How does all the blame fall on the coaches?

[Husky68]

Boy, wish CW had hit Williams in the flat in 4th qtr, would have been 1st down or maybe TD, win game. Something about teams that let other teams hang around until they finally lose, or get in high gear only when game almost hopeless. Remember Alabama going like 6 and 6 with losing all (most all) by 7 or less; next year going undefeated and winning NC. Don't see Uconn losses this year as building like that to better year. Team is not learning how to win but coming up short, there is something wrong with how we are managing/scheming the game and the lack of reaction to opponents move during game keeps down the learning curve of players. Trying to win is practice for winning; trying not to lose is practice for losing.

 

[Srqhusky]

I agree with this assessment, but there are times, when you've got to fire somebody to make a change. It's probably one of the hardest things that a person in position of authority over others needs to do. You know that a person's method of making money, is going to get cut off if you make such a decision.

The thing to determine at this point, is whether or not we are in a point in a cycle, or we are in a linear trend, and if so - in each case - where are we on the line, and what direction are we going?

THe lifeblood of every football program is recruiting. If a change is determined necessary in coaching staff, based on field/game performance, the effect it will have on recruiting needs to be measured and calculated.

Just saying.

He did recruit whitmer Phillips joe Williams and the kid from Penn state who seems decent. My prediction wa a moderate improvement in year one of the offense and getting better each year. By year three we r dominant. We need to be able to pound the rock too!! Hopefully things will start trending upwards in the next couple of games. If we don't get a bowl I would love to see an upset of Louisville or Cincinnati.

 

[RMS25CT]

I'm not going to roast somebody new to the game like yourself, someone with no understanding of turning points. But that punt told the team that the coach doesn't have any faith in them. They lost all the swagger they started the game with at that moment.

When your defense is playing lights out and you have the opportunity to pin a team that has less than 50 yards of total offense you try to pin them deep.

If you want to roast PP on something, roast him about not using a time-out when the defense was clearly confused just prior to Temple's 33 yard completion on Gratz. Lot's of subbing going on prior to that play which is obviously difficult when the other team is running a hurry up. Or a TO after the completion to settle the D down.

PP seems to have a hard time making split side-line decisions. I can't remember exactly when during the game this occurred but it was in the 4th when Temple got called for 10 or 15 yard offensive penalty...could've been offensive pass interference. You almost never decline a 10-15 yard penalty that would make it something and 20-25 for a first down. Especially when the clock is on your side. PP hesitated and was waiting for word from the coaches booth upstairs before accepting the penalty. A guy with as much experience as him should be able to make the decision immediately.

 

[freescooter]

The coaching hasn't been acceptable, but that said, the offense Saturday played well enough to win comfortably. 3 missed field goals, and we're not talking 55 yarders. Make 1 and the game is over. make all 3 and it's a comfortable win. The fact is UConn moved the football, got into scoring range and came away with nothing 3 times before the overtime. Lots of teams win with that type of offense and we should have too. Christen seems like a stand up guy and a great kid. But you miss 4 field goals and you take a seat. Maybe you get another chance next year.

There are lots of problems with this team. The offensive line is terrible, whether its schemes or talent or some of each, you can't let your quarterback get sacked 6 times every game. And Whitmer is inexperienced and at times it shows. And in my view, which I know is not the majority one, the defense is something of a statistical anomaly...it is better on paper than on the field. It still gives up too many big plays at crucial points.

Staurday was a most frustrating game. And I'm not at all sure UConn can recover from it. This team, which I thought would take a solid step forward, is in real danger of imploding.

 

[ruskin]

Re offensive line/pass protection: IMO the "scheme" and philosophy bear a lot of responsibility for the sacks. Chandler rarely deviates from the 5-7 step straight drop, so opposing DC's have a pretty good idea where he's going when he steps back and can plan accordingly. In the process of that planning, they can pretty easily figure out where to send the extra blitzer. Most of the sacks at W. Mich. came because we didn't have enough guys in protection. We ran empty backfield a lot Saturday so without looking at video (and I don't have the stomach for it) I'll bet at least half the sacks came when they had the extra guy.
The very few times we use a short drop or, God forbid, a true rollout off play action, the plays seem to work. Why these and more short passing to the tight ends aren't used is one of the biggest mysteries of this godawful season.

 

[Husky25]

The coaching hasn't been acceptable, but that said, the offense Saturday played well enough to win comfortably. 3 missed field goals, and we're not talking 55 yarders. Make 1 and the game is over. make all 3 and it's a comfortable win. The fact is UConn moved the football, got into scoring range and came away with nothing 3 times before the overtime. Lots of teams win with that type of offense and we should have too. Christen seems like a stand up guy and a great kid. But you miss 4 field goals and you take a seat. Maybe you get another chance next year.

There are lots of problems with this team. The offensive line is terrible, whether its schemes or talent or some of each, you can't let your quarterback get sacked 6 times every game. And Whitmer is inexperienced and at times it shows. And in my view, which I know is not the majority one, the defense is something of a statistical anomaly...it is better on paper than on the field. It still gives up too many big plays at crucial points.

Staurday was a most frustrating game. And I'm not at all sure UConn can recover from it. This team, which I thought would take a solid step forward, is in real danger of imploding.

Our "back up" kicker is redshirting. It's not worth blowing it at this point, seeing as we are on the outside looking in on mere bowl eligibility (let alone an invitation).

 

[businesslawyer]

I don't understand this board sometimes. Was it the most brilliantly coached game ever by Coach P? No.

But I saw a LOT of failures all around. Players not making plays.

-Chad Christen has to make ONE of those kicks. Any one of them. I don't care which. I'm sorry if you feel it's unfair to blame him, but COME ON.
-Chandler Whitmer missing wide open passes on several occasions and once against losing the ball.
-I saw plenty of passing on first down and even some sweeps and Joe Williams out there
-When it mattered most, the D just couldn't keep them off the field, and that's on the personnel and Don Brown (who strangely manages to avoid criticism)
-Dwayne Gratz getting beat several times including that huge pass with less than a minute left where he fell down
-Where's the Run D at? 140+ yards for Montrell Harris?

Pasqualoni's at fault because Christen can't kick a 29 year field goal? DeLeone's at fault because Whitmer once again can't protect the ball? It's Hathaway's fault that Dwayne Gratz gets beat in coverage?

I understand that we want to blame the coaches for anything and everything, and I always despised when Edsall blamed "execution," but I saw some TERRIBLE plays yesterday. Terrible plays made by players. Some experienced, some less so.

Should we have put in Puyol? Given Joe Williams more touches? Called a timeout on the last drive? I don't know. Again, I think Pasqualoni shares some of the blame. But it's not all on him. I'm sorry, but our players made some boneheaded plays, and that can't all be on him.

There's plenty of blame to go around, but if y'all think firing Pasqualoni is going to turn this bunch of kids into a BCS contender, I think you're dreaming.

If you always despised when Edsall blamed "execution," then why are you raising the issue?

Players, for the most part, win and lose games. Coaches, absent clear and egregious mistakes, are reviewed and judged at the end of the season as to how well their players executed. But in what world do you get to blame the coach for players not executing when you don't like the coach, and then be upset when others blame a different coach for their players failure to execute?

I so far have only seen the last few minutes, but fwiw I blame the collapse at the end primarily on the players.

 

[Husky25]

Re offensive line/pass protection: IMO the "scheme" and philosophy bear a lot of responsibility for the sacks. Chandler rarely deviates from the 5-7 step straight drop, so opposing DC's have a pretty good idea where he's going when he steps back and can plan accordingly. In the process of that planning, they can pretty easily figure out where to send the extra blitzer. Most of the sacks at W. Mich. came because we didn't have enough guys in protection. We ran empty backfield a lot Saturday so without looking at video (and I don't have the stomach for it) I'll bet at least half the sacks came when they had the extra guy.
The very few times we use a short drop or, God forbid, a true rollout off play action, the plays seem to work. Why these and more short passing to the tight ends aren't used is one of the biggest mysteries of this godawful season.

Perhaps the offensive line is having enough trouble with the current passing scheme that if they tried to move the pocket, it would result in more holding calls. It's just a theory, but a plausible one given this group of offensive coaches.

 

[Carl Spackler]

When your defense is playing lights out and you have the opportunity to pin a team that has less than 50 yards of total offense you try to pin them deep.

If you want to roast PP on something, roast him about not using a time-out when the defense was clearly confused just prior to Temple's 33 yard completion on Gratz. Lot's of subbing going on prior to that play which is obviously difficult when the other team is running a hurry up. Or a TO after the completion to settle the D down.

PP seems to have a hard time making split side-line decisions. I can't remember exactly when during the game this occurred but it was in the 4th when Temple got called for 10 or 15 yard offensive penalty...could've been offensive pass interference. You almost never decline a 10-15 yard penalty that would make it something and 20-25 for a first down. Especially when the clock is on your side. PP hesitated and was waiting for word from the coaches booth upstairs before accepting the penalty. A guy with as much experience as him should be able to make the decision immediately.

That's a great point. I remember wondering what the hell was taking so long, I thought the play was being reveiwed or something.

I do disagree that they were confused prior to that 33 yard completion, I think they were slow, because they were celebrating a sack, and Temple did what they had to do in that situation, and got lined up to run the next play as fast as they could. I do remember jumping up and down like a maniac after Trevardo Williams sack on Coyer when the defense seemed really happy with themselves, people in my section think I'm crazy. A safety, a LB, and DL all congratulating themselves, while Temple is clearly in a hurry up mode.

Temple had just used their last timeout, after another sack by Willman. That defense should have been disciplined to know, that whatever happened, Temple had no timeouts, so if the ball was down in the field, they needed to be ready for Temple to get back to the line of scrimmage as fast as they could, and run the next play. The QB got no pressure on the next play, because our entire defense was shifting and all 11 were still standing and not set at the snap, and Temple QB made a great throw, our DB - Gratz - falls down - AGAIN, and the receiver makes a great sideline catch on a good throw on target this time. It was 3rd and 14 I think midfield, out of field goal range, under a minute to go. SHould the coaches have called timeout? Sure, but I'd rather have a team that's disciplined enough, to wait until they're coming off the field, to celebrate, and have the urgency to get up off the QB, and get back and get set for the next play in that situation when they've made a great play on second down, but the offense is in 4 down territority, with no timeouts and the clock running.

I realize that this kind of thing, that I"m finding fault with our defense, is not the biggest problem by far with our team, but it was important on Saturday.

 

[freescooter]

Our "back up" kicker is redshirting. It's not worth blowing it at this point, seeing as we are on the outside looking in on mere bowl eligibility (let alone an invitation).

I don't know. If its close I might just go with him. It isn't just that Chisten has missed 4 in a row, He has actually missed 5 straight and he's only 1-6 from 40 yards or more. Seems to me you are pretty much saying we are not even going to try to score.

But he fact remains, that the offense played well enough to win that game fairly comfortably. They drove into scoring position 5 times and came away with 14 points. They drove early. They drove in the 3rd quarter and they drove late in the 4th. Not great long drives, other than the first one,but into scoring position. You cannot come away with 0 points.

 

[Husky25]

...That defense should have been disciplined to know, that whatever happened, Temple had no timeouts, so if the ball was down in the field, they needed to be ready for Temple to get back to the line of scrimmage as fast as they could, and run the next play...SHould the coaches have called timeout? Sure, but I'd rather have a team that's disciplined enough, to wait until they're coming off the field, to celebrate, and have the urgency to get up off the QB, and get back and get set for the next play in that situation when they've made a great play on second down, but the offense is in 4 down territority, with no timeouts and the clock running.

Discipline, and by extension, communication and football awareness are soft skills and taught/developed in practice by the coaching staff. We can say that the players did not execute on this play or that one, but discipline is a pervasive skill throughout the team on every play. At the end of the day, that may be on the coaches as well.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

I don't know. If its close I might just go with him. It isn't just that Chisten has missed 4 in a row, He has actually missed 5 straight and he's only 1-6 from 40 yards or more. Seems to me you are pretty much saying we are not even going to try to score.

But he fact remains, that the offense played well enough to win that game fairly comfortably. They drove into scoring position 5 times and came away with 14 points. They drove early. They drove in the 3rd quarter and they drove late in the 4th. Not great long drives, other than the first one,but into scoring position. You cannot come away with 0 points.

I'm just going by what I see during warmups, but the walk on kid (Goodrich?) kicks a better ball than Puyol right now. If anyone pushes Christen for the job, I bet it's him.

 

[Husky25]

I don't know. If its close I might just go with him. It isn't just that Chisten has missed 4 in a row, He has actually missed 5 straight and he's only 1-6 from 40 yards or more. Seems to me you are pretty much saying we are not even going to try to score.

But he fact remains, that the offense played well enough to win that game fairly comfortably. They drove into scoring position 5 times and came away with 14 points. They drove early. They drove in the 3rd quarter and they drove late in the 4th. Not great long drives, other than the first one,but into scoring position. You cannot come away with 0 points.

That's not what I'm saying. In fact, I think that with a little more aggresive play calling, those attempts at 3 quite probably should have been attempts at 1, as in PATs. The play calling as a whole was better on Saturday than the previous 5 weeks, but it was still far from putting the boys in the best position to succeed on a consistent basis.

We are not at the point where 2012 is a lost yet, but we should also be a little more pragmatic about sacrificing a redshirt with only 42% of the season remaining. Christen is at least a serviceable kicker for the last five games and potentially a bowl game (again, outside looking in, but still).

 

[freescooter]

I'm just going by what I see during warmups, but the walk on kid (Goodrich?) kicks a better ball than Puyol right now. If anyone pushes Christen for the job, I bet it's him.

I don't care who it is, you need to try someone else or just announce that you're quitting on the season.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

If you always despised when Edsall blamed "execution," then why are you raising the issue?

Players, for the most part, win and lose games. Coaches, absent clear and egregious mistakes, are reviewed and judged at the end of the season as to how well their players executed. But in what world do you get to blame the coach for players not executing when you don't like the coach, and then be upset when others blame a different coach for their players failure to execute?

I so far have only seen the last few minutes, but fwiw I blame the collapse at the end primarily on the players.

Well the only reason I brought up Edsall and execution is that, in general, I don't really approve of blaming the players. And since I was about to do it, I wanted to point out that I found it a little hypocritical of me to do so, and acknowledge it, before I went and railed against any specific efforts.

It wasn't my intent to have one set of rules for FHCRE and one set of rules for HCPP. I realize now it was unclear. I wasn't blaming Edsall for poor previous efforts any more than I'm blaming Pasqualoni for current poor efforts.

I actually think, for the most part, that the players are busting their asses and doing their best. I am just starting to think that the differences in OL/DL/RB, talent-wise, were more significant than I had previously believed, and I wanted to point that out with this thread.

For instance, at the end of the UConn/Temple game, all we needed to do was run the ball. There's nothing complex about it, coaching-wise. If you can run the ball, you can run down the clock and win. If you have a good OL and a good RB, it doesn't matter if they know it's coming cause you can get the yards. We can't. And we didn't.

We also had a nearly lights-out kicker and right now, obviously, we're struggling in that regard.

My apologies for my lack of clarity or any perceived disrespect towards the effort of players, who I think, for the most part, leave it out on that field every game.

 

[freescooter]

That's not what I'm saying. In fact, I think that with a little more aggresive play calling, those attempts at 3 quite probably should have been attempts at 1, as in PATs. The play calling as a whole was better on Saturday than the previous 5 weeks, but it was still far from putting the boys in the best position to succeed on a consistent basis.

We are not at the point where 2012 is a lost yet, but we should also be a little more pragmatic about sacrificing a redshirt with only 42% of the season remaining. Christen is at least a serviceable kicker for the last five games and potentially a bowl game (again, outside looking in, but still).

He's hitting at a 50% clip, has 5 straight misses, and he is no better than a coin flip form 40 yards and out. Actually way worse than a coin flip. We'll be lucky if he hits another kick this year.

I'm not saying we played great on offense, but UConn was in scoring position 5 times including once late in the game. Those should be if not automatic, at least highly probable. He makes the first one, maybe not a chip shot, but close, and this game is over in the first quarter. Nobody seems to want to knock the kid, and again he seems like a great kid, but place kicking is one of those parts of the game where you either make it or you don't. A couple of years ago, our field goal kicker missed a couple of big kicks and he was replaced. I think if you don't do it now, you are pretty much raising the white flag on the rest of the season.

 

[ZooCougar]

We better have more than one kicker on the roster that can make a 27 yarder.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

He's hitting at a 50% clip, has 5 straight misses, and he is no better than a coin flip form 40 yards and out. Actually way worse than a coin flip. We'll be lucky if he hits another kick this year.

I'm not saying we played great on offense, but UConn was in scoring position 5 times including once late in the game. Those should be if not automatic, at least highly probable. He makes the first one, maybe not a chip shot, but close, and this game is over in the first quarter. Nobody seems to want to knock the kid, and again he seems like a great kid, but place kicking is one of those parts of the game where you either make it or you don't. A couple of years ago, our field goal kicker missed a couple of big kicks and he was replaced. I think if you don't do it now, you are pretty much raising the white flag on the rest of the season.

Kickers are as good as their confidence. More mental than anything else. The first name that came to mind when I was thinking about the kicking game on the way out of the stadium......Mackey Sasser.

 

[Calhoun's Court]

It falls on the players too.
But this coaching staff is making glaring mistakes and decisions week in and week out.

Clock management is always an issue with P. Also now GDL is running McCumings in at times when the offense is actually flowing with Widmer. McCummings comes in gains (or loses) next to nothing and sets up a 3rd and long every time.
That is on GDL. The guy seems to be a guy that likes to reinvent the wheel.
Temple adjusted the second half and our staff did not.

So yes the players are to blame too but ultimately this failure is falling on HCPP and staff.

Anyone out there think that HCPP and GDL can lead us to where we want to go? No Frickin Way !!!

 

[The Funster]

What I see from the coaching staff is that instead of trying to put the players in a position to succeed they try to put their players in a position not to fail.

 

[SAMCRO]

This particular loss falls on the whole lot (players and coaches), but the performance over the past 19 games and lack of improvement, development, basic organization or ability to make a friggin adjustment falls on the coaches (I'm referring to the offensive side of the ball). Our OL is getting worse and worse under GDL. They no longer fire off the ball on run plays, resulting in them getting pushed 2 yards into the backfield, blowing up most of our running plays befoe they even have a chance to start. Our next in game adjustment on O will be our first. We started the game off great, and then you saw it, Temple made some adjustments, and GDL put our offense in turtle mode. He pulled the legs, arms, tail, and head into the shell and put the weight of the game on the D's shoulders AGAIN. I do believe we have the talent to win 7 games with this years schedule, and we may not win another game this year with this clown running the O.

GDL needs to go, and needs to go today. Shoot, move Foley over the OL, and let Day call plays to finish the season. Pay GDL his salary to not show up at practice or games. What's the worst thing that could happen, we lose a game we should win? Can't, we won't be favored in another game the rest of the season.

 

[Husky25]

I don't know what to tell you. This is my opinion. I understand that a switch at kicker might be in order, I'd just prefer not to burn a redshirt this far into the season, especially being an unknown comodity in pressure situations. I'm sure Puyol's been told all year that they planned on redshirting him for whatever reason (Mental Maturity, Leg Strength, Accuracy, just to get the 5th year, etc.), that to change gears on that and to potentially kill the kid's confidence in the process, would be devastating to the kicker and the program. Is there a walk on kicker? Fine, open a competition. Puyol is supposed to be another Teggart (potentially better) and I'd love to see him succeed for the next 4 years...starting in 2013.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

This particular loss falls on the whole lot (players and coaches), but the performance over the past 19 games and lack of improvement, development, basic organization or ability to make a friggin adjustment falls on the coaches (I'm referring to the offensive side of the ball). Our OL is getting worse and worse under GDL. They no longer fire off the ball on run plays, resulting in them getting pushed 2 yards into the backfield, blowing up most of our running plays befoe they even have a chance to start. Our next in game adjustment on O will be our first. We started the game off great, and then you saw it, Temple made some adjustments, and GDL put our offense in turtle mode. He pulled the legs, arms, tail, and head into the shell and put the weight of the game on the D's shoulders AGAIN. I do believe we have the talent to win 7 games with this years schedule, and we may not win another game this year with this clown running the O.

GDL needs to go, and needs to go today. Shoot, move Foley over the OL, and let Day call plays to finish the season. Pay GDL his salary to not show up at practice or games. What's the worst thing that could happen, we lose a game we should win? Can't, we won't be favored in another game the rest of the season.

Minor correction......he didn't necessarily go into turtle mode. He just kept running the same stuff that worked in the first quarter. I just think we didn't make any adjustments to Temple's adjustments. They blitzed more aggressively in the last 3 quarters. A screen pass or two would've been nice before the very last meaningless drive.

 

[ruskin]

I don't care who it is, you need to try someone else or just announce that you're quitting on the season.

IMO that applies to the playcalling duties, not Chad. Geez, you don't have to fire GDL. Just announce you're going to do something different. The big news at Auburn is their first-year OC moved from the field to the booth for games.

 

[freescooter]

I don't know what to tell you. This is my opinion. I understand that a switch at kicker might be in order, I'd just prefer not to burn a redshirt this far into the season, especially being an unknown comodity in pressure situations. I'm sure Puyol's been told all year that they planned on redshirting him for whatever reason (Mental Maturity, Leg Strength, Accuracy, just to get the 5th year, etc.), that to change gears on that and to potentially kill the kid's confidence in the process, would be devastating to the kicker and the program. Is there a walk on kicker? Fine, open a competition. Puyol is supposed to be another Teggart (potentially better) and I'd love to see him succeed for the next 4 years...starting in 2013.

We kind of disagree on this I guess. I think we're at the point where Christen is a liability. He missed routine kicks. I don't need him to be Teggart. But I need him to make 32 and 28 yarders consistently.