Game Week 2022 - UConn @ Utah State Aggies (Saturday 8/27/22 @ 4p EST on FS1) | Page 3 | The Boneyard

Game Week 2022 - UConn @ Utah State Aggies (Saturday 8/27/22 @ 4p EST on FS1)

I watched a ton of Vince Dooley pre-game pressers when I lived in Georgia. He would make every opponent sound like the 67 Packers. Mora did some of the same stuff talking about the US QB as Elway-esque. Overall, I thought Mora was very even-handed.

The big take away is how awful our beat reports are. They almost never ask an interesting or probing question.
 
So I don't want to start a debate or be too negative, but we have no data about the quality of the coaching (other than the CV's of HCJM and AHC Charlton) and unless they invite the BY to practice every day, we are never gonna have that. What we have so far are the vids the program wants us to see and the far more adroit handling of the public with communication skills previous regimes could only dream of. We also know that last year's 1-11 team lost its two best players and the portal transfers and recruits who have come in to backfill the losses are as yet untested and of unknown capability.

All that said, our collective gut tells us that things are about to get better. We are anxious to find out how much better. And as someone said a week or two ago, things feel as if they are getting back to normal.
 
UConnJim said:
I disagree about talent. There has been significant roster turnover and many transfers have been brought in. I would say UConn has upgraded QB, WR, OL, and LBs with an infusion of talent. And, UConn does not have 12 Fr and R-Fr on the 2 deep to start the year as well as true Fr P and K like they did for the Fresno State game. There are 10 transfers on the 2 deep including 6 starters. And, the 2 deep is not a static document and it can be used to send a message to players.

Will the roster changes and new coaches lead to a winning season? I don't think so as the roster is still young and they still need to upgrade talent, but I'm confident that the offensive coaching will be light years ahead of last year and the defense will be better.
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Yeah. I’m surprised we don’t see more transfers higher on the depth chart. I don’t think it’s that much different. It’s probably not worse.
 
ZooCougar said:
We are better coached. Better prepared. Didn’t take a season off and pretended like we would be better off for it.

We still have the same talent. Will that be enough to suddenly beat a team like Utah State on the road?

I think everyone knows the answer to that question. The first 6 games on the schedule outside of CCSU are a crucible. And while we should prevail against CCSU, it’s far from a given.
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Last comment got my attention, beating CCSU if far from a given? I'd have to say it's pretty close to a given. Per Massey ratings CCSU has as much a chance of beating UConn as Unv. Louisiana Monroe has of beating Alabama in Alabama.
 
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Husky68 said:
Last comment got my attention, beating CCSU if far from a given? I'd have to say it's pretty close to a given. Per Massey ratings CCSU has as much a chance of beating UConn as Unv. Louisiana Monroe has of beating Alabama in Alabama.
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You may have offended the woof gods with that statement. I did the same thing with the Maine game a few years back. I have a lot of friends in Maine. Not gonna repeat my mistake.
 
Husky68 said:
Last comment got my attention, beating CCSU if far from a given? I'd have to say it's pretty close to a given. Per Massey ratings CCSU has as much a chance of beating UConn as Unv. Louisiana Monroe has of beating Alabama in Alabama.
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Did you not see how Yale almost beat us last season? We should win that game but we lost to Holy Cross and almost lost to Yale soooooooooo
 
DCUconnfan said:
Every coach I learn something new. Diaco was a used car salesmen so you bought every fluff line, so since we finally won breakfast, maybe we could win a game. Edsall was a hardass & scape-goater so you knew things weren't going to go well but you didn't know who's fault it was. PP papered the walls with answers but only left questions and only knew how to use coach-speak. For once, I feel like I heard someone that was honest, and that says a lot.
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My exact thoughts but you got to it first. Jim is tell it like it is and what little fan base we have left needs right now. ;)
 
RSTuthill said:
Better to say the shoes were a contributing factor. The principle root cause was clearly that Fresno was a lot better than UConn. And we know that now, informed by the data from the full 2021 season.
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They were better but the situation was exacerbated because Edsall started JZ. We had wide open receivers behind the Fresno defense and ZT couldn't get the ball with five yards of them. That game did not have to be the all out disaster it was.
 
RSTuthill said:
Better to say the shoes were a contributing factor. The principle root cause was clearly that Fresno was a lot better than UConn. And we know that now, informed by the data from the full 2021 season.
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Palatine said:
They were better but the situation was exacerbated because Edsall started Jack Zergiotis. We had wide open receivers behind the Fresno defense and ZT couldn't get the ball with five yards of them. That game did not have to be the all out disaster it was.
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I was joking about the cleats. Someone had the audacity to accuse me of trolling with my comment.

I'll take plenty of flak on these message boards without responding, but if you accuse my humor of being trolling, well, that's a bridge too far in my book.
 
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huskymedic said:



Alternate access link here <<

-> On the defensive side of the ball, Dalton Hilliard (defensive backs), Siriki Diabate (linebackers) and Kenny McClendon (defensive line) will be working with Mora and the analysts to fill the empty spot at defensive coordinator.

All three earned Bachelor’s degrees from their respective universities in 2013. Diabate was a linebacker at Syracuse from 2011-13, while McClendon played defensive line at Central Michigan. Hilliard played safety at UCLA and later returned as a defensive graduate assistant – both stints with Mora at the helm. <-

-> Not too far removed from their own respective careers as student-athletes, the defensive trio has related well to the UConn players. Being without a veteran coach, all three took turns calling the defense in unscripted situations. Mora will make the defensive decisions in-game for the time being, but it won’t be without consulting each of them first over the headphones: “What do you like? What do you want to hear? What are you guys thinking? How are we feeling?” <-

-> The group is still working out how they’ll manage play-calling in game, but Mora said if anyone is to blame for a bad call, it’s him.<-
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The Mike Anthony/Hearst Improvise-Adapt-Overcome version :

www.ctinsider.com

How will UConn football function without defensive coordinator?

UConn football coach Jim Mora and three assistants are collaborating to fill the role of defensive coordinator during Lou Spanos’ leave of absence.
www.ctinsider.com www.ctinsider.com

Alternate access link here <<<

-> “It’s been pretty smooth, I guess,” said junior linebacker Jackson Mitchell, of Ridgefield. “Coach Mora is a really good coach and he’s a really smart coach defensive coach. It hasn’t been too hard, I guess. Obviously, (Spanos) is my guy and I hope everything is good with him, but we’ve got to move on fast because obviously we have a game in four days. It was kind of weird the first couple days. But I think we’re good now.” <-

-> “We have a feeling for what we want to do,” Mora said. “Right now, I’d say if you want to blame anyone for a crappy call, make sure you blame me, OK? It is me, not them. But it’s a great collaboration right now. These guys are outstanding. They’re the best young coaches I’ve ever been around. They’ve unbelievable. And they’re great people. The players love them and they love the players.” <-
 
CL82 said:
I’m not just drinking the Kool-Aid, I’m surfing it. I am fully aware that a big dose of reality may hit us this Saturday, but for right now, I’m enjoying the ride.

Kool Aid Summer GIF
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RSTuthill said:
I did not watch it, but I would note that we are now at that oh shiitake moment of a year ago when people got their first look at the Fresno two deep and reality started to set in. Hoping that HCJM's use of the portal will pay dividends on Saturday. But not gonna raise the bar unrealistically. A stop or two each quarter for the D, a couple of scores including at least a TD for the O, and I will be happy. A small step forward perhaps. But as they say in hockey, one shift at a time.
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Chin Diesel said:
I was joking about the cleats. Someone had the audacity to accuse me of trolling with my comment.

I'll take plenty of flak on these message boards without responding, but if you accuse my humor of being trolling, well, that's a bridge too far in my book.
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Humor?
 
Chin Diesel said:
I was joking about the cleats. Someone had the audacity to accuse me of trolling with my comment.

I'll take plenty of flak on these message boards without responding, but if you accuse my humor of being trolling, well, that's a bridge too far in my book.
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When email first came out back when dinosaurs still roamed the earth, there were constant corporate entreaties not to get into flame wars and to understand that humor is not well communicated by the medium. The same could be said for message boards
 
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RSTuthill said:
Not mine but the other two are.
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Sort of, at least for me. I’m serious that I’m buying into this staff in this team. I just said it in a tongue-in-cheek way, because I’m well aware it’s all smoke and mirrors at this point. We will know more Saturday.

I just want to see what we look like. I want to see some degree of competence. I want confirmation that all the good things we’ve been hearing haven’t all been horseshit. In short…

I Still Want To Believe Fox Tv GIF by The X-Files
 
UConnSportsGuy said:
.....so let me make sure I have this right... if we upset Utah State this weekend.....and then Utah State upsets Alabama in Tuscaloosa the following weekend....then we will be #1 in the country, right?! ;)
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Yes, that's exactly right. UConn will go from the worst team in college football to AP #1 in the country after upsetting Utah St and throttling the Mighty Blue Devils of Central Connecticut State. And it will be a consensus #1 ranking. Mora will be immediately nominated for the Football Hall of Fame. The players will have to juggle their time between academics, football and the tidal wave of NIL offers each will receive. ;)
 
Not ready to say CCSU will be easy at all. Last time we beat an FCS school by more than 7 points was 2011 vs. Fordham. That’s insanely bad.

I think we’ll have a better sense of how this team is after Utah St and CCSU.
 
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UConnSportsGuy said:
.....so let me make sure I have this right... if we upset Utah State this weekend.....and then Utah State upsets Alabama in Tuscaloosa the following weekend....then we will be #1 in the country, right?! ;)
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This logic is irrefutable!
 
BugsyCT said:
Not ready to say CCSU will be easy at all. Last time we beat an FCS school by more than 7 points was 2011 vs. Fordham. That’s insanely bad.

I think we’ll have a better sense of how this team is after Utah St and CCSU.
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Mazzone needed one week to have last year’s cast go from the worst team in FBS to giving Wyoming and Vandy all they could handle. Mora and Charlton will very likely have this much improved roster throttling CCSU. I’m not going to temper my expectations for that game. I just shouldn’t have to. I’d only be doing it to protect myself from the hurt.

We will destroy CCSU.
 
ZooCougar said:
Did you not see how Yale almost beat us last season? We should win that game but we lost to Holy Cross and almost lost to Yale soooooooooo
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soooooooooo what? If we had last year's team playing with last year's coaches I get it, but UConn isn't playing with last years team and coaches.
CCSU has about a 1 in 20 chance of beating this UConn team, that's about as "given" as you get in sports.
 
Hoophound said:
Mazzone needed one week to have last year’s cast go from the worst team in FBS to giving Wyoming and Vandy all they could handle. Mora and Charlton will very likely have this much improved roster throttling CCSU. I’m not going to temper my expectations for that game. I just shouldn’t have to. I’d only be doing it to protect myself from the hurt.

We will destroy CCSU.
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Mazzone's success in changing the offensive game plan in literally the blink of an eye is the one thing that is giving me oodles of hope on the over 2.5 for this year. That alone said to me how much of a difference coaching can make and perhaps the player talent pool, while we certainly have and need to continue upgrading, isn't quite as bad as a 1-11 and years prior records say the player talent was or is.
 
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