Rice post game thread

[uconnyankee]

Just like on the field, the program needs to make consistent forward progress. We as fans - who have supported this program for years - should be able to


To be fair, 4 years is a long time. I’m not suggesting we’re in the exact same boat but

I mean for one I’d suggest AD Dave go down and tell Mora these losses aren’t acceptable and that he needs to find a new DC. That would be a start.

I don’t know. Maybe. I’m sure Mora is talking with his DC. Not sure what DB adding more pressure will do. It’s not like we’re paying these guys top dollar so whoever comes in is likely another young up and coming DC.

 

[uconnyankee]

So you have us beating Duke?

I would love to see it.
Not sure I’d bet on it, but I’ll see what the line is first.

I think there are 4 more victories including a bowl game.

 

[Woof 101]

I hope there have been hard conversations with those who vouched for grabbing these players and changes will be made to next year's evaluation process.

No attack @Chin Diesel but many who think this do not realize the players in the portal may be offered and get to pick and chose.
UConn has no conference money or championship to offer. Only a bowl game if some team turns it down.
JM and the staff have the toughest job in college football recruiting in MHO.
I love the loyalty of the fans on this forum but it must be realized the biggest battle we face is not on the field of play. It's that of being odd man out recruiting and coaching up the best of the rest.
It should also be realized it is Mora that got a few big donors to buy in and keep a couple of key players of staying here.

Very tough loss for sure but our win over UAB will have everyone off the ledge and bowl talking again. ; )

 

[Viet Vet]

Mora has brought us from the outhouse to indoors. We’d all like to be up in the penthouse, but that is not yet realistic. Football is not basketball. Bringing in three or four studs each year immediately builds a basketball powerhouse. Football requires dozens. We don’t have basketball’s pedigree to bring in dozens of football studs.

Let’s all reflect in the mirror for a moment on how low this program had sunk. We are three overtime losses removed from an undefeated season. Sure, the schedule is very weak, but does anyone think we’d be better off with Diaco, Pasquiloni or Edsall?

I have the same issues with offensive play calling and defensive (tackling) deficiencies as everyone else, but let’s ask ourselves Ronald Reagan’s noteworthy question, “Are you better off than you were four years ago?”

 

[jdb50]

Watching some of the replays during the game on Saturday it looked like we had our D tackle/ends stunting away from where they were lined up and LBs did not fill the hole. That and Rice was happy to shove our guys where they were stunting to and the Rice RB hit the gap. As aggravating as the defense can be with the missed tackles it was the offense that lost the game. In the second half we did stop Rice and had good field position but the offense crapped the bed. 2nd and ten or 2nd and 12 over and over. You win by scoring and that group could not produce. The next 3 opponents will not be beaten without top level scoring production.

 

[Jetskies]

Mora has brought us from the outhouse to indoors. We’d all like to be up in the penthouse, but that is not yet realistic. Football is not basketball. Bringing in three or four studs each year immediately builds a basketball powerhouse. Football requires dozens. We don’t have basketball’s pedigree to bring in dozens of football studs.

Let’s all reflect in the mirror for a moment on how low this program had sunk. We are three overtime losses removed from an undefeated season. Sure, the schedule is very weak, but does anyone think we’d be better off with Diaco, Pasquiloni or Edsall?

I have the same issues with offensive play calling and defensive (tackling) deficiencies as everyone else, but let’s ask ourselves Ronald Reagan’s noteworthy question, “Are you better off than you were four years ago?”

i read this in Ronald Reagan's voice.

 

[RitzLuce1]

No attack @Chin Diesel but many who think this do not realize the players in the portal may be offered and get to pick and chose.
UConn has no conference money or championship to offer. Only a bowl game if some team turns it down.
JM and the staff have the toughest job in college football recruiting in MHO.

Maybe if it is such a hopeless job and situation you should have let us known at the beginning of the season when people had penciled in 9 wins with this schedule. I guess we just can't compete with Rice or Delaware in the facilities/cash dept.

Reading some of the posts, Mora may have one of the best jobs in football. He will always look good in comparison to what Edsall 2.0 left him. He can't lose. Even when we do.

 

[Chin Diesel]

No attack @Chin Diesel but many who think this do not realize the players in the portal may be offered and get to pick and chose.
UConn has no conference money or championship to offer. Only a bowl game if some team turns it down.
JM and the staff have the toughest job in college football recruiting in MHO.
I love the loyalty of the fans on this forum but it must be realized the biggest battle we face is not on the field of play. It's that of being odd man out recruiting and coaching up the best of the rest.
It should also be realized it is Mora that got a few big donors to buy in and keep a couple of key players of staying here.

Very tough loss for sure but our win over UAB will have everyone off the ledge and bowl talking again. ; )

Agree UConn is in a poor position for recruiting for all the reasons you mentioned.

I've also said recruiting transfers for defense is harder since Brock plays a 3-3-5 and few other teams play it so they have to project how players will fit in the 3-3-5.

None of that changes a really poor result in backfilling the D Line this year. Taking a hard, honest look at what decisions were made, who made those decisions, and determining if there needs to be changes,is something every healthy organization does when process leads to poor results.

 

[UConnDan97]

If losing 3 overtime games (it’s nearly impossible to lose all 3) doesn’t warrant “sound the alarm” should it at the very least raise some eye brows? Lead to some questions?

It also seems your solution to improve is to build a better team this off season. I agree with that.

The odds of losing 3 overtime games isn't "nearly impossible". It's 12.5%...

 

[coachcap]

Just another thought: for those who want the DC's head served on a silver platter, remember that after last season there were many on this board who, after last season's success, anointed him as head coach in waiting. You are only as good as the players on your roster, & last season's defense had a lot of seniors who were not adequately replaced...

 

[UConnDan97]

Just another thought: for those who want the DC's head served on a civil platter, remember that after last season there were many on this board who, after last season's success, anointed his as head coach in waiting. You are only as good as the players on your roster, & last season's defense had a lot of seniors who were not adequately replaced...

Agreed. Stafford, Gourdine, and Yates were a tough group to replace, including an additional 5 or 6 starters along with them...

 

[Kolumbo]

The odds of losing 3 overtime games isn't "nearly impossible". It's 12.5%...

All things being equal. Delaware and Rice are not, or were not, equal to UConn. I put it closer to 5%

 

[huskymedic]

With the amount of dominoes about to fall (both for coaching staffs and players) patience here may be the right move. There is going to be a lot of movement on the horizon. Let the dust settle.

 

[UConnDan97]

All things being equal. Delaware and Rice are not, or were not, equal to UConn. I put it closer to 5%

When you go into overtime, you are playing equally well that day. That's how you end up in overtime.

So yes, it's 1/2 * 1/2 * 1/2. That's how it works...

 

[Bonamassa]

This thread is reading like the 2025 season in review. I believe there are 4 games left with 3 at home. I think I'm going to wait just a little longer.

 

[giddyup]

Beat Duke and we may have salvaged some credibility as a potential future P4 but losing to Delaware and Rice are just self inflicted killers. Right now, I’m not even sure we can get by UAB. They seem to be able to put up points. We better get our together.

 

[Sky ball]

How about Mora. THis is HIS program. These are his coaches and players.

This is what he was at UCLA. Mediocrity personified.

Let's have Edsall 3...Good Times

 

[Sky ball]

Mora cannot tackle

Nope...We get no Pass Rush from Mora eother. Needs more weight room.

 

[temery]

The number of you who barely if at all posted after the BC win, who have now posted a dozen+ times the same day as the Rice loss, is disgusting.

Redefining fandom, one POS at a time.

 

[noeynox]

The number of you who barely if at all posted after the BC win, who have now posted a dozen+ times the same day as the Rice loss, is disgusting.

Redefining fandom, one POS at a time.

I sat both threads out! Thankful to avoid temery Hall of Shame.

 

[BlueandOG]

It was a tough loss, but understandable after the big win against BC. I'm disappointed, but I am still happy with Mora. He and his staff transformed the program from a national laughingstock (Fishcakes, Civil Conflict, skipping COVID season, historically worst college football defense in 2018) to a team that packed Fenway and beat a P4 team in a bowl game.

We are 5-3, 3-0 at home. We have home games against UAB, Duke, and Air Force. We will win at least two of those games. We have one road game left against Florida Atlantic. We'll be competitive in that one too.

We'll end the season at 8-4 and play in a decent bowl game.

 

[Kolumbo]

When you go into overtime, you are playing equally well that day. That's how you end up in overtime.

So yes, it's 1/2 * 1/2 * 1/2. That's how it works...

The better team should still have an advantage regardless of how the teams arrived at the same score. That's how it works.

If we go into OT again the odds of winning that game will be about 50/50, unless it's Duke. Then we are in trouble.

 

[noeynox]

It was a tough loss, but understandable after the big win against BC. I'm disappointed, but I am still happy with Mora. He and his staff transformed the program from a national laughingstock (Fishcakes, Civil Conflict, skipping COVID season, historically worst college football defense in 2018) to a team that packed Fenway and beat a P4 team in a bowl game.

We are 5-3, 3-0 at home. We have home games against UAB, Duke, and Air Force. We will win at least two of those games. We have one road game left against Florida Atlantic. We'll be competitive in that one too.

We'll end the season at 8-4 and play in a decent bowl game.

I love Mora and what he has done here, on occasion he makes some bad moves. I hope the forums doesn't deem someone that can't shouldn't be criticized when he on occasion makes moves that cost them a game. UConn fb isn't LSU where they fire Brian Kelly so the expectations are way more reasonable. When Mora is criticized it is usually frustration over blowing a winnable game.

 

[temery]

I love Mora and what he has done here, on occasion he makes some bad moves. I hope the forums doesn't deem someone that can't shouldn't be criticized when he on occasion makes moves that cost them a game. UConn fb isn't LSU where they fire Brian Kelly so the expectations are way more reasonable. When Mora is criticized it is usually frustration over blowing a winnable game.

I have no problem with constructive criticism. I do have a problem with people who only show up here only after a loss.

Mora is the same coach today as he was after the BC win.

You take the good, you take the bad / You take 'em both and there you have ... UConn football.

 

[tiger paw]

Bottom line. Talent level is no better than that of Rice or Delaware. Do not see any leadership on the D-side. Some one that steps up and makes the big play in clutch situations.

 

[noeynox]

Bottom line. Talent level is no better than that of Rice or Delaware. Do not see any leadership on the D-side. Some one that steps up and makes the big play in clutch situations.

The defense is bad at tackling and covering. Some of it is masked by the fact that they get a lot of sacks. It covers up some of the stink.

 

[FightOnCT]

Bottom line. Talent level is no better than that of Rice or Delaware. Do not see any leadership on the D-side. Some one that steps up and makes the big play in clutch situations.

Doesn’t that mean by that logic our talent is about that of Syracuse and much more than BC?

 

[AllHusky]

Let down after a big win, game on the road a long way from home, in a depressing environment. Seems as though all the warts were on display at once. Concern is that we've seen the absolute best Joey and the Offense have to give, and the D doesn't seem to have the potential to "level up" in the short term. More than anything, it just points out how darn hard the job is.

Defense loses everybody again, Offense doesn't project to be better next year, unless of course...we hit it big in the Portal on both sides of the ball. Lotta pressure on recruiting and evaluation

 

[Kowalski]

The better team should still have an advantage regardless of how the teams arrived at the same score. That's how it works.

If we go into OT again the odds of winning that game will be about 50/50, unless it's Duke. Then we are in trouble.

After seeing the defense gashed late to get to OT in each of those 3 road games, I certainly never felt like UConn had the better chance to win any going into OT.

 

[ZooCougar]

Overtime is UConn’s most feared rival.