Mike Anthony: Watching UConn football has become torture; Huskies could be headed toward another one-win season

[Redding Husky]

I was there as well, I hope that everyone in the stadium treated you well.

I'm an SMU alum (master's) and have been a season ticket holder on and off since 2000 when the stadium opened. It was a fun time.

It boggles the mind to think UConn is not capable of the same thing. UConn not having a decent football program is like finding out a large American city doesn't have a symphony orchestra. I guess it's possible, but it just doesn't make sense.

 

[Redding Husky]

Well for one thing, UConn's head coaches (other than Weiss in '13) run a very boring, conservative program right out of the 1960's. Need someone to put excitment into the program. Too bad UConn didn't make a run at Mike Leach back when it hired Red Pants.

Leach is a "win-at-any-cost" coach. UConn and the state never had that kind of commitment. We've always asked UConn football to win on a budget and "play nice".

 

[junglehusky]

So what would you categorize the brand new locker room as?

I mean, Rutgers has thrown boatloads of money into their football program and is starting to get power revenue and have nothing to show for it either. Maybe it's something to do with being in the Northeast. I dunno.

 

[ASweet3781]

It boggles the mind to think UConn is not capable of the same thing. UConn not having a decent football program is like finding out a large American city doesn't have a symphony orchestra. I guess it's possible, but it just doesn't make sense.

It boggles my mind that it boggles your mind that a school not in the Power 5 located in the non high school football hot bed of Connecticut isn't good at the sport of football.

 

[BlueDogs]

I was at the SMU triple OT win last night. SMU has a fun and talented team, and a beautiful on-campus stadium. Tulsa looked very good, too.

But as I was walking out of the stadium, my only thought was, “Why the hell can’t UConn compete at this level?”.

We can compete. It requires a commitment to change and working to get it right until it is right. Running Lashlee and Grimes (2 world class coaches) out Storrs while retaining Randy’s handpicked clown DC until he achieved epic failure levels was the first clue. Then allowing Edsall to turn a dopey OLine coach into an OC with training wheels was the next. Pepper in no conference and schedule for 2020, a wholly unimaginative and risk adverse HC trying to not lose by much, and this is exactly why this mess continues. Bad decisions followed bad decisions. If I didn’t love UConn football so much for what it was and can be, I’d hate the program because it deserves precisely the results it’s getting.

 

[Bongo Fury]

I mean, Rutgers has thrown boatloads of money into their football program and is starting to get power revenue and have nothing to show for it either. Maybe it's something to do with being in the Northeast. I dunno.

I think luck comes into play. Get a couple outstanding players and one may gain traction. Mackenzie Milton, Teddy Bridgewater, Dan Orlovsky or other breakout players can really make a difference. Was hoping Jake I mean Jack could be one. Needs to drink a couple of Molsons and not overthink.

 

[Rocktheworld]

There's only two things to do: either fund the damned thing properly so that you can revive it and recoup some investment, or close the damned thing down...

Well the move to the BE kinda indicates the likely trajectory to the decision as to the above... what’s the ROI on pumping money in to being UMass+?

 

[UConnDan97]

Well the move to the BE kinda indicates the likely trajectory to the decision as to the above... what’s the ROI on pumping money in to being UMass+?

The move to the Big East doesn't necessarily mean death to football. If it gets basketball back to the top, it means more money available to help football, so long the decision to help football is made.

The problem is that they are half-a$$ing it. Either go full-a$$ing or no-a$$ing. Not half-a$$ing...

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Leach is a "win-at-any-cost" coach. UConn and the state never had that kind of commitment. We've always asked UConn football to win on a budget and "play nice".

Too bad. UConn's program is disgraceful. It is a laughing stock of college fotball. UConn should hqve brought in Mike Leach and "won at all costs". Most fans would be just fine with that.

 

[RSTuthill]

It's all gonna hang on that UMass game ....