The Debbie Downer post

[noeynox]

I understand some of you don't like reading anything negative after so if that's you stop reading.

Shirrefs is the best QB we've had in a while but going back to the USF game he has missed some throws that concern me about his accuracy. Early in the game Mayala would have had a huge gain and possible score, but BS rushed the pass and threw it behind him. It was 3rd down and we punted when at least we should have extended the drive. He has been missing more of these short touch throws than earlier in the season. The pick 6 was also telegraphed and looked behind the receiver as well.

The second thing up big with 9 minutes to play we have the ball and on back to back plays we snap the ball with 13 seconds left on the play clock. For a team that has struggled to get plays in on time all year, that was huge head scratcher that they wouldn't run the clock down further. It's little things like that that give me reservation about the staff. It's the it the things that in some games become big things.

Great win and Diaco has kept these kids playing hard. Props for that.

 

[huskymedic]

The second thing up big with 9 minutes to play we have the ball and on back to back plays we snap the ball with 13 seconds left on the play clock. For a team that has struggled to get plays in on time all year, that was huge head scratcher that they wouldn't run the clock down further. It's little things like that that give me reservation about the staff.

Why is that a staff thing and not more a QB thing? I was thinking the same thing and since I'm on the press box side I was watching the sideline and the staff was trying to get BS's attention the second time and then they seemed to get it ironed for third down and going forward and were snapping @ 3-7 seconds.

Teachable moment for BS.

 

[noeynox]

Why is that a staff thing and not more a QB thing? I was thinking the same thing and since I'm on the press box side I was watching the sideline and the staff was trying to get BS's attention the second time and then they seemed to get it ironed for third down and going forward and were snapping @ 3-7 seconds.

Teachable moment for BS.

I thought of that as well, that it was the QB. It just stuck out like a sore thumb if you've seen us burn timeouts all year because you can't the play in on time.

 

[ktuck911]

Shireffs was off all night with any throw more than 10 yards, save the Mayala throw where the ECU player got ejected. Made me wonder if he's not telling coaches he's more banged up from previous games than he's let on. He was that off last night with his throws. His equilibrium was off throwing on crossing patterns.

 

[upstater]

He was off, but as I said in the game thread, the pick-6 was more the coaches' fault than his. It was actually a perfect throw but too late. You could tell because the receiver had totally stopped his route. The problem--as ever--was the fake handoff and 360 he did before he threw. That ball needs to be out a half second earlier.

 

[UCFBfan]

You gotta have it somewhere in the back of your mind if BS isn't going to be the QB this teams needs as the rest of the young talent matures and improves next year and beyond. I agree that his throws are off. His mobility is there and it's been great to see. He is also a gamer and I give him tons of credit for sticking in the pocket at times after he has taken a beating from our porous O-Line. However, his tendency to want to run first and his lack of accuracy on passes over 10 yards is concerning. I'm not going to let it dampen what I've seen this season from him or this team but next year, it might be a different story. We have a lot of talented young WRs. I'd hate to see them go to waste because we can't get them the ball downfield.

You also have to wonder if the staff believes BS is the future or just the stop gap with all the QBs they have brought in. I hope he can be the answer because this team is looking like they are ready to take another step and I'd hate to have to go through QB growing pains with a new QB while the rest of the team is at a different level.

 

[J187Money]

You gotta have it somewhere in the back of your mind if BS isn't going to be the QB this teams needs as the rest of the young talent matures and improves next year and beyond. I agree that his throws are off. His mobility is there and it's been great to see. He is also a gamer and I give him tons of credit for sticking in the pocket at times after he has taken a beating from our porous O-Line. However, his tendency to want to run first and his lack of accuracy on passes over 10 yards is concerning. I'm not going to let it dampen what I've seen this season from him or this team but next year, it might be a different story. We have a lot of talented young WRs. I'd hate to see them go to waste because we can't get them the ball downfield. You also have to wonder if the staff believes BS is the future or just the stop gap with all the QBs they have brought in. I hope he can be the answer because this team is looking like they are ready to take another step and I'd hate to have to go through QB growing pains with a new QB while the rest of the team is at a different level.

I thought last night he could have run in a couple of spots and chose not to. Definitely needs to improve accuracy but overall a good job. Could he get beat next year? Absolutely. But that would be a good thing for the team.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

There were a couple of threads after last week's games that I considered posting in but decided better against it as it could easily have been (incorrectly) perceived as knocking Shirreffs.

I will preface this by stating that I do not believe that it is necessary to have a QB who can throw the ball well in a vertical passing game to be effective.

Shirreffs does a lot of things well and as he gains experience and gets the benefits of an offensive line that over the remainder of his time here should continually improve, should become very successful here and lead us to some nice things. With that we need to accept that he doesn't throw a good (or accurate) deep ball so I imagine we will here this knock on this board until he moves on and a replacement

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

I don't know why they keep insisting on making him throw out of the pocket. He is not a pocket passer.

 

[businesslawyer]

BS does not have a big arm. That is who he is. That is why he wasn't going to play QB at NC State. You don't need that to win.

He has not played as well since carrying the ball every play the 1st quarter at Cincy. He may be hurt. He may be worn down. He may be struggling with the cold. He may just need a week off. And he took way, way too long to throw the pick six given he was locked on that the receiver the whole time (not sure that is on the coaches).

That having been said, I have no doubt that BS will show improvement next year (just having confidence in the line will make it better). I also have no doubt that he will be more than good enough for us to be 8-4 or better if the rest of the team is up to it. I don't expect someone to beat him out, but if someone does good for them -- it will mean that we are getting better, not that BS isn't good enough.

 

[HuskyNan]

The sophomore took some big hits in a 37-13 loss to Cincinnati Saturday. He had more carries (17) and more rushing yards (90) than anyone on the team.

But this game may have, well, knocked some sense into him about trusting his arm more than his feet.

"Yeah for sure," Shirreffs said. "There have definitely been other games, but it was definitely exemplified that I could stay in the pocket a little longer on a couple plays and I paid the price."

Shirreffs was never forced out of the game after taking a hit but he got up woozy on some occasions and slow on others.

There was one play last night where Shirreffs was moving very slowly and carefully after being hit and I thought he'd been hurt. I do wonder if some nagging injury is bothering him. The article below, where the quotes are from, mentions not being able to put pressure on one of his legs in practice this week. That would affect his passing, for sure.

UConn QB Bryant Shirreffs Moving Fine After Bruising Hits In Loss To Cincinnati

 

[noeynox]

It isn't just deep throws, some of them are short throws where the WRs are open and they have to go to the groun to make a sensational catch or its an incomplete that leads to a stalled drive. I think @ktuck911 might be onto something. I think the hits are taking their toll. He is never going to be the prettiest of throwers, but earlier in the year he was connecting on those easy throws with much more regularity.

 

[businesslawyer]

It isn't just deep throws, some of them are short throws where the WRs are open and they have to go to the groun to make a sensational catch or its an incomplete that leads to a stalled drive. I think @ktuck911 might be onto something. I think the hits are taking their toll. He is never going to be the prettiest of throwers, but earlier in the year he was connecting on those easy throws with much more regularity.

I think it would be expeted that, given the number of carries he's had and hits he's taken, he would not be throwing the ball as well now as earlier. Add in that he hasn't had an off week yet and he's a southern boy dealing with New England fall (as the ECU players struggled to do last night).

I'm not worried long term. And I'd love to get up early at Tulane and not need him to take a beating next week going into the week off.

 

[cohenzone]

It's not that I don't like reading negatives, I write'em myself. But geez, this is the best game taken as a whole on both sides of the ball in four years against what is supposedly a halfway decent team. You can pick apart almost any team in every game if you want. These kids aren't pros and the pros ain't all that perfect either.

This was a game to enjoy. The coaches finally let the linebackers loose and it showed not only in harassing the QB, but made our coverage look better than it has just about all year. Their running QB looked no better than Bryant running because we defended the corners ok on runs and he didn't hurt us by taking off up the middle when cornered. If anything, I don't know why he was playing through the 3rd quarter, definitely not a passer. Coaches got innovative with the fullback position. They threw to the TE a bunch of times with great success. Managed the clock decently if not perfectly. Puyols crushed a 45 yard FG. Basically, the coaches addressed virtually every issue we've bitched about all year. I hope they keep it up. UConn football is becoming fun to watch again. My downer was that I was sick all yesterday and couldn't use my ticket.

 

[gioff23]

We're lucky he got outa bed for this game. He could've used another day of R&R, and it showed. It also showers he's a gamer. If you're disappointed in his performance, I'd question your acumen.

 

[noeynox]

If it were just yesterday's game I wouldn't mind, but this goes back tothe USF game where he a had a historic game but missed a few throws to WRs that would have extended drives instead of ending in punts. I wonder if his trhowing shoulder isnt giving him trouble.

 

[noeynox]

It's not that I don't like reading negatives, I write'em myself. But geez, this is the best game taken as a whole on both sides of the ball in four years against what is supposedly a halfway decent team. You can pick apart almost any team in every game if you want. These kids aren't pros and the pros ain't all that perfect either.

This was a game to enjoy. The coaches finally let the linebackers loose and it showed not only in harassing the QB, but made our coverage look better than it has just about all year. Their running QB looked no better than Bryant running because we defended the corners ok on runs and he didn't hurt us by taking off up the middle when cornered. If anything, I don't know why he was playing through the 3rd quarter, definitely not a passer. Coaches got innovative with the fullback position. They threw to the TE a bunch of times with great success. Managed the clock decently if not perfectly. Puyols crushed a 45 yard FG. Basically, the coaches addressed virtually every issue we've bitched about all year. I hope they keep it up. UConn football is becoming fun to watch again. My downer was that I was sick all yesterday and couldn't use my ticket.

This was not the thread for you then. When a team that has burned time outs all year due to not getting the plays in a timely fahsion, snaps the ball on consecutive plays with 13 seconds on the play clock when you should be in clock burning mode, that is a coaching issue that needs to be addressed with the players/QB. I also see a qb that has missed some wide open WRs which he wasn't doing earlier in the year. I pointed out what I noticed. There are plenty of other threads where it is all roses and candy to discuss all the great things that happened.

 

[warbler1055]

Bryant Shirreffs has taken more hits than anybody and carried the team on his back. You guys need to lay off on him. So sick about the nitpicking and second guessing. We are not where we are without BS.

 

[huskysupporter]

BS is not a superstar qb. But he is a solid qb, and that's all this team needs. He is the least of this teams problems.

 

[ktuck911]

How is that the coaches fault?

 

[BlueDogs]

BS is best we've had since Dan O (CC excluded), and he is a servicable decent QB that will get better and better as he improves decision making and the line gets better. Won't be great, but will be more then adequate to get the job done.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

BS is best we've had since Dan O (CC excluded), and he is a servicable decent QB that will get better and better as he improves decision making and the line gets better. Won't be great, but will be more then adequate to get the job done.

Don't take this as a knock on BS but I still believe pre-injury Lorenzen was the best we've had sine Dan O.

 

[BlueDogs]

Don't take this as a knock on BS but I still believe pre-injury Lorenzen was the best we've had sine Dan O.

Can see the argument. By end of the 09 season he was clicking on all cylinders - SC bowl game was a think of beauty.

 

[noeynox]

Can see the argument. By end of the 09 season he was clicking on all cylinders - SC bowl game was a think of beauty.

Yeah that was Frazer.

 

[Pudge]

While I agree with the general point of the OP and some following ... Shireffs does have command and control. And that wheel screen to Newsome was perfectly thrown. Let's win in NOLA>