We didn't generate a big pass rush and got picked apart in the zone because of it. It looked like we had multiple guys covering one guy in a specific zone and it left people open. I just don't think the spacing was very good and guys were probably a bit unclear of where exactly they needed to be. It's game 1 year 1 stuff with a new scheme.
We were getting gashed on the run. On the pass, we lost outside contain and had no rush, and our multitude of DBs were cushion crazy. 3-3 is a hollowed-out speed defense that doesn’t work unless you have super athletes.
Curious - got a current link/data backing that statement?
That is misleading since are they including prep schools? CT best players are in prep schools and may not be originally from CT.
Are you sure about that? Minnesota’s population is almost twice that of Connecticut’s.
But it was not one game. It goes back to last year at a minimum in the Mora era. If you think yesterday's game was an indication of how this team will be this year, it will be a big disappointment. Both offense and defense were dismal. Maryland may be good, but it should never have gotten away like it did. I did not expect a win, but a respectable showing. It was not. This program should be in the upper eschelons of the G5 by now, and they are nowhere near it.
Hockey is the premiere sport in Minnesota high schools
I was just going off of your list that included Pitt, Rutgers, Syracuse, and Maryland. All of which are also not in New England, but Penn State falls approximately in the middle of all of them.
If you go by P4 recruits, Connecticut has a slight edge.
The issue I see the team did not looked well coached. The secondary for 2nd year in a row can not cover or tackle. Too many cheap shots on sliding QBs. UConn has little room for error.
Again you are including prep schools. Are those kids originally from CT?
In the Northeast, football recruits aren't as developed as in places like Texas and Georgia. For UConn, there are tons of football players within 300 miles of UConn. Unfortunately, UConn does not have the football tradition to get the top recruits and you can only change that by winning. Kind of like how Calhoun had to go outside of the footprint to recruit players to change the narrative about UConn basketball.
The issue is even before Calhoun, UConn still had a history in basketball. For football UConn does not have that history. In fact outside the ivory league there is really no tradition in college football in New England. If you are a star recruit you are going SEC or BIG. It would be like CT star basketball kid selecting UNH over UConn.
Um….ok
Being down 4 projected starters on D (Yates, Dixon-Williams, Engram & Akles) in addition to a dinged up LB who was a game day decision (McDonald) to start the game sure didn’t help the cause. Depth will always be an issue.
... and losing 2 more due to targeting calls during the game. It really isn't mentioned enough that our D out there was short-handed...
Thx - I actually forgot to include Durante Jones who was out to for the first half… so that made 5 MIA w/ McDonald not @ full strength.
Maryland was treating the game as a scrimmage allowing their QB2 to get time during the first half. Maryland could have easy scored 70 points.
Coaching matters but not enough for the UCONN program in its' present situation. They just do not have the athletes to win yet. A good conference will eventually help them. It is hard to get enough quality players on a roster for any team with no conference affiliation except Notre Dame. The smartest move would be for Connecticut and the ACC to bury whatever hatchet exists and move forward. It is stupid that UCONN and the ACC are not together. UCONN hoops has value and football would be helped by playing away games with other northeast teams. The Big 12 sounds promising but the ACC would be a much better fit. No matter what it will take a while for UCONN to build a good football team. It does take the right coaching but there are too many factors weighting against success for coaching to make UCONN a good program right now. Ask your self, you are a 4 or 5 star stud player Penn State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Michigan and Connecticut are offering you great NIL money and a UCONN says you can play right away. Maybe BC, Rutgers and Syracuse can make the same pitch. The other schools are telling you that you will red shirt year one may sniff the field year two and compete for a spot year three. All of UCONN's competition are in big conferences. You are not a fan of any particular program, and everybody is offering more money than your family has ever seen. If I am that player I want to see which team gets me to the NFL the fastest. Where will I learn the most and be developed properly. Does UCONN have the head and position coaches to compete with those programs, the facilities and training staff? How much more money would need to be pumped into the program to maybe recruit a top level staff and build better facilities. I think UCONN fans just need to support the team as best they can and hope for better days.
600k is not close to Big 12 money.
Location. Warm weather states/areas allow for year round training, the population is more interested in physical fitness in general and athletes tend to retire in these places where they not only raise their kids but coach/advise the next generation. Having said that, there is talent available everywhere if coaches are willing and able to develop it.
So this thread is about bashing the coaches. He says we have great coaches. At this point they are much closer to the worst team in the NCAA than the best. Maryland is not a very god team and blasted them off the field. The solution to me is simple. The team needs a conference. If they had 50 million in NIL they might be a respectable team, but likely not. In my life, the number of Independents going way back to the 60's who have had national success?...Fighting Irish, BYU, Penn State before they joined a conference, Syracuse before they joined a conference....a few others who did well....Pitt comes to mind. Football drives the bus and requires a conference. Otherwise they remain outside looking in.