The Action Network -- UConn 1 Win

[Purple Stein]

Need to win at least 3 and be competitive in 5 or 6 others. Man it's hard to get excited after 7 years of losing badly and knowing that the first 2 games this year are likely to be solid drubbings. However if we can finally obliterate an FCS team in week 3 I will feel somewhat better for a while. Look out URI - we've got you, peewee.

URI has been terrible the past few years but they were competitive with Central Michigan (and most CAA teams) last year. They’re about equivalent to Holy Cross, maybe a bit worse.

 

[blue93]

Didn't say I felt confident. And I have been paying attention, painful as that has been over these last 7 seasons. But IF we can smoke URI by 4 or 5 TDs I will take it as a small sign we are improving, given our recent performances against FCS opponents.

Sorry, poorly worded on my part. I wasn’t calling you out. More of a general statement that I’m not not getting my hopes up for a blowout against anybody until it happens.

 

[tjhusky]

Does it matter that we don't return starting QB Brandon Shirreffs ?

Did Bryant have a twin no one told us about?

 

[Scrutineer]

OK. Last year the O line was poor and in Newport Edsall and Peart both said they believe the line will be good this year.
Last year the D was P_SS Poor and in Newport Terry sounded confident they will be much improved.
Sure, quarterback is a question mark with Schireffs gone but last year, as bad as the team was, they really should/could have won five.

So, if we believe Edsall, Peart and Terry, why is it not possible we could win five or even six? Why can't they beat URIne, ECU, Cincinnati, Syracuse, Temple and UMass? Of course the real wild card with UMass is not their good offense, but their hatred for anything UConn and the coach's probable desire for payback for not picking him as head coach in two searches------something I agree with him about by the way.

It is preseason, so why can't we dream?

 

[Adios]

URI has been terrible the past few years but they were competitive with Central Michigan (and most CAA teams) last year. They’re about equivalent to Holy Cross, maybe a bit worse.

They are worse. HC had a QB the year we played them. URI football is in the gutter. Poor Lyle McCombs just had to transfer there. They're on par with Brown.

 

[RSTuthill]

RE2.0 has all five years of his contract which means he has four more to get this ship turned around. Guessing that there will be some kind of mid course review at the end of next year at which point the trajectory better be unmistakably up. Yeah, we are staring into the abyss with a D that on paper won't be as good as last year. And if 1-11 or -- perish the thought -- 0-12 happens this year, then that third year is gonna be one incredibly important year unless the new president puts us out of our misery.

Pretty comfortable they will get to 3 though. A lot of intangibles in the second year of the system that could cause the Huskies to gel and surprise a lot of people.

 

[YoungFree]

You describe my own take on Edsall perfectly, YF. I agree it's going to get tougher to convince any good quality recruits to take the plunge if the W totals regress any further. However, it's difficult to see it as anything less than a five year Edsall plan no matter what, because he's working cheap. Even if anybody wanted him gone before that, what caliber of coach can you get for that salary?

That is true...with UConn and the state of CT in a "financial crisis" cheap coaches are needed. RE got us where we needed to be before, let's just jump on the train and see if he leaves us for MD....I mean lets see if he can get us into top of the conference form again.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Lmao at the reactions here to a prediction of 1 win.

2013 - 3 wins
2014 - 2 wins
2015 - 6 wins
2016 - 3 wins
2017 - 3 wins

But this year will be different.

 

[Nostical]

LMAO at the reactions here to a prediction of 1 win. "But this year will be different."

This year will be different.

 

[Husky68]

Looked at Massey and added up their % win for UConn and for the 12 games come up with about 3.5 wins. Have per them single digit chances of winning against UCF, Boise, Memphis and USF. Has us slight favorites against Cin. and Mass. at home. Surprised only give UConn 11% chance to beat Syracuse (17 point dog). So in 5 games where heavy dog UConn has a 40% chance of winning 1 game. Hard to get to six wins if pretty guaranteed to lose these 5 games.
HCRE has 2 spring practices and 2 fall practices and a full season of play plus 18 months of physical and mental practice time leading to 2018 season opener, he needs to show results. I expect gang tackling not one man take downs, every OL player putting a hat on a body, wide receivers snatching receptions, TE's opening up running lanes, RB's getting into secondary and making DB tacklers pay, QB putting defenders in jeopardy - and especially better schemes on defense and in red zone. There is enough talent to be in running for 5-6 wins; that was where the "lost" team of last year was (3 wins and 2 close loses). If lose all 5 to highly favored teams (all in 1st 7 games of season) expect will play full 60 minutes each game and make them earn it.

 

[freescooter]

You don’t fix football with one year of recruiting. Whacky Bob brought in 1AA talent. So there is zero depth. But there is no reason we can’t become Memphis or Schiano’s Rutgers or Edsall Round 1 a team like that who consistently wins more than it loses. But that will take a couple of years to get there. As for the Back to the Big East crowd they really need to start filling Gampel and at least getting 12-13000 to the xl before they complain about other programs. The logic that somehow Kevin Ollie wouldn’t have sucked as a coach if he was playing Villanova and Syracuse ( oops not in the Big East) is sort of laughable.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

Lmao at the reactions here to a prediction of 1 win.

2013 - 3 wins
2014 - 2 wins
2015 - 6 wins
2016 - 3 wins
2017 - 3 wins

But this year will be different.

Looking at those results...that’s rather depressing.

 

[Palatine]

Lmao at the reactions here to a prediction of 1 win.

2013 - 3 wins
2014 - 2 wins
2015 - 6 wins
2016 - 3 wins
2017 - 3 wins

But this year will be different.

Those are all more than one win.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Those are all more than one win.

And this years schedule is difficult, our best QB from last year graduated, and we lost a lot on D.

 

[Wordbomar]

Randy made it clear today at media day that he expects us to be better than last year... I guess we’ll see.

 

[kemba]

I understand everything you guys are saying.

When do we hit the point of diminishing returns though? 3 wins his first year back, drop it to 2 or 1 the second year....I can be patient but is that going to attract student athletes or do they need to see a steady increase in wins each year to think the ship is heading in the right direction?

I am going to caveat all this with I was bitter that RE left the way he did and I did not want to see him back....but I am going to forgive him...still doesn't mean I don't want to see Ws.

Obviously winning would be better than losing for recruiting, and everything. But the difference between 2 and 4 wins probably isn't going to affect recruits too much compared to other factors

 

[Milo65]

We should be improving throughout the year as we fly under the radar. I’d rather listen to players not pundits.This team has greater team cohesiveness and personal accountability. I’m betting “over” 3 wins. And the UCF opener will be much closer than predicted. I’m taking UConn and the points.

I appreciate your enthusiasm and there was a time that I would agree with your quote. There was a time where I would predict 7-8 wins and a bowl bid. God I hope you’re right! But right now, I just can’t drink the Kool Aid. I’m broken. Was it the Michigan game? Towson? BC x2? Missouri? Navy? Or a combination of all of it? I need a competitive team. I want a quality product. I want to believe! I hope you’re right! God, I hope you’re right!

 

[blue93]

I appreciate your enthusiasm and there was a time that I would agree with your quote. There was a time where I would predict 7-8 wins and a bowl bid. God I hope you’re right! But right now, I just can’t drink the Kool Aid. I’m broken. Was it the Michigan game? Towson? BC x2? Missouri? Navy? Or a combination of all of it? I need a competitive team. I want a quality product. I want to believe! I hope you’re right! God, I hope you’re right!

Losing to ECU 41-3 at their place was what broke me. I was able to justify the season-opening FCS games as "we're learning to win again" or "we'll hit our stride as the young guys get experience" and losses to decent opponents were semi-expected. That ECU game broke my heart and I've never been the same.

 

[JMick]

This year will be different.

Oh no. 0-12 here we come

 

[CL82]

There was a time where I would predict 7-8 wins and a bowl bid.

Me too! Of course that time was 8 years ago but still.