Is it me or is there just no enthusiasm around this season?

[Skiblets]

Not feeling it. Last year, the build up to the game at the Big House got things rolling quickly.

This year..first game delayed cause of hurricane, two bad losses and one ugly win.

I'm just not feeling it like other years.

Need this team to inject some excitement into the season tomorrow

 

[BlueMAB]

It's not just you. With a very good MAC team (and rain) coming tomorrow, things might just get worse.

 

[businesslawyer]

It is not you at all. So may factors that aren't even worth getting into, but it's strange that you could have a program come of such a historic performance (from Yankee Conference middle packer to the Fiesta Bowl in ten years) and have as little buzz through the fanbase as this one.

 

[Skiblets]

It is not you at all. So may factors that aren't even worth getting into, but it's strange that you could have a program come of such a historic performance (from Yankee Conference middle packer to the Fiesta Bowl in ten years) and have as little buzz through the fanbase as this one.

I guess we have to add in the coaching change, the conference stuff, the lack of an AD (there's a joke in there somewhere), the decline in the quality of the offense and special teams etc etc

 

[pepband99]

A horrid home OOC slate, with no really great away games doesn't help.

 

[freescooter]

I think that's right. I would rank the issues as:
1. Loss of key players with no replacemnts (Todman in particular)
2. Lower expectations coming into the season.
3. A delay in the season due to Irene didn't exactly get things off on a great footing.
4. Some ugly ugly offensive performances leading to losses.
5. The defection of Pitt and Syracuse has cast a serious pall over th eseaosn, the conference and the future.
6. Two pretty bad losses and a couple of uninspired wins

I serioulsy think that things would have been down without #5 but that has made it much worse. But that has been a huge negative...Sort of like having your outdoor party cancelled by rain then discovering that not only did your party get washed out, but your basement got flooded too!

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

It's the CT sports fan in general. We have a very short attention span. I don't even think you could say it's the Pitt/Cuse drama either.

It's not unique to football either. When I was at UConn you couldn't get a ticket to the HCC or Gampel and that was before we won multiple national championships. Now.......get em anytime you want.

 

[CL82]

6. Two pretty bad losses and a couple of uninspired wins

Don't underestimate this. People aren't invested in this team because they just aren't sure which way the season will go.
Shouldn't be this way but it often is.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Not feeling it. Last year, the build up to the game at the Big House got things rolling quickly.

This year..first game delayed cause of hurricane, two bad losses and one ugly win.

I'm just not feeling it like other years.

Need this team to inject some excitement into the season tomorrow

Holy crap dude, go get an espresso and stop reading about conference re-alignment - it's clearly sucking the life out of you.

Two bad losses? Seriously? YOu forgot the entire first half of the season last year. Clearly. Worse than what happened in Philadelphia last year? Or the way the team peed themselves on the big stage at Michigan? We lost two games so far that piss me off and make me want to see these guys come out even more, and make good on the stuff they didn't get done in those losses and it's happening. Of course it's more exciting to get ready for a game against Michigan than it is against Fordham as fans.

Inject some excitement? when was the last time you saw a QB lateral, halfback option pass on offense? when was the alst time you saw wide open UConn receivers downfield with nobody within 20 yards just waiting for the ball?

reality check - stop reading and writing about conference realignment. It's an energy sucker.

 

[Excalibur]

Don't underestimate this. People aren't invested in this team because they just aren't sure which way the season will go.
Shouldn't be this way but it often is.

True, but we were in the same boat after the Temple, RU and Louisville games last year, despite high expectations coming into the year. We managed a fantastic turnaround, as we did in the previous year, but in the second week of October it felt like a huge missed opportunity.

 

[Carl Spackler]

STOP IT - all of you - people aren't invested? WTF?

When was this site started?

http://the-boneyard.com/#athletics.1

UConn Football - 986 discussions, 14,530+ messages.

The conference realignment mess, and reading and writinga ll about it is an energy drain. Period. Get away from it. The people in charge will take care of it.

 

[Silk City]

Very disappointed in the amount of students selling tickets for this game. Everyone always complains about noon start times, then we get a 3:30 start and it seems like a lot of students are bailing.

 

[Husky68]

Realignment was a low blow re Pitt and Syracuse. Makes it hard to root for BE teams which is part of fun of season. Not down on team, just hard to pet the horse while the barn is burning down.

 

[BlueMAB]

The people in charge will take care of it.

That's what worries us.

 

[BlueMAB]

Very disappointed in the amount of students selling tickets for this game. Everyone always complains about noon start times, then we get a 3:30 start and it seems like a lot of students are bailing.

They bailed at the end of the 3rd quarter against Iowa St, why would WMU be any different?

 

[businesslawyer]

True, but we were in the same boat after the Temple, RU and Louisville games last year, despite high expectations coming into the year. We managed a fantastic turnaround, as we did in the previous year, but in the second week of October it felt like a huge missed opportunity.

Last year, speaking for myself, I absolutely knew in my heart that while we sucked at that time in the season we were capable of beating everyone on our schedule. This year, I don't have anywhere near that feeling.

But to respond to Carl, it's not investment. I could not be more invested in this season -- any season. But it's a question of whether you start watching a game with anticipation or dread.

 

[1999.2004.2011]

The awful out of conference schedule is the reason. How is the average fan going to get pumped up over games against vandy, iowa state, buffalo, western michigan, and fordham?????? The fans that follow this team on this board are obviously going to be excited but I cant blame Joe Somebody who could care less about the season so far because the schedule is nothing to get excited about.

 

[Hoophound]

Last year, speaking for myself, I absolutely knew in my heart that while we sucked at that time in the season we were capable of beating everyone on our schedule. This year, I don't have anywhere near that feeling.

But to respond to Carl, it's not investment. I could not be more invested in this season -- any season. But it's a question of whether you start watching a game with anticipation or dread.

Very well said.

 

[uconnfan68]

Not feeling it. Last year, the build up to the game at the Big House got things rolling quickly.

This year..first game delayed cause of hurricane, two bad losses and one ugly win.

I'm just not feeling it like other years.

Need this team to inject some excitement into the season tomorrow

I think most fans are in shock. The ACC raid, the conference realignment turmoil, the deceit of Edsall leaving, the mediocrity of the football talent (with a few exceptions) he left, make many of us long of basketball season to start soon.

 

[freescooter]

It is pretty clear that there is a lack of talent at quarterback. hard to say but Nebrich might grow into the role for NEXT year, an dhe should probably have redshirted this year. That is the single biggest problem with this team I think. The running back is not up to what we've had, but he is also a freshman so again, who knows. But I think isaiah Moore has been better than any reciever we had last year in the past two games. Williams we hope had a breakout game, the defense is solid. I do think that Pasquoloni's philosophies on both side of the ball are significantly different from Edsall's and there has been a pretty steep learning curve as well. I remain hopeful that this team will be betteer by the middle of October on.

 

[businesslawyer]

It is pretty clear that there is a lack of talent at quarterback. hard to say but Nebrich might grow into the role for NEXT year, an dhe should probably have redshirted this year. That is the single biggest problem with this team I think. The running back is not up to what we've had, but he is also a freshman so again, who knows. But I think isaiah Moore has been better than any reciever we had last year in the past two games. Williams we hope had a breakout game, the defense is solid. I do think that Pasquoloni's philosophies on both side of the ball are significantly different from Edsall's and there has been a pretty steep learning curve as well. I remain hopeful that this team will be betteer by the middle of October on.

Hopefully you mean "from tomorrow on." Because if we think it's ugly now ....

 

[BigEastCT]

Holy crap dude, go get an espresso and stop reading about conference re-alignment - it's clearly sucking the life out of you.

Two bad losses? Seriously? YOu forgot the entire first half of the season last year. Clearly. Worse than what happened in Philadelphia last year? Or the way the team peed themselves on the big stage at Michigan? We lost two games so far that piss me off and make me want to see these guys come out even more, and make good on the stuff they didn't get done in those losses and it's happening. Of course it's more exciting to get ready for a game against Michigan than it is against Fordham as fans.

Inject some excitement? when was the last time you saw a QB lateral, halfback option pass on offense? when was the alst time you saw wide open UConn receivers downfield with nobody within 20 yards just waiting for the ball?

reality check - stop reading and writing about conference realignment. It's an energy sucker.

u are right about the realignment stuff its making me go nuts not knowing we are in limbo for the ACC....I just want to puke thinking about getting stuck in a glorified conference usa

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

Last year, speaking for myself, I absolutely knew in my heart that while we sucked at that time in the season we were capable of beating everyone on our schedule. This year, I don't have anywhere near that feeling.

It is this for me. The offense has looked so bad against mediocre at best teams, it's hard to imagine being competitive against WVU, Pitt, USF or Cincy.

The game this week is pretty big. UConn needs the win desperately to even consider making a bowl. And UConn needs some momentum to get the fans behind the team.

 

[metsfan2323]

I have seen every team in the Big East play a game and I am convinced we have the best defense in the league. That's something to be excited about.

Specifically:
Kendall Reyes
Sio Moore
Blidi
Byron Jones
Jennings
Jesse Joseph
Trevardo
Smallwood

And most importantly Don Brown

We are a couple of plays away from being 4 - 0 and we are undefeated in the league.

Have a couple beers and be loud tomorrow. It's a football game not a trip to the dentist.

 

[noeynox]

If we get adequate QB play and shot in the arm to running game in Hyppolite, I think we will surprise. As the post above notes, our defense is good and coming together.

As to the lack of excitement, the realignment stuff has me feeling like our football program is withering on a vine right now with the uncertainty.

When we learned of the upgrade, I bought season tickets to the rent the day they went on sale. I was so excited that we were going to be playing VTech, Miami, BC, WVU, Pitt, and SU regularly, then we had the rug pulled right from under us. I grew to love our games against Pitt, SU, WVU, RU and USF. Now the talk is of the service academies replacing Pitt and SU. I'm a UConn fan, I'm sure I'll get excited in future years regardless of who we are playing, but right now I don't have the warm fuzzies all over thinking about a future in the Big East.

 

[whaler11]

It's not just you. It's been odd how little juice the team had in the offseason even forgetting the rough start.

I can tell you that I HATE 3:30 starts for games that aren't interesting. Forces you to miss the entire day of college football. I'd much rather have a noon start tomorrow.

 

[whaler11]

If I had to put a finger on the reason why:

The Big East just is not a good football league. Most UConn fans have become accustomed to playing in a top league with an excellent team due to the success in basketball. In contrast the football league is brutal to watch in comparison to the big games played on a national stage.

I love the Big East and I'll end up watching 90% of the league's games because I'm invested as a fan, but it's a tough league to be a casual fan of.

 

[whaler11]

I have seen every team in the Big East play a game and I am convinced we have the best defense in the league. That's something to be excited about.

Specifically:
Kendall Reyes
Sio Moore
Blidi
Byron Jones
Jennings
Jesse Joseph
Trevardo
Smallwood

And most importantly Don Brown

We are a couple of plays away from being 4 - 0 and we are undefeated in the league.

Have a couple beers and be loud tomorrow. It's a football game not a trip to the dentist.

This league is 100% up for grabs and that defense gives UConn a chance every week. The offense probably won't give them enough to win 5 or 6 games and have a chance, but it's not out of the realm of possibility if Johnny finds his groove.

 

[Sean]

It's not just you. It's been odd how little juice the team had in the offseason even forgetting the rough start.

I can tell you that I HATE 3:30 starts for games that aren't interesting. Forces you to miss the entire day of college football. I'd much rather have a noon start tomorrow.

I agree. After initially not liking 12:00, I have since realized that it is ideal. Almost no great football games are played at noon, and living in South Windsor, I'm home by about 4:00 for the next set of games and the night games. Some great football on tomorrow and unfortunately will miss most of it (although good games at night, no doubt).

Benefit is I will get another few hours of sleep in the morning.

 

[J187Money]

I'm also in Section 241, and what I see is this:

1) When we aren't playing a big name school at home, plenty of the seats around me are either empty or occupied by somebody who doesn't own the tickets (meaning people give tickets away for the weaker games). There is a strong group of people that use their season tickets for every game no matter who the opponent is, but that probably only accounts for half the fan base. It has always been this way and I don't think it is worse this year.

2) LOTS of people come to the Rent for the party, and the football game is icing on the cake. That alone will keep attendance north of 30K unless the program falls off the map.

3) There was NO enthusiasm about last season in my section. The diehards complained about every inside handoff, every bad pass, and whined about every game even though we won ALL of them at home. Up until our last home game, when it became "possible" for us to go to a BCS game...there were always predictions of gloom and doom, even from the people that showed up every game.

Bottom line...the fan base at large has a long way to go...and given the demographics of the fan base and the way the people in this state are in general, I just don't see it changing that rapidly.