Re-Watched the game

[fortebleedsblue]

Came away with a few observations ...

1.) Our offense can move the ball, but the obvious is that JMac needs better pass protection. If they can buy him another second or two he can make plays. Also McCombs is starting to man up on some of his runs .. I saw him breaking several tackles up the middle few times. I like the way plays are being called but I still don't think Griffen and Nick Williams are being used enough. Nick Williams especially HAS to be used more! Deleone should add a few quick lateral passes into the mix to spread defenses out and keep the D honest. Question is, do we have the type of player that can accomplish this?

2.) Scoring is a major problem, not sure how many times we were in the redzone but it sure seems like this team leaves a ton of points out on the field.

3.) Byron Jones is a player ... he looks good out there filling in for Blidi ... good adjustment by the coaching staff and they deserve credit for it.

4.) Why doesn't our band play during time outs instead of the PA system. The PA system might pump up the crowd on 3rd down but when a time out is called the music like 'kiss me' etc is not appropriate, might as well play Jeopardy music during half time. This isn't basketball where time outs are dead periods. WE need to keep the crowd into it ... the band needs to be used here. Blast the Darth Vader theme song or something ... anything to keep the crowd rowdy through the time out. Get rid of the DJ ... he is obnoxious and cheesy.....continue to use our core songs and UTILIZE THE BAND MORE!

 

[Sean]

I think at this point, DJ Joey jacks me up just by my excitement to make fun of him. So, there's that.

 

[Stinger92860]

I also think Ty-Meer Brown has done an outstanding job the last 2 games.

 

[cryjeremiah]

you were sober this time......

 

[J187Money]

continue to use our core songs and UTILIZE THE BAND MORE!

On this note...what are the lyrics to that song the band plays and sings. I dig it but can't make out what hey are saying. They. Should post the lyrics on the big screen. If we got even half the crowd to sing along that would be crazy loud.

 

[HuskyNan]

Was it Hey Baby?

Hey, hey hey baby!
I want to know if you'll be my girl

 

[J187Money]

The one where they swing their arms and yell "Heyyyyy-OOOO" and somewhere in the middle of it spell out Connecticut (I think) but the rest of it just sounds muddled.

 

[huskyrob1]

Came away with a few observations ...

1.) Our offense can move the ball, but the obvious is that JMac needs better pass protection. If they can buy him another second or two he can make plays. Also McCombs is starting to man up on some of his runs .. I saw him breaking several tackles up the middle few times. I like the way plays are being called but I still don't think Griffen and Nick Williams are being used enough. Nick Williams especially HAS to be used more! Deleone should add a few quick lateral passes into the mix to spread defenses out and keep the D honest. Question is, do we have the type of player that can accomplish this?

2.) Scoring is a major problem, not sure how many times we were in the redzone but it sure seems like this team leaves a ton of points out on the field.

3.) Byron Jones is a player ... he looks good out there filling in for Blidi ... good adjustment by the coaching staff and they deserve credit for it.

4.) Why doesn't our band play during time outs instead of the PA system. The PA system might pump up the crowd on 3rd down but when a time out is called the music like 'kiss me' etc is not appropriate, might as well play Jeopardy music during half time. This isn't basketball where time outs are dead periods. WE need to keep the crowd into it ... the band needs to be used here. Blast the Darth Vader theme song or something ... anything to keep the crowd rowdy through the time out. Get rid of the DJ ... he is obnoxious and cheesy.....continue to use our core songs and UTILIZE THE BAND MORE!

Some QB's need pass protection to be effective, others not so much, in order to be accurate and/or to make plays. That's my beef with Mac vs using Nebrich. If Nebrich hears feet he doesn't panic and will scramble out of the pocket look for an open receiver or try and run the ball himself and gain a few yards if the DB's are all downfield. Can Nebrich make a bad decision? Sure he can, but IMO his instincts on what to do when things are happening very fast and he's hearing feet are light years better than Mac's. When Mac hears feet either he makes a bad pass, gets sacked IN the pocket or just plain loses it. Nebrich reminds of the QB at USF a couple years ago, he is that kind of player. On the flip side of what I just said a better offensive line would certainly give Mac more confidence to make plays and move the ball but I think all these TO's and 3 and outs are not just due to the OL.

 

[Palatine]

I don't believe that McCombs broke a single tackle. He went down on first contact every time.

He has some wiggle and made some folks miss. He is also doing a better job finishing his runs with forward progress. But he doesn't break tackles. That is something I watch specifically for every time he touches the ball. I would love to see it. As he gets physically stronger it should come.

 

[uconnfootball12]

I don't believe that McCombs broke a single tackle. He went down on first contact every time.

He has some wiggle and made some folks miss. He is also doing a better job finishing his runs with forward progress. But he doesn't break tackles. That is something I watch specifically for every time he touches the ball. I would love to see it. As he gets physically stronger it should come.

i like mccombs very tough youngster, slim frame. would like to see him muscle up some also. he has to make people miss, not a north-south runner, but looks to be improving!

 

[mets1090]

The one where they swing their arms and yell "Heyyyyy-OOOO" and somewhere in the middle of it spell out Connecticut (I think) but the rest of it just sounds muddled.

Hey oh, talkin out the side of your neck?

 

[gioff23]

Some QB's need pass protection to be effective, others not so much, in order to be accurate and/or to make plays. That's my beef with Mac vs using Nebrich. If Nebrich hears feet he doesn't panic and will scramble out of the pocket look for an open receiver or try and run the ball himself and gain a few yards if the DB's are all downfield. Can Nebrich make a bad decision? Sure he can, but IMO his instincts on what to do when things are happening very fast and he's hearing feet are light years better than Mac's. When Mac hears feet either he makes a bad pass, gets sacked IN the pocket or just plain loses it. Nebrich reminds of the QB at USF a couple years ago, he is that kind of player. On the flip side of what I just said a better offensive line would certainly give Mac more confidence to make plays and move the ball but I think all these TO's and 3 and outs are not just due to the OL.

I really believe MN will be a terrific player down the road, but if you saw that he was ready in his limited playing time, you saw something I did not. His passes looked like an ailing duck coming out, repeatedly. That comes from squeezing the ball too tight. And that comes from pure nervousness. And he scrambled a the first sign of trouble; another sign of nervousness. Those are not better instincts - those are signs of immaturity and a lackl of faith in your OL (and perhaps WRs). Does JMac hold on too long? Maybe, probably. Can he scramble? God no. But he simply has better pocket presence than MN right now.

I still believe MN will thrive under this staff, but he never gave me the impression he was ready right now. I understand the He didn't get as many chances as the other guy argument, I really do. But I believe the staff saw a kid who was simply not quite ready.

 

[Palatine]

I really believe MN will be a terrific player down the road, but if you saw that he was ready in his limited playing time, you saw something I did not. His passes looked like an ailing duck coming out, repeatedly. That comes from squeezing the ball too tight. And that comes from pure nervousness. And he scrambled a the first sign of trouble; another sign of nervousness. Those are not better instincts - those are signs of immaturity and a lackl of faith in your OL (and perhaps WRs). Does JMac hold on too long? Maybe, probably. Can he scramble? God no. But he simply has better pocket presence than MN right now.

I still believe MN will thrive under this staff, but he never gave me the impression he was ready right now. I understand the He didn't get as many chances as the other guy argument, I really do. But I believe the staff saw a kid who was simply not quite ready.

He wasn't any more limited than Mac with limited playing time. If he had gotten as many snaps as Mac has been given, who knows how he would have progressed? But we'll never know because he has never been given a fair chance to show he can produce.

 

[huskyrob1]

I really believe MN will be a terrific player down the road, but if you saw that he was ready in his limited playing time, you saw something I did not. His passes looked like an ailing duck coming out, repeatedly. That comes from squeezing the ball too tight. And that comes from pure nervousness. And he scrambled a the first sign of trouble; another sign of nervousness. Those are not better instincts - those are signs of immaturity and a lackl of faith in your OL (and perhaps WRs). Does JMac hold on too long? Maybe, probably. Can he scramble? God no. But he simply has better pocket presence than MN right now.

I still believe MN will thrive under this staff, but he never gave me the impression he was ready right now. I understand the He didn't get as many chances as the other guy argument, I really do. But I believe the staff saw a kid who was simply not quite ready.

OK all fair points but as far as the "passes looking like an ailing duck" comment I'll just post an old picture........

 

[J187Money]

He wasn't any more limited than Mac with limited playing time. If he had gotten as many snaps as Mac has been given, who knows how he would have progressed? But we'll never know because he has never been given a fair chance to show he can produce.

Of course if he didn't produce in practice either...

 

[Jarhead_1775]

Some QB's need pass protection to be effective, others not so much, in order to be accurate and/or to make plays. That's my beef with Mac vs using Nebrich. If Nebrich hears feet he doesn't panic and will scramble out of the pocket look for an open receiver or try and run the ball himself and gain a few yards if the DB's are all downfield. Can Nebrich make a bad decision? Sure he can, but IMO his instincts on what to do when things are happening very fast and he's hearing feet are light years better than Mac's. When Mac hears feet either he makes a bad pass, gets sacked IN the pocket or just plain loses it. Nebrich reminds of the QB at USF a couple years ago, he is that kind of player. On the flip side of what I just said a better offensive line would certainly give Mac more confidence to make plays and move the ball but I think all these TO's and 3 and outs are not just due to the OL.

Seriously? You saw all that in the what, 1 quarter he's played? I think the kid has great potential but just isn't ready. Honestly I have to trust the guy with a gazillion years of football coaching experience to make the more informed decision.

 

[freescooter]

He wasn't any more limited than Mac with limited playing time. If he had gotten as many snaps as Mac has been given, who knows how he would have progressed? But we'll never know because he has never been given a fair chance to show he can produce.

Hey, who knows if Blaise Driscoll had come to UCONN as a freshman instead of Trinity, and if he had as many snaps as Johnny Mac, it is at least theoretically possible that he would be as good or better than Tom Brady...after all he did throw the winning td pass in the spring game...in typical Brady fashion with the clock running down...so its possible...in fact, based on production he maybe should have been given the first crack at the starting qb job.

 

[Palatine]

Seriously? You saw all that in the what, 1 quarter he's played? I think the kid has great potential but just isn't ready. Honestly I have to trust the guy with a gazillion years of football coaching experience to make the more informed decision.

And what makes you so sure he isn't ready? Based on what?

By the way, lots of coaches are fired every year, so your coaches are infallible argument has a serious downside. Heck, Bill Parcells, hall of fame coach, picked Scott Brunner ahead of Phil Simms. He saw them in practice and picked the wrong guy. But P. can't make a mistake?

 

[Jarhead_1775]

And what makes you so sure he isn't ready? Based on what?

By the way, lots of coaches are fired every year, so your coaches are infallible argument has a serious downside.

I didn't say anything about infallibility, only more infallible than my own highly questionable, seat o the pants judgements.

 

[businesslawyer]

People have had this debate before with Palatine and never gotten anywhere. No one thinks that coaches are always right. But most people accept that, except where you can see the proof in front of your own eyes, you might as well assume coaches are right because you have no basis to assume they are wrong.

 

[huskyrob1]

People have had this debate before with Palatine and never gotten anywhere. No one thinks that coaches are always right. But most people accept that, except where you can see the proof in front of your own eyes, you might as well assume coaches are right because you have no basis to assume they are wrong.

People have had this debate before with Palatine and never gotten anywhere. No one thinks that athletic directors and college presidents are always right. But most people accept that, except where you can see the proof in front of your own eyes, you might as well assume athletic directors and college presidents are right because you have no basis to assume they are wrong when they fire the coaches, like Rich Rod, Tyrone Willingham, Charlie Weis, etc​

 

[businesslawyer]

While that's a great and impressive use of a rhetorical device, I'm not sure what your point is. Coaches get fired when they don't produce results acceptable to their bosses. What, pray tell, does that have to do with my post. Are you reallly claiming that because they have the power to fire a coach, that makes it more likelly that they know more than the coaches about who can play?

 

[huskyrob1]

While that's a great and impressive use of a rhetorical device, I'm not sure what your point is. Coaches get fired when they don't produce results acceptable to their bosses. What, pray tell, does that have to do with my post. Are you reallly claiming that because they have the power to fire a coach, that makes it more likelly that they know more than the coaches about who can play?

Know more? No of course not but I guess my main point is that doesn't change the fact coaches are accountable to those who know less about the game and the team in general. That doesn't mean though that because they are lesser individuals (football wise) that they can't see when the coach might be making a grevious error, be it the AD, the college president, a sportwriter, a booster like Burton, or even Palatine. Was Rich Rodriguez right most of the time when he coached Michigan? Sure he was, but it's the few mistakes that he made that got him fired by people who know less about the game and the team than he did.

 

[PUPPY4]

i like mccombs very tough youngster, slim frame. would like to see him muscle up some also. he has to make people miss, not a north-south runner, but looks to be improving!

You guys like to see smaller backs run to the edges, he not that kind of back.
Contrary to opinion, he is a north and south runner, he doesn't get tackled for loss very often.
What you saw against USF is his style of running.