Expectations for 2020 | Page 3 | The Boneyard

Expectations for 2020

SU1968 said:
Your fans that say "go bowling" should take a deep breath. You are going into unknown territory where you are now an independent and most bowls are affiliated with specific conferences. You aren't guaranteed a bowl bid even with a winning season.
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Thanks Captain Obvious. Here’s something else that is obvious, Boeheim is ancient and hurting your squad.
 
look at Liberty's November.

Mr Benedict is doing a great job of USING the UCONN brand to get us better games - at the margin. And that 2020 schedule is darn good & a noticeable heartbeat buzz beyond the AAC. The AAC is a damn good conference and that gets you nothing but a Flat TV rights contract for 13 years … falling desperately behind 5 other conferences.

I care about Army. That has to be one of the games we should target annually. I would throw in Navy - I would love to play them soon. Then Buffalo, UMASS, Temple, Rutgers, Old Domininon … We found out something about football playing in Texas & Louisiana & Oklahoma.
 
Recruiting wise you'll still want to play in Florida and Texas. It doesn't have to be every year but often enough. Louisiana too as long as it's a huge payday for UConn at LSU. :)
 
I think I may have been the one who said UConn should beat Liberty("If they don't beat all three of UMass, Maine and Liberty there is a serious problem") and I stand by it. UConn had a lot of underclassmen that saw time on the field last year and now they will be a year older, stronger and experienced. That has to count for something, including our young QB's. Like others have said the D should take a step up. Almost half of the new class participated in Spring ball and the rest, at least by appearances, seem to be an improvement from classes past. Time will tell but one of these years luck and favor have to shine the Huskies way. A new era for this program(independence), could signal new hope, new enthusiasm and new found success. Why not this year?
 
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I am ecstatic with the move to Independent. Ecstatic. F Tulsa, Tulane Houston Memphis and the rest of the AAC who think the TV contract was good. It was - for them. But not for UConn - who is now controlling its own destiny. We will play in buy games, we will go to areas we recruit, we will have teams in the Rent that fans can relate to. And we will make more money doing it while protecting and growing a once proud and successful brand.

Considering scheduling is done so far out, kudos to AD David Benedict and his team for putting this together. We aren't UMass (and if you think we are go take a ride to Amherst and then tell me you see the same football commitment). We aren't BYU but are closer to them in terms of independent than UMass, New Mexico or the other Independents.

As for wins and losses- until you see who returns and who is coming in, an 8 win team in 2019 could be an 11 win or a 3 win team in 2020. Same for a 1 win 2019 team and same for UConn. You play the players on the field, not the uniform. SO saying x school is a win or loss, do some research. FYI,anyone watching the demise of Notre Dame pre Kelly could see that the Jimmies and Joes weren't up to the gold helmet standard.

As for the RE haters - nothing short of an 8 win season and beating some big boys won't change your minds. So nothing to discuss there. NOTHING. But I will say this: the kids and coaches who are still in the program and those coming in have the right attitude and are busting their butt for themselves and UConn. They don't deserve to be shat upon and the constant negativity is draining to anyone who cares about the program.

I can't go see the other teams I support on a whim(other than to a game) but I can go to UConn, or make a call and see a practice or talk to a coach. There is value in that and it allows you to see things a little differently than just as an outsider.

I am jumping off my soap box now!
 
LoyalFanCT said:
Hurley is new. We have to give him some time. Edsall has been here in two time periods. We have already given him time. Now he has to produce.
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Ridiculous answer
Is Hurley new to coaching? No - his recent success was a result of a series of injuries that forced him to play Whaley and with a workable big man who could catch the ball and score (unlike Akok and Carleton) it freed up CV to do what he needed to do. If Akok was still healthy I am willing to bet the ranch that Whaley would not have stepped on that floor for any meaningful minutes, Did Whaley just turn on the light switch? No - many players said he was doing well in practice offensively all along and was rebounding with power but Dan Hurley would not play him.
Just because Randy has been here before means squat - how many of these guys are ones he recruited - is UConn still in the OBE football league as when he left? No
Randy has produced in the past
Who is being paid the 2Mill plus salary? Thats the guy who better produce beyond expectations
 
gtcam said:
Ridiculous answer
Is Hurley new to coaching? No - his recent success was a result of a series of injuries that forced him to play Whaley and with a workable big man who could catch the ball and score (unlike Akok and Carleton) it freed up CV to do what he needed to do. If Akok was still healthy I am willing to bet the ranch that Whaley would not have stepped on that floor for any meaningful minutes, Did Whaley just turn on the light switch? No - many players said he was doing well in practice offensively all along and was rebounding with power but Dan Hurley would not play him.
Just because Randy has been here before means squat - how many of these guys are ones he recruited - is UConn still in the OBE football league as when he left? No
Randy has produced in the past
Who is being paid the 2Mill plus salary? Thats the guy who better produce beyond expectations
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Quite frankly, sometimes coaches are forced into the “right“ decision. But, the player still liked the coach well enough to hang around, worked in the gym and weight room and the coach was analytical enough to not double down. Chief has been around many teams over the years, the effort passes the eye test as does the buy in with Danny and MBB.
 
Chief00 said:
Quite frankly, sometimes coaches are forced into the “right“ decision. But, the player still liked the coach well enough to hang around, worked in the gym and weight room and the coach was analytical enough to not double down. Chief has been around many teams over the years, the effort passes the eye test as does the buy in with Danny and MBB.
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It isn't like Hurley had many options beyond Whaley. Eric Cobb and Kassoum Yakwe aren't running through that door anytime soon.
 
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Ldandy said:
I see 7 winnable games on the schedule, but with Randy as HC and an OL Coach as OC I'll go with 4 wins. Its an improvement for sure, but with this offensive brain trust in charge the ceiling is always going to be really low.
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If we are talking straight numbers then 5 is the bare minimum. However, I think the number is far less important than the eyeball test.

I agree there are 7 winnable games, but keeping the P5 games close would be also be seen as a step forward. We can't have a 2-3 win season, but 4 home wins and a bunch of close losses without getting blown out will still look pretty good to most fans.

I think the most important bar to clear will be whether or not the fanbase has hope for the full season that there is a chance to win every game. Playing teams like Tulane knowing we are likely to lose is the killer.
 
I expect the Qb position will be graded much better than 127 of 130.

I expect Kevon Jones to play more like Julius Williams. Edsall has been keen on his potential. I hope they have someone else on the otherside that can play like an emerging Witten. Edsall has a history of having good DEs. Cant keep playing zone without pressuring the Qb.

I expect an improving Lb corp.

I expect better special teams play especially on the returns. He found that somebody in Fl

I expect better interior OL play.

First game will tell a lot.
 
Last year we were close against Houston and ECU. This year, at least at home, we need to win close games. As for the road, we have to be in the games first and then look for the wins second.
 
I'll be curious about what the TV money looks like. Wins are essential to grow the base but the program has to start paying for itself sooner or later. Will the Huskies get tied up in a multi-year contract with SNY that includes both football and basketball? The money side of expectations should be pretty important also.
 
Games with P5 opponents mean we'll be on their networks and I guess we don't receive much money other than the payday check. Games on SNY, etc. (even CBSSN) won't generate much tv revenue to speak of.

Expectations? Hoping for 5 wins, but most of all being competitive against the P5 opponents. Physically and depth-wise, except for the o-line, I think we are in better shape than we've been in awhile. D-line and skill positions look promising.
 
It’s impossible for me to put a # on the win total... so many question marks on the roster and, personally, very little familiarity with a lot of the teams on the schedule. Hard for me to say how we match up.

I will say that I think we’ve reached a point where everybody is at UConn because they want to be at UConn. This is entirely Randy’s team now. We’ll see where he goes with it.
 
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LBird33 said:
I don’t understand your response ?
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"It an area of unknown right now." How could QB be a position of unknown when HCRE2.0 decided last year that a real freshman had "IT" and when the season starting QB could not play the 2nd game HCRE2.0 skipped the then 2nd string QB and started and played the freshman 3rd string QB. HCRE2.0's reasoning: "The kid has "IT".
I don't think a freshman QB who has never played a game who is determined to have "IT" by his 60 year old, former college QB with over 200 games coached could possibly lose the starting position the next year. Come on, you think the kid lost his "IT"? The "IT" kid will prove what we all know about HCRE2.0's coaching ability.
 
If Krajewski didn't break a collar bone in the first game he played he might have been "it". At least for last season anyways. Zergoitis wasn't ready and Beaudry was wounded.
 
weyuo said:
If Krajewski didn't break a collar bone in the first game he played he might have been "it". At least for last season anyways. Zergoitis wasn't ready and Beaudry was wounded.
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If SK had "IT", HCRE2.0 would have found it regardless of his getting hurt as HCRE2.0 found "IT" in Z after just watching him in practice as the 3rd string guy.
 
Well, let's just hope one of them has "it" this year and is "it". The team needs some consistency at the helm. :)
 
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IT doesn't mean you are ready to win right now. IT means you have what it takes to lead a team when the chips are down. You can see that even though he didn't play with American HS rules, he adapted over an 12 game season. He got better and when he takes the next step in learning the offense and the defense and how to continue to get loft on the ball, he will take us from close to winning. That is IT.

Let me ask you this- who other than Orlovsky have we had that had IT. Who could make a winning drive with 2 minutes to go? Who could lift up other players? Lorenzen and Fraser had a great cast around them. Whitmer didn't have IT and Pindell never had a chance with the talent around him to determine if he could do that. To me, the closest to IT was Bryant Shireffs and Casey Cochran - add Zergiotis to that list as well. And PS - Krajewski might have IT to but I haven't seen enough to say that.
 
I am sure they expected Beaudry to have enough "it" to be the guy last year and this upcoming year. When he did not seize the job in summer camp, competing with a RS freshman (and during the season a true freshman), that was telling.

He seems like a nice kid, worked hard, and tried his best. It ended up being a swing and miss, which happens. Whether it was injury, physical talent limitations, psychological limitations, or any combination of those, I don't know, or care. It didn't work out and both parties have moved on. I wish him the best. I hope he lights it up for Idaho.
 
Was thinking about this thread title and what immediately came to mind was

Survive and Advance
 
weyuo said:
If Krajewski didn't break a collar bone in the first game he played he might have been "it". At least for last season anyways. Zergoitis wasn't ready and Beaudry was wounded.
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And look what he did in a game that he broke his collar bone in. In a boat race game he came back out improved his play and didn’t give up on his team.i don’t know about you guys but that’s the type of toughness and leadership this team needs. I’d like to see him get a opportunity when he’s healthy and 100 percent not just thrown in to game play in the middle of the game and not being able t establish a rythum. Look how he started against UCF throws a pick six. Then comes back against the starters goes 7-11 fot I think it was 70 yards and about 30 on the ground got multiple first downs and got the team in scoring position twice.
 
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Rosebud70 said:
And look what he did in a game that he broke his collar bone in. In a boat race game he came back out improved his play and didn’t give up on his team.i don’t know about you guys but that’s the type of toughness and leadership this team needs. I’d like to see him get a opportunity when he’s healthy and 100 percent not just thrown in to game play in the middle of the game and not being able t establish a rythum. Look how he started against UCF throws a pick six. Then comes back against the starters goes 7-11 fot I think it was 70 yards and about 30 on the ground got multiple first downs and got the team in scoring position twice.
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SK showed me something in that game. I'm excited to see if he is now ready to be QB1. I really don't care who it is, as long as someone finally takes the reins.
 
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