One thing I noticed

[AAC Guru]

I’m not a fan when people say things like “gutless” or “heartless” performance. What does that even mean? One thing I did notice however was something after the interception by Murphy. I happened to be keying in on Murphy that entire series. Noticed he was working hard and was getting some push on his guy. That interception was a pretty awesome play by him, he even ran the ball after for a few yards. Where was the defense to jump on him and go wild for that play? Watch the tape...there wasn’t much reaction. A sign of a team that is not together?

 

[Block C]

I’m not a fan when people say things like “gutless” or “heartless” performance. What does that even mean? One thing I did notice however was something after the interception by Murphy. I happened to be keying in on Murphy that entire series. Noticed he was working hard and was getting some push on his guy. That interception was a pretty awesome play by him, he even ran the ball after for a few yards. Where was the defense to jump on him and go wild for that play? Watch the tape...there wasn’t much reaction. A sign of a team that is not together?

I agree I watched that too. The playing as a unit and celebrating as a unit isn’t there yet. I remember the days when someone made a play guys where going crazy. It will happen just not yet lol

 

[Nextmanup]

I’m hearing offensive and defensive players are not supporting each other.. lots of talk and bickering going on behind closed doors.. now it looks like defense is not supporting other players on defense. If we don’t right this problem soon there is no hope for uconn football..

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

There was so much non-celebration after that I thought I missed a penalty. Maybe they were mad big KMurph didn’t run it back

 

[Bonehead]

Ill add our tackling is bad - lots of attempted shoulder tackles and no wrap up.

 

[KennyD]

Your observation is accurate as far as the on field reaction but does not reflect the D's unity. I was at the game and followed Murphy to the sideline. The D swarmed him on the side-line. He was getting hugs and pats on the back by most of the D. The whole team on the sideline was pumped. Your observation while true does not reflect how the kids truly felt.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

After the clinching UMass pick their whole sideline came on the field (not a penalty?) maybe because our pick was in between the hashes and theirs was on the sidelines

 

[Dooley]

My seats are located on the visitors sideline. I am a HUGE believer in sideline demeanor. Week in, week out I get to watch the visiting sideline erupt for every hard tackle, every first down, every semi decent play. I look across to our sideline and guys are sitting or standing with arms folded and zero emotion.

I know coaches play the "us against the world" card when they take their teams on the road. I get it. It just seems like that particular card carries far more weight for whoever we play against than us in the past 8 years.

UMass' sideline ERUPTED with every 4th down stop. Guys ran off the field chest bumping with players and coaches and greeted like Roman soldiers returning home after 10 years away at battle. Their game winning touchdown was a total team TD. If their sideline could've ran on the field - without being penalized - and helped to push the ball across the goal line and all the way to the Jaz Memorial, they would have. Their guys won the Super Bowl after Pindell's late INT. They were engaged all afternoon - even when losing. They were more hungry, wanted to win far more than we did, and took it. They beat the inferior team in every sense.

 

[businesslawyer]

You don't celebrate plays the same way when you don't believe you're going to win. I'm worried about the team getting much, much better. Defeatest attitudes are very hard to break when you keep being defeated.

 

[mikedog10]

After the clinching UMass pick their whole sideline came on the field (not a penalty?)

DQ! Disqualified!

 

[uconnbill]

We are seeing heads hanging as well which really bothers me too. The team needs a win badly and our hope is this coming week. If they can get their acts together this game is very winnable. That is a big if though.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

We are seeing heads hanging as well which really bothers me too. The team needs a win badly and our hope is this coming week. If they can get their acts together this game is very winnable. That is a big if though.

Define winnable. Showing up on the field of competition opposite another team?

 

[BugsyCT]

Losing becomes a habit that's hard to break. It goes beyond talent, coaching & physical skills - it's a mentality. Teams need to understand game situations and know how to handle them, whether they're winning or losing. We have no idea what to do at all in the rare occasions that we have a lead in a game. I posted in the game thread Saturday that they seemed to play that 4th quarter right into UMass's hands. No attempts to pass at all, even short slant passes. Played the whole game not to lose & ultra-conservatively because we led the whole game. No sense of urgency even as UMass was making big plays and gaining momentum. Just run run run punt and wait until UMass took the lead, then a garbage desperation pass in double coverage down the sideline that gets picked. Ball game.

And the most infuriating part was that they just seemed to accept it. No anger. No frustration. Even what there was of a crowd seemed indifferent as I walked out. This program and the fans have gotten used to losing. That's gonna be the hardest thing to turn around if UConn football can ever be saved.

 

[ktuck911]

Sounds like this team needs that "Remember the Titans" moment when all the players had a free for all going against one another..then they finally got it together ("Left side, Strong Side")

This seems to be listening to all the noise outside the locker room moreso than the coaches.. that MUST change in order to get this turned around..

I also see posts throwing plenty of blame on Edsall.. Yeah, he's the head coach and yeah he's a part of why we suck (sorry, calling a spade a spade), BUT, he fessed up to that a while ago (one of those blowouts a month ago)... We all saw/heard/read about it after the post game presser.. He said it's his fault and he's gotta do a better job.. BUT, these kids are transitioning into adulthood. The braun is there, but not that stand up like a man mental toughness.. I truly believe he's now challenging them with that.. and right now they can't handle it, not as a team anyways... not with what's been mentioned in this thread... It's grow up time for the young pups... Hopefully by next Fall we'll see more than a little maturity, across the board....

 

[mdkhusky]

We are going to get smoked by Tulsa. Attitude not helping

 

[uconnfan68]

You don't celebrate plays the same way when you don't believe you're going to win. I'm worried about the team getting much, much better. Defeatest attitudes are very hard to break when you keep being defeated.

There were a few individual celebrations... that drive crazy.

 

[jdb50]

When we did not get points after Murphy's INT I think that may have deflated the team and brought on the we are going to lose mentality. But all game there was never any real high energy level on our sideline especially when compared to the UMASS sideline. I never saw Edsall try and rally the troops. Watching the defense it was easy to see what Edsall was mentioning when he said the players need a leader. However there is no senior player who is playing at a high level and so the team is just a bunch of young guys trying to play at a level they are not ready for. We have no all-conference older players on D to lead the charge. In this game the loss should be pinned on the offense who could not get first downs or score points off turnovers. With older players Pindell, Mayala, Crozier, Beals and Peart, the offense should have stepped up and led the team to victory. It is on them.

 

[gopher2]

When we did not get points after Murphy's INT I think that may have deflated the team and brought on the we are going to lose mentality. But all game there was never any real high energy level on our sideline especially when compared to the UMASS sideline. I never saw Edsall try and rally the troops. Watching the defense it was easy to see what Edsall was mentioning when he said the players need a leader. However there is no senior player who is playing at a high level and so the team is just a bunch of young guys trying to play at a level they are not ready for. We have no all-conference older players on D to lead the charge. In this game the loss should be pinned on the offense who could not get first downs or score points off turnovers. With older players Pindell, Mayala, Crozier, Beals and Peart, the offense should have stepped up and led the team to victory. It is on them.

Except Edsall was forcing them to play Turtleball and it is difficult to make plays when you are in your shell.

 

[jdb50]

Except Edsall was forcing them to play Turtleball and it is difficult to make plays when you are in your shell.

True, after the first drive we went to Mensah- Pindell and forgot about the other players on the offense. It was a high school hero ball offensive plan.