Has there been improvement?

[SAMCRO]

Definitely improved, still a long way to go. This is not a good football team. Last 2 seasons we absolutely sucked, now we are not good with some flashes of pretty good that show up from time to time.
Before the year began i'd guess most reasonable people on this board pegged us to be 3-5 right now (flipping the UCF and USF results)...so we are right where a lot of posters would have thought we'd be. What's been frustrating is after watching the games, we really should be 5-3. Mizzou and USF were gutting losses, definitely games we should have won.

So, ya, we have improved, but we still have a long ways to go.

 

[freescooter]

We are better but you could make a case that the improvement is marginal. We have 3 wins maybe get to 4. At least we didn't lose to a 1aa and 2 of the worst fbs teams in the country this year but that is far from an impressive credential. Recruiting seems to have improved some but the jury is out on wether Diaco can do anything. Some people say we need to wait but how long?

 

[polycom]

I honestly have no idea what you guys on the Boneyard want from this team. This team isn't a good team, they weren't last year and they weren't magically going to get better in an off-season. However, slowly BD is instilling a culture of handwork first winning comes after the team goes from athletes to football players. Until we have a team of good football players we are going to continue to see displays like we saw on Saturday. But please go on being delusional complaining about not being Cinci a good game.

 

[nUConn Fan]

The team will improve, the culture continues to evolve, and the program will be successful. Boneyard gadflies who give up less than two years into this transition are ridiculous. The players improve each day and are being pushed by the new guys - if they don't improve, they'll sit. This year is the transition year...next year is the growth year. The following year is the championship year.

 

[businesslawyer]

The team will improve, the culture continues to evolve, and the program will be successful. Boneyard gadflies who give up less than two years into this transition are ridiculous. The players improve each day and are being pushed by the new guys - if they don't improve, they'll sit. This year is the transition year...next year is the growth year. The following year is the championship year.

Or not. HCBD still has an awful lot left to prove. But the choice is not and can not be this black-white crap where he's either proven he's going to be a great coach or he sucks and we need to get rid of him. This year is much better than last year. If we're not in a bowl next year, or thereafter don't continue to improve, call me then.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Or not. HCBD still has an awful lot left to prove. But the choice is not and can not be this black-white crap where he's either proven he's going to be a great coach or he sucks and we need to get rid of him. This year is much better than last year. If we're not in a bowl next year, or thereafter don't continue to improve, call me then.

Agreed.

Documenting change in something, anything - by definition means establishing at least 2 reference points. The original post suggest a 1 year approximate time frame between last year's Cincinnati game at home, and this year's game away. I was at last year's game. I left when it was about 30-0, I couldn't stomach it anymore. It actually turned into a very unmemorable, memorable night - got me in trouble with the better half.

This year's game, I watched not too long ago on video, and it was by far, much better than last year. Enough improvement to overtake Cincinnati's program and win the game? Obviously not.

I've got a bit of time to tool around on the interwebs today and found my way to espn's college football standings. Here is a list of teams in division 1A with 3 wins at this point.

UCONN
Tulsa
Lousiville
Syracuse
Wake Forest
Boston College University
Virginia Tech
Georgia Tech
University of Texas
Univesity of West Virginia
Kansas State
University of New Jersey at Piscataway
University of Nebraska
MIddle Tennessee State
Old Dominion
University of Texas El-Paso
Kent State
Akron
Buffalo
Colorado State
University of Washington
University of Tennessee
Vanderbilt
University of South Carolina
University of Arkansas
University of Idaho
South Alabama


Why did I make this list? Curiosity - to see who's won the same amount of games we've won so far this year. We've had a pretty tough schedule too, but Id on't have the time or desire to compile a strength of schedule list to go with that 3 win list at this point in the season, but I'd wager that we'd be at least in the top half of such a list.

What becomes clear to me - is that what should be clear to everybody.

It's frigging hard work to win football games, and we got to get better at it, if we want to be considered a top level program.

You only get one game at a time though, to do it, so we got to make them count - sooner than later.

That's what was insanity about last year - treating an entire season as a scrimmage. We're going through first year growing pains, in year 2, when it comes to actually trying to win games. That's all.

Get up and go - next play.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

I think we've improved, but we're still a year or two away. We still have so many freshmen and sophomores in key positions. But there are so many questions marks which will need to be answered before we can really know if this program is moving in the right direction long-term:

• Can Shirreffs develop his read skills to look at this 2nd, 3rd, and 4th options?
• Is he going to get the arm strength?
• If not, can the O-line develop enough for a pure pocket passer like Boyle or Davis (or Rose or someone?)
• Will our young D-line mature into people who can put pressure on?
• Will new DB's rise to the level we've seen in the past with Gratz and Wreh-Wilson?
• Can Diaco learn quickly, manage the clock better, develop better game plans?

It's a lot of questions. I'm hoping some of the answers are "yes" but we'll know better in a year or so.

 

[Nostical]

[*]Can Shirreffs develop his read skills to look at this 2nd, 3rd, and 4th options?
[*]Is he going to get the arm strength?
[*]If not, can the O-line develop enough for a pure pocket passer like Boyle or Davis (or Rose or someone?)
[*]Will our young D-line mature into people who can put pressure on?
[*]Will new DB's rise to the level we've seen in the past with Gratz and Wreh-Wilson?
[*]Can Diaco learn quickly, manage the clock better, develop better game plans?
[/LIST]
It's a lot of questions. I'm hoping some of the answers are "yes" but we'll know better in a year or so.

I would be happy with BS immediately locating his 2nd option and throwing to our Tight Ends in the end zone when we're down close. These bubble screen throws to the side are ill advised.

 

[Carl Spackler]

I would be happy with BS immediately locating his 2nd option and throwing to our Tight Ends in the end zone when we're down close. These bubble screen throws to the side are ill advised.

Seems like something that would make sense, but then again, if you're a defense, and you've watched our games, and know that we've not shown the ability to be very strong running between the tackles in a power running game, that you'd put something in the defense to key on the TE's releasing off the LOS as a pass first defensive decision.

We're not a good enough offense yet, to call plays and run them, that defenses are expecting and aligned and prepared for prior to the snap. A throw to a double covered TE in the endzone, doesn't make it a good throw, because we have big TE's. That's what watching the games tells you. If we can get to the point on offense, wehre a definite mismatch is on the field in the interior in goal line, then hopefully we can audible to it and exploit it, otherwise were going to see stacked boxes in the redzone, and challenge the pass protection to protect, and the QB to make the outside throw, and the receivers to catch them.

Here's what I think:

I think what we lack on offense right now, isn't a lack of working TE's into game plans - it's a matter of overall confidence and execution, and it's not unique to the offense, or any individual palyer or coach for that matter. We're at a pretty critical time, I think, for this season as a team, and for lots of the players individually.

They're tired, they're banged up, and they've lost 2 in a row, after what was a very emotional high. (any person reading that, other than a boneyarder - and realizing I'm talking about the win against a winless UCF team, to get to 3-3, would automatically conclude that UCONN football is insanity - if that's the case - but it is the case).

Adversity is the biggest test of human behavior. They just played a terrible game, on the heels of a game, that they know they gave away. How they respond Friday night, will be very interesting to see what this team is made of right now - both coaching and players - for 2015.