Rice post game thread

[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.

 

[How Sway?!]

Interesting data point:

Based off 247 recruit rankings, out of the top 15 HS recruits from Connecticut, UConn has gotten 0 of them in each of the last 3 years (2023-2025)

Last time we got a top 15 in state recruit was in 2022 when we got Victor Rosa and Brady Wayburn.

Reinforces the point that we are relying on the portal too much.

 

[UCan3]

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.

I can honestly say that there are no guaranteed Ws for us - not with the Defense we have.

What I find most concerning is their inability to rise to the occasion.

They kind of remind me of the Steelers. Both with Mora and Tomlin being eerily similar in their inability to adjust.

We are playing one of the weakest schedules in the nation……
We seem to be making other Offenses dreams come true.

To some extent I feel like we are getting beat with X and Os, they are expecting whatever we are throwing at them.

I am not saying we need trick plays but should be consider alternate approaches depending on who we’re playing. The ride “Cam” to the W is most definitely not working.. Not sure if its him, the defenses expecting him or what but we have to find more answers.

 

[Kembafan]

Mora has done a good job bringing us out of the dungeon with UMass but let’s be honest, despite my username, he isn’t the answer. Need to bring in someone with a WINNING mentality after this season.

Mora's a great leader of the program but he's just a mediocre coach. That said, replacing him is not a good idea at this stage. The AD needs to get in the weeds and figure out what's not working. Maybe we need to pony up the cash for better O or D coaches, or maybe our recruiting/portal strategy needs to change. There's no reason why we should be playing close games against Rice or Delaware, let alone losing to them even if it's on the road.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

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.

Came here today to post that the staff lost the game this week after not posting after the BC win.

 

[huskymedic]

Interesting data point:

Based off 247 recruit rankings, out of the top 15 HS recruits from Connecticut, UConn has gotten 0 of them in each of the last 3 years (2023-2025)

Last time we got a top 15 in state recruit was in 2022 when we got Victor Rosa and Brady Wayburn.

Reinforces the point that we are relying on the portal too much.

FWIW - we got 2026 RB Malachi Greaves from St Thomas More who was #13 in the class but reclassified to 2025 and enrolled @ UConn early.

But to your point the majority of the ranked kids are not CT natives and are @ the high end Prep schools/not the CIAC high schools. The P4 pull for those ranked kids is significant. At this point (IMO) UConn’s best bet is build the relationships w/ those kids now and catch them on the transfer portal rebound. NIL/Revenue Sharing $ coming out of high school will remain a challenge for UConn.

The staff has shown that CT kids can have a significant place in the program if they give it a chance.