on some mistakes out of URI on Saturday - it's a matter of whether we can take advantage of them or not.

 

[Hornet22]

Well, if we didn’t out recruit URI for football talent, then we are in worse shape than I ever imagined. We should have better atheletes. But, the question is whether we have better football players. That is the question.

Guys please. It’s not that complicated. They have older players that aren’t bad. We have freshmen. This is a physical game based on experience and maturity. They have that advantage over us.
You’re trying to compare 18 yr olds to 22-23 year olds.
Just cheer the boys on and be glad they’re getting good game experience. If they’re worth their salt they will take this adversity and turn it into a heckuva winter/spring/summer season in the weight room and with speed and agility training. That’s what happens at the Alabamas of the world. Most of those freshmen get beat up on in practice (for us it’s games) by the older kids and it forces or brings out the competitive nature in them to work themselves up to where the tide turns and they start winning those battles. Unfortunately, the gains we will see with these youngsters will come via the off season. But stop expecting freshmen to trounce juniors and seniors. It’s not realistic.

 

[whaler11]

Anyone get a line on this yet? Only thing I've found was URI -110.

FCS lines don’t come out until late in the week. A lot of places don’t open them until Saturday morning.

I’d guess it’s going to be UConn by a couple of points.

 

[gopher2]

I would say that, generally speaking, our offensive players are better than theirs but their defensive players are better than ours owing largely to experience. Our punter is certainly better than theirs.

 

[uconnphil2016]

I just hope to God that Andy Gresch isn’t announcing the game on SNY. Having to watch URI curb stomp us to the tune of Andy Gresch might kill the program

 

[RSTuthill]

If UConn played Maine right now they would certainly lose. URI? Dunno but I suspect so.

 

[Exit 4]

I just hope to God that Andy Gresch isn’t announcing the game on SNY. Having to watch URI curb stomp us to the tune of Andy Gresch might kill the program

Buddy, I have grave news:

TV: SNY Eamon McAnaney (pbp), Andy Gresh (analyst), Justin Ward (sideline)

Source:
URI Game Notes - UConn Huskies | University of Connecticut Athletics

 

[Purple Stein]

FCS lines don’t come out until late in the week. A lot of places don’t open them until Saturday morning.

I’d guess it’s going to be UConn by a couple of points.

I’m gonna go on record with a prediction of UConn -7. Should probably be more like -4, but I think the money would flood to URI at that number.

 

[whaler11]

I’m gonna go on record with a prediction of UConn -7. Should probably be more like -4, but I think the money would flood to URI at that number.

Um I think that might be backwards?

 

[Exit 4]

Doomed:

UCONN VS. THE FCS UConn has played one Football Championship Subdivision school in each season since joining the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2002. UConn is 15-1 overall against FCS opponents. UConn logged victories against: Florida Atlantic (2002), Lehigh (2003), Murray State (2004), Liberty (2005), Rhode Island (2006), Maine (2007) and Hofstra (2008), Rhode Island (2009), Texas Southern (2010), Fordham (2011), UMass (2012), Stony Brook (2014), Villanova in 2015, Maine (2016), Holy Cross (2017). The lone UConn loss came to Towson in 2013.

 

[JMick]

Buddy, I have grave news:

TV: SNY Eamon McAnaney (pbp), Andy Gresh (analyst), Justin Ward (sideline)

Source:
URI Game Notes - UConn Huskies | University of Connecticut Athletics

If anyone has a good Spotify playlist to listen to during a football game please let me know. Gresh is horrible and I won't listen to him anymore

 

[polycom]

If anyone has a good Spotify playlist to listen to during a football game please let me know. Gresh is horrible and I won't listen to him anymore

Podcasts are the way

 

[Purple Stein]

Um I think that might be backwards?

Lol! I was thinking about the psychology of the line, I guess. At -7, I think more money would go to UConn than at -4. At -4 people are going to pause, look at URI, and wonder if they’re good or we’re terrible and then take maybe take a flyer on URI at +4. At -7, people are more likely to say “Sounds about right for bad FBS against FCS — I’ll take FBS to cover.”

The thinking is definitely backwards logically. Might also explain why I lose more fake pennies than I win!

 

[Husky68]

I've been keying on defensive stats and trying to get my head around youth, speed, strength problems and really a big scheme issue. Essentially, 5 starting real freshman and 4 more on the 2 deep is not a recipe for a dominating defense. Maybe giving up 745 yards per game and over 90% 1st downs to opponents is a bit over the top but should get better (hard to get worse).
Offense is a little different. Start 2 sophomores, 2 juniors, 6 seniors and 1 RS senior (using class and not eligibility except for RS). 2nd team is 2,4,3,2,0 so as would be expected a bit younger. UConn's scoring offense is 125th in FBS at 12 per game, about half of last year per game average.
UConn needs to score on RI and show schemes that get players open. Do not accept that a RI can have enough talent to shut down UConn's offense, youth is not an excuse, Pindell has been picked twice by HCRE2.0 to be the starter, plenty of receivers, experienced OL - need to get them to be competitive with a FCS defense.

 

[uconnphil2016]

If anyone has a good Spotify playlist to listen to during a football game please let me know. Gresh is horrible and I won't listen to him anymore

And last time we heard him call a game on SNY he was still working at 1080, so had to feign some level of support for UConn. It was still obvious in listening to him that he hates UConn. Now he’ll be out of market and an unhinged URI homer who will bask in their fifteen minutes of fame if it’s close. I’m gonna have the 97.9 stream going

 

[AfgHusky15]

Guys please. It’s not that complicated. They have older players that aren’t bad. We have freshmen. This is a physical game based on experience and maturity. They have that advantage over us.
You’re trying to compare 18 yr olds to 22-23 year olds.
Just cheer the boys on and be glad they’re getting good game experience. If they’re worth their salt they will take this adversity and turn it into a heckuva winter/spring/summer season in the weight room and with speed and agility training. That’s what happens at the Alabamas of the world. Most of those freshmen get beat up on in practice (for us it’s games) by the older kids and it forces or brings out the competitive nature in them to work themselves up to where the tide turns and they start winning those battles. Unfortunately, the gains we will see with these youngsters will come via the off season. But stop expecting freshmen to trounce juniors and seniors. It’s not realistic.

How do you explain our poor offense? There are only 3 schools in the entire FBS that score less points per game than UConn (!), and UConn is 105th in yards per game (talking about offense).

All this when there are only 2 true sophomores and no freshmen starting. 5 of the 11 starters on offense are seniors by the way...