Shoulda, coulda, woulda: Three plays that killed the UConn football season (Arruda @Courant)

[huskymedic]

1. Week Three: FIU 24, UConn 17 (4th quarter, 0:
2. Week Five: Utah State 34, UConn 33 (4th quarter, 0:40)
3. Week Seven: UConn 21, South Florida 17 (4th quarter, 7:08)

 

[BugsyCT]

I'd go as far as to say the penalty on Rosa's TD endzone roll vs NC State in the opener began the downhill slide. We'd just gotten back in the game, yet everything that happened after that penalty that night took the wind out of our sails.

The drubbing at GA St a week later was the biggest red flag that this season wasn't gonna be what we hoped it would.

Still 5 games left to go - let's give it our all and find some positives to hang our hat on the rest of the way.

 

[Jetskies]

i say this with all humility and sincerity; unless you're going to the stadiums to watch, find something else to do and check in on the boys from time to time. the game wont change whether you watch every painful down or not.

I still firmly believe Jim Mora is the guy for this era. And based on this season, this is going to be a "long game" approach. we're headed for a couple more 3-5 win seasons, i'd say.

I hope he stays on to see it to completion.

 

[RC111]

i say this with all humility and sincerity; unless you're going to the stadiums to watch, find something else to do and check in on the boys from time to time. the game wont change whether you watch every painful down or not.

I still firmly believe Jim Mora is the guy for this era. And based on this season, this is going to be a "long game" approach. we're headed for a couple more 3-5 win seasons, i'd say.

I hope he stays on to see it to completion.

Feel the same. Think he can get it done. Whether or not he has the stomach for it, I don't know.

 

[noeynox]

Feel the same. Think he can get it done. Whether or not he has the stomach for it, I don't know.

This is key. The improvements over the last 3 regimes is obvious. This year it has not manifested into wins and losses. As Palatine said elsewhere, players have to make winning plays at crunch time. That is not a switch that can be flicked on.

The dramatic changes to the college game via portal and NIL have altered how quickly you can improve your roster, but also probably provides a ton of frustration for an older coach.

 

[Palatine]

I posted this Sunday morning.

Yesterday at 10:31 AM


The difference is making winning plays at winning time or making losing plays at winning time.

Yesterday, the DBs dropped INTs that would have put the game away. Those were the losing plays.

Game One, NC State, we grab the momentum with a 71 yard TD run. We make a losing play, a flip into the end zone costing 15 yards on the KO. On the KO we make another losing play allowing a long return, and a third losing play hitting after the whistle. They score. Momentum gone. We lose.

Against FIU we are driving for a tying score. We on 4th and 4 we throw a TD pass to tie the game -whoops holding- 4th and 14. Losing play. On 4th and 14, we complete a 12 yard pass. Losing play. We lose.

Against USU, we fail to protect the kicker on the extra point that would tie the game. Losing play. We lose.

Winning teams have guys stepping up and making plays in those critical moments when the game is in the balance, when the tide turns, when you can put a fork in your opponent. Until that happens they team will lose.

Two years ago we started the season losing 45-0, 38-28 (to Holy Cross), 49-0 and 52-14. We gave up over 40 points a game in our last four games. Mora has fixed that. You have to be blind or have amnesia not to see it.

The difference doesn't show up in the W/L column. But it seems like we're on the right path. Mora has put the game into the hands of the players (and unfortunately the refs). Time for the players to make plays when we need someone to make a play.

 

[SubbaBub]

I still think Mora has us on the uptick and at the same time, I'm still very disappointed.

 

[noeynox]

I still think Mora has us on the uptick and at the same time, I'm still very disappointed.

This is a rational take. My eyes tell me we are light years from the abyss we were mired in, but it's hard to not see all these close losses and wonder when we will execute to at the very least split those close games.


Their 19 year old QB made some surprisingly accurate throws in crunch time and scrambled out of sacks into 2st downs. Need our guys to make plays down the stretch like that so that we are not always looking to blame the OC.

 

[gioff2323]

I'd go as far as to say the penalty on Rosa's TD endzone roll vs NC State in the opener began the downhill slide. We'd just gotten back in the game, yet everything that happened after that penalty that night took the wind out of our sails.

The drubbing at GA St a week later was the biggest red flag that this season wasn't gonna be what we hoped it would.

Still 5 games left to go - let's give it our all and find some positives to hang our hat on the rest of the way.

While I generally agree, have u watched GaState this year. They’re on a roll

Honestly, this team is much like last year’s version, just unable to pull the rabbit out of the hat like we did last year.

Still limited offensively and too reliant on a bend don’t break D. Just not an exciting team to watch.

 

[uconnric]

Last year we won some games that we could've lost. This year it's the reverse. Losing Marion, Turner and now Houston and Brewton mid-season hurt our speed and depth at receiver and running back. Those are skill players that are tough to replace, would have given us a few more options offensively. We now have a depth problem at running back with Rosa's ankle and Edward's sore shoulder. I"m sure they'll be switching over someone - Bryan Domino perhaps - to give us some depth there. Haven't seen much of Louisville transfer Jalen Mitchell either. Happy to see Roberson develop at qb and Cam Ross getting back to where he was a couple of years ago.

I believe we're on the right track with Mora and it probably won't be reflected in wins and losses this year. Next year will be telling however.

 

[Palatine]

Mitchell got a tiny bit of playing time versus Duke.
He promptly fumbled and Duke picked up the fumble and scored.
He has 4 carries and 1 fumble.

 

[huskymedic]

Alternate access <<

-> For head coach Jim Mora, the answer isn’t a cut and dry one.

“I’m going to say yes, but I’m also going to say no,” he said following Tuesday’s practice. “You can find three plays and be like ‘God, if only.’ But there are so many of those in every game. So it’s a yes and it’s a no. You can point to three particular plays, but how did we get ourselves in that situation? I don’t really look at it that way because I think it’s not healthy for me to look at it that way.” <-

-> “We just can’t beat ourselves,” he said. “That’s just what it comes down to. So whether that’s pre or post-snap penalties, for a DB (defensive back), turning your head and locating the ball, turning your head around so you don’t get a (pass interference) penalty. Just little simple things like that. We’re right there on that hump. It’s four or five plays every game that if it goes our way, we win. We just have to find a way in this week of practice to make those plays.” <-

 

[Marbles90]

Mitchell got a tiny bit of playing time versus Duke.
He promptly fumbled and Duke picked up the fumble and scored.
He has 4 carries and 1 fumble.

Yep. And he caught a pass vs Ga State and promptly fumbled (lost). So he has touched the ball 5 times and turned it over twice.

 

[UCan3]

I am not in the camp of 3 plays. It is very presumptuous to take a play that happens early in the game and think “well if that didn’t happen“ we would have scored. It might be true but the team you’re playing doesn’t roll over and play dead. They would come back and want to make those points up.

The only play that I think might have cost us a legitimate chance to go win a game was TR’s fumble last week. We had plenty of time on the clock and had we scored, we could have won the game And walked away with a “W.”