Some reasons to look forward to this season.

[Carl Spackler]

So am I. I have a lot of faith. On offense, however, I will believe it when I see it. We haven't had a competent offense in a very long time. Other than the last couple of games with TJ/CC.

Quarterback. There is a lot of luck in football, for sure, not having a good quarterback is bad luck. -Don Shula

The ability to move the ball effectively either on the ground or through the air - always begins and ends with the ability to block effectively at the line of scrimmage - but it's absolutely amazing what a good quarterback can do to make a defense a little bit slower, and offensive blocking more effective.

 

[J187Money]

Quarterback. There is a lot of luck in football, for sure, not having a good quarterback is bad luck. -Don Shula The ability to move the ball effectively either on the ground or through the air - always begins and ends with the ability to block effectively at the line of scrimmage - but it's absolutely amazing what a good quarterback can do to make a defense a little bit slower, and offensive blocking more effective.

Agreed. Just not sure these are the right guys. And not sure if he knows how to coach them, even if they are. I'm optimistic, but the sample size of last year...ugh.

 

[ktuck911]

2) The new helmets & uniforms ... they're not as good as the block "C", but they're better than what we had.

Speak for yourself on this one... I'll give you a little lee-way on the helmets, but the red mask isn't attractive at all... The uniforms we had the past few years looks a thousand times better than the ones that were recently unveiled... not even close... my HS alma mater (Brien McMahon HS) unis look better....

 

[Exit 4]

Speak for yourself on this one... I'll give you a little lee-way on the helmets, but the red mask isn't attractive at all... The uniforms we had the past few years looks a thousand times better than the ones that were recently unveiled... not even close... my HS alma mater (Brien McMahon HS) unis look better....

Agree. The introduction of red to the uniforms sucks.

 

[ktuck911]

Things to look forward to:

• Better QB play and that will be accomplished by....
• Better O-line play which should also lead to....
• A better running attack, opening the door for....
• A more effective option play.
• Looking forward to UConn beating the teams they should beat (Villanova, Army, USF, Tulane), then.....
• Beating a couple they CAN win(Navy, ECU, Houston, Temple) and maybe....
• Pulling off an upset
• Looking forward to reading the Boneyard discussion in late November about which bowl the Huskies might end up in

bravo my man...

On a better running attack, it starts with our OL.. that disaster we put on the field last year can't have a repeat performance this year if we have any hopes of sniffing a bowl game. If they made a complete 180 from last year, I see 7 wins this year...

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Their collective, improved level of fitness has/will allow them to develop as football players at this level. Mr Levy is a prime example. He was gassed into the first quarter of games last year while he held up pretty well into the 4th quarter of this year's Spring Game.

 

[DoctorWho85]

Things to look forward to:

• Better QB play and that will be accomplished by....
• Better O-line play which should also lead to....
• A better running attack, opening the door for....
• A more effective option play.
• Looking forward to UConn beating the teams they should beat (Villanova, Army, USF, Tulane), then.....
• Beating a couple they CAN win(Navy, ECU, Houston, Temple) and maybe....
• Pulling off an upset
• Looking forward to reading the Boneyard discussion in late November about which bowl the Huskies might end up in

There will be no debate over which bowl the Huskies will be attending because we'll be in the Final four and winning it all this year.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Agreed. Just not sure these are the right guys. And not sure if he knows how to coach them, even if they are. I'm optimistic, but the sample size of last year...ugh.

If you could answer those questions based on anything you saw last season, then I'd be sure that you've got better eyes than I do. I was just responding really to your comment about being a defensive guy, and maybe flaming out on offense. I don't think that Diaco needs to become an overnight Dana Holgersen offensive mind guru or something - to have success as a head coach. All he needs to do is be a good head coach, and that means really 2 things to me - when it comes to offense - #1. Setting the course for the ship so to say, that makes sense for co-ordinating and building game plans that involve all 3 phases of the game effectively, and then putting people in place to make it happen and most importantly - effectively monitoring it all so that expectations are high, and are being met. #2. and this was my point - if he's going to have success - it's highly correlated (not cauasation - for those that would correct me on it) that he find a good QB, and preferably, a good QB depth chart.

I like to believe that the guy is intelligent enough, and has the ability to self-critique enough, that all he'll need with game day decision making issues on offense is experience, and he's got a year under his belt already.

I just want winning football again - especially at home on our own field, and again to your point and mine - it's been a long time since we've had consistent, high level performance out of the QB position - obviously there is more to it all - but that is a very important piece of the puzzle. We haven't had sustained winning football for any extending amount of time really since the 2008-2009 seasons, never mind protecting home field. The 5-0 run in 2010, was nice, but lots of people forget how badly played to start that season 3-4. The excitement for the 2008 West Virginia game at home was AWESOME, but we laid a Randy Edsall egg in that game. I want Diaco to get to that level again, and then get over that hump. Quarterback. It's what Edsall lacked.

 

[mets1090]

There will be no debate over which bowl the Huskies will be attending because we'll be in the Final four and winning it all this year.

I'd be right there with you if an undefeated UConn team would even get a bid in the playoffs.

 

[DCUconnfan]

Last year I was expecting 4 wins and got 2 (that Army game was a kick to the nuts for me and spelled the end of my optimism, which led me to anger, quickly followed by being jaded). This year I'm expecting 6, as the surprise team out of the AAC. I know this is borderline reckless in my optimism, but I truly believe that we finally got the kinks out of the system, the players are actually fit athletically to play at FBS strength, and our defense has the potential to be really good next year. If you couple that with having an Oline where everyone has either started or had playing time last year (losing crozier hurts), which should lead to an offense that is competent (certainly more competent than last year), all of those cheapo losses are gone (USF, Tulane, SMU). We played 50 different players against BYU. 50. That's not happening this time around.

Chalk me up for 7-6 beating Georgia Southern in the AutoNation Cure bowl.

 

[Dogged]

I found game management to be a disappointing and hair raising or (hair razing)experience last year but I'm satisfied with the rest of the program so far.

As far as the uniforms...they can wear tutus for all I care if they win games and play well.
OK, I don't really want to see them in tutus.

 

[DoctorWho85]

I'd be right there with you if an undefeated UConn team would even get a bid in the playoffs.

Not with that negativity. You just gotta believe.

 

[Carl Spackler]

I believe we will kickoff the game on Thursday night as scheduled, unless there is a hurricane a few days before, and the governor decides to change the date of the game at the last minute and a few national guard troops can rough out relief duty on cots on the Rentschler concourse.

Other than that, I'm not sure of anything.

 

[Jimdish255]

In my job we don't get a lot of second chances to get things right so preparation and planning is the name of the game. Having multiple plans of attack and adapting them to an evolving and sometimes dynamic situation.

It's hard to judge our preparation aspect given the dumpster fire BD inherited and the evaluation process regarding personnel. But it is fair to say that some of the games we had a decent plan A and a few we flamed out on. What was disappointing was the plan B and C aspect that seemed to be confusing to fans and the players. I'm hoping the new OC can fix this and let coach BD shine in the areas he knows best. That to me is the key to our season.

 

[CL82]

No cynicism or pessimism here. Only realism and optimism. It's our time to be the surprise team of 2015. Great preparation leading to nearly flawless execution. I see 7-5 or better. Join me on the bandwagon. Come jump onboard and get excited! Watch out Villanova--this isn't the team that played Fordham. Be afraid.

I'm not quite ready to hop on the 7-5 bandwagon just yet, but I like your optimism.

 

[Milo65]

No cynicism or pessimism here. Only realism and optimism. It's our time to be the surprise team of 2015. Great preparation leading to nearly flawless execution. I see 7-5 or better. Join me on the bandwagon. Come jump onboard and get excited! Watch out Villanova--this isn't the team that played Fordham. Be afraid.

Love it!