Jacobs: UConn should use effort against USF as a turning point

[huskymedic]

I get these guys write for a living (god bless them) and they have to produce something for publication but at times...

Jeff Jacobs: UConn should use effort against USF as a turning point

 

[uconnphil2016]

Don’t criticize me like that

 

[whaler11]

The more idiots who proclaim competiting with South Florida means something the worse the rest of the season gets.

It wasn’t a turning point, it wasn’t an inflection point, it wasn’t a sign of huge wins to come.

It was a game against an overrated team who slept through the game.

They got gashed for 611 yards. Stop.

 

[Stainmaster]

The more idiots who proclaim competiting with South Florida means something the worse the rest of the season gets.

It wasn’t a turning point, it wasn’t an inflection point, it wasn’t a sign of huge wins to come.

It was a game against an overrated team who slept through the game.

They got gashed for 611 yards. Stop.

Actually, being able to keep it to a winnable margin against a crappy team is an inflection point. There's now a frame of reference for what can possibly happen when they play other crappy teams.

 

[whaler11]

Actually, being able to keep it to a winnable margin against a crappy team is an inflection point. There's now a frame of reference for what can possibly happen when they play other crappy teams.

Not getting killed one time isn’t an inflection point. They got gashed for 611 yards. South Florida is just inept.

 

[uconnphil2016]

Not getting killed one time isn’t an inflection point. They got gashed for 611 yards. South Florida is just inept.

Stain is right, old man. Go back to bingo night and let the young guys take over here

 

[whaler11]

Stain is right, old man. Go back to bingo night and let the young guys take over here

Love stain but when I was at the Dairy Bar last Sunday I think he tried to have my car towed.

 

[uconnphil2016]

Love stain but I when I was at the Dairy Bar last Sunday I think he tried to have my car towed.

You must have been parked in a private driveway. Cardinal sin.

 

[whaler11]

You must have been parked in a private driveway. Cardinal sin.

There were more than 3 cars. That’s a red flag.

 

[Stainmaster]

Not getting killed one time isn’t an inflection point. They got gashed for 611 yards. South Florida is just inept.

When we've gotten killed every single time previously? I beg to differ.

 

[whaler11]

When we've gotten killed every single time previously? I beg to differ.

They didn’t get killed by Rhode Island.... why wasn’t that an inflection point?

 

[Stainmaster]

They didn’t get killed by Rhode Island.... why wasn’t that an inflection point?

FCS games mean zilch when near-term prospects are concerned.

 

[whaler11]

FCS games mean zilch when near-term prospects are concerned.

Ok... Illinois had South Florida beat and gagged the game away.

Was that an inflection point for them?

 

[Stainmaster]

Ok... Illinois had South Florida beat and gagged the game away.

Was that an inflection point for them?

No. Illinois was trash ever since going down 17-3 to Kent State at the half in their opener. Nothing changed there.

 

[whaler11]

No. Illinois was trash ever since going down 17-3 to Kent State at the half in their opener. Nothing changed there.

So sometimes really bad teams hang with South Florida and you shouldn’t ascribe too much to that result? Thanks.

 

[Stainmaster]

So sometimes really bad teams hang with South Florida and you shouldn’t ascribe too much to that result? Thanks.

The Illini's performance against USF was in keeping with their past results. Ours wasn't.

 

[whaler11]

The Illini's performance against USF was in keeping with their past results. Ours wasn't.

Illinois sucked prior to almost beating USF and then went back to getting destroyed by good teams after.

We can see what happens the next few weeks but Edsall and the Boneyard pimping a loss against USF where they gave up 611 yards is the reddest of red flags.

 

[Stainmaster]

Illinois sucked prior to almost beating USF and then went back to getting destroyed by good teams after.

We can see what happens the next few weeks but Edsall and the Boneyard pimping a loss against USF where they gave up 611 yards is the reddest of red flags.

Ah yes, and we'll undoubtedly continue getting destroyed by all of the "good teams" remaining on our schedule. Teams such as...

Bottom line, our competition the rest of the season is by and large hot piss, and this past weekend should convince a reasonable person that the team won't look as bad as they did against teams that are better than USF.

 

[whaler11]

Ah yes, and we'll undoubtedly continue getting destroyed by all of the "good teams" remaining on our schedule. Teams such as...

Bottom line, our competition the rest of the season is by and large hot piss, and this past weekend should convince a reasonable person that the team won't look as bad as they did against teams that are better than USF.

You are just placing way too much weight on one game against an overrated team.

We can revisit at the end. Hopefully they beat UMass.

 

[BlueDogs]

Hey, overrated or not, the game was at least reasonably competitive, which is an improvement... and ...no...giving up 600 yards again is never ok. We are seeing a few kids find their sea legs and making a few plays. On the whole, the level of fundamentals remains poor which I put on our illustrious, historically bad DC and staff. How Edsall allows Crocker to remain doing the very worst job in the anals of CFB defies imagination.

 

[champs99and04]

We were 33 point dogs and lost by 8. That's a lot better than being a 30 point dog that loses by 50.

So I agree with both you guys - this was undoubtedly a high point, but I agree with whaler in principle that we should tread with caution regarding anything having to do with South Florida. Even though statistically they're far from the worst team we'll play, I had a weird feeling all week that this game would be competitive.

But you could still sign me up for 1-4 from here on out and I think everyone should take that. The other teams in our league are bad and we're historically bad. Last week was a good first step in making that progression but I'll need to see more before I start expecting a true turning point. That most likely won't come until next year.

 

[HuskiesFan1014]

How Edsall allows Crocker to remain doing the very worst job in the anals of CFB defies imagination.

I'm assuming you meant annals, but if the shoe fits...

 

[Hornet22]

Ok... Illinois had South Florida beat and gagged the game away.

Was that an inflection point for them?

UConn sucks. They’re a tire fire/dumpster fire. We get thats your position. And you have plenty of reasons to believe so. However, there are some here that believe the USF game showed a little more than what the team gave us all season. You can give up tons of yardage in a game but there are teams/defenses that have a bend but don’t break model which can limit a team’s red zone success. I think what everyone enjoyed was giving up all those yards and not having 100 pts hung on our heads. We forced turnovers and limited them to a few field goal attempts that showed, in some instances, a resiliency that wasn’t evident in any game all season. You can say USF is as bad as you want but the reality is they are undefeated and found ways to win games. You can make a case that Cincy and Memphis are overrated and they obliterated us.
Again, you’re entitled. What hasn’t changed is a bunch of young/inexperienced kids went out there to play a game. On paper we were overmatched to the tune of a 31 pt underdog. Good thing that our players don’t see themselves as you see them else we would have gotten blown out. Regardless of the opponent, they went out there and competed. That’s progress for a young team.
The fact that you choose to see the ineptitude of the opponent rather than the progress of the team you allegedly root for is pretty telling. Remember, most of these kids that are taking the field for us have nothing to do with the futility of past years.
Root for the kids guy

 

[whaler11]

UConn sucks. They’re a tire fire/dumpster fire. We get thats your position. And you have plenty of reasons to believe so. However, there are some here that believe the USF game showed a little more than what the team gave us all season. You can give up tons of yardage in a game but there are teams/defenses that have a bend but don’t break model which can limit a team’s red zone success. I think what everyone enjoyed was giving up all those yards and not having 100 pts hung on our heads. We forced turnovers and limited them to a few field goal attempts that showed, in some instances, a resiliency that wasn’t evident in any game all season. You can say USF is as bad as you want but the reality is they are undefeated and found ways to win games. You can make a case that Cincy and Memphis are overrated and they obliterated us.
Again, you’re entitled. What hasn’t changed is a bunch of young/inexperienced kids went out there to play a game. On paper we were overmatched to the tune of a 31 pt underdog. Good thing that our players don’t see themselves as you see them else we would have gotten blown out. Regardless of the opponent, they went out there and competed. That’s progress for a young team.
The fact that you choose to see the ineptitude of the opponent rather than the progress of the team you allegedly root for is pretty telling. Remember, most of these kids that are taking the field for us have nothing to do with the futility of past years.
Root for the kids guy

Yeah I don’t root for them.

They played better this week than the prior weeks, who said they didn’t. I’m disputing the idea that it’s a big turning point that means things are going to be better immediately for the rest of the season.

If you think that was a repeatable ‘bend don’t break’ performance.... it was not.

 

[BlueandOG]

The more idiots who proclaim competiting with South Florida means something the worse the rest of the season gets.

It wasn’t a turning point, it wasn’t an inflection point, it wasn’t a sign of huge wins to come.

It was a game against an overrated team who slept through the game.

They got gashed for 611 yards. Stop.

Whaler, I usually like what you post - but you're wrong on this one. Did you see the Matrix? What made Neo go from being a goth loser who chose the wrong pill to a cyberspace superhero? To quote Morpheus, "He's beginning to believe." Our guys are beginning to believe that they can win. That is the X factor in sports. You can't quantify it, but you can count on it to affect a team. UMass is the perfect team to test their fledging self-confidence. They get a win, maybe a solid win, during that game and things start happening. "Cry havoc! And let slip the dogs of war."

 

[JMick]

There were more than 3 cars. That’s a red flag.

Gotta make sure you're in your town-approved parking spot in your own driveway. Because I know I'd love to live in a town and have them tell me where on my property I'm allowed to park.

 

[JMick]

Yeah I don’t root for them.

They played better this week than the prior weeks, who said they didn’t. I’m disputing the idea that it’s a big turning point that means things are going to be better immediately for the rest of the season.

If you think that was a repeatable ‘bend don’t break’ performance.... it was not.

I didn't want to be a Debbie downer this week but im getting a little sick of people still cheering on a loss. Yes, it was an improvement. We still didn't win the game

 

[whaler11]

Whaler, I usually like what you post - but you're wrong on this one. Did you see the Matrix? What made Neo go from being a goth loser who chose the wrong pill to a cyberspace superhero? To quote Morpheus, "He's beginning to believe." Our guys are beginning to believe that they can win. That is the X factor in sports. You can't quantify it, but you can count on it to affect a team. UMass is the perfect team to test their fledging self-confidence. They get a win, maybe a solid win, during that game and things start happening. "Cry havoc! And let slip the dogs of war."

no i didn’t.

that’s the same type of claptrap that Nostical tried to sell when every game was 100-7.

South Florida beat Ill by 6, Tulsa by 1, East Carolina by 7 and now UConn by 8... they beat UMass by 16 and the margin of that victory was the two touchdowns they got off fumbled kickoffs.

Maybe.... and I know this is crazy - but they aren’t that good? And a bunch of other bad teams were competitive with them and have moved right back to blowout city since then?

ECU has lost their next three conference games by a total of 128-36.

Tulsa got pasted by an awful team missing it’s only good player. (arkansas lost to north texas by 27!)

Illinois lost their 3 non-Rutgers games since 158-48.

UMass got drubbed by a Sun Belt transition program at home.

 

[blue93]

Yeah I don’t root for them.

They played better this week than the prior weeks, who said they didn’t. I’m disputing the idea that it’s a big turning point that means things are going to be better immediately for the rest of the season.

If you think that was a repeatable ‘bend don’t break’ performance.... it was not.

Isn't it possible that both things could be true though? USF could be horribly overrated (which I think they are) and a young team gains a little bit of confidence for hanging with a "top 25" team? We might only win 1 or 2 more games, but I still think this weekend was a net positive.

 

[whaler11]

Isn't it possible that both things could be true though? USF could be horribly overrated (which I think they are) and a young team gains a little bit of confidence for hanging with a "top 25" team? We might only win 1 or 2 more games, but I still think this weekend was a net positive.

maybe but every other team that has done the same thing against usf hasn’t shown any positive impact since