Maryland post game thread

[Tdaley]

The system wasn't the problem. Seemed like lots of 4-2-5. We were rushing 4 generally.

Donovan Branch who is listed as a linebacker was one of the starting linebackers in the game. However, he spent a lot of the game line up as a defensive end.

 

[CL82]

I want a serial winner,.

So this guy?

Oh wait, you said serial winner not cereal winner… Never mind.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

It being the third season with no system in place is one of the biggest issues.

I wonder is Sammis is overcompensating for his history as an o-line coach and doesn't want to seem like he's a pound the rock guy. Pounding the rock is fine if it's your strength. It seems like we were awkwardly avoiding run-run-pass instead of taking what the defense would give us.

I didn't actually think the effort was terrible. The team is again very undisciplined and we look out of position everywhere but I saw a lot of sprinting to the ball on defense and some effort on offense. The drops are unacceptable though.

Well said, but didn’t Mora lose a couple of running backs to the portal. Devontae Houston, TE Joly, and a few others IIRC, Carter, Bush? If we have all this NIL money how come they left?

 

[ZooCougar]

Donovan Branch who is listed as a linebacker was one of the starting linebackers in the game. However, he spent a lot of the game line up as a defensive end.

Maybe because Yates was out.

 

[uconnfan68]

The system wasn't the problem. Seemed like lots of 4-2-5. We were rushing 4 generally.

We should nearly always be rushing 4. The idea is that the offense never knows who the 4th is.

 

[AllHusky]

There’s something missing. I thought the new coordinators might have it, an old school nastiness mixed with modern style. They look the part on paper. The jury is still out.

We played a much better opponent and we are a rebuild in progress. They can turn this around in a season or two but we’ll need to see progress over the coming games. Losing to Merrimack would be inexcusable and I think it is completely on the table as of today. If we beat them convincingly, at least we’ll know we aren’t a lost cause against the weak FBS teams on our schedule.

Merrimack game plan
“I want you to trust yourself and your teammates tomorrow and just go out there and kick the s—- out of those guys.”

 

[CONN78SEJ]

It's year three and we look just as bad against these teams as we did during Randy Redux.

Times have changed though since Randy Redux. Mora didn’t run off players like Joly, Houston, Carter or Darius Bush, like Edsall would’ve. Players don’t have to initiate a transfer anymore and then sit a year out, all they have to do is get on the portal escalator and wave bye bye. Let’s hope Sammis has a good sound learning curve. Anything is better than Charlton.

 

[Hondo 77]

What is the light at the end of the tunnel? We've heard this for over a decade now.

Just hope it’s not an oncoming train.

 

[Bomber36]

On to next week…some quick thoughts on what I saw in the MC/Air Force game.

Air Force makes our passing game look competent. Their running game was not great either. (55 attempts for 166 yds, a 3.0 per carry average) I’m not particularly worried about next week. We probably won’t win 56-7, but I can see us putting up some points and keeping MC off the scoreboard for the most part. The other thing I noticed was that of the 2 QBs who played for MC, neither one was a very accurate passer and they really had no downfield game. I will say I thought MC hit hard and tackled well. Just my 2 cents. Prediction…I’d say 35-10 UConn With the MC TD coming late in the game.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Our run game supposed to be decent.it was awful. everything east west. and Why is Rosa not getting touches. He was a special freshman.

I wondered that too. Nagging injury?

 

[Bomber36]

Our run game supposed to be decent.it was awful. everything east west. and Why is Rosa not getting touches. He was a special freshman.

He was good as a sophomore last year as well.

 

[AllHusky]

We should nearly always be rushing 4. The idea is that the offense never knows who the 4th is.

On to next week…some quick thoughts on what I saw in the MC/Air Force game.

Air Force makes our passing game look competent. Their running game was not great either. (55 attempts for 166 yds, a 3.0 per carry average) I’m not particularly worried about next week. We probably won’t win 56-7, but I can see us putting up some points and keeping MC off the scoreboard for the most part. The other thing I noticed was that of the 2 QBs who played for MC, neither one was a very accurate passer and they really had no downfield game. I will say I thought MC hit hard and tackled well. Just my 2 cents. Prediction…I’d say 35-10 UConn With the MC TD coming late in the game.
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That would be nice

 

[ZooCougar]

We should nearly always be rushing 4. The idea is that the offense never knows who the 4th is.

I’ve read before that what we are doing is more if 4-2-5 shape.

But the system wasn’t the problem yesterday.

 

[gopher2]

I caught a few minutes of the MC vs Air Force game and one commentator said Air Force was fielding an almost entirely new team. They had only 3 returning starters on D and only 1 on O, or something like that. That is probably why MC was able to keep the score respectable. I'll predict a 42-16 Husky win with some big plays (30+) in both the passing and running games.

 

[ZooCougar]

Times have changed though since Randy Redux. Mora didn’t run off players like Joly, Houston, Carter or Darius Bush, like Edsall would’ve. Players don’t have to initiate a transfer anymore and then sit a year out, all they have to do is get on the portal escalator and wave bye bye. Let’s hope Sammis has a good sound learning curve. Anything is better than Charlton.

Let's hope this is a bump in the road.

But it feels like we have hit a wall.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Let's hope this is a bump in the road.

But it feels like we have hit a wall.

I liked what I saw from Fagnano, and I was one of his biggest critics last year. Seems like a different and much improved QB. I don’t know who worked with him in the off season but someone on the coaching staff was doing something right. So assuming of course Mora saw the same progress for Fagnano, you have to wonder about Evers prospects for improvement going forward.

 

[ktuck911]

it’s starts in the locker room. The players know.. can see through the BS.. Need to fix that 1st before anything else. We got the players.. just play the best players..let the REAL players make plays.. the pieces of the puzzle are there..

I agree. I think we have enough to win. We gotta grow a pair in order to turn the corner. I know we're supposed keep our composure as competitors out there, but did anyone else pick up on WR Jasaiah Gathings' facial expression on the bench near the end of the game??? I didn't look at that as being a sore loser. To me it seemed like a competitor that doesn't like or hates losing. WE NEED MORE OF THAT IN ORDER TO TURN THE CORNER. NO MORE ACCEPTING MEDIOCRITY (DURING PRACTICE)...Gotta develop a killer instinct. Enough is enough.

 

[AllHusky]

Let's hope this is a bump in the road.

But it feels like we have hit a wall.

My positive takeaway is that at least I’m not on the Conf Realignment board! Talking about something real here!

 

[Tdaley]

On to next week…some quick thoughts on what I saw in the MC/Air Force game.

Air Force makes our passing game look competent. Their running game was not great either. (55 attempts for 166 yds, a 3.0 per carry average) I’m not particularly worried about next week. We probably won’t win 56-7, but I can see us putting up some points and keeping MC off the scoreboard for the most part. The other thing I noticed was that of the 2 QBs who played for MC, neither one was a very accurate passer and they really had no downfield game. I will say I thought MC hit hard and tackled well. Just my 2 cents. Prediction…I’d say 35-10 UConn With the MC TD coming late in the game.
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Good Analysis. From what I saw, Merrimack had size and definitely looked good against the run. I'm not sure this is the blow out that people are hoping for. For me, I am just hoping for a win. A convincing win would be better but a complete blow out is not likely to happen considering where our offense is at this time. I do hope our defense is dominating.

 

[Bomber36]

I’ve read before that what we are doing is more if 4-2-5 shape.

But the system wasn’t the problem yesterday.

I noticed on a couple of the scramble/ completions that Maryland got that our DBs and LBs looked like they didn’t get enough depth to keep the coverage. On one play in particular, they had a line directly across the field, but the completion went into the dead area they had forgotten about. I think it’s about them looking into the backfield too much and forgetting about the receivers, if that makes any sense.

 

[Bobol]

Atleast with Florida getting blown out at home with all their talent this loss will go under the radar

Yep, no one at the Bog 12 noticed.

 

[UConnJim]

There's still probably more kids playing Football in the Dakotas than CT lol, and the Midwest has a large Football culture

They don't play Football up here, and NE is almost always last in recruiting talent

Here's a question for you. Who has more college football programs the states of Texas + Florida, or the states of New York + CT + Massachusetts?

Texas + Florida = 62
New York + CT + Massachusetts = 71

In other words there are more kids playing college football in NY+ CT+ MA than in Texas + Florida.

Yes, there is more HS talent in Texas and Florida, but many of the Northeast kids are underdeveloped in high school. Edsall showed us that when he recruited 2*s and no *s and made them into talented FBS football players. Look at a guy like Kendall Reyes. From New Hampshire and totally under the radar recruit. He was a 6'4" 220 LB in HS and became a 6'4" 300 lb DT at UConn. Those types of guys are not recruited by the top schools as they don't recruit undersized players.

 

[Hogoff]

I said this last year too. We should not play a Power 5 opponent the first game of the season if at all possible. It will never end well. I know scheduling is tough as an independent.

 

[UConnJim]

Even if you don't believe in the Dakotas their neighbors being in the Midwest definitely care about college football. Ours aren't doing us any favors

The Dakotas are surrounded by Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Montana. Connecticut has more HS football talent than any of those states.

 

[cellocgg]

Here's a question for you. Who has more college football programs the states of Texas + Florida, or the states of New York + CT + Massachusetts?

Texas + Florida = 62
New York + CT + Massachusetts = 71

In other words there are more kids playing college football in NY+ CT+ MA than in Texas + Florida.

Yes, there is more HS talent in Texas and Florida, but many of the Northeast kids are underdeveloped in high school. Edsall showed us that when he recruited 2*s and no *s and made them into talented FBS football players. Look at a guy like Kendall Reyes. From New Hampshire and totally under the radar recruit. He was a 6'4" 220 LB in HS and became a 6'4" 300 lb DT at UConn. Those types of guys are not recruited by the top schools as they don't recruit undersized players.

If we have so many programs why are we near the bottom in top recruits produced? What do you think our problem is?

We should naturally be higher then given the sheer population alone