Jim Mora Duke Postgame Presser

[wingsfan055]

I've had enough of Mora. Today's effort and performance was unacceptable. And he doesn't acknowledge it. Instead he give us some meta nonsense about undercurrents and feeling good. All the players on the sideline had their heads-down and weren't talking to each other. That isn't good undercurrents.

He's all talk and no action. He should have been pulling his sleeves up from Day 1 and leveraging the Portal to turnover the roster and bring in some hungry talent. He didn't. Instead, he made a poor choice for OC and took a hands off approach to coaching and developing players.

Wrong choice by the AD. The players have quit on him.

 

[AllHusky]

This is another thing that enrages me. Did they just see UConn as liostick on a pig, hence the snub again? I wonder, had the invite come, would the boys be playing with greater motivation? A record of 3-1 or 2-2 with close losses maybe has them rethinking the snub. At 0-4, they can claim they were right.

Yeah, some where in the background the B12 debacle is playing a role, what how or why, who knows, but seems like it’s there, all the way from the players through the fans. How is DB feeling?

 

[SwingDog]

Perhaps fortunately, I did not get to see the game although I heard it on radio. There is a major discrepancy between what Coach Mora is saying and what many here are saying. He says he's proud of the way the team fought, yet many here are saying the opposite, that they were disappointed by the lack of hustle. What gives? Is Mora suddenly looking through rose colored glasses? If so, why? The last couple of weeks he was critical of the team and seemed brutally honest in his assessment, but this week, except for citing dropped balls by receivers, he really wasn't. He's saying he has more hope now than last week, and saved the majority of his criticism for the officials. Why the shift? Someone care to help me sort this out?

 

[gtcam]

Yeah, some where in the background the B12 debacle is playing a role, what how or why, who knows, but seems like it’s there, all the way from the players through the fans. How is DB feeling?

AD David Benedict is feeling nothing. He was in the seat when UConn rejoined the NBE so he will be basking in that forever.
His chances of being a AD at a SEC school are very small so he is milking the NBE cow as long as possible.
I don't care for him at all since I first met him at a donors event when he came aboard- narcissism to the brim

 

[JMick]

Perhaps fortunately, I did not get to see the game although I heard it on radio. There is a major discrepancy between what Coach Mora is saying and what many here are saying. He says he's proud of the way the team fought, yet many here are saying the opposite, that they were disappointed by the lack of hustle. What gives? Is Mora looking through rose colored glasses? If so, why? The last couple of weeks he was critical of the team and seemed brutally honest in his assessment, but this week, except for citing dropped balls by receivers, he really wasn't. He saved the majority of his criticism for the officials. Why the shift? Someone care to help me sort this out?

I'm guessing he's trying not to totally lose the team

 

[BlueandOG]

I'm guessing he's trying not to totally lose the team

Totally agree. Effective leaders try to find the silver lining. If the leader quits, it is over.

 

[SwingDog]

Totally agree. Effective leaders try to find the silver lining. If the leader quits, it is over.

I agree that it is important to be able identify progress and point out the good things, even when things aren't going well, but to suddenly pivot from constructive criticism ("we are not a good football team right now") to "I have hope...this team has hope" after getting throttled 41-7, and after losing your first four games? I suppose Mora figures they don't need tough love rignt now but if giving an honest assessment rather than coddling means losing someone, maybe that player or assistant coach is part of the problem.

 

[huskymedic]

I'm guessing he's trying not to totally lose the team

Totally agree. Effective leaders try to find the silver lining. If the leader quits, it is over.

I agree that it is important to be able identify progress and point out the good things, even when things aren't going well, but to suddenly pivot from constructive criticism ("we are not a good football team right now") to "I have hope...this team has hope" after getting throttled 41-7, and after losing your first four games? I suppose Mora figures they don't need tough love rignt now but if giving an honest assessment rather than coddling means losing someone, maybe that player or assistant coach is part of the problem.

“Part of my job is to try to find positives in the midst of getting beat like that,” coach Jim Mora said.

@SwingDog - I'm sure the public words and private/locker room words are much different.

 

[amishboy]

No way to sugarcoat a record of zero and 4.

If Mora is not up for the job the. UConn should pay belly up an pay the big bucks to get someone who can win.

Seriously? Who’d you have in mind? Maybe someone like Deon Sanders, who will first suggest to three-quarters of those currently on scholarship to consider the transfer portal, and then attract many of the 4-stars in the portal to come here?!

I’m not very optimistic that Mora can make this program competitive at the FBS level, but I have no illusion that there’s a better HC option.

 

[UCTitleTown]

I had to stop checking social media. The mocking from other college fanbases is more than I can take and I can't think of any counterpoints. It's one thing to not be good, but being mocked for being terrible is another thing.

 

[amishboy]

Tough to beat teams with 4/5 star recruits with mostly 3 star G5 recruits. Football is such a massive investment in coaching and University support. It's made that much harder not being in a conference.
Kids want to play on National TV in front of a full stadium - UConn doesn't offer that....for football .
Basketball checks all those boxes- that's why the men's and women's programs are so successful.

but…but…but

No, even with the investment and support by the university, massive NIL opportunities, conference affiliation, and a packed stadium, it’s not going to happen here.

If you leave out Penn State, college football has been dying in the Northeast for decades, and the past decade of conference realignment has just exacerbated it. We produce fewer 4 and 5 star recruits (most of whom then choose Big 10, SEC, or ACC schools), we have too many NFL teams, and while we have passionate fans, we don’t have enough.

Sure, every so often, Pitt, BC, Rutgers, or Syracuse might have a good team, but most years they’re in the bottom half of their conference (and happy to share in the conference’s payout).

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Did Mora really play the "ACC conspiracy" card for Mitchell's targeting ejection?? Jeez.....

He did, and I can’t say I blame him for saying it. He said “some guy in Charlottesville gets to decide that UConn’s best player gets removed from the field and basically was saying screw UConn and screw Jackson Mitchell”. So he did play the card, all four aces. He also stated earlier he would like to get an explanation from the ACC on how that went down. I didn’t get the exact quote.

 

[UDann]

Well I guess the B12 presidents feel (even more) vindicated now ...

Well there is the human factor that the coaching staff and players were down about not getting an invitation to the B12. Now it’s hard to recover at this point

 

[BigTenFan]

Maybe we should look at Louisville football as guide. They bring Jeff Brohm home and go 4-0 top 25 in one year. They play NC State next week.

 

[KryHavok]

Seriously? Who’d you have in mind? Maybe someone like Deon Sanders, who will first suggest to three-quarters of those currently on scholarship to consider the transfer portal, and then attract many of the 4-stars in the portal to come here?!

I’m not very optimistic that Mora can make this program competitive at the FBS level, but I have no illusion that there’s a better HC option.

That is too much scorched earth. But telling kids they will have to re-earn their scholarships to keep them. I want to see some hustle.

 

[Kolumbo]

UConn Football is not good right now. We all know that. Jim Mora is it. He is our guy. Whether he criticizes or praises this program, I have to trust whatever he does. He has to turn the program around because if he doesn't, I'm not sure we have any other options. Unless there is some incredibly radical CR move that blows everything completely up. And given the state of the program right now, take away two of our best players against a ranked team, and of course the outcome is not going to be good. And UConn is not alone:

#19 Colorado butchered 42-6 by #10 Oregon
#24 Iowa MASHED 31-0 by #7 Penn State
Unranked Temple defeathered 41-7 by #20 Miami

 

[Scrutiner]

UConn Football is not good right now. We all know that. Jim Mora is it. He is our guy. Whether he criticizes or praises this program, I have to trust whatever he does. He has to turn the program around because if he doesn't, I'm not sure we have any other options. Unless there is some incredibly radical CR move that blows everything completely up. And given the state of the program right now, take away two of our best players against a ranked team, and of course the outcome is not going to be good. And UConn is not alone:

#19 Colorado butchered 42-6 by #10 Oregon
#24 Iowa MASHED 31-0 by #7 Penn State
Unranked Temple defeathered 41-7 by #20 Miami

Duke beat Clemson 24-7 to start the year and have rolled since.

We've just rolled over since the NC State game....which was winnable.

Could the lost Big12 invitation have been that deflating?

 

[LoyalFanCT]

Which is bad because the ACC schools are really helping us fill out our independent schedule.

If the ACC wants to help us, let us in as a full member.

 

[Kolumbo]

Duke beat Clemson 24-7 to start the year and have rolled since.

We've just rolled over since the NC State game....which was winnable.

Could the lost Big12 invitation have been that deflating?

I think the Big 12 snub is having a huge effect. Its commissioner came to UConn. Everyone believed UConn was in with Colorado. It took the implosion of the 2nd oldest major athletic conference to give UConn yet another series of kicks in the crotch. Joining the Big 12 would have been a HUGE boost in turning the program around and now no one is talking about UConn. I'd say absolutely.

 

[Derucky]

The last 90 seconds is impressive. He really lays into the ACC.

He wanted to say it because it's the truth. It's fixed. Even with a superior opponent, the ref is directed to dampen the Huskies spirits with bad calls so THERE IS NO CHANCE THEY CAN PULL OFF THE UPSET. THEN, they can start being objective with their calls so hopefully everyone in watching will forget what they did in the beginning. They CANNOT let UConn do better than BC, the destroyer of Big East football because they were jealous of Wesr Virginia's national success, and UConn's sworn mortal enemy. They WOULD NEVER let UConn into the ACC because they know that then UConn will kick the out of them on the field and in recruiting. The conference alignment fiasco started with BC selling out.

 

[UCFBfan]

I think the Big 12 snub is having a huge effect. Its commissioner came to UConn. Everyone believed UConn was in with Colorado. It took the implosion of the 2nd oldest major athletic conference to give UConn yet another series of kicks in the crotch. Joining the Big 12 would have been a HUGE boost in turning the program around and now no one is talking about UConn. I'd say absolutely.

I'm not buying the Big 12 snub is impacting this team.

If this team is moping about not getting a Big 12 invite, we have serious problems. Would an invite have been a program changer, yes? It didn't happen and now it's time to move on. If this is really impacting the team, then it's on Mora to stop it. I buy a lottery ticket every once in awhile. I don't go into work hating it more than usual because I didn't win. It's the reality of life. You don't always get what you want so you just move on. If this team is moping around about the whole Big 12 thing, we have a huge program issue.

 

[Coach J]

I think changes need to be made at multiple positions for many reasons. We have highly rated transfers from P5 schools that barely get touches (kind of head scratching). I thought we had some impressive freshman WRs, I'd like to see if one of them is able to stretch the field (an issue we have had since last year), I can go on - I hate to single out a specific kid or coach, but changes need to be had - if for nothing else than the appearance of trying and dissuading complacency for those who get to keep their spots.

 

[Kolumbo]

I'm not buying the Big 12 snub is impacting this team.

If this team is moping about not getting a Big 12 invite, we have serious problems. Would an invite have been a program changer, yes? It didn't happen and now it's time to move on. If this is really impacting the team, then it's on Mora to stop it. I buy a lottery ticket every once in awhile. I don't go into work hating it more than usual because I didn't win. It's the reality of life. You don't always get what you want so you just move on. If this team is moping around about the whole Big 12 thing, we have a huge program issue.

Yes, the team does have serious problems. I'm not saying anyone is moping around but it had to be a morale killer because people are people. But by all means, if there are better players out there willing to choose UConn over a program in an FBS conference, get them in here and start winning some freaking games.