Letters per the Courant

[ktuck911]

Nice open to the public article putting the powers that be over our football program on blast:
Letters To The Editor - Hartford Courant


Guy nailed it publicly... I think we expected to see something like this when Diaco first got hired. The controlled, methodical approach won't win over the fans... We see that again next year, with no points on the board, and keep taking that "keep games close with a chance to win in the end" approach, even if we double our win total from this year it'll still be a hard sell...

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Jack Veale aka @TouchdownHusky

 

[Afroabe224]

Nice open to the public article putting the powers that be over our football program on blast:
Letters To The Editor - Hartford Courant


Guy nailed it publicly... I think we expected to see something like this when Diaco first got hired. The controlled, methodical approach won't win over the fans... We see that again next year, with no points on the board, and keep taking that "keep games close with a chance to win in the end" approach, even if we double our win total from this year it'll still be a hard sell...

Love that post. Everyone likes to throw out the good 'ole years with our Fiesta Bowl appearance as a 'dominating era' of UConn football but lets not forget that at Edsall's very best (2007-2010) the defensive-minded style of football really put a ceiling on the team's success. In those four seasons, we were 16-12 in the Big East and everyone knows we did not deserve that BCS berth. Were we really going to hang with Oklahoma considering our #105 ranked Zach Fraizer passing attack??

It seems that Diaco's model is to build a team just like Edsall's... with less talent. At it's best (great o-line, NFL RBs and a good defense) the plan is a mediocre .500-ish team that doesn't excite the fans.

Maybe we can get a guy outside Diaco's posse to run an offense that scores but I agree the build of this team is the problem. Just take a look at Syracuse... I'm sure a guy like Dino Babers could manage a competent offense with players like Newsome, Johnson, Thomas and some athletic TEs.

 

[UConnNick]

We could conceivably have an exciting offense if we had a coach with any imagination. Diaco's imagination has been surgically removed.

 

[psilotic]

We could conceivably have an exciting offense if we had a coach with any imagination. Diaco's imagination has been surgically removed.

Diaco basically handed over the offense to two guys (one now retired having reached retirement age) who coached him 20 years ago. Not exactly a blueprint for innovation

 

[FDNY99]

Diaco basically handed over the offense to two guys (one now retired having reached retirement age) who coached him 20 years ago. Not exactly a blueprint for innovation

@politics you are Off base here. In Mike Cummings he handed it over to his BFF who he went on family vacations together. A guy who although he was a OC at his last stop had zero to do with offensive game plan or play calling. That was done by the head coach. Don Patterson was QB coach.

 

[psilotic]

@politics you are Off base here. In Mike Cummings he handed it over to his BFF who he went on family vacations together. A guy who although he was a OC at his last stop had zero to do with offensive game plan or play calling. That was done by the head coach. Don Patterson was QB coach.

OK, sub in Cummings for Patterson in '14. Regardless, wasn't like he searched the land far and wide for an up and coming OC.

 

[FDNY99]

OK, sub in Cummings for Patterson in '14. Regardless, wasn't like he searched the land far and wide for an up and coming OC.

I agree with you but if you want to reinforce your argument you need to get facts right otherwise it is just gonna get used against you.

 

[psilotic]

I agree with you but if you want to reinforce your argument you need to get facts right otherwise it is just gonna get used against you.

Weren't cummings and patterson sort of unofficial co-coordinators?

 

[FDNY99]

Weren't cummings and patterson sort of unofficial co-coordinators?

No Patterson was Asst head coach/QB coach and Cummings was OC/OL coach. Diaco made it pretty clear Cummings was the man to run the offense. He was supposed to use Patterson as a sounding board to help him with the transition to being a head coach.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Love that post. Everyone likes to throw out the good 'ole years with our Fiesta Bowl appearance as a 'dominating era' of UConn football but lets not forget that at Edsall's very best (2007-2010) the defensive-minded style of football really put a ceiling on the team's success. In those four seasons, we were 16-12 in the Big East and everyone knows we did not deserve that BCS berth. Were we really going to hang with Oklahoma considering our #105 ranked Zach Fraizer passing attack??

It seems that Diaco's model is to build a team just like Edsall's... with less talent. At it's best (great o-line, NFL RBs and a good defense) the plan is a mediocre .500-ish team that doesn't excite the fans.

Maybe we can get a guy outside Diaco's posse to run an offense that scores but I agree the build of this team is the problem. Just take a look at Syracuse... I'm sure a guy like Dino Babers could manage a competent offense with players like Newsome, Johnson, Thomas and some athletic TEs.

UConn might have fared better in BE and against Oklahoma (in Fiesta Bowl) had they put more emphasis and focus on developing a modern day offense. Make no mistake, Randy Edsall was the founding father of UConn's old school approach (run the ball, play defense and hope the game is close). UConn still suffers under that model and will until they "blow it up" and looks to a model that prizes offense and scoring - first and foremost.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Jack Veale aka @TouchdownHusky

Nope, not me. Having cleared that up, Mr. Veale is correct in his premise. UConn has tried the ground and pound, defense focus, keep it close model . . . and it has caused the program to regress and fall further behind the rest of major college football.

 

[Waquoit]

UConn might have fared better in BE and against Oklahoma (in Fiesta Bowl) had they...

...been coached by a UConn man instead of a Maryland man.

 

[Woof 101]

Nope, not me. Having cleared that up, Mr. Veale is correct in his premise. UConn has tried the ground and pound, defense focus, keep it close model . . . and it has caused the program to regress and fall further behind the rest of major college football.

Agree...Not sure of how such a seasoned coaching staff would think with the obvious lack of talent on our O-line... The lack of a fullback (as the recruited one opted to play on D or quit) and a 170 pound RB equates to a ground and pound O.... ...

 

[freescooter]

I am not sure I agree about the talent on the line. I've argued that while talent isn't A+ a bigger problem is that they are being asked to play a scheme that isn't the right fit for the type of talent we have. And that is a coaching problem at least as much as a talent problem. The other issue this year like in 2014 I think this team has quit on the coaches. On both sides actually.