Should Boyle be our starting QB?

[ATLDYKA]

Maybe it's just a smart kid saying the right things knowing he's not getting the starting job at the time. The last part saying he is ready to go is what I like to hear also. It may be sooner than later after all.

 

[Bonehead]

I am going to friend Chandler (Bing) Whitmer on FB - lord knows he needs some Friends.

 

[ATLDYKA]

I am going to friend Chandler (Bing) Whitmer on FB - lord knows he needs some Friends.

If Whitmer is the man, believe me I will be pulling for him to succeed and for the team to win.

 

[freescooter]

I just don't understand why anyone believes Whitmer is good enough based on what we've seen. If we go with him I really hope that I'm wrong and I will root for him, but I'm not optimistic. If we don't win 6 games with CW as the starter, redshirting Boyle will look like a huge mistake.

Problem is that Boyle just isn't that good either. Pal puts more stock in almosts than anyone I ever met, and he has decided that because 2 passes were dropped in game one Boyle is only a step away from Brady, but here is the reality: QB efficiency 71.8%. Completion percentage:44.1%, TDs: 0, INT:8, Passing yards: 645, Ave/game:124. Longest pass: 36 yards. and as I said he led UConn to 2 offensive touchdowns in 5 games he played in, and 1 of those was a 65 yard McCombs run. What in heavens name do people see in his performance to date that makes them think he is an improvement over Whitmer? By virtually every statistic Whitmer isn't just better, but a lot better. Now I will concede that Boyle might have improved over the summer, but the idea that somehow he has made these great strides seems a little far-fetched in light of Diaco's decision to split the time between Cochran and Whitmer. After all, there is little long term benefit to playing Whitmer since he is a senior.

 

[BlueMAB]

Maybe it's just a smart kid saying the right things knowing he's not getting the starting job at the time. The last part saying he is ready to go is what I like to hear also. It may be sooner than later after all.

Maybe. But he completed 44% of his passes for 0 TDs and 8 INTs.

Maybe he was humbled and realizes he has a lot to learn and wasn't (isn't?) ready for this level yet. The silver lining (I'm reaching, I know) is that with Cochran out for a TBD amount of time, Boyle will get more practice reps, which will help his development.

 

[Palatine]

Problem is that Boyle just isn't that good either. Pal puts more stock in almosts than anyone I ever met, and he has decided that because 2 passes were dropped in game one Boyle is only a step away from Brady, but here is the reality: QB efficiency 71.8%. Completion percentage:44.1%, TDs: 0, INT:8, Passing yards: 645, Ave/game:124. Longest pass: 36 yards. and as I said he led UConn to 2 offensive touchdowns in 5 games he played in, and 1 of those was a 65 yard McCombs run. What in heavens name do people see in his performance to date that makes them think he is an improvement over Whitmer? By virtually every statistic Whitmer isn't just better, but a lot better. Now I will concede that Boyle might have improved over the summer, but the idea that somehow he has made these great strides seems a little far-fetched in light of Diaco's decision to split the time between Cochran and Whitmer. After all, there is little long term benefit to playing Whitmer since he is a senior.

It's unfortunate but with young players when stuff starts to go downhill it can turn into an avalanche. It happens.

Coach Diaco is the one who says Boyle has the best physical skills. And I would expect him to have progressed somewhat. As Jim Calhoun once said, -the best think about freshman is they become sophomores.

 

[FrostyNuggets]

It's unfortunate but with young players when stuff starts to go downhill it can turn into an avalanche. It happens.

Coach Diaco is the one who says Boyle has the best physical skills. And I would expect him to have progressed somewhat. As Jim Calhoun once said, -the best think about freshman is they become sophomores.

Al McGuire said that. A sophmore becoming a redshirt sophmore aint so bad either, if the situation allows for it.

 

[businesslawyer]

I don't know either. I guess I'm just one of those who believes you get better by playing and that redshirting and sitting a year and then stepping in next year won't make him a better player because he sat and watched.

Of course it won't. No one redshirts because it's easier to learn if you aren't also worried about playing. Whom are you arguing with?

One redshirts when won't be of much value to the team that season, but it is at least reasonable to hope that the same player will be of much greater value 4 or 5 years down the road when the extra year kicks in.

Whatever. I am not one for saving redshirts for the future. I'm just comfortable that the staff didn't think Boyle was ready to help the team now.

 

[tiger8mush]

May I ask, if the thought is for Boyle is to redshirt this year, who would go in if Whitmer gets shaken up on a play or struggles mightily against Boise State?

The answer to that question, in my opinion, should at least get some 4th quarter snaps vs Stony Brook tomorrow.

 

[freescooter]

It's unfortunate but with young players when stuff starts to go downhill it can turn into an avalanche. It happens.

Coach Diaco is the one who says Boyle has the best physical skills. And I would expect him to have progressed somewhat. As Jim Calhoun once said, -the best think about freshman is they become sophomores.

He couldn't beat out Whitmer or Cochran. I don't care what physical skills he has. And improving "somewhat" would have meant he moved from bad to just not very good. Right now it is Whitmer's job. I hope he takes the opportunity and succeeds.

 

[NorwalkHusky]

Whatever happens I think Chandler realizes this is his change to win the starting position from Casey. Go out there tomorrow and dazzle us, that's what we want to see. There were times in 2012 when I saw good things from Whitmer (vs. Pitt) he did just enough to win those games. Be a game manager, get the ball to Davis and dump screen passes to Foxx. That is what will win us the game tomorrow. And put this dumb thread to rest by making us forget about Casey. This is his last chance and I know he will make the most of it.

 

[Palatine]

He couldn't beat out Whitmer or Cochran. I don't care what physical skills he has. And improving "somewhat" would have meant he moved from bad to just not very good. Right now it is Whitmer's job. I hope he takes the opportunity and succeeds.

He was hurt. He didn't get a fair chance to compete because he was hurt.

 

[FAIRTIDES]

Whitmer was not good enough under the status quo. The status quo has changed.

Know what seems crazy to me? Most of us seem willing to give players on this team the benefit of the doubt because of the PPGDL atrocity. The theme is and has been; players and, therefore, the team will be better because ..................

Why is CW any different? If anything, he was the player most harmed by the PP regime. I don't know if he can be what the program needs. I do think he deserves the same consideration as the lineman who couldn't protect him, or any other player that underperformed because of the incompetence of the previous staff. He deserves nothing more. But, certainly, nothing less.

I maybe miss-interpreting, but I thought RD's pointing out that "CW had nothing to prove to the coaches" was very interesting. T

 

[NEforceUConn]

I say start the Murphy kid.................oh wait

 

[Dogged]

You mean the guy who had the worst rting in D-1 last year and had 0 td passes in 5 games? Please. What makes you think he is anywhere near ready this year? He'd have to improve a whole lot just to be bad.[/QUOTE


What's the alternative? I'm hearing now that Casey has concussions from high school and youth football. My son suffers from this and I don't see a good outcome for him. I think we have to go with what we have. Casey may be done.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

I thought Boyle looked awful last season and just got worse the more he played.

Now being a freshman and playing some great teams obviously contributed to that, but aside from being a big kid, I didn't see the tools there that some people bring up with him.

Hopefully CW just plays well and CC gets healthy ( whether that ends with him on the field or a degree).

 

[junglehusky]

Congratulations on your ability to read minds. Burt why are you wasting time on the Boneyard if you can read minds, you should use that ability to make millions of dollars.

I am not even suggesting what you posted. Last year, Boyle came out played well and had two TD passes dropped in the first quarter. Once things started going downhill, he was unable to stop it. He also faced the toughest part of our schedule.

For the record, I didn't say that's what you were thinking, I said that's what you wanted someone else to say. Big difference.

(Not really? Okay, no more mind reading)

 

[Palatine]

Know what seems crazy to me? Most of us seem willing to give players on this team the benefit of the doubt because of the PPGDL atrocity. The theme is and has been; players and, therefore, the team will be better because ...

Why is CW any different? If anything, he was the player most harmed by the PP regime. I don't know if he can be what the program needs. I do think he deserves the same consideration as the lineman who couldn't protect him, or any other player that underperformed because of the incompetence of the previous staff. He deserves nothing more. But, certainly, nothing less.

I maybe miss-interpreting, but I thought RD's pointing out that "CW had nothing to prove to the coaches" was very interesting. T

I saw him against BYU. No differnce.

 

[Dooley]

No - not yet anyway. Give the SR the start and full game against Stony Brook to evaluate. OL play should be much better so the coaching staff (and us fans) will get a chance to see if Whitmer's decision making ability has improved with a second of extra time. If it doesn't, and he turns it over a few times, then I think it's open season at QB because I agree with those above: Cochran's career is in jeopardy.

 

[BlueMAB]

It's amazing how someone could remember two dropped touchdown passes from nearly a year ago, but not remember the dropped passes from last week.

 

[tiger8mush]

No - not yet anyway. Give the SR the start and full game against Stony Brook to evaluate. OL play should be much better so the coaching staff (and us fans) will get a chance to see if Whitmer's decision making ability has improved with a second of extra time. If it doesn't, and he turns it over a few times, then I think it's open season at QB because I agree with those above: Cochran's career is in jeopardy.

I think we all expect Whitmer to do good, if not great, against Stony Brook. Its the following week vs Boise State when I think the real evaluation will take place.

 

[Pudge]

I am not playing this game.

Casey Cochran is still on the Team. He is going to play this year and we should play Chandler Whitmer the entire SB game & expect Casey Cochran back. Amen to that.

 

[Chief00]

I'm at a loss that people are even discussing this. So a few points.

1. The staff just found out about the concussion, and are probably angry they didn't learn earlier. I doubt they are even thinking about the medical prognosis when they learn on a Thursday. They're just thinking about the game plan for Stony Brook. So no decision that Casey won't, or might not, play again will even creep into their thoughts until Saturday night.

2. From what we saw on the field last year -- and we saw each QB for four games -- Boyle was no where near either of them. From what we heard out of camp, no one was saying Boyle was #1, or even #2, but we wanted to preserve the redshirt anyway. I have no reason to think Boyle gives us a better chance to get to 6-6 this year than Whitmer does.

3. You don't burn the redshirt today. You see how Whitmer performs, you see what Casey's prognosis is, and then you make a decision week to week as to whether Boyle is now the #2 for the season and, if so, is he just an emergency if Whitmer is out too or can he help the team.

Obviously, if Whitmer gets hurt as well than Boyle plays. And you don't worry about the 2017 season.

Quite frankly, I disagree. I think there is coaching consensus Boyle is by far the most talented of the three. The question as Diaco would say when will his "intangibles" be ready? Throwing Boyle into the frying pan after Coach P got fired - switching coaches, having 8 or 9 drops his first game (USF), then playing the meat of the schedule UCF - made it difficult to evaluate Boyle last season from a fan's perspective.
This all reminds me of the incorrect reaction some had to Drummond's Freshman season when equally disruptive things happened in the environment. In my opinion that's not how you evaluate a player a year later when he becomes a Sophomore.
Play Casey if he is healthy but quickly figure that out and if he is not; go the Boyle route. One thing under the radar is Boyle runs very well but never got the green light to do so from Coach D & P because he wasn't the Wildcat QB and TJ did not change that direction in the quick transition. Running should be used infrequently but a couple ten yard runs and out of bounds plays a game and it changes the opponent's defensive game plan.

 

[Colt house75]

I am not playing this game.

Casey Cochran is still on the Team. He is going to play this year and we should play Chandler Whitmer the entire SB game & expect Casey Cochran back. Amen to that.

Hey pudge,
Agree with you on the outset as we wish CC the best..... If it is his third concuss in a short period, he should (would) not be back until mid to late season...if best. We don't know if it is concussion, or concussion like symptons.

However, in HCBD I trust. Especially now.....WE DON"T KNOW THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY. When Boyle is ready to play, he will play. So, I agree with you on that point but for different reasons. Should Boyle start? No, not until he's ready and HCBD and a highly qualified coaching staff will make that decision.

HCBD will do what's best to move the program forward.
I do expect Tim Boyle's red shirt to be burned within 3 to 5 games. Seems a given under the current developments and I feel it will be more medically related than with performance.

-CW is one good hit away from his third concuss.
- To think CC will be back would be a miracle this being his 3rd if all communications prove correct. If it is concuss symptons...it will be a shorter stay on medically unable to play list possibly returning this season. If it's a severe concussion and a life issue, do we really want him to return??

 

[Nostical]

Whitmer should have a great game today. Sure we'll run the ball, but without a menacing pass rush from SB look for more big downfield passing plays. As for Boyle, if you ask TJ Weist, his shortcomings were more intangible, things like command of the playbook and the huddle, confidence, leadership, etc. There was simply a better team response and chemistry with Casey behind center, due more to his demeanor, competitiveness and overall personality. Boyle has all the physical tools---and he's improved with the help of the new coaches, including strength coach Matt Balis. He's working hardest now on the intangibles.
The redshirt is important for Boyle and the program so let's hope CC gets better and is cleared to play. In the meantime, don't sell CW short.The team has his back and so does the coaching staff. This is a much different coaching staff. It instills confidence instead of ripping it away. In many ways a football QB is a lot like a PGA golfer. Lots of them can hit the ball far and all that but the best can think their way around the course and make the shot under pressure. Some never master that part of the golf game--the intangibles. Ever notice how some very good players will finally break through. Sometimes it's from the experience of failure, a new swing coach's advice or a new psychological approach from a guru like Bob Rotella. Now imagine if your golf (QB) coach was PP and your psychologist was GDL.

As silly as it sounds to some of you, I think Chandler Whitmer's best playing days lie ahead of him this year.