Fagnano it is

[Chin Diesel]

This is the absolute truth. The players know. They are there every day. One fast way to lose the trust of your squad is to play favorites and and sit the guy the team knows deserves the job.

This is true at every position not just QB.

There is no harder single player decision in sports than a head coach getting the starting QB right in football.

All coaches know they will get fired if they get it wrong. And yet, so many times, coaches get it wrong. As do front offices when they draft the wrong QB.

I'm not saying Mora and his staff got this decision wrong. I mentioned it yesterday and I'll say it again today, I don't discount Fagnano's great ability being availability/reliability/dependability. I got real nervous on Friday when they put out all three QB's had some health issues and suspected whomever was able to recover first would be named the starter.

Force me to bet on it, and I'm not sure I'd bet that Fagnano ends up taking the most snaps in 2023.

 

[RSTuthill]

There is no harder single player decision in sports than a head coach getting the starting QB right in football.

All coaches know they will get fired if they get it wrong. And yet, so many times, coaches get it wrong. As do front offices when they draft the wrong QB.

I'm not saying Mora and his staff got this decision wrong. I mentioned it yesterday and I'll say it again today, I don't discount Fagnano's great ability being availability/reliability/dependability. I got real nervous on Friday when they put out all three QB's had some health issues and suspected whomever was able to recover first would be named the starter.

Force me to bet on it, and I'm not sure I'd bet that Fagnano ends up taking the most snaps in 2023.

Exactly, that may have been what happened, but JF is the guy this week. Full stop.

We can run our mouths all day, and having personally seen NONE of the practices, you gotta defer to the expertise of the professionals. It's like going to the doc for something musculoskeletal. You can discuss all you want, ask a million questions so you know the pluses and minuses of the possible courses of action, and at some point you just have to defer to the expert in the room.

I have no problem with the choice, whether it is for the season or not, and I am really looking forward to NCST. To quote the UTST announcer last year after UConn's first drive for TD, this isn't last year's UConn team. I think that NCST will find out the same thing Thursday night.

 

[freescooter]

The more I think about this choice the more it sort of makes sense. And the FCS experience, while a little concerning isn’t much different from a guy coming from a JUCO program and we have had a few pretty good people who went that route, even quarterbacks. I read something a while back that suggested that JUCO is losing out in the Transfer portal era and G5 is taking that role for P5 teams and FCS for G5s so we’ll see. Wish I could find the piece again.

 

[GoConn]

We had Joey California come in and light it up for us from a small school.

Now we got JOEY FOOTBALL about to do the same thing. Let's go!!!

 

[huskymedic]

The more I think about this choice the more it sort of makes sense. And the FCS experience, while a little concerning isn’t much different from a guy coming from a JUCO program and we have had a few pretty good people who went that route, even quarterbacks. I read something a while back that suggested that JUCO is losing out in the Transfer portal era and G5 is taking that role for P5 teams and FCS for G5s so we’ll see. Wish I could find the piece again.

Has the transfer portal killed junior college recruiting? 'Someone had taken my scholarship'

In 2018, 129 junior college transfers signed with Power 5 schools, according to 247Sports’ database. In '21, that number bottomed out at 45.

theathletic.com

 

[Forte]

From what you heard, how did ZT compare to Fagnano/Roberson? Im hoping there was clear separation.

Heard he was clearly behind both Fagnano and Roberson at this point. Clear seperation. Roberson and Fagnano were honestly neck and neck. Not in the same tier as Fagnano and Roberson at this point. Not bad to have a 3rd string with game experience though. Deeper at QB than we have been in a while.

Also, we shouldn't worry about the coaches picking the right QB. We need to focus that worry on the chosen QB staying healthy ... for once...

 

[Chin Diesel]

Exactly, that may have been what happened, but JF is the guy this week. Full stop.

We can run our mouths all day, and having personally seen NONE of the practices, you gotta defer to the expertise of the professionals. It's like going to the doc for something musculoskeletal. You can discuss all you want, ask a million questions so you know the pluses and minuses of the possible courses of action, and at some point you just have to defer to the expert in the room.

I have no problem with the choice, whether it is for the season or not, and I am really looking forward to NCST. To quote the UTST announcer last year after UConn's first drive for TD, this isn't last year's UConn team. I think that NCST will find out the same thing Thursday night.

Taking your analogy in a bit of a different direction. When you have an ailment you and the doc can discuss a bunch of different treatment paths, but eventually you have to decide on one path and see it through to the end to see if it worked or not.
Sometimes the right decision is being decisive and not the decision itself.

 

[CL82]

We played last year without our #1 QB, without our 1 and 2 TBS and without our #3 TB for half the year and without our two top WRs. Yeah, we weren’t imaginative because the coaches weren’t up to it. Silly them, all they focused on was absorbing the injuries and going from 1 win to 6.

We struggled to get separation for our receivers. I'm sure it was frustrating for the team. I know it was to watch as a fan.

 

[businesslawyer]

We struggled to get separation for our receivers. I'm sure it was frustrating for the team. I know it was to watch as a fan.

We didn't struggle to get separation. We almost never had any.

 

[CL82]

We didn't struggle to get separation. We almost never had any.

But it's not like they didn't try. That was the most glaring athleticism difference on the field last year. The good news is that we are dramatically upgraded in that position. That alone will make Fagnano look a lot better than Turner.

 

[huskymedic]

Assisted access

Hearst version: UConn football picked its quarterback. Here's what you need to know about starter Joseph Fagnano

Assisted access <<

 

[KembaKek]

I haven’t listened yet.. but nice to see we have a new podcaster around

 

[Skiblets]

There is no harder single player decision in sports than a head coach getting the starting QB right in football.

All coaches know they will get fired if they get it wrong. And yet, so many times, coaches get it wrong. As do front offices when they draft the wrong QB.

I'm not saying Mora and his staff got this decision wrong. I mentioned it yesterday and I'll say it again today, I don't discount Fagnano's great ability being availability/reliability/dependability. I got real nervous on Friday when they put out all three QB's had some health issues and suspected whomever was able to recover first would be named the starter.

Force me to bet on it, and I'm not sure I'd bet that Fagnano ends up taking the most snaps in 2023.

So odd that you’d place a bet on the back up getting more snaps. Did not see that coming!

 

[Chin Diesel]

So odd that you’d place a bet on the back up getting more snaps. Did not see that coming!

I am totally hedging everything that health played a part of this decision as much as skill.

 

[RSTuthill]

So odd that you’d place a bet on the back up getting more snaps. Did not see that coming!

Not quite what he said. He said he wasn't sure if he would take that bet. Big difference. And one of the reasons was that it appeared there was a course change in the last minute, perhaps due to the previously disclosed injuries. We will soon see if that is true.

 

[giddyup]

Meet your new starting QB: Joe Fagnano

The Maine transfer won the starting job in an open competition with the two starters from last year.

uconnhuskyfootball.substack.com

Seems like a good kid and his knowledge of the Charlton offense has to be a huge advantage.

 

[Huskiefan78]

Gutted! Oh my,but you trust Mora , then trust him

I think you misunderstood my message. As a human, I am allowed to be disappointed by a decision while acknowledging that I do not share the same level of knowledge on the subject as others (in this case the staff). Its human nature, I trust that Mora and Co. will put us in position to succeed but that doesn't mean I am not surprised. No need to try to put me down for that.

 

[Husky68]

I think you misunderstood my message. As a human, I am allowed to be disappointed by a decision while acknowledging that I do not share the same level of knowledge on the subject as others (in this case the staff). Its human nature, I trust that Mora and Co. will put us in position to succeed but that doesn't mean I am not surprised. No need to try to put me down for that.

gutted

adjective​

1. Eviscerated.
2. With the most important parts destroyed (often by fire), removed or rendered useless

disappointed

dĭs″ə-poin′tĭd

adjective​

1. Thwarted in hope, desire, or expectation.
2. Defeated of expectation or hope; balked

Seems like being "gutted" is quite a few degrees more intense than merely disappointed and could be why you got the reaction (or as you might see it an overreaction). I was also expecting TR to be named and was sort of disappointed (my fantasy of the next Michael Vick being lost) but quite a ways from being gutted.

 

[Huskiefan78]

gutted

adjective​

1. Eviscerated.
2. With the most important parts destroyed (often by fire), removed or rendered useless

disappointed

dĭs″ə-poin′tĭd

adjective​

1. Thwarted in hope, desire, or expectation.
2. Defeated of expectation or hope; balked

Seems like being "gutted" is quite a few degrees more intense than merely disappointed and could be why you got the reaction (or as you might see it an overreaction). I was also expecting TR to be named and was sort of disappointed (my fantasy of the next Michael Vick being lost) but quite a ways from being gutted.

This still doesn't hold relevence to my message though. Is it impossible to be disappointed with a result....yet still trust the coaching staff? Absolutely its not. I can point to any number of roster moves by teams (pro and college) that disappointed me but didn't shake my trust in the decision makers. I just had no idea the boneyard grammar police would be out in full force, insisting that the two emotions are mutally exclusive.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

A key stat that gives me comfort and understanding to Fagnano starting Thursday:

45 career TDs, 12 career INTs.

In summary, UConn is starting the guy who is limits mistakes, thus keeping drives moving and hopefully limiting short fields for NC State.

 

[KembaKek]

A key stat that gives me comfort and understanding to Fagnano starting Thursday:

45 career TDs, 12 career INTs.

In summary, UConn is starting the guy who is limits mistakes, thus keeping drives moving and hopefully limiting short fields for NC State.

exactly. if you gave me the choice of a guy with a wicked arm but is prone to mistakes and a decent guy that limits them, i’m taking the limited mistake guy all day. We’ve got the running attack to make up for not having some wicked gunslinger anyways

 

[Bongo Fury]

Jack Zergiotis was a gunslinger. Wasn’t mobile though and was often sacked and turned the ball over.

 

[Waquoit]

Jack Zergiotis was a gunslinger.

He was?

 

[rich1122]

12 Td’s 45 interceptions

 

[KembaKek]

He was?

yes. he could throw it very far. um. not well.