Players Beat Down Mentally

[Chin Diesel]

This quote from TJ really illustrates how far the players are from competing- nevermind winning.

"We're not ignorant enough to say that we're going to do the exact same things because if it ain't workin, you better find something else," Weist said during his Sunday postgame call. "It can only go so far to say 'we just gotta get better.' Sure, we've got to make some changes, got to figure some things out and that's what we're doing here today, whether it's personnel, whether it's scheme, whatever it is, we've got to find a way to put our players in a better position to motivate them to make plays.

http://www.courant.com/sports/uconn-football/hc-uconn-football-1021-20131020,0,4548365.story

Scary to read that the coach needs to "motivate them to make plays". I don't ever recall hearing a coach at the D1 college or professional level ever saying that.

 

[FDNY99]

Like anything that is abused for a period of time...beat them down long enough and it will take some time for them to respond.

 

[Waquoit]

What about the mental beatdown the fans are enduring? From BCS bowl to more than 3 TD dogs to Central Florida in less than 3 seasons.

 

[Carl Spackler]

This quote from TJ really illustrates how far the players are from competing- nevermind winning.

"We're not ignorant enough to say that we're going to do the exact same things because if it ain't workin, you better find something else," Weist said during his Sunday postgame call. "It can only go so far to say 'we just gotta get better.' Sure, we've got to make some changes, got to figure some things out and that's what we're doing here today, whether it's personnel, whether it's scheme, whatever it is, we've got to find a way to put our players in a better position to motivate them to make plays.

http://www.courant.com/sports/uconn-football/hc-uconn-football-1021-20131020,0,4548365.story

Scary to read that the coach needs to "motivate them to make plays". I don't ever recall hearing a coach at the D1 college or professional level ever saying that.

I read the article and I don't get the same impression. Any team that is 0-6 at the midway point of the season and has to go on the road to play the top team in their division is going to have their backs up against the wall.

What do you do? Do you lie down and play dead? Get all sick to your stomach and throw up? Not me. I've been on losing teams, I've been on winning teams, the difference between winning and losing is not very complicated. It's having enough talent and skill to compete with the level of competition you are engaged with (we do), it's playing with the highest level of intensity and passion that you can get to (we have in the past 2 weeks) and it's most of all - PREPARING mentally, physically, and emotionally better than your opponents and being fundamentally disciplined in what your jobs are. This is where we've failed.

I loved football practice, LOVED it, because I knew that when it was going full speed, when everybody was clicking, and knew what they were doing - and we had our game plans down - we would get out on the field on game day, and be ready to get the win, and more often than not - the win came.

These players - they have but one thing they can do. Prepare as hard and as best they can, to be automatic with all the mental and physical fundamentals of knowing their jobs inside and out within the game plan - and then go out on game day and play as hard as they possibly can, execute the game plan as close to perfectly as they can. These coaches - they need to come up with a good game plan, stick with it, and get them to practice the fundamentals mentally and physically of their jobs within the game plan as best they can, so they know them inside and out, and then when the game is on - stick with the plan.

That's all they can do.

All I can say, to end this, is that when these players actually put it all together, and they have prepared as hard as they can, and learned their fundamentals inside and out, and gone out and executed and run the game plan as close to perfection as possible and they DO get the win - the feeling they have when they are lying down to sleep at night, exhausted, is going to be amazing, and they will want it to continue.

I hate losing, I hate it hate it, I hate it more than I love winning. This fall has sucked, and I want it to change. I can only imagine how bad it sucks for the players on this team that feel the same way I do about losing.

it's time for them to step up and become leaders.

Over and out - I'm all pissed off again - need to go work out. GEt some energy out.

 

[emshorts]

take them all bowling, then to carvel.....things will look different afterwards

 

[huskymedic]

From today's press conference:

elsctpost​

11:32am via Web​

Weist: "Our players are not down, they are excited."

EdDaigneault​

11:51am via TweetDeck​

Weist on keeping players up: "You don't BS them. We're going to tell you the truth and sometimes you won't like it."

Tim_Fontenault​

11:51am via TweetDeck​

Weist: "We're not fake. We're going to be very demanding of our football players to be perfect."

 

[noeynox]

The Beatdown by Towson, followed by two very tough non conference games wrecked this team. It's why that,first game was so important. The team that played cincy, Saba shell of the team that went in believing they could beat Michigan.

Have to convince these kids to play with confidence and play fsat and with confidence. Not easy,to do with an 0-6, team.

 

[metsfan2323]

From today's press conference:

elsctpost
11:32am via Web
Weist: "Our players are not down, they are excited."

EdDaigneault
11:51am via TweetDeck
Weist on keeping players up: "You don't BS them. We're going to tell you the truth and sometimes you won't like it."

Tim_Fontenault
11:51am via TweetDeck
Weist: "We're not fake. We're going to be very demanding of our football players to be perfect."

Weist certainly communicates through the media better than P did.

If Weist can beat Temple, Rutgers, and Memphis he will have done an excellent job.

 

[BlueDogs]

I like TJ. He is no BS. He has his hands full, and is actively trying to make things work through changes. He also recognizes the game is about passion, intensity and a will to win. What he diplomatically said was the players have lost their passion, intensity and will to win. Exhibit A was the dreadful defensive performance. That was as much about quit as anythIng else. THESE PLAYERS NEED TO MAN UP AND START WAGING HOLY WAR ON THEIR OPPONENTS. D-Line needs to be uncaged savages, attacking and dominating one play at a time.

 

[billybud]

Maybe..if there is a loss in this next game, you might root for a perfect season...0-12.

It would be something to tell your grandkids about. I know that I tell my son that I was in the stands when FSU went winless (0-11) that one season.

From being a point of anguish, that season has become a point of pride for the long, long time fans that sat through that season. We brag..like old married folks comfortable with some of the hard times they weathered....."we were there, we stayed faithful".

 

[huskymedic]

Missed including this one...

DCSportsDept​

11:33am via TweetDeck​

Weist: "[The players] know that they are not an 0-6 team."

 

[Husky68]

Missed including this one...

DCSportsDept​

11:33am via TweetDeck​

Weist: "[The players] know that they are not an 0-6 team."

Sure seems to me like they are an 0-6 team. USF game showed it, so did Cincy. One good play here or there does not make a victory. Getting a 1st down does not make a drive, getting into the red zone does not get 7 points - teams that know how to win don't drop td passes, make interception catches, scramble out of sacks, get sacks. This team has exactly the record it earned.

 

[ruskin]

This team has exactly the record it earned.

Yeah, it's too bad they couldn't measure up to the wonderful coaching talent they were being led by for four games and 2 1/2 seasons.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

Sure seems to me like they are an 0-6 team. USF game showed it, so did Cincy. One good play here or there does not make a victory. Getting a 1st down does not make a drive, getting into the red zone does not get 7 points - teams that know how to win don't drop td passes, make interception catches, scramble out of sacks, get sacks. This team has exactly the record it earned.

I remember four particular plays in my junior year (H.S.). Two were fifty+ yard screen plays. One was an 85 yard run, and the fourth was a 95 yard interception return. I remember them because those were the only four times we scored that season. And I do mean ONLY times. No extra points. Twenty-four points scored total. A good play here or there does not make a victory.

As bad as our offense was, our defense was worse. Closest game: 34-6. We led exactly once, 6-0. We gave, on average, two touchdowns per quarter.

 

[ktuck911]

- they have but one thing they can do. Prepare as hard and as best they can, to be automatic with all the mental and physical fundamentals of knowing their jobs inside and out within the game plan - and then go out on game day and play as hard as they possibly can, execute the game plan as close to perfectly as they can. These coaches - they need to come up with a good game plan, stick with it, and get them to practice the fundamentals mentally and physically of their jobs within the game plan as best they can, so they know them inside and out, and then when the game is on - stick with the plan.

+++++1000

 

[Chin Diesel]

If TJ is sincere he needs to let them know that they are what their record shows.

He doesn't have to blame the players or fault them.

But he needs to get their attention to unlearn the habits, schemes and executions that got them to 0-6.

It's his job to get across his point and the distinction between owning the record and being blamed for it.

 

[Palatine]

Putting players in a position to make plays is not having to "motivate" them to make plays. Completely different.

 

[Jimdish255]

In order to gain that confidence we'll need to find a couple of things on offense and defense that we can consistently do well. It's all about building confidence and as far as the offense is concerned we need to find some "bread and butter" (thanks Carl) plays to set up the big plays. As Calhoun used to allude to developing a personality on offense and sometimes it would take an entire season even for him. TJ arguably has a bigger challenge with the line issues and injuries.

 

[Carl Spackler]

In order to gain that confidence we'll need to find a couple of things on offense and defense that we can consistently do well. It's all about building confidence and as far as the offense is concerned we need to find some "bread and butter" (thanks Carl) plays to set up the big plays. As Calhoun used to allude to developing a personality on offense and sometimes it would take an entire season even for him. TJ arguably has a bigger challenge with the line issues and injuries.

Now that the Pasqualoni and his sidekick George show has been over for 3 weeks, we have bread and butter on offense again. THey actually ran it very well against Cincinnati, but we got so far behind on the scoreboard, that the first time head coach, without a real OC anymore, starting calling only pass plays most of the game.

Up through the Cincy game, it's pretty clear what we are - a fundamentally undisciplined football team, with a shorthanded and inexperienced coaching staff. The breakdowns on defense for the Cincy game, had me so upset. It was fundamental assignment stuff. Cincy made some great plays, but that happens. WHen all things are equal, and everyone has done their job, and the ball is there for a play to be made, the difference is who makes the better athletic play.

It's incredibly frustrating to be 0-6, because the majority of the time this season, all the breakdowns and plays that have led us to be 0-6 - it's actually IMNSHO, a vast minority, that are the type I just described, where we've simply had players on the other team making better plays. THe majority of the time it's our own Shiite mistakes that are causing us to lose.

With the Pasqualoni and his sidekick George show, it was hard to determine what was going on. Weist is brutally honest, and open in the media - and in reality, it's something that he needs to reel in, because sooner or later, talking the way he does so openly is going to cause a problem - but it's got to be a happy medium somewhere...with the media - but he's a first time head coach.

We are not on overly talented or deep team, and we've got lots of recruiting work to do, to get to the point where we can go 6-0 against the kind of schedule we've had this year, and will have in the future (multiple top 25 teams, tough OOC competition).........OR.....we'll need to schedule like Rutgers.....that will have to be a decision for the long term, but for the immediate - our future schedules are going to be tough......

But anyway - we have enough to compete now, we just need to play fundamentally disciplined, as close to assignment perfect football as possible, and when something is working on offense, FUGGING stick with it.

 

[Waquoit]

I don't think the players should be let off the hook. One reason Foxx' play stood out last game is because we hadn't seen that level of effort very often this season. This IS an 0-6 team.

 

[Carl Spackler]

I don't think the players should be let off the hook. One reason Foxx' play stood out last game is because we hadn't seen that level of effort very often this season. This IS an 0-6 team.

Right. One of the issues so far has been the intensity and level of effort.

You gotta hope, that somewhere on this roster, within this team, the leaders have emerged, and it's been realized and put into action this week, that if the entire team can pick themselves up, and improve themselves and give the same kind of effort and performance - because effort isn't everything - it's just the start - you go to actually do your job right......do that all the time - that Foxx showed in going from the USF game to Cincinnati game - we'd beat UCF tomorrow, and win more than we lose the rest of the way for sure.