It’s always darkest right before dawn

[CTGoonie]

Like most people here I was extremely dejected after last Thursday’s debacle. This was the worst-case scenario for our program at the worst possible time. I stayed at the game until the muffed punt with under 3 minutes to go in the 4th. I just couldn’t subject myself to watching one more second. All I wanted out of this season was to be relevant. I wanted to be 2-0 going into the Michigan game. Now the best I can hope for is 1-1 but I realize 0-2 is very possible. I then started thinking about the players and how this bye-week is only going to fuel their hunger to take out their problems on the turtles. If these guys have any sense of pride then I see them coming out strong in front of close to a packed house. I don’t think the crowd will be into it early on but I expect that to change when we see the plays being made and a totally different Uconn football team out there. Maryland will not be expecting this kind of effort and I honestly can see Uconn winning by 10+.

I am refusing to be disheartened about that game that should not be mentioned anymore. Next Saturday is the dawn of the new season. I’m looking forward to game week, organizing the tailgate, the pregame festivities and finally to the night the 2013 season was saved.

 

[Chin Diesel]

It's also darkest right after you get hit in the face by a freight train running out of control.

This is not the time to be optimistic. Shared misery is the coping mechanism to make this season tolerable.

No amount of ineptitude, dullness or face palming can be prefaced with "I never thought I'd see that happen.".

 

[CodyJ.]

UConn by 10? UConn by 10!?? We just lost to Towson by how much? and you're predicting UConn by 10!???

 

[CTMike]

I gotta give credit to the few of you capable of optimism right now. I can't do it until we have a new coach.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Embrace the apathy. I literally don't expect to win any other games. I know we will. And when we do......gravy.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Optimism I don't have, but I'm not willing to commit to a terrible season until the team plays like crap at least twice. The sample size is too small, and Townson, FCS or not, would probably go .500 in the MAC. So it remains to be seen whether the coaches and players underestimated Towson, came out unprepared, with a poor game plan and just had a horrible day or whether this is all the team can do. I find it hard to believe that they can play much worse, and easy to believe that they can be much, much better. Maryland is the key. A win, even a close one, and we're ok. A close loss leaves some slight hope. Another blowout and they might as well dump PP now and get the transition started.

 

[SubbaBub]

I'll be optimistic once I enter the parking lot. Whether I stay that way is really someone else's problem.

 

[Waquoit]

I'll be optimistic once I enter the parking lot. Whether I stay that way is really someone else's problem.

Y'know, that's a good point. That's the way I am as well. Back in the post-Corny Perno years, I always went into the game thinking that perhaps we could pull this one off even though we usually didn't.

I'd also like to dispute this notion I'm reading here and on Dez' blog, that it's just one game. Not so, that Spring game was just as much as a debacle. No juice, no energy, no competence whatsoever. And I'm not talking about the coaches. This team is a reflection of the head coach.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

I'm pretty sure I can drink my way to optimism. The grilling of meats doesn't hurt, either.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

I'd also like to dispute this notion I'm reading here and on Dez' blog, that it's just one game. Not so, that Spring game was just as much as a debacle. No juice, no energy, no competence whatsoever. And I'm not talking about the coaches. This team is a reflection of the head coach.

Dez's answer in the last mailbag question ticks me off. He makes it seem like people just hate P and want him gone even if he wins 10 games this year. Note to Dez......people want P gone because of the results and the fact that he has run this program into the ground. Not because of any other reason. If he won 8 or 9 games the last 2 years and actually beat Towson, even those like whaler that panned the hire at the time would be P's biggest cheerleader.

I don't expect Dez to openly call for P's ouster. That's not his job. But for the love of God don't attack the real fans who saw what you didn't or still fail to see. It's not like there's no evidence anywhere of P & GDL's complete and utter failures.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that UConn cannot be as bad as what we saw last Thursday. For a season opener, they were extremely flat. No energy, no enthusiasm, no . . . . . "no nothing" (the signature features of the Paul Pasqualoni era and a classic case of a team taking on the persona of its coach)! In past years, the Huskies have opened with their A-game against the likes of Fordham, Hofstra, and URI and that has its own set of problems (peaking too soon only to come back down against stronger opponents). Were they possibly looking past Towson to their upcoming premium games?

So Saturday, they get a mulligan. This game is huge on so many levels (redemption for opener, ACC team, Randy and Terps, etc.).

Win and maybe, just maybe . . .

Lose, but at least show signs of life (i.e., 24+ points on offense) and make it exciting . . . . and perhaps we call it "work in progress".

Lose ugly (no TDs by offense, FG's only, defensive meltdowns or special team fiascos) and they'll have only Michigan left in their season. People will show for that one, just because its Michigan coming to town and that's the big time college football we were promised (hear that azzwipe Notre Dame). After that game, the program in officially flatlined.

Lose ugly in both the next two games and PP, assuming that he cares even a little bit about his players and the university, should just walk away immediately before he does any more damage.

Win against both Maryland and Michigan, and TDH promises to ease up on the "fire PP" posts for a spell (at least until it becomes obvious that UConn would turn around and proceed to end up 2-10).

 

[Sea Goat]

Dez's answer in the last mailbag question ticks me off. He makes it seem like people just hate P and want him gone even if he wins 10 games this year. Note to Dez......people want P gone because of the results and the fact that he has run this program into the ground. Not because of any other reason. If he won 8 or 9 games the last 2 years and actually beat Towson, even those like whaler that panned the hire at the time would be P's biggest cheerleader.

I don't expect Dez to openly call for P's ouster. That's not his job. But for the love of God don't attack the real fans who saw what you didn't or still fail to see. It's not like there's no evidence anywhere of P & GDL's complete and utter failures.

Yup - Dez has to appreciate the difference between unfair criticism and valid criticism. We all would have jumped on the Pasqualoni band wagon with 7-5 or certainly 8-4 with solid bowl performances in 2011 and 2012. What we got was underachievement at the worst possible moment.

At this point, I think the minimum time before Manuel does anything is post-Michigan. If we have not beat Maryland and played competitively vs Michigan, PP should be gone the next day. We don't have much time to right the ship (a ship sinks a lot faster then you can raise it!) and decisive action will be required if the next two games are "hold your nose" performances. BTW, Pasqualoni deserves no better because of the his performance the last two years.

 

[Point6]

I channeled Coach P via telepathy and my understanding is that the loss to Towson was a classic rope-a-dope dive designed to lull future opponents into restful sleep. Expect the hammer to come down on UMD and Michigan.

 

[SubbaBub]

I channeled Coach P via telepathy and my understanding is that the loss to Towson was a classic rope-a-dope dive designed to lull future opponents into restful sleep. Expect the hammer to come down on UMD and Michigan.

It could also be the semi-annual PP WTF loss. But, I doubt it.

 

[Waquoit]

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that UConn cannot be as bad as what we saw last Thursday. For a season opener, they were extremely flat. No energy, no enthusiasm, no . . . . . "no nothing" (the signature features of the Paul Pasqualoni era and a classic case of a team taking on the persona of its coach)! In past years, the Huskies have opened with their A-game against the likes of Fordham, Hofstra, and URI and that has its own set of problems (peaking too soon only to come back down against stronger opponents). Were they possibly looking past Towson to their upcoming premium games?

So Saturday, they get a mulligan. This game is huge on so many levels (redemption for opener, ACC team, Randy and Terps, etc.).

Win and maybe, just maybe . . .

Lose, but at least show signs of life (i.e., 24+ points on offense) and make it exciting . . . . and perhaps we call it "work in progress".

Lose ugly (no TDs by offense, FG's only, defensive meltdowns or special team fiascos) and they'll have only Michigan left in their season. People will show for that one, just because its Michigan coming to town and that's the big time college football we were promised (hear that azzwipe Notre Dame). After that game, the program in officially flatlined.

Lose ugly in both the next two games and PP, assuming that he cares even a little bit about his players and the university, should just walk away immediately before he does any more damage.

Win against both Maryland and Michigan, and TDH promises to ease up on the "fire PP" posts for a spell (at least until it becomes obvious that UConn would turn around and proceed to end up 2-10).

Very fair and sane post, IMO. I'm just afraid the Edsall's are going to blow us out.

 

[freescooter]

“You can put it to transition. You can put it to a whole bunch of issues, but the expectation here is always to have success, compete and win."
So 0-3 last week...Wonder what the next excuse will be...the really frustrating thing is that the team has gotten worse each year. I could buy 5-7 in 2011. tough situation trying to find a quarterback and replacing one of the top running backs in the country, having the expected starter lost to injury, the expected starting quarterback lost to weed...but last year was worse, and this year looks to be even worse still.

 

[Srqhusky]

remember in College football the best time to lose is early. We can turn this around!

 

[Jimdish255]

I am refusing to be disheartened about that game that should not be mentioned anymore. Next Saturday is the dawn of the new season. I’m looking forward to game week, organizing the tailgate, the pregame festivities and finally to the night the 2013 season was saved.

I'll be there and I'm hoping for the best. The nagging question remains; What's changed or what will suddenly change to save this season? Another 2 weeks of Weist coaching can't hurt. Another 2 weeks of GDL can't help. Coach P handing over the reigns 100% to Weist and getting Foley involved with the line more might help. Is that happening?

What's good? Tailgating until proven otherwise.​

 

[UConnDan97]

Jesus, this place with some of the responses!

CTGoonie, I'm with you. I'm getting back up on that horse and getting excited about the Maryland game. I'm not giving up on the season because I'm not giving up on these kids. As for PP? Whatever. I was a UConn fan a long time before PP was here, and I'll be a UConn fan a long time after PP is gone. That's not my motivation for watching UConn football.

Let's go, UConn! Let's punch some people in #$king mouth!!!

 

[nojokea4]

Do people really think PP is the problem? I mean sure he's the reason we stink right this minute, but in the grand scheme of things, I'm having trouble seeing the light at the end.

 

[#1 PA Husky Fan]

Remember the "Dream Season". Got smoked by Villanova, then came back and beat Syracuse and Georgetown on successive Big Monday's. Of course, Jim Calhoun was the coach of those teams.

 

[RioDog]

I'm about as far out of the loop as one can be and still be tenuously connected to the program by the grace of the 'net. Mostly through the discussions and news from the 'Yard (thanks y'all) and games and video that I've been able to watch, the bad effect of the PP era is obvious. For me that STILL doesn't explain the loss to Towson. If I had predicted a winless BCS season, I would still have penciled in a W over the FBS. So, I don't know whether to be optimistic or pessimistic- could it really be that Last Thursday was an aberration? While the smart money says no, the possibility, and by that I mean reasonable, exists for a win over the Terps. If that happens then I'll be even more baffled than before. Happy, but baffled. I hope for the players sake that things turn around quickly. I have the rest of my life to enjoy University of Connecticut football. They have only a few years to enjoy their status as players.


Either way- get rid of PP and those stupid white helmets.