Slow Starts Continue to be Focus During conFLiCT Week

[UConn07]

Slow Starts Continue to be Focus During conFLiCT Week – This is UConn Country

 

[CTMike]

Slow starts and a complete lack of offensive production for 3 years running. A mediocre line for 3 years running. A skittish QB for 3 years running.

How many years before we can reasonably expect progress? Year 4? Year 5?

At what point does Diaco and staff own this as a result of their philosophy? The evidence is clear that doing the bare minimum on offense is a poor strategy to win games. Many QB execution challenges to be sure but at some point that rolls up to Diaco too. Should we just hope for better QB play next year? Is that a real plan?

 

[uconndogs]

There has clearly been progress with the offense over the last three seasons and especially to OL. The problem is we started from the abyss. At this point we need to recognize that on that side of the ball we also lack talent. We'll have to see if Diaco's recruiting is starting to address that, but we just won't know that for another year or so.

I agree that Sheriffs is struggling this season and Verducci was a head scratcher as a hire for me. I would not be surprised if he's gone after the season.

 

[HuskiesFan1014]

Slow starts are certainly no "anomaly." The fact that the team actually scored on the first drive, albeit a field goal, was a huge positive missed by nobody here. The next 6 UConn possessions resulted in punts, with time of possession only over (and just over) 2 minutes once out of all those.

The first drive was an anomaly, not the slow starts. Maybe it had something to do with Tommy Hopkins, but a running game that seemed so strong quickly withered back to RRPP throughout the entire first half.

We just need a little something to get excited about, and it shouldn't have to wait until after the first half, and hinge on the D's ability to get a Turnover. Hoping that little something finally comes in the first half this week (again.) Optimism ain't easy.

 

[Palatine]

There has clearly been progress with the offense over the last three seasons and especially to OL. The problem is we started from the abyss. At this point we need to recognize that on that side of the ball we also lack talent. We'll have to see if Diaco's recruiting is starting to address that, but we just won't know that for another year or so.

I agree that Sheriffs is struggling this season and Verducci was a head scratcher as a hire for me. I would not be surprised if he's gone after the season.

No, Diaco put us in the abyss with his 2-10. This is the same 5-7, 7-5 talent, he has had every year. The question is whether Diaco can improve his game coaching which has been atrocious.

With a good coach we're 5-2, with a great one we're 6-1.

 

[ktuck911]

My prediction: If we lose 3 or more of our last 5 games Verducci is gone... or if we make a bowl game and show the way we did last year in the bowl game, Verducci is gone... The person making the playcalls on O takes the brunt of the blame for what's not right with the O... We all know, it's not personal, just business.

 

[uconndogs]

No, Diaco put us in the abyss with his 2-10. This is the same 5-7, 7-5 talent, he has had every year. The question is whether Diaco can improve his game coaching which has been atrocious.

With a good coach we're 5-2, with a great one we're 6-1.

You think we should be 6-1 and a top 25-30 team? You think we have that type of talent?

 

[Tdaley]

Our offense is getting better week to week but by small margins. Talent is a problem. How hard would it be to be our offensive coordinator if we had Flowers as our quarterback? When the play breaks down he just pulls the ball down and runs for 40 yards. We simply don't have that kind of talent on this team. That being said, in the USF game, when they rushed 4 our line did a good job blocking and Shirreffs made plenty of good throws. When USF brought extra pass rushers (most often 2 but sometimes 3 extra rushers) the oline, the running backs and the quarterback all look bad. Its not like they didn't know the USF would be bringing a lot of pressure. They have done that the last 3 years we have played them. Shirreff's slow release and lack of field vision was a major problem in the game. He had Beals wide open in the middle of the field on one play where USF was rushing 6 and was just was too slow to recognize the blitz and get Beal the ball. He didn't have a lot of time but enough time to make the play. I'm not going to blame Verducci for most of this but he and Bobby don't get a free pass either. Now that Bobby has accepted the spread offense look , Verducci needs to make the most of it. Even accepting Shirreff for what he is as a player, our offense did not look well prepared for the 6 0r 7 USF player pass rushes. Verducci and Bobby D have to owned up to that. Where was the check down pass suppose to go. The receivers never adjusted their routes when the blitzes came so there had to be another option for Shirreffs. It was hard to see where that was watching and re-watching the game on TV. Going forward, it is Verducci job to get this offense to function better especially when the other team brings extra pass rushers. We are limited by Shirreffs's lack of foot speed, a slow release and his difficulty in making certain types of throws. Yet, in my opinion there still is plenty of room for improvement with the talent that we do have. One suggestion that I would throw out there to Verducci is that when it is a obvious passing down lets go empty backfield. Our running backs have a lot of trouble blocking anyways and I'm not ever taking Newsome out of the game if I'm the OC. I would rather see Newsome line up as a receiver than to bring a fullback as extra blocker others here have suggested. Hope there is enough improvement this weekend for us to retain THE CONFLICT Trophy. GO HUSKIES!!!

 

[sportsart]

No, Diaco put us in the abyss with his 2-10. This is the same 5-7, 7-5 talent, he has had every year. The question is whether Diaco can improve his game coaching which has been atrocious.

With a good coach we're 5-2, with a great one we're 6-1.

You really think the 2-10 is on Diaco. Seriously you better not be there Saturday because I will call you out in front of the entire tailgate.

Go watch the debate. Saturday, if you are there, I will be relentless. You have been warned.

 

[huskymedic]

One suggestion that I would throw out there to Verducci is that when it is a obvious passing down lets go empty backfield. Our running backs have a lot of trouble blocking anyways and I'm not ever taking Newsome out of the game if I'm the OC. I would rather see Newsome line up as a receiver than to bring a fullback as extra blocker others here have suggested.

There are trying - we went 5 wide multiple times v. USF. Newsome was out wide once/twice and in slot once/twice.

 

[junglehusky]

No, Diaco put us in the abyss with his 2-10. This is the same 5-7, 7-5 talent, he has had every year. The question is whether Diaco can improve his game coaching which has been atrocious.

With a good coach we're 5-2, with a great one we're 6-1.

Maybe better coaching and a little luck would get us to 6-1. But no neutral observer would say this team deserves to be a 6-1 team.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Maybe better coaching and a little luck would get us to 6-1. But no neutral observer would say this team deserves to be a 6-1 team.

No coaching would possibly have turned the Houston or USF games into wins. Those teams are better and both were road games.

Better coaching and player execution, in equal measure, would have won the Navy and Syracuse games. This team should have two losses. I think there is a reasonable chance that we win out from here. Coaching and execution has been better, clearly so. The adjustment with Summers was excellent, if too late to save us against Syracuse. Bryant is making some better decisions as well.

 

[Exit 4]

No coaching would possibly have turned the Houston or USF games into wins. Those teams are better and both were road games.

Better coaching and player execution, in equal measure, would have won the Navy and Syracuse games. This team should have two losses. I think there is a reasonable chance that we win out from here. Coaching and execution has been better, clearly so. The adjustment with Summers was excellent, if too late to save us against Syracuse. Bryant is making some better decisions as well.

Spot on, no coaching could overcome the team talent gap vs Houston and the shear awesomeness of Flowers on USF.

Finding a nickel package earlier in the season could have made a difference against Syracuse. Better clock management would have resulted in a win against Navy. The Navy loss is a real missed opportunity.

Overall I think Verducci and Diaco have shown some coaching evolution over the past four games. They are legitimately trying things and often trying the right things in my unqualified opinion. I'm too lazy to get specific at the moment, but there has been a fair amount of offensive formation evolution this season from Maine to today. Double TE formations are long gone, shotgun is here most every down, 3 or 4 WR sets are now the norm and we look better for it. The D was fatalistically simple for far too long. We ran the same base D every down game after game which allowed the opposition to set up mismatches. We have some improvement here as well - more player rotation and some nickel.

If we could pick up the blitz 50% more often than we have we'd really see another step forward.