Pat Forde (Yahoo expert) says UConn was huge underachiever

[Pudge]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ncaaf-...ion_ref_map={"564266566925561":"facebook_cb"}

According to Pat, OUR 4 combine studs points out a huge disparity with our Sagarin rating of 85. I guess its hard to argue with the conclusion. But, DAMN, what a convoluted stupid way to get there. Pat ... you're no expert.

 

[whaler11]

Yeah he could have suffered through Western Michigan and Temple. Imagine what he's say then.

 

[Palatine]

Looks like the national sportwriters don't agree with the local sportswriters assessment of the team.

The local guys thought and wrote UConn played to its talent level.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

That's ridiculous. I don't care how good your defense is, you just can't win without any offense.

 

[Point6]

This doesn't take into account players that are not yet declaring for the draft. Some of those higher rated Sagarin teams may have better underclassmen.

 

[Dooley]

Last year was so flippin' frustrating.

Games that we lost that we needed one more scoring drive:
NC State: 10-7
Western Michigan: 30-24 (this one I put more on the D for giving up 30 points though)
Temple: 17-14
USF: 13-6 (technically we needed more than one more scoring drive but c'mon, this was USF!)

Coulda, woulda, shoulda been 9-3 last year and pounding Va Tech in the Russell Athletic Bowl or WVU in the Pinstripe Bowl. By pounding, I mean tough defense and a few scoring drives. 17-10.

 

[Palatine]

That's ridiculous. I don't care how good your defense is, you just can't win without any offense.

Actually, we had a decent offense. And I would further say that our biggest offensive problems were on the sideline not on the field. They included but were not limited to poor preparation, lousy predictable play calling, misuse (or non-use) of personnel and lack of imagination.

 

[concerned143]

keep in mind these are all Randy recruits

Wait a couple years

 

[RedSoloCup]

Actually, we had a decent offense. And I would further say that our biggest offensive problems were on the sideline not on the field. They included but were not limited to poor preparation, lousy predictable play calling, misuse (or non-use) of personnel and lack of imagination.

much of which was related to our version of the wildcat...

 

[Husky68]

Actually, we had a decent offense. And I would further say that our biggest offensive problems were on the sideline not on the field. They included but were not limited to poor preparation, lousy predictable play calling, misuse (or non-use) of personnel and lack of imagination.

Good to refute the "conventional wisdom" of the PP apologists, like the poster who thinks PP did a "great" job but just had this guy GDL gumming up the works on offense.
What's good?

 

[rich1122]

Tough to win without a QB. This year looks better. Build on the Louisville Pitt wins.

 

[Skiblets]

I'm sitting here thinking ..."I don't even remember the Pitt win" Getting old sucks as does getting blown out by Cuse, losing again to WMU, Temple, Rutgers and the NC State game.

 

[gars44]

Actually, we had a decent offense. And I would further say that our biggest offensive problems were on the sideline not on the field. They included but were not limited to poor preparation, lousy predictable play calling, misuse (or non-use) of personnel and lack of imagination.

I thought the personnel on offense was pretty bad in PP's first year. Look at QB. RB. Receiver. We were in horrible shape on offense that year. It did not help having GDL in the booth, however. Definitely did not help.

 

[huskysupporter]

Looks like the national sportwriters don't agree with the local sportswriters assessment of the team.

The local guys thought and wrote UConn played to its talent level.

Do you agree with the way he got to his conclusion?

I believe UCONN underachieved, should have been a bowl team. But saying they underachieved because 4 defensive players blew up at the combine is pretty nonsensical. There are 11 players that start on defense, 11 on offense, and 11 special teamers. There are also non draft eligible players that contribute to a team.

This team underachieved because of poor coaching decisions, lack of talent on offense, and the inability of the staff to simplify the offensive scheme to make up for it's shortcomings. Not because defensive players did well at the combine.

 

[Excalibur]

Actually, we had a decent offense. And I would further say that our biggest offensive problems were on the sideline not on the field. They included but were not limited to poor preparation, lousy predictable play calling, misuse (or non-use) of personnel and lack of imagination.

We had a mediocre passing attack and one of the worst running games in the country. Much of it due to the reasons you mention, but it was still bad, not decent.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Actually, we had a decent offense. And I would further say that our biggest offensive problems were on the sideline not on the field. They included but were not limited to poor preparation, lousy predictable play calling, misuse (or non-use) of personnel and lack of imagination.

The only part of this I would disagree with is the preparation part.

We were able to consistently score and move the ball during the first half of most games. It was the in-game adjustments where the wallpaper would peel off.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Actually, we had a decent offense. And I would further say that our biggest offensive problems were on the sideline not on the field. They included but were not limited to poor preparation, lousy predictable play calling, misuse (or non-use) of personnel and lack of imagination.

We were 121st in points per game, 122nd in rushing yards per attempt, top ten in interceptions, etc. So regardless of if it was personnel, coaching, or whatever else you want to blame it on, the bottom line is that the offense was not good.

 

[whaler11]

keep in mind these are all Randy recruits

Wait a couple years

LOL yeah the terrible Randy recruits that blew up at the combine. That guy was terrible!

 

[Dooley]

Looks like the national sportwriters don't agree with the local sportswriters assessment of the team.

The local guys thought and wrote UConn played to its talent level.

I hate GDL and his ridiculous claim that the team had no talent. What an insult to the current players and fanbase who showed and watched that this team DID have talent.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I hate GDL and his ridiculous claim that the team had no talent. What an insult to the current players and fanbase who showed and watched that this team DID have talent.

The team absolutely did have talent over the past two seasons and considering the scheduled opponents, eight or none wins (before the bowl game they would have made with above .500 records each season) would not have been an unreasonable expectation for each season.

The worst part of the continual comments to the press about our lack of talent is that it undid everything we built over the decade prior to P & GDL's arrival and when other major conferences were looking to expand, we were viewed as a non-entity in football.

 

[huskysupporter]

I hate GDL and his ridiculous claim that the team had no talent. What an insult to the current players and fanbase who showed and watched that this team DID have talent.

Last years team had talent up and down that defense, not just the starters (the best player on the defense, Smallwood, returns next year) The offense . . . not so much. Not sure how that cannot be said. That is not to say that the players on offense will not improve, and in some cases, improve tremendously. That is what often happens over the course of 4-5 years. But the offensive talent last year struggled. The scheme was poor. No question. But the offense lacked talent.

 

[huskysupporter]

The team absolutely did have talent over the past two seasons and considering the scheduled opponents, eight or none wins (before the bowl game they would have made with above .500 records each season) would not have been an unreasonable expectation for each season.

The worst part of the continual comments to the press about our lack of talent is that it undid everything we built over the decade prior to P & GDL's arrival and when other major conferences were looking to expand, we were viewed as a non-entity in football.

Even with the poor offense, there was no excuse not to make a bowl game last year.

 

[Pudge]

I thought the personnel on offense was pretty bad in PP's first year. Look at QB. RB. Receiver. We were in horrible shape on offense that year. It did not help having GDL in the booth, however. Definitely did not help.

If Randy Edsall was the Coach ... he NEVER would have left Robbie Frey get sideways on that Grad program. Which means that Lyle would be sharing the RB & we'd have had more yards in that category. His solution at QB would NOT have been McEntee. And, the OLine (under Foley) would have been far more formidable ... cause Good Gawd, we still had Petrus, Ryan and some good pieces.

I think that said a lot.

Now we are in a generation beyond GDL, let us see what this Fall brings.

 

[huskysupporter]

I am excited to see some of the young O Linemen in the spring, I have heard very good things. Should be an interesting battle, and no offensive lineman's job should be safe. The play of the O Line will be the key to next season, IMO. Despite losing 4 excellent players to the NFL on D, I am still very confident that that unit will be one of the best in the nation. O Line needs to sustain blocks in the run and pass game.

 

[huskymedic]

If Randy Edsall was the Coach ... he NEVER would have left Robbie Frey get sideways on that Grad program. Which means that Lyle would be sharing the RB & we'd have had more yards in that category. His solution at QB would NOT have been McEntee. And, the OLine (under Foley) would have been far more formidable ... cause Good Gawd, we still had Petrus, Ryan and some good pieces.

I think that said a lot.

Now we are in a generation beyond GDL, let us see what this Fall brings.

Gawd Pudge - not the Robbie Frey stuff again. Edsall could not have prevented him from transferring and nothing got sideways:

>>"I had been stressed out about this since Coach Edsall left," Frey said. "I had been thinking about things during the season and was worried about my future, and when I met Coach Pasqualoni, he had helped me get into Master's classes and work toward my degree."But I had visited Kutztown and decided that it really would be right for me."There were concerns Frey, who will graduate with degrees in history and political science in May and was on the Big East's all-academic team, would not be admitted to the highly selective and competitive graduate program, which takes just a few dozen applicants each year.At Kutztown, Frey will be able to graduate in 18 months and be certified to teach high school social studies in Pennsylvania. At UConn, it would have taken two years or longer. He also got engaged last summer, though he insisted that wasn't a factor in his move.<<