Solutions Thread

[Skies2018]

So I know we’re only fans and don’t have any say but I feel like the real question is what do we do now? If you were HC JM or AD DB what would you do?

 

[JMick]

The offense can't get any worse, so I seriously consider dumping Charlton and giving playcalling over to Marinelli. Outside hire for next year unless Marinelli proves himself.

Doug Shearer has to go after this season too. Special teams is abysmal. Buckman fair catching that punt cost us 10+ yards on the final drive and that's the least egregious mistake we've made on ST all year

Find an actual defensive coordinator after the season so Mora can oversee when another coach is being stupid and step in before it's a problem. This should have happened with the offense this summer.

Find a way to drop a bag for a portal QB. Or hire a family member of a good QB. Do something because we need to fix that position again.

 

[ZooCougar]

So I know we’re only fans and don’t have any say but I feel like the real question is what do we do now? If you were HC JM or AD DB what would you do?

I would fire Nick Charlton into outer space.

 

[WNConn]

For one, I think we've got to start Zion Turner next week. Taquan's ability to pass is alarming, and his rushing abilities are pretty much nil post ACL. I don't think Zion is a good quarterback really, but I do think he is more skilled than Taquan, especially in executing the read option.

Second, I don't know how they fire Charlton, but you have to severely neuter him for the remainder of the season. I don't know that we have anyone else who has called plays, and I wouldn't be in favor of a first-time playcaller taking over. I guess you just limit his capacity to control personnel, and offer a list of playcalling offenses that he is responsible for changing. Among these would be way, way less screen passes. No more trick plays. These are two really simple things to quantify and seem like obvious offenses on his part.

Third, bench guys. The last two games we've had serious effort problems. Kudos to the defense for upping their effort in the second half, but we spent all of last week and half of this week looking entirely disinterested in being on the field. I think we should especially look at benching some guys at WR. Brett Buckman is the only guy who has showed even small flashes of competence this season. Why not give our younger guys a shot?

In spite of all of that, I do think we're going to just have to grit our teeth as we go through a pretty abysmal season. This team simply isn't anywhere close to good. Last year we were the beneficiaries of a horrible schedule, lots of turnover luck, and a couple of upsets in games that we were very statistically unlikely to win. This year we're probably just regressing to the mean.

 

[maple]

So I know we’re only fans and don’t have any say but I feel like the real question is what do we do now? If you were HC JM or AD DB what would you do?

If I’m AD DB, I would find a way to get more money to hire better coaches and players. That’s really what it comes down to now. Just go all in and spend. Make a real effort. I mean we pay our basketball coaches a lot (respectively) and they have won NCs (even KO did). I’m not saying we would win the CFP but give people a real incentive to play and coach here.

That’s just my two cents though, which is worth nothing.

 

[RioDog]

Start buying lottery tickets.

 

[Bobol]

…… I would find a way to get more money to hire better coaches and players.

Coach Mora is paid $1.6M per year with an annual increase plus incentive.

How much more do you propose Mora should be paid ?

 

[DawgEnjoyer]

I would fire Nick Charlton into outer space.

I agree....but the more I marinate on the game, I realize Mora made a MASSIVE strategic/ personnel error that cost us.

To stop running QBs we switched to a cover 3, which allowed another DB to play closer to the line. This would have likely worked well if Dixon-Williams (who the more I think about it, might have been the 3rd best defensive player last year) was playing, as he is a great deep safety centerfielder type.

However, as even doofus Fauria pointed out several times, we had Durante Jones (who at this point I'm not sure what he's good at) in that position, who isn't very fast and has Horsebarn Hill level manure levels of awareness for what he needed to do.

This was the case with at least 3 deep balls (1 for TD and 2 that set them close) caught. It looked like they switched up and had Shearin, whose game more aligns to that role take over in the 2nd half, but not before the damage was done.

 

[ZooCougar]

I agree....but the more I marinate on the game, I realize Mora made a MASSIVE strategic/ personnel error that cost us.

To stop running QBs we switched to a cover 3, which allowed another DB to play closer to the line. This would have likely worked well if Dixon-Williams (who the more I think about it, might have been the 3rd best defensive player last year) was playing, as he is a great deep safety centerfielder type.

However, as even doofus Fauria pointed out several times, we had Durante Jones (who at this point I'm not sure what he's good at) in that position, who isn't very fast and has Horsebarn Hill level manure levels of awareness for what he needed to do.

This was the case with at least 3 deep balls (1 for TD and 2 that set them close) caught. It looked like they switched up and had Shearin, whose game more aligns to that role take over in the 2nd half, but not before the damage was done.

It almost doesn't even matter. Considering how bad the offense is, in order to win a game at this rate the defense needs to shut out whoever we play.

I thought he made good adjustments in the 2nd half. They didn't score.

Any team with a decent offense and our defense wins the game outright in the 2nd half. But we don't have a decent offense.

 

[DawgEnjoyer]

It almost doesn't even matter. Considering how bad the offense is, in order to win a game at this rate the defense needs to shut out whoever we play.

I thought he made good adjustments in the 2nd half. They didn't score.

Any team with a decent offense and our defense wins the game outright in the 2nd half. But we don't have a decent offense.

I agree the offense is terrible for sure...

But if you take away that late TD before the half, even with the bad offense we're playing for the lead on the last drive.

 

[jdb50]

Start Zion. Roberson presents no threat in the run game. Take play calling duties away from Charlton. The inept offense is such a glaring flaw when compared to other FBS teams. Most likely Marinelli should be given the reins. Why is Clercius not playing? We need more height in our receivers as we throw high constantly. The other teams seem to know where all our running plays are going, especially the wide runs. The QB has to keep it and go opposite a few times a game. We are getting blown up as most defenders beat our backs to the outside. What is with all the fair catches on punts? On opponents 3rd and longs why not put quicker interior D lineman in that might be able to tackle a scrambling/running QB?

 

[ZooCougar]

I agree the offense is terrible for sure...

But if you take away that late TD before the half, even with the bad offense we're playing for the lead on the last drive.

Undeniably true. But even still the defense did everything it was asked to do to put us in a position to win in the 2nd half.

You make this offense better and quite a few problems will be solved.

 

[Skies2018]

Undeniably true. But even still the defense did everything it was asked to do to put us in a position to win in the 2nd half.

You make this offense better and quite a few problems will be solved.

But HOW do you make an offense like this better 3 games in? I don’t think turning over the QB again is good for morale and it seems like the players don’t care much anyway. I’m just at a loss.

 

[Woof 101]

If I’m AD DB, I would find a way to get more money to hire better coaches and players.

I agree for the most part as money is a solution to most everything. But UConn being a state school we simply can't pay the players what some of the conference schools can.

 

[ZooCougar]

But HOW do you make an offense like this better 3 games in? I don’t think turning over the QB again is good for morale and it seems like the players don’t care much anyway. I’m just at a loss.

Do a better job calling plays.

Don't commit penalties on Punt returns

Get the ball to your playmakers

Start a healthy QB

 

[Dizzy21]

Get Noel Mazzone to come back in. He managed some offensive magic in the week or two he was here. He knows Mora too.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

Gotta wonder if it's worth giving McDonald a shot. I still think it's the scheme that sucks. But something needs to change.

 

[SuperHuski]

Ugh, I have a whole notebook of stuff for this thread. But I don’t get paid 400k.

As I said in the chat, it all starts with coaching. Good players will come to UConn if they believe in the coach’s ability to make them better. Good players went to FCS James Madison because Cignetti/Shannahan came up with a quick strike play style. Players went to Coastal Carolina because Chadwell/Korn play a really fun empty set, spread offense.

Kids these days have access to a lot more info about schools and schemes than in the past. Why would any decent WR come here when we don’t feature them in our offense?

 

[Purple Stein]

We constantly find ourselves in 3rd and forever. Right now we’re not even good enough to pick up 3rd and short.

How many of our third down pass attempts this year have been 3rd and 5 or worse? 3rd and ten or worse? 3rd and 15 or worse? We do not have the personnel to survive these situations.

 

[gopher2]

Give the ball to Jelani Stafford up the middle on every play. Every play.

 

[Patman]

Ugh, I have a whole notebook of stuff for this thread. But I don’t get paid 400k.

As I said in the chat, it all starts with coaching. Good players will come to UConn if they believe in the coach’s ability to make them better. Good players went to FCS James Madison because Cignetti/Shannahan came up with a quick strike play style. Players went to Coastal Carolina because Chadwell/Korn play a really fun empty set, spread offense.

Kids these days have access to a lot more info about schools and schemes than in the past. Why would any decent WR come here when we don’t feature them in our offense?

the only problem is that coaches go awhile and they get a taint on them that frankly isn't often their fault but people believe things about them if they don't get the right players or don't even start with them. They'll push through and get some good pieces but then get fired and then the next guy steps in and either he's good and everybody acts like they found gold or they're meh and they'll have one good season then fall apart.

All coaches will pick up stink that isn't their fault eventually. I'm worried Mora's in that cycle because of what was given to him because so far it looks like total poop

 

[JeepCSC]

Coach Mora is paid $1.6M per year with an annual increase plus incentive.

How much more do you propose Mora should be paid ?

High-end G5 coaches make around $2.5-$3 million at this point fwiw.

 

[Dizzy21]

We constantly find ourselves in 3rd and forever. Right now we’re not even good enough to pick up 3rd and short.

How many of our third down pass attempts this year have been 3rd and 5 or worse? 3rd and ten or worse? 3rd and 15 or worse? We do not have the personnel to survive these situations.

To be fair, we are always third and long, but for being in that position so often, we actually convert a surprising amount of them.

 

[UConnJim]

I'll start off saying I like Mora and how he has energized the team and fanbase and I think he should lead the team. That said, the problem that G5 programs face is that they can't pay and keep good coordinators. As Mora said in his press conference, you are not going to win games if you can not score a lot of points and you need a good OC to score points. The way to get a good offensive coordinator is to hire him as head coach. So you can pay him more than he can make as a P5 coordinator and he can gain experience as a head coach.

 

[giddyup]

Id start Turner and have McDonald ready to go with one bad decision/pass away. Zero tolerance for ineptitude.

I’d bench Jackson to make point. Inexcusable attitude.

I’d bench Rosa for a crap effort.

I’d tell Charlton to go wait in the locker room and clean it up. Let Marinelli play call. All calls have to be 50% pass beyond 10 yards or you’re fired. Fail to use the TEs, fired. Fail to through in
The middle third, fired.

Id literally run the team into the ground until I found guys that want it bad enough. Midnight lifting sessions. 5:00AM runs. I wouldn’t care. Figure out what guys want it bad enough and respect the uniform.

This crap had to stop. Somebody needs to serous about a commitment to winning. Eph nutrition, execution, culture, etc.. Get guys