Q&A with Coach P

[CTMike]

ESPN's Andrea Adelson throws a few q's his way...

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigeast/post/_/id/33140/qa-uconn-coach-paul-pasqualoni

 

[jbdphi]

As I said in the comments section at ESPN, this analogy to Donovan McNabb is going to get real old real quick. He used it last year as well. You cannot expect five guys to split reps for any extended period of time in the fall.

If he doesn't think Whitmer's body of work in the Spring stood out as being better than the other candidates, isn't he basically implying that outside of the Spring game, Whitmer underperformed against his competition? Since I think it is fairly obvious that Whitmer was the best QB in the Spring game, if he had been equivalent to the other QB's in the practices / scrimmages to that point, wouldn't that be enough to give him the nod?

I want to have faith here and maybe I shouldn't actually believe what he is saying here (maybe he knows that Whitmer is the guy but he doesn't want to name him over the summer to keep everyone else motivated) but every time I hear this stuff, I get frustrated.

 

[Palatine]

Whitmer is the guy. P. needs to come to that conclusion sooner rather than later.

 

[CTMike]

(maybe he knows that Whitmer is the guy but he doesn't want to name him over the summer to keep everyone else motivated)

I think you hit the nail right on the head with this comment. He's not dumb - he knows that he can't have a repeat of last year. At the same time though, it's not like anyone in our stable answered the call last year, either. But I think you are right on regarding motivation. He doesn't want Whitmer resting on a strong spring game, and he wants the other guys fighting. That's how it should be. The proof will be when it comes time to trot someone out under center for the first game.

 

[CL82]

Check out a nice epark zing in the comments.

 

[sdhusky]

I think you hit the nail right on the head with this comment. He's not dumb - he knows that he can't have a repeat of last year. At the same time though, it's not like anyone in our stable answered the call last year, either. But I think you are right on regarding motivation. He doesn't want Whitmer resting on a strong spring game, and he wants the other guys fighting. That's how it should be. The proof will be when it comes time to trot someone out under center for the first game.

Reading his comments about redshirting, he definitely believes that competition keeps players sharp. One thing that is likely, we will need more than one QB over a 12 game schedule and the back up better be ready.

Remember every November how Calhoun would be saying somebody like Justin Brown was going to take a starter minutes? Same thing.

 

[IMind]

I think you hit the nail right on the head with this comment. He's not dumb - he knows that he can't have a repeat of last year. At the same time though, it's not like anyone in our stable answered the call last year, either. But I think you are right on regarding motivation. He doesn't want Whitmer resting on a strong spring game, and he wants the other guys fighting. That's how it should be. The proof will be when it comes time to trot someone out under center for the first game.

Whitmer also has what amounts to the least amount of time with the program. It's perfectly logical (although I find it frustrating too) to be hesitant about naming the kid the starter after just a couple of months in the program.

 

[RabidHusky]

Whitmer has game experience at the college level (JC I know). Maybe he sees talent in others that could flourish with time?

 

[Marty Jackson]

Mentions competition between mcnabb and a couple others I'm not familiar with while at su. If he couldn't differentiate a hall of famer from the others maybe our problem is an indecisive coach.
I'd like to think that's not the case but he should stop using that example because it doesn't make him look like a good judge of talent at qb

 

[Bootsthemonkey]

As I said in the comments section at ESPN, this analogy to Donovan McNabb is going to get real old real quick. He used it last year as well. You cannot expect five guys to split reps for any extended period of time in the fall.

If he doesn't think Whitmer's body of work in the Spring stood out as being better than the other candidates, isn't he basically implying that outside of the Spring game, Whitmer underperformed against his competition? Since I think it is fairly obvious that Whitmer was the best QB in the Spring game, if he had been equivalent to the other QB's in the practices / scrimmages to that point, wouldn't that be enough to give him the nod?

I want to have faith here and maybe I shouldn't actually believe what he is saying here (maybe he knows that Whitmer is the guy but he doesn't want to name him over the summer to keep everyone else motivated) but every time I hear this stuff, I get frustrated.

Re: "Body of work" - it doesn't say to me that outside of the spring game Whitmer under-performed. What it says to me is that the spring game was one practice/scrimmage of many during the spring and performances of each QB varied. Some guys had good days, some bad. If someone on this board saw every spring practice and declared Whitmer should be the starter I'd listen. I don't disagree Whitmer shined the brightest that one day but it was one day. There could have been days when Nebrich, Mac, Cochran stole the show. In any case naming a starter right now does nothing for the team.

I also think coach PP is acutely aware that his players will see/hear anything that comes up in the media as well.

 

[LRock34]

ESPN's Andrea Adelson throws a few q's his way...

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigeast/post/_/id/33140/qa-uconn-coach-paul-pasqualoni[/quote]

Is it me or do all of P's press conferences and Q&A's make you want to say "Thank you Captain Obvious."

"we got this guy, that guy, this guy over here, we need to work hard over there, we're going to throw the ball and run it hard...". Thanks coach, got it.

 

[Uconnalliance]

I think he does it for the drama get and keep everyone talking bout the program. I'm sure in his mind he saw what disaster last yr was and he won't let it happen again

 

[CTMike]

haha, that's fair. Obviously, he's not going to tip his hand until we have a game to play. And I can't really blame him for that.

 

[SubbaBub]

I guess we'll find out if after the first week if camp, there are still five guys splitting reps.

By that I mean, after the first week of camp there better not be five guys splitting reps.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2

 

[JaYnYcE]

thanks again Hathaway

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

thanks again Hathaway

It's amazing that his search didn't include you or some of the other posters here.

 

[freescooter]

Here's how I read that interview..."I don't want any of the quarterbacks slacking off this summer, and I don't want someone transferring and screwing up my depth chart, so I'm not saying what anyone who watched the spring game obviously know...Whitmer is the Starter, Cochran will redshirt and the rest of them will fight it out for the backup spot...and I wish the hell we could teach Mccummings to throw the football even a little...he would be really dangerous then."

 

[sdhusky]

It's amazing that his search didn't include you or some of the other posters here.

It is amazing how much better PP did than any other SU coach over the past 40 years.

Since 1972, two coaches never had a winning season in that period, Marrone has had only 1 out of 3, Maloney had 3 winning season out of 7, MAC had 7/10, PP was 12/14.

He has, by far, the best winning % of the coaches in the past 40 years - .410%, .586%, .213% & .480% VS. PP with .644%

As far as quality bowls and bowls wins, same thing.

I think we are in for a nice ride over the next few years.

 

[weyuo]

Coach P has been around the block enough times to know that you don't tip your hand months before the season even starts. Keep everyone, especially your opponents, guessing as to what you actually have and what your actually going to use. The longer you can make the opposition prepare for anything & everything the better off you are.

 

[jbdphi]

Coach P has been around the block enough times to know that you don't tip your hand months before the season even starts. Keep everyone, especially your opponents, guessing as to what you actually have and what your actually going to use. The longer you can make the opposition prepare for anything & everything the better off you are.

Seriously? You think we're game planning right now for UMass or NC State? Or perhaps we're actually trying to get our players to understand the offense and defense, the playbook and their roles? Getting your starter more reps so he can get more comfortable with his offensive line, receivers and RB's is far more important.