Do we know who is the starting QB this week?

[Hoophound]

Quite frankly, any receiver voicing that opinion outside the program should have been shown the door with the qb he liked. That is not reflective of winning culture.

These are kids. Nothing is going to stop 95% of them from talking to their friends around campus about teammates. Very few teenagers have that level of restraint. Very few adults have it either.

When you look at our QB play, you just have to second guess our coaches of the last few years. If it isn't the coaches' choice of who is best, at minimum you can question who they've chosen to develop.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Quite frankly, any receiver voicing that opinion outside the program should have been shown the door with the qb he liked. That is not reflective of winning culture.

Agreed. Bob Diaco has made it crystal clear over and over what state the program was in when he got here. It was probably a hell of a lot worse, than any of us outside can possible imagine. It really disgusts me that players and coaches - and both are responsible - could let it get it as bad as it did. No honor, no respect, no class, no character. Losers.

This kind of talk simply reflects that. Any player that talks like that? Needs an ass kicking, of needs to be shown the door. Absolutely.

It is impossible to manage and lead a team, and organization, the size of a division 1 football program, without a chain of command structure - not to get all military and sh----t, but it's simply not realistic for a head coach to be aware of everything that's happening. You need ranks and leaders. THat extends both down the coaching staff and into the player ranks. Player captains are named for a reason.

Establishing that kind of leadership through the program, is something that has to happen, for us to return to winning, and usually it only happens when you've got upper classmen leadership, which we unfortunately do not have too many.

If this was actually said, what should have happened is that an upperclassmen leader in the kids position group, or a team captain themselves get into this receiver's face, and set him straight, and if that doesn't work, then you move up the ladder.

Losers. We had a team of losers. In all aspects, on field and off. Pathetic.

This team in 2014, plays differently, and behaves different by all measures and means I can tell from the outside. They are not a winnign football team yet, on the field, but Bob Diaco is establishing a program that is turning them into winners off the field first - for that I am very grateful, and Diaco deserves all the credit.

Now - if he could just figure out that you don't divide reps and rotate QB's if you want to have a consistent offense, we'd be golden. Popping wheelies.

 

[J187Money]

And unless any of you have ever taken over an organization with a broken culture you have no idea how hard it is to fix.

Doesn't excuse some of Diaco's decision making, but I'm with Spackler on this one.

 

[Carl Spackler]

And unless any of you have ever taken over an organization with a broken culture you have no idea how hard it is to fix.

Doesn't excuse some of Diaco's decision making, but I'm with Spackler on this one.

I've been very hard on my analysis of what Diaco is doing with the football program in straight x's and o's and on-field performance. I stand firmly by my opinion that our offensive system this season is FUBAR, and costing us chances to win games now. The intelligence the guy has when it comes to football IQ is evident in the defensive concepts we are using. He knows what he's doing when it comes to defense - without a doubt - to me. This should be no surprise, since he's been a defensive guy his entire career in football so far.

It makes me worried, that he might be on a slow learning curve with offense, and I have no idea who and where, he's got resources and teaching to learn from, when it comes to being in the role he's in now. It seems that Don Patterson would best fit that kind of mentor role, to slap him in the face sometimes and tell him to keep it simple stupid - the most effective way to play defense, and win championships, iis to have a complimentary game plan, that keeps the opposing offense off the field as much as possible, and an offense that you can put on the field to win you games - late in games.

That bothers me though, because Patterson is the QB coach, and WTF are we doing with the QB's? Just impossible for me to wrap my head around this season what's going on.

But aside from all that. I've written the disclaimer many times, I fully support Diaco, I want him to succeed and build this program back into a winner that competes and wins division titles and goes to bowl games, and wins those too, and I want him to last as long, if not longer as Edsall did here, and have even more success. Edsall was a first time head coach, too. He got his education at UCONN too, and paid it back.

It's not that long ago that we were doing that. Winning titles and bowl games. What the lesson of the past few years is - is that if you are not constantly pushing to improve your recruiting and develop your players as people and as athletes into an effective team, you will fall of the ledge faster than you can possibly imagine.

For what DIaco has done in leading the program, continues to do, and will need to do in the future, to maintain the change from a program that was rotten to the core, to a solid and functioning competitive team with character, honor, respect and heart is nothing short of amazing in the short time he's had, and he deserves a lot of credit for that.

I fully expect this team to show up and compete, and play with everything they got on Saturday, and to do it the last 2 games too. For each other, for the name on the front of the jersey, and for the few guys with names on the back that won't be returning, and are finishing up.

I can only hope, that sooner or later, the coaching staff starts doing as good a job in putting them all in a position to succeed on the field , as they are apparently working their asses off to do, OFF the field.

Coaches coach, and players play.

I'm officially getting excited for football again, Saturday night.

 

[UConnDan97]

He's taken all the crap from the fanbase - including some of the collosal jacka**es that inhabit this place.

To be fair, we had colossal jacka**es on the Boneyard when I arrived, but now they are just jacka**es...

(I couldn't resist!)

 

[KennyD]

I've been very hard on my analysis of what Diaco is doing with the football program in straight x's and o's and on-field performance. I stand firmly by my opinion that our offensive system this season is FUBAR, and costing us chances to win games now. The intelligence the guy has when it comes to football IQ is evident in the defensive concepts we are using. He knows what he's doing when it comes to defense - without a doubt - to me. This should be no surprise, since he's been a defensive guy his entire career in football so far.

It makes me worried, that he might be on a slow learning curve with offense, and I have no idea who and where, he's got resources and teaching to learn from, when it comes to being in the role he's in now. It seems that Don Patterson would best fit that kind of mentor role, to slap him in the face sometimes and tell him to keep it simple stupid - the most effective way to play defense, and win championships, iis to have a complimentary game plan, that keeps the opposing offense off the field as much as possible, and an offense that you can put on the field to win you games - late in games.

That bothers me though, because Patterson is the QB coach, and WTF are we doing with the QB's? Just impossible for me to wrap my head around this season what's going on.

But aside from all that. I've written the disclaimer many times, I fully support Diaco, I want him to succeed and build this program back into a winner that competes and wins division titles and goes to bowl games, and wins those too, and I want him to last as long, if not longer as Edsall did here, and have even more success. Edsall was a first time head coach, too. He got his education at UCONN too, and paid it back.

It's not that long ago that we were doing that. Winning titles and bowl games. What the lesson of the past few years is - is that if you are not constantly pushing to improve your recruiting and develop your players as people and as athletes into an effective team, you will fall of the ledge faster than you can possibly imagine.

For what DIaco has done in leading the program, continues to do, and will need to do in the future, to maintain the change from a program that was rotten to the core, to a solid and functioning competitive team with character, honor, respect and heart is nothing short of amazing in the short time he's had, and he deserves a lot of credit for that.

I fully expect this team to show up and compete, and play with everything they got on Saturday, and to do it the last 2 games too. For each other, for the name on the front of the jersey, and for the few guys with names on the back that won't be returning, and are finishing up.

I can only hope, that sooner or later, the coaching staff starts doing as good a job in putting them all in a position to succeed on the field , as they are apparently working their asses off to do, OFF the field.

Coaches coach, and players play.

I'm officially getting excited for football again, Saturday night.

I'm excited too. However, after watching the EC vs. Cincy game, Sat could get ugly if we don't make adjustments to our standard defensive game plan. Without pressure on Gunner, it could be a long COLD night.

 

[Carl Spackler]

I'm excited too. However, after watching the EC vs. Cincy game, Sat could get ugly if we don't make adjustments to our standard defensive game plan. Without pressure on Gunner, it could be a long COLD night.

I'm not sure we have the individual or team speed to bring constant pressure. I sure would like to see it when it makes sense in down and distance, and especially if we somehow manage to get on top on the scoreboard early.

Cincy has had tough times at Rentschler, and it's November again, night game. November at Rentschler field is a time of year that we need to own. This isn't a Florida team coming here this time, but it's going to be cold, and it's always windy - the property wouldn't have been used as an aircraft field if there wasn't wind.....

Hopefully the crowd that will be there, will get down close and be loud.

As far as game planning, at this point, all I'm confident in, is that whatever they put together for Cincy will probably be unconventional, and hopefully, this time - it works, the players are in position to succeed, make plays and eventually win the game.

 

[Bonehead]

Hopefully the crowd that will be there, will get down close and be loud.

I would hope they would make an announcement like 'please feel free to move your seat closer to the field' at the end of the 1st quarter but we know people are still streaming in - if that is what you meant by get down close...

 

[ktuck911]

We've always played Cincy very tough at the Rent... Don't expect anything different. We're not a good football team, but we're better than we were when played BYU and Boise State... Cincy will find that out this coming weekend...

 

[pepband99]

So can I deduct you are in the camp that CC only looked really good last year due to lesser competition than the other QB 's faced?

No. CC was a better fit with a worse OL, due to his propensity to get the ball out quick. Took pressure off the battered OL. Foley getting spurs in probably helped too.

Playing a couple of crappy teams didn't hurt, either, though.

 

[pepband99]

If 25 and 28 is a poor mans Cole Stoudt WTF is 0 and 11???

BD - lack of focus , lack of discipline - words used to describe TB play during Temple mop up duty to the point Foxx took snaps afterwards - he has a chance to get rid of the goose egg this weekend - or add to the 11 - in either case the line will change and there's that.

Remind me Tim's best win - Xavier vs who???

Yes, comparing Wins/Losses to TD/Int is solid logic. Downright Palatinian.

Really, I promise I'm not trying to defend Palatine. I'm just tired of that statistic because it's soooo subjective. It's like the SEC claiming superiority while playing nobody OOC - just annoys me.

 

[sdhusky]

Diaco loves Whitmer. I expect him to keep playing the guy who hasn't earned the position.

You are a dou7chebag

 

[pepband99]

There is exactly one reason to play Boyle. He has future eligibility remaining. Based on what he has done in games he hasn't earned a single second of additional playing time.

Yes, and that's a huge reason, going forward.

I'm not in Palatine's court (yet), but it's a fair rebuttal to your statement above. What has CW done to warrant additional playing time? His performance, at some point, comes into question, especially when keeping someone on the bench that is going to be here past this year. Also, we're not playing for anything but improvement, at this point.

 

[Dogged]

and it's always windy - the property wouldn't have been used as an aircraft field if there wasn't wind.....

Only the Boneyard is a more windy place!

 

[Carl Spackler]

Chandler played maybe his best game last week even with the late int.. IMO he didn't lose that game and probably gives us the best chance to win this week given the lack of p/t Tim has this year. Under any other circumstance he should be the starter. But the fact is we're out of it this year, CW is only marginally better then TB at best, and won't be here next year to follow up on any progress he might make personally. The o-line is also giving more decision time on more plays, and did I mention we're not going bowling? It's not an obsession with "the" backup anymore, it's an obsession with seeing if we have a QB we can build some kind of future for this program with. Somebody tell me how starting CW for the rest of the season and occasionally throwing TB in cold then pulling him does that.

I honestly don't expect any changes at QB once the depth chart comes out, and the game is played Sat. There is nothing I understand about our offense, other than Diaco has been remarkably consistent with it. But anything is possible I suppose.

I do agree that Whitmer played a great game. He's played well pretty much all season long. He's improved dramatically, I think, as a QB and a player this season. He's got that fatal flaw of late game bad decision making, and he's only got 3 games left to correct it. His only mistake, was not taking the time out to calm himself the duck down and get himself, and the offense cool, collected, focused and ready to go on that possession inside the 10 yard line, poised to go in for the game tying TD with clock under a minute to go. There wasn't any doubt we were capable of pushing it over the goal line.

He clearly has not yet developed the ability to do that, and not make poor mistakes, within a regular game clock, as numerous late game back breaking throws and poor decisions over the past 3 seasons clearly indicate - so take the TO - make sure you're saving one through each half, just in case you need it - if you're the coaching staff. Hopefully he's finally learned from it, should the situation arise again in the next 3 weeks, and who knows - it probably will.

 

[huskymedic]

I honestly don't expect any changes at QB once the depth chart comes out, and the game is played Sat. There is nothing I understand about our offense, other than Diaco has been remarkably consistent with it. But anything is possible I suppose.

Batten down the hatches...

JohnFSilver 11:23am via Twitter Web Client
Back to FB this week. No changes on UConn Depth Chart from previous weeks. Not an indicator things will be the same.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Batten down the hatches...

JohnFSilver 11:23am via Twitter Web Client
Back to FB this week. No changes on UConn Depth Chart from previous weeks. Not an indicator things will be the same.

Are you really surprised? I'm not. I would have been, if there were depth chart changes. Remains to be seen what we do in the game Saturday, but honestly - why do anything different now?

There is still the possibility that this team produces another late season win streak. Late season win streaks, are not unusual for UCONN football - even in our worst years. To change everything now?

Whatever. We'll see what happens Sat night. I don't have any concrete feelings on this as of now, it's weird. Anything goes. I get the feeling that sooner or later, there is a level of pissed off that needs to take hold, and the players simply take the field with the attitude that it's 1 game, and it's our home field, and they want to simply beat the snot of their opponent, and there is this feeling I have, that no matter how much the players want to do that, the flow of the game, planning, calls of offense and defense, won't have them in position enough to do it.

We could come out and stomp the crap out of Cincy in jaw gaping fashion, if everything clicks, or we could just as easily lose in jaw gaping fashion, if nothing clicks - or anywhere in between. Should be a fun ride, hopefully on the winning side.

 

[huskymedic]

Are you really surprised? I'm not.

Nope neither am I - but some will make it a call to arms (or pitchforks).

 

[huskymedic]

desmondconner 12:30pm via TweetDeck
Diaco said Whitmer will remain in his role (as starter) the next three games. #UConnFootball

EdDaigneault 12:31pm via TweetDeck
Decision between Whitmer and Boyle comes down to nothing more than who can produce points against each opponent.

 

[whaler11]

Yes, and that's a huge reason, going forward.

I'm not in Palatine's court (yet), but it's a fair rebuttal to your statement above. What has CW done to warrant additional playing time? His performance, at some point, comes into question, especially when keeping someone on the bench that is going to be here past this year. Also, we're not playing for anything but improvement, at this point.

Other than to date reasonable people would agree that he gave them a better chance to win week to week... nothing.

Oh and that horrible lower leg injury Boyle has been struggling with.

 

[pepband99]

Yeah, if Boyle were on the Mets, that thing would have been amputated already. Hope it's not contagious.

 

[huskymedic]

JohnFSilver 3:11pm via Twitter Web Client
I gather Whitmer starts final 3 games and gets most of the snaps. I also think we'll see a bit more of Boyle though.

 

[J187Money]

JohnFSilver 3:11pm via Twitter Web Client
I gather Whitmer starts final 3 games and gets most of the snaps. I also think we'll see a bit more of Boyle though.

"We'll see."

 

[UCFBfan]

I just don't get this....what does this do for this team? What does having a "chance" to win in the final 3 games do for this team? Does it really flipping matter if we win anymore games this year or is it more important that we see what we might have next year? I know it's been said over and over that Boyle might not even be in Diaco's plans but why not at least let the kid play and try and force his way into the plans for 2015?? I just don't get this call.

I guess I don't see what value having the chance to win in a lost season does versus preparing for a WINNING season next year....We all want this team to win but it's not like Whitmer is lighting the world on fire.....

Ok I'm done ranting. Had to get it out of my system. Everyone have at it.

 

[UConnDan97]

I just don't get this....what does this do for this team? What does having a "chance" to win in the final 3 games do for this team? Does it really flipping matter if we win anymore games this year or is it more important that we see what we might have next year? I know it's been said over and over that Boyle might not even be in Diaco's plans but why not at least let the kid play and try and force his way into the plans for 2015?? I just don't get this call.

I guess I don't see what value having the chance to win in a lost season does versus preparing for a WINNING season next year....We all want this team to win but it's not like Whitmer is lighting the world on fire.....

Ok I'm done ranting. Had to get it out of my system. Everyone have at it.

1) Yes, it matters if we win. It matters in terms of recruiting battles in the next 2 years. It matters in terms of morale. It matters in terms of building all of the other positions that rely on better QB play (i.e., OLine or WR).

2) Playing Boyle an extra 40 series does not necessarily mean that he will improve that much from it. Might he improve enough to have it make a difference next year? Maybe. Maybe not. But that's why I'm a big believer in playing the best player at each position, period.

If Boyle is the best player next year, so be it. If he's not, so be it. I'm rooting for the kid, and nothing would make me happier than him having it all come together and lighting up the field. But up to this point, he clearly has not been our #1 QB, and call me selfish, but I still want to win...