Starting Quarterback

[noeynox]

Fagnano was mediocre to bad at Maine, can we stop this nonsense? He was only brought in because he knew the (terrible) offense from our (terrible) OC. The kid should have stayed at the FCS level where he belongs.

Fagnano probably throws for maybe 2 vs Sacred Heart. No chance he throws for 5 thats for sure!

That's speculation, since Fagnano also had 4 TD games against FCS competition. The reality is the 2 guys competed and Fagnano won the job out of camp. Maybe the coaches chose wrong, but Roberson got his shot 6 quarters into the season and really did nothing to entrench himself. Now reports are that he was behind both Fagnano and McDonald coming out of spring.

I wish Taquan the best. He tried his best, we won 3 games, 1 against FCS, 1 against UMass and Mora felt he needed something else.

 

[uconnfan68]

I don't want to be negative, but Mora has butchered the QB position so badly since last year.

1) Fagnano never, ever should have started Week 1. Nicky Charlton, all-time bad OC, HAD to get his boy in, and it ruined the season. The fact he's still on the roster is embarrassing.
2) If TR wasn't healthy to start Week 1, how do you not start Zion? I don't care about the kid's numbers, but he is a WINNER. He was a dominant winner in HS and was winning at UConn, which no one had done in a decade. He brought this team to a bowl game. Enough said. The fact that Fagnano was chosen to start over Zion is among the most disrespectful, slap in the face things I've ever seen. If Fagnano was a blue chipper from a P5 school, sure. But he was a mediocre at best QB from FCS Maine. Just an absolute disaster.
3) I don't really care TR had a bad spring. It's practice to quote Allen Iverson. Some guys are gamers and don't preform well in practice. Anyone saying Fagnano or a true freshman should start over TR because of spring ball is stuck in a fantasy land. Is TR the best QB? Of course not. Is he the best QB on the roster before yesterday? Absolutely. By all accounts he was a great ambassador for the program, and to kick him to the curb is another disrespectful move by Mora. Granted, if he was causing problems this spring + his poor play, I'd 180 on this point. But if he got shown the door purely for throwing a few spring picks, that's pretty rash to just chase a shiny new toy, which again hasn't worked out ever for us.
4) Now, we're giving the QB position to 1) a guy who hasn't played in 3 years and was maybe good vs teenagers a half decade ago 2) a guy who wasn't even that good at Maine or 3) a true freshman who hasn't played a single snap at this level. Again, absolute disaster once again. With that said, if Fagnano plays 1 meaningful snap this year, I'm out. I can live with the the other options. There is no way that guy should see a football field at this level other than to hand the ball off or kneel it.

I'm not even going to go into the fact we hired another OC with a very questionable track record at the FCS level so whoever the QB is probably won't even be set up for success, just like the guys were under Charlton.

You failed not being negative.

 

[UConnJim]

10.5. And I am not really sure you can count the Tennessee body bag game against him. so really 12 TDs in 9.5 games, would take that again if given the oppurtunity.

Roberson played 11 games as he threw 30 passes (Fagnano threw 9) against Georgia State with 2 TDs. So, let's throw out Tennessee and Sacred Heart and Roberson threw 8 TD passes in 9 games. Not good enough.

Last year, it appeared as if Roberson had not fully recovered from his leg injury and it seemed like he lost some of his speed. It seemed like he was throwing better than 2022, but he was not throwing as well as UConn needs at QB. UConn has had 2 different sets of eyes evaluate the QBs and both sets did not put Roberson as the #1 QB.

 

[ZooCougar]

I totally forgot about Storrs Central. After reading the info there, I feel a bit better about this.

I’ll leave it at that.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

I will only add that Mora was as frustrated as the fans last year watching the offense. Mora has also stated he wanted transfers because the team can’t wait three years to wait for high school kids to develop to win. He wants to win now.

He doesn’t want to put his faith in a true freshman. And he doesn’t want to run it back with an average at best qb (you can spin it as much as you want @ThabeetDown …TR was barely serviceable). I am sure Mora knows people on the Wisconsin staff and he feels good with what he is getting in Evers. I would guess he also feels good about McDonald. Or even Fagnano.

I am glad Mora is trying to do something to make the offense better. Leaving TR as the qb is something Edsall would do. It would be a safe…old school move. Go with what you know.

I still trust Mora to make the right move.

 

[ZooCougar]

I will only add that Mora was as frustrated as the fans last year watching the offense. Mora has also stated he wanted transfers because the team can’t wait three years to wait for high school kids to develop to win. He wants to win now.

He doesn’t want to put his faith in a true freshman. And he doesn’t want to run it back with an average at best qb (you can spin it as much as you want @ThabeetDown …TR was barely serviceable). I am sure Mora knows people on the Wisconsin staff and he feels good with what he is getting in Evers. I would guess he also feels good about McDonald. Or even Fagnano.

I am glad Mora is trying to do something to make the offense better. Leaving TR as the qb is something Edsall would do. It would be a safe…old school move. Go with what you know.

I still trust Mora to make the right move.

Seconded.

 

[HuskyAlum012]

I totally forgot about Storrs Central. After reading the info there, I feel a bit better about this.

I’ll leave it at that.

Which thread? I am curious.

 

[ZooCougar]

Which thread? I am curious.

It’s the Nick Evers commits thread. Has about 26/27 posts I think.

Either I need to get used to it or information needs to be a little bit more organized.

 

[HuskyAlum012]

It’s the Nick Evers commits thread. Has about 26/27 posts I think.

Either I need to get used to it or information needs to be a little bit more organized.

I see now. I read the article but didnt realize there were replies underneath it

 

[AllHusky]

Open minded on the whole QB thing

How good are the QB’s at Wiscy that were ahead of Evers?

Like that Fagnano didn’t turn and run when Charlton “moved on”

Love the potential of McDonald and Welliver, hope to see one get serious reps this year

Felt fine about Mora throughout the “what’s up” thread

Roberson must have agreed he was #3 and moved on

Feel good about Husky FB, let’s go

 

[Forte]

The disrespect is inexcusable. Here are the QBs in UConn's D1 history with 2,000+ yards, 10+ TDs and a 2:1 or better TD:INT ratio:

Year	Name	Yards	TD	INT
2023​	Roberson	2,075​	12​	6​
2017​	Shirrefs	2,287​	14​	5​
2007​	Lorenzen	2,367​	13​	6​
2003​	Orlovsky	3,485​	33​	14​

You can say TR isn't good enough. But then you better bring in someone who you know is better. Evers could be better. But we don't know. If Evers throws for 1900 yards 9 TDs and 12 INTs, then what?

Oh, and TR did this with a joke of an OC...

ESPN QBR rating of 37.1 ... ranked 113th..... last I checked that wasn't something to go brag about... especially when they are getting NIL money. Many people are ambassadors of UConn... until they aren't

 

[RC111]

Fagnano was mediocre to bad at Maine, can we stop this nonsense? He was only brought in because he knew the (terrible) offense from our (terrible) OC. The kid should have stayed at the FCS level where he belongs.

Fagnano probably throws for maybe 2 vs Sacred Heart. No chance he throws for 5 thats for sure!

Fagnano dropped 290 yards and 2 TDs against BC while playing with Maine and throwing to inferior receivers in an offense that you yourself have called terrible.

His FCS TD:int ratio was approximately 45:10. You called him a terrible FCS quarterback, but those numbers are hardly terrible. I'm all for whoever gives us the best chance of winning. I don't understand how you judge a guy so harshly who played against an arguably top 25 defense in NC State and another couple quarters banged up. If he could drop 2 TDs against BC, I'm willing to bet he could hand 2 on Sacred Heart if that's your made up litmus test.

You make it sound as if Roberson was pushed out when in all likelihood he saw that he was lower on the depth chart than he wanted to be. I don't get what makes you think Fagnano is getting favorite treatment after his old coach is gone.

 

[How Sway?!]

Two things can be tru at once:

TR gave us the best QB play we've had since at least 2019

Last year's QB play wasn't good enough to take us where we want to be.

Wish TR nothing for the best, hope he gets to show out for his last year of eligibility.

Let's see what Mora et al can cook up with Evers.

Also looks like we are not done with the transfer portal.

 

[Bongo Fury]

Pleased to hear Evers can run well. Seemed like most of UConn’s opponents qbs were mobile. They beat Rice who had the former Georgia starting QB.

 

[freescooter]

Roberson was serviceable.

Unfortunately we didn’t just write Evers a NIL check to ride the pine. He will get his shot barring injury or if he dramatically worse than the other three.

I think we needed an upgrade at QB on the short term. Just not yet convinced this is the guy. But if we can’t get the guy then we turn to McDonald/Welliver.

If Evers doesn’t work out the NIL spigot will be turned off and he can transfer again.

I think your analysis is spot on. We needed an upgrade. Probably they decided Welliver isn’t ready yet. So they went out and got a guy who looks to have the skill set needed but is buried on a depth chart at a P4 program. It isn’t guarenteed, I guess but at least a few teams have had success with it recently. Liberty did with Willis. James Madison did. There were a couple on MWC teams that have done pretty well with guys. Doesn’t prove we will of course. But neither does it show it can’t be a successful strategy.

 

[ZooCougar]

I think your analysis is spot on. We needed an upgrade. Probably they decided Welliver isn’t ready yet. So they went out and got a guy who looks to have the skill set needed but is buried on a depth chart at a P4 program. It isn’t guarenteed, I guess but at least a few teams have had success with it recently. Liberty did with Willis. James Madison did. There were a couple on MWC teams that have done pretty well with guys. Doesn’t prove we will of course. But neither does it show it can’t be a successful strategy.

I am much more positive on Evers since posting this.

 

[Palatine]

I don't want to be negative, but Mora has butchered the QB position so badly since last year.

1) Fagnano never, ever should have started Week 1. Nicky Charlton, all-time bad OC, HAD to get his boy in, and it ruined the season. The fact he's still on the roster is embarrassing.

Fagnano won the job. What is so hard to understand about that? Unless you have the ability to read minds --specifically the minds of Mora and Charlton-- your post is just speculation, not fact.

 

[ZooCougar]

Fagnano won the job. What is so hard to understand about that? Unless you have the ability to read minds --specifically the minds of Mora and Charlton-- your post is just speculation, not fact.

It’s hard to understand because we saw him play.

 

[RSTuthill]

Sitting here chuckling about all the chatter when two weeks ago people were complaining about the quiet and that HCJM had somehow changed and taken a turn for the morose -- during the BB natties for goodness sakes!!!!!

Everyone happy now?

 

[rich1122]

The disrespect is inexcusable. Here are the QBs in UConn's D1 history with 2,000+ yards, 10+ TDs and a 2:1 or better TD:INT ratio:

Year	Name	Yards	TD	INT
2023​	Roberson	2,075​	12​	6​
2017​	Shirrefs	2,287​	14​	5​
2007​	Lorenzen	2,367​	13​	6​
2003​	Orlovsky	3,485​	33​	14​

You can say TR isn't good enough. But then you better bring in someone who you know is better. Evers could be better. But we don't know. If Evers throws for 1900 yards 9 TDs and 12 INTs, then what?

Oh, and TR did this with a joke of an OC...

We were 3-9. Gotta do something. I’d rather try. Big story is the rest of the pick ups. We’ve upgraded compared to what we lost.

Coaches saw Spring Practices. Evidently not enough improvement from the incumbent.

Need a LB and close out the cycle.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Hoping the fourth time is a charm.

 

[Buffett10]

How many games did he play last year? Don’t think it was 12.

Says 11 but 4 of the last 5 games he had 0 TDs… including UMass. But hey if you guys wanna sign up for that again go ahead

 

[NowInStorrs]

Yikes

Someone from Reddit was saying that we'll now have his mother in our message boards all the time. Hopefully this isn't some overbearing helicopter parent type stuff.

 

[RSTuthill]

We were 3-9. Gotta do something. I’d rather try. Big story is the rest of the pick ups. We’ve upgraded compared to what we lost.

Coaches saw Spring Practices. Evidently not enough improvement from the incumbent.

Need a LB and close out the cycle.

Exactly. They saw a 3-9 team in spring practice. Had to make a change. Get as many quality players as possible on the BB coattails.

 

[huskymedic]

Someone from Reddit was saying that we'll now have his mother in our message boards all the time.

No we won’t…