Jacobs gets the message

[Palatine]

Too bad Dez didn't write this.

Look, I don't want to hear from the blowhards who insisted Diaco inherited nothing and would be lucky to win against anyone except FCS Stony Brook anymore. After playing well against nationally ranked East Carolina, lo and behold, they handed UCF its first conference loss, beating a team that had gone 11-0 since joining the AAC. I'm not saying the Huskies are going to win out and get to a bowl game. I am saying they definitely could win any one of their remaining five games.

And Saturday was without Casey and Davis on offense and their best defensive player Jones missing as well. So scratch three of the best players on the team and they can win against the best the ACC has to offer. Yet, Boneyarders constantly write and rewrite the cupboard is bare, we don't have the horses, meme.

If we don't have any talent, explain the last two weeks.

I have always believed we have had the talent to post winning season the last four years. I think they have been poorly led. It's time for the leadership t start believing in the players. or as Jacobs said..... I don't want to hear from the blowhards who insisted Diaco inherited nothing and would be lucky to win against anyone except FCS Stony Brook anymore.

 

[CL82]

Ah so, when the team loses, it is poorly coached. But when the team wins, it is evidence that it has been poorly coached. Got it.

 

[pj]

Ah so, when the team loses, it is poorly coached. But when the team wins, it is evidence that it has been poorly coached. Got it.

Don't forget poorly quarterbacked.

 

[NavinRJohnson]

Did he write anything about the Hartford Whalers in the last 30 days?

 

[FDNY99]

Don't forget poorly quarterbacked.

And poorly offensive lined

 

[Chin Diesel]

It's clear to anyone who has watched all the games this season that there has been a change in schemes and play calling. Tulane was (hopefully) the bottom. On a chamber of commerce picture perfect Saturday against an inept defense UConn couldn't move the ball.

Since then UConn was competitive for a full game at ECU and won at UCF.

 

[Jerry27]

Since then UConn was competitive for a full game at ECU and won at UCF.

Sorry Chin, but even with the drinks there is no way in hades you can convince me I was in Orlando yesterday!

 

[Chin Diesel]

Sorry Chin, but even with the drinks there is no way in hades you can convince me I was in Orlando yesterday!

Got me.

 

[noeynox]

It always bothers me when people say Diaco inherited a "steamy pile of crap". That really is a slap in the face of the current players. Yeah the program broke under P, but there are talented players on both sides of the field. The biggest problem by far was the oline. There is young talent you can see. P recruited OK, coaching sucked balls.

 

[Jimdish255]

If you can't score, you can't win. If you can't block, you can't score. Yes we have been poorly coached in the past. And some personnel and playcalling decisions have been headscratchers this year. But we're beginning to block people and make fewer mistakes. Finally we get to see a little of our skill position talent shine which was always there.

A word of moderation is that UCF was a bumbling mess yesterday. We finally got some breaks and deserve credit for taking advantage. And we also made a tactical change at QB. Had we continued down the same path there we might be having a different conversation today. A learning process is becoming evident on both sides of the white lines but it's mostly about the o-line not stinking the joint up.

 

[lavuuk153]

Whatever. It's easy to win an argument. If the teams wins, they clearly had talent. If they lose, it's cause the coaches suck. Likewise, if the team wins it's because Diaco is greater than P. If they lose, it's because P sucked ass and couldn't recruit/develop. But I'm glad the people who might disagree with Jacobs are blowhards.

 

[SubbaBub]

Coach is stubbornly doing what he wants to do, even if it costs the team wins this year. I don't agree with it, but I'm not the coach. I hope we've turned the corner and finish strong, but it will be hard to forget the losses to FSU and Tulane until this team plays it's next bowl game.

 

[junglehusky]

For the record, it is possible to say that Diaco did not inherit a team with a lot of seniors / experience, or that the talent on the team is unproven, without it being equivalent to saying the team has no talent or is a steaming pile of crap. Last year's team gradually improved under Weist, then we graduated some seniors and lost our starting QB to injury. This year’s team could be improving at a faster rate than last year, though I'll reserve judgment on that.

 

[RedStickHusky]

But I'm glad the people who might disagree with Jacobs are blowhards.

-- You'd think a guy paid for opinions would have a thicker skin, but I've always hated the talent argument. To me, the product on the field is a function of (talent*development*cohesion*game planning*game day coaching). We've had a few very talented players (many of whom we developed) but I don't think we've ever been in a position to rely on pure talent to field a competitive team.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Too bad Dez didn't write this.

Look, I don't want to hear from the blowhards who insisted Diaco inherited nothing and would be lucky to win against anyone except FCS Stony Brook anymore. After playing well against nationally ranked East Carolina, lo and behold, they handed UCF its first conference loss, beating a team that had gone 11-0 since joining the AAC. I'm not saying the Huskies are going to win out and get to a bowl game. I am saying they definitely could win any one of their remaining five games.

And Saturday was without Casey and Davis on offense and their best defensive player Jones missing as well. So scratch three of the best players on the team and they can win against the best the ACC has to offer. Yet, Boneyarders constantly write and rewrite the cupboard is bare, we don't have the horses, meme.

If we don't have any talent, explain the last two weeks.

I have always believed we have had the talent to post winning season the last four years. I think they have been poorly led. It's time for the leadership t start believing in the players. or as Jacobs said..... I don't want to hear from the blowhards who insisted Diaco inherited nothing and would be lucky to win against anyone except FCS Stony Brook anymore.

BUT HOW DID THEY DO IT WITHOUT BOYLE?!?!?!?

 

[CTMike]

I believe P recruited talented guys, but was very lackadaisical about their development once here. So - yeah - the cupboard was a bit bare, developmentally. The team was weak physically and mentally. We had legitimate OL questions.

We've been a very bad team most of this season.

But, the last two games have shown the fruits of Diaco's process. It's still the same players, but Diaco is fixing problems one by one. He's starting to maximize their talents, and that just wasn't there the first half of the season. It takes time.

 

[MuchoDogYears]

Football is the only sport where the head coach is as important, or more, than the player talent level in having a winning program.

In baseball, it's all about the talent, coaching has nearly no impact on winning. Basketball, I'd put winning at 75% talent and 25% from coaching. But in football, coaching has a huge impact on winning. Put a bad coach on a supremely talented team and that coach will turn that team into losers within 3 years. Put a great coach on a lesser talented team, and that coach will turn those same players into winners in 3 years.

We found out about PP in three years and we will find out about Diaco in three years. The things that I see in Diaco, that I also see in all very successful football coaches are (1) his attention to detail (2) he has a definitive process and plan and (3) he has supreme, absolute belief in himself and his process/plan.

I think that the talent level that Diaco inherited was spotty at best. A handful of talented players, mixed in with the rest, players of average talent and little to no experience. Especially in the O line, which blew up the offense for most of the season.

My money is on Diaco turning this team into a winning program. We'll see.

 

[Palatine]

Ah so, when the team loses, it is poorly coached. But when the team wins, it is evidence that it has been poorly coached. Got it.

Yes.

 

[Palatine]

BUT HOW DID THEY DO IT WITHOUT BOYLE?!?!?!?

They used Foxx.

 

[huskypantz]

We talk a lot about the players improving and developing, we rarely talk about the coaching staff requiring that same learning curve. This coaching staff and especially Diaco have developed quite a bit since the start of the season. I know that posters ripped Diaco for his "evaluation" comments, but I think you can finally see a few things. Mike Cummings did a very good job getting the ball in the hands of our playmakers against UCF. He kept their D guessing. Started out peppering short middle and the sidelines in the passing game and later came back to the middle (McQuillan) for big plays in the second half. He found a way to get the ball in Foxx's hands and to use Foxx to make others more effective. It's tough calling plays when you're not comfortable with the limitations of your players (playmakers).
I know the Tulane game was rough, but one positive I took out of it was the lack of penalties - especially by the oline. My take was that the coaching staff started getting through to these kids - building the discipline and attention to detail. We still have a way to go, but the progress is evident.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

We talk a lot about the players improving and developing, we rarely talk about the coaching staff requiring that same learning curve. This coaching staff and especially Diaco have developed quite a bit since the start of the season. I know that posters ripped Diaco for his "evaluation" comments, but I think you can finally see a few things. Mike Cummings did a very good job getting the ball in the hands of our playmakers against UCF. He kept their D guessing. Started out peppering short middle and the sidelines in the passing game and later came back to the middle (McQuillan) for big plays in the second half. He found a way to get the ball in Foxx's hands and to use Foxx to make others more effective. It's tough calling plays when you're not comfortable with the limitations of your players (playmakers).
I know the Tulane game was rough, but one positive I took out of it was the lack of penalties - especially by the oline. My take was that the coaching staff started getting through to these kids - building the discipline and attention to detail. We still have a way to go, but the progress is evident.

Agree. Diaco and Cummings had some grim coaching performances early in the season, but things definitely seem to be turning around. I didn't think the team was nearly as bad as it looked against Stony Brook and USF, and we are seeing that it isn't. There isn't an awful lot we can do about the past, and I can promise you that if I invent a time machine in the next two months, I am not using it to change the outcome of UConn football games. All we can do is worry about next week.

 

[Palatine]

Agree. Diaco and Cummings had some grim coaching performances early in the season, but things definitely seem to be turning around. I didn't think the team was nearly as bad as it looked against Stony Brook and USF, and we are seeing that it isn't. There isn't an awful lot we can do about the past, and I can promise you that if I invent a time machine in the next two months, I am not using it to change the outcome of UConn football games. All we can do is worry about next week.

I agree with that post but would add that attitude of the coaching staff has seemed to changed. Instead of the "it's all about us" and "BYU is our partner in getting better" stuff, the word "WIN" is creeping into Diaco's vocabulary. You can see the game plans and play calling becoming more aggressive and wrinkles being added. They are starting to use players strengths rather than just rotating guys. Diaco is finally acting like winning is important and that makes a huge difference in the attitude of the team.

 

[Bonehead]

They used Foxx.

So Foxx, a WR, and Whitmer, are betting than Boyle??
I would have never thunk you would say that! Congrats from moving on from your NFL arm Boyle posts.

 

[Palatine]

So Foxx, a WR, and Whitmer, are betting than Boyle??
I would have never thunk you would say that! Congrats from moving on from your NFL arm Boyle posts.

Actually, that is just poor reading comprehension on your part, I never said anything remotely like what you posted.

 

[RedStickHusky]

I agree with Nelson and Pal that we're seeing more from the staff. I have to believe that's a function of gradually raising the bar on expectations as part of the process. Don't want to think they're learning the game as they go.