It is all about the Jimmys and Joes.

[PRHusky]

For the most part, I loved the Xs and Os of DeLeone's offense this year. It seemed we had guys open every time we threw the ball, with space to run, we just could not find them. And sometimes when we did, we just could not cath the ball (Louisville game). But in the end, like Coach P mentioned in his introductory press conference, players win game, not plays. Now the coaching staff needs to find them. If they do, both the offense and defense we have in place looks good enough to take us to the next level.

 

[FDNY99]

Couldn't agree more!

 

[coachRD]

For the most part, I loved the Xs and Os of DeLeone's offense this year. It seemed we had guys open every time we threw the ball, with space to run, we just could not find them. And sometimes when we did, we just could not cath the ball (Louisville game). But in the end, like Coach P mentioned in his introductory press conference, players win game, not plays. Now the coaching staff needs to find them. If they do, both the offense and defense we have in place looks good enough to take us to the next level.

Good points! I was critical of DeLeone's decision-making early in the season with what I viewed as some big mistakes in playcalling at critical times (specifically Vandy -up late with a new QB, throwing instead of punting and trusting our stout defense...), but we really have had WR's open ALL over the place the last several games.
Certainly interested to see how HS coaches with long-time ties to Coach P encourage their kids to to consider UCONN that we wouldn't have otherwise seen with Coach Edsall in charge. Certainly appears that we will have more transfers coming in than ever before.

 

[Palatine]

Yep and they went to the BCS last year. And do you really think Western Michigan had better talent?

Pasqualoni did a terrible job. From the ill advised decision to pass that lost the Vandy game, to never lifting a QB who went ten consecutive quarters -TEN QUARTERS- without producing an offensive TD. To ignoring the two TD Buffalo game by Williams and leaving him out of game plans for the majority of the season (amazing catch against Cinny BTW). To just flat out awful time management. To running the ball when the victory formation was called for. This coaching staff did nothing to earn our confidence.

This staff coached well below the level of the Johnny and Joes, they should have been 5-0 out of conference, they went 2-3.

 

[noeynox]

Yep and they went to the BCS last year. And do you really think Western Michigan had better talent?

Pasqualoni did a terrible job. From the ill advised decision to pass that lost the Vandy game, to never lifting a QB who went ten consecutive quarters -TEN QUARTERS- without producing an offensive TD. To ignoring the two TD Buffalo game by Williams and leaving him out of game plans for the majority of the season (amazing catch against Cinny BTW). To just flat out awful time management. To running the ball when the victory formation was called for. This coaching staff did nothing to earn our confidence.

This staff coached well below the level of the Johnny and Joes, they should have been 5-0 out of conference, they went 2-3.

Pretty much agree, though I am encouraged by some signs of the signs the offense showed. We will need better WR and QB play. We won some very fortunate games last year like the 7 fumble game from WVU to eek one out. Your not going to get that every year. We have to make a concerted effort to be a more balanced and even explosive offense this staff is looking to be that the previous staff never took the necessary chances.

The time management issues are a little over stated at times. They had to burn a lot of timeouts this season because the QBs lost track of the play clock.

I was disappointed with the 5-7, record but if we have the same issues next year that we had this year, then I will be concerned.

 

[Stinger92860]

Yep and they went to the BCS last year. And do you really think Western Michigan had better talent?

They clearly did at QB and at least one of the WR's.....

 

[rich1122]

The guy said that we would have a vertical passing game. It's what everybody complained about. So now that we have it everybody is still complaining. It will take time and more players who fit the mold. The fact that we got two WR transfers, a JUCO TE and potentially a JUCO QB at least says that the guy is not complacent.

I am worried about the D. It was, to me, a mess all year. Feast or famine. Guys shrugging their shoulders as to who had coverage. Missed tackles and too many guys left just wide open. Other teams picked up our blitzes easily.

 

[huskypantz]

to never lifting a QB who went ten consecutive quarters -TEN QUARTERS- without producing an offensive TD.

So you're insinuating that Mac was the only QB who played during that time span? Your points about time management and victory formation are fine, but this one is just way off. McCummings was also playing, and if he was more productive he would have taken the starting role. Let's not forget the plethora of dropped passes we saw this season - those did nothing to help our passing game.

 

[coachRD]

The guy said that we would have a vertical passing game. It's what everybody complained about. So now that we have it everybody is still complaining. It will take time and more players who fit the mold. The fact that we got two WR transfers, a JUCO TE and potentially a JUCO QB at least says that the guy is not complacent.

I am worried about the D. It was, to me, a mess all year. Feast or famine. Guys shrugging their shoulders as to who had coverage. Missed tackles and too many guys left just wide open. Other teams picked up our blitzes easily.

I forget-did the BC transfer Phillips come in at the beginning of the year so this season that just finished up is was year to sit out, and he will now be available to play this coming season? It would be nice to have him, Michael Smith back, and Davis, Jones, and Williams back as well.

 

[huskysupporter]

I have no complaints with the offensive scheme. I like Deleone's game plans, he calls some great plays that take advantage of mismatches. The problem is our qbs can't deliver the football where it needs to be.

 

[FDNY99]

I forget-did the BC transfer Phillips come in at the beginning of the year so this season that just finished up is was year to sit out, and he will now be available to play this coming season? It would be nice to have him, Michael Smith back, and Davis, Jones, and Williams back as well.

Yes he did, and since he played as a true freshman at BC he has 3 yrs of eligibility left at UConn

 

[epark88]

Actually, the best part of our offense - the oline - had a very inconsistent year. Yes we produced a 1,000-yard rusher, but pass protection was spotty at best all season.

A more solid year out of them and maybe JohnnyMac pulls out a game or two, who knows...

 

[uconndogs]

Agree with that assessment of the OL entirely. Out interior line with eaten alive yesterday. The Cincy DTs are terrific, but my goodness, we could do nothing with them.

 

[businesslawyer]

Yep and they went to the BCS last year. And do you really think Western Michigan had better talent?

Pasqualoni did a terrible job. From the ill advised decision to pass that lost the Vandy game, to never lifting a QB who went ten consecutive quarters -TEN QUARTERS- without producing an offensive TD. To ignoring the two TD Buffalo game by Williams and leaving him out of game plans for the majority of the season (amazing catch against Cinny BTW). To just flat out awful time management. To running the ball when the victory formation was called for. This coaching staff did nothing to earn our confidence.

This staff coached well below the level of the Johnny and Joes, they should have been 5-0 out of conference, they went 2-3.

All of this criticism is fair. You can accept it, and still think Deleone's schemes were an improvement. I know some struggle with this, but coaches can be good at some things and bad at others. And then the question is or should be not what you think of them but how were the results.

 

[SubbaBub]

The scheme was fine, I question a few situational sets where they made it obvious what play we were going to run. (the obvious pass set on 3rd and goal from the 3 vs. Louisville, anyone). But for the most part it was a, hate saying this, a failure to execute.

Defense was a different story. We ran far too many blitz packages for a team that could apply pressure with the front four and serious coverage issues. It seems as if most of the big plays were given up on blitzes.

 

[huskysupporter]

Actually, the best part of our offense - the oline - had a very inconsistent year. Yes we produced a 1,000-yard rusher, but pass protection was spotty at best all season.

A more solid year out of them and maybe JohnnyMac pulls out a game or two, who knows...

McEntee had zero pocket presence, and can be blamed for many sacks. How many times has a linebacker blitzed, McEntee sees it and starts running for his life, only to miss a lineman pick up the blitzer. He is petrified of getting hit, so he panics if he thinks there is a rush. He also does a horrible job of stepping into the pocket when the tackles are riding the outside rush past the qb. Trust the blocking schemes. A QB can avoid sacks if he knows the schemes, which Mac clearly didn't.

 

[gars44]

..................And do you really think Western Michigan had better talent?

Yep. At certain positions, I sure do. At QB, absolutely. At wide receiver? Absolutely. I really don't about your other points, I have no knowledge. But do you disagree about their passing game having better talent?

 

[TouchdownHusky]

You could make an argument about the coaching were it not for the lack of talent on offense. Maybe one or two quality players, but as a unit. . . awful.

 

[Husky68]

Ended the year at #76 Massey combined rankings. BE play this year has been, similar to last year, at best in the lowest reaches of AQ conferences. hard to spit out, but ACC is probably better this year.
This is a 6-6 BE team with a little game luck get to 8-4 (see last year, WV turnovers only 6 and season changes, no two 50 yard FG's against USF and season changes) or some flub ups (fumble WM, Vandy pass and season changes to no bowl) get to 5-7.
At some point talent and depth of players and coaches comes into play. Wisc. ends up 11-2 and really could have been 13-0. USF went 5-7 and lost FOUR games by exactly 3 points and one by six. USF team could have been 8-4 with couple of plays. Sometimes luck, few bad calls, coaching 'yarders, all get you; where in another year you win those games in spite of it (or other teams have the 'yarders). So Uconn is performing around the median of being a 6-6 team which is not so surprising to me given the conference teams and Uconn talent level; put Uconn in the SEC West in place of Miss. and 0-8 in conference would be a possiblity.
Need better players. Who on Uconn's 22 one deep would start for #1 LSU (or for them make their scholarship team), start for #10 Arkansas or #20 Nebraska.
Not high on coaching staff, consider it waste of time starting JMac all 12 games and never giving MN a real run, talk by coaches of using Williams after 10 games or so "more as a receiver as he is a playmaker" was clueless, Sio still covering slot receivers into the Cin game just can't be done as Cin#6 proved numerous times.
Most important is getting better players and depth. Can't have one CB get hurt and curtails the whole defensive scheme as can't cover man to man, can't have an immobile QB, only one RB and that as undersized kid who has to play like superman to take all those carries and not get hurt.
No one is on Depaul's case in basketball 'cause they aren't competing for conference title, while for Uconn that would be an issue this year- why - roster talent.

 

[businesslawyer]

You actually posted we don't have anywhere near the talent as LSU? Gee, thanks.

what a great strategy for going forward. Let's just recruit as much talent as LSU.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Didn't we have Mingo up here on an official visit a couple years back? What a beast that kid has turned out to be.

 

[huskypantz]

Didn't we have Mingo up here on an official visit a couple years back? What a beast that kid has turned out to be.

I always think of that when I hear his name. I chalk that up to a kid who wanted to take a visit up north to see an elite basketball team play.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

You actually posted we don't have anywhere near the talent as LSU? Gee, thanks.

what a great strategy for going forward. Let's just recruit as much talent as LSU.

Well, that'd be a start. First we get one player who would start at LSU. Then add another, and another, and another after that. Pretty soon, while still not LSU, we have better talent than Vandy, ISU, Louisville, Pitt, Cincy and WVU, et al.

Kendall Reyes, Lyle McCombs (maybe). After that ? ? ? ? ? Talent at UConn needs to get better. Accept it, don't fight it.

 

[mattp]

Well, that'd be a start. First we get one player who would start at LSU. Then add another, and another, and another after that. Pretty soon, while still not LSU, we have better talent than Vandy, ISU, Louisville, Pitt, Cincy and WVU, et al.

Kendall Reyes, Lyle McCombs (maybe). After that ? ? ? ? ? Talent at UConn needs to get better. Accept it, don't fight it.

i don't think anybody's fighting it, we're just not beating the dead horse as savagely as you are. we also realize getting better talent isn't as easy in real life as it is on the playstation, one day you'll learn that too

 

[freescooter]

They clearly did at QB and at least one of the WR's.....

I agree entirely. You give us Western Michigan's quarterback and we win that game going away.