The View From Section 241 — Army

[ZooCougar]

You read this board enough you could easily conclude there are fans who dream of the days of going 1-11 with no nfl talent on roster

Yes. I pine for the days where nobody would opt out despite the fact that we struggled to beat Yale and got doubled by Holy Cross at home.

Also it’s impossible to have a 3500 yard passer in a northern school where it’s cold and windy.

 

[ZooCougar]

Your assuming the kids care about that. I don't think many do and it's perfectly logical that they don't given the behavior they witness from everyone else. Two years ago FSU crapped all over the Sugar Bowl. ND just bowed out of a bowl this season. Kiffen just left his team that was entering into the CFP. Mark my words, it's only a matter of time before some players bypass the CFP to assure their NFL payday.

As a side note, the more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that Joe F. and Bell made mistakes not playing (or whatever the hell Bell did or didn't do). You hire for skill AND character and both showed a serious lack of that with their decisions.

This is exactly right. As fans this is what we might care about.

Some fans project their hopes and dreams onto the players. Pretty sure many of them were as non plussed as some of us were about the destination.

 

[ZooCougar]

My response crossed yours. Sorry for the inconvenience. I'll leave it as saying there may or may not have been anything he could have done to get more players to play (not JF, who right or wrong had a rational reason) but that is a different question than whether better communication with the fanbase was called for.

It’s not an inconvenience. I’m just seeing some pretty questionable comments in many places suggesting that Dave is omnipotent and somehow could have delivered a different set of conditions and results.

After closing a deal with his #1 target he had figure out which dumb bowl accept, he took the one with the bigger pay day.

 

[Waquoit]

This entire discussion is folks handling the paradigm shift differently. One thing I remember from that training film is that when the paradigm shifts, everything goes to zero. The old rules no longer apply. Those that think they still do are just banging their heads against the wall in vain.

 

[freescooter]

Is that your Nelson Muntz imitation, attacking a position that absolutely nobody put forward? Or if I’m old and feeble minded, please be kind enough to point out the post where someone said that. Thanks.

And it was Henry V not the VIII who gave the famous speech. LOL

 

[ZooCougar]

And it was Henry V not the VIII who gave the famous speech. LOL

Nah look up Henry the 8th’s speech to Parliament history guy….

 

[uconndogs]

This entire discussion is folks handling the paradigm shift differently. One thing I remember from that training film is that when the paradigm shifts, everything goes to zero. The old rules no longer apply. Those that think they still do are just banging their heads against the wall in vain.

Totally agree. It is a paradigm shift. While I do wish for the old days I fully accept they are not returning. Given that reality, as a fan I will decide if I still have much if any interest in college football. It’s certainly a diminished interest and it will show in my attendance and viewership. I suspect I am not alone.

 

[freescooter]

Nah look up Henry the 8th’s speech to Parliament history guy….

Ok. I was thinking of the St Crispin’s Day speech at Argincourt. Seemed like the one that would have fit our situation and made Joe and Bell want to play😉

 

[Purple Stein]

Totally agree. It is a paradigm shift. While I do wish for the old days I fully accept they are not returning. Given that reality, as a fan I will decide if I still have much if any interest in college football. It’s certainly a diminished interest and it will show in my attendance and viewership. I suspect I am not alone.

For me, sports are part of the rhythm of life. In spring and summer, I've got baseball on the radio. In the fall, it's college football on TV. Most of it is just background noise to me. Each sport has different sounds and they are sounds I anticipate and enjoy. They help me mark place and time. No different than the angle of the sun, etc.

As a fan, I really only follow UConn closely, then some FCS schools. I dive in and out of FBS, and I do think that the Big Ten and SEC really don't understand how they are ultimately hollowing out their product. Crazy how the rise of two power conferences, who want all the air, has me paying more attention to the CAA than anything.

 

[uconndogs]

For me, sports are part of the rhythm of life. In spring and summer, I've got baseball on the radio. In the fall, it's college football on TV. Most of it is just background noise to me. Each sport has different sounds and they are sounds I anticipate and enjoy. They help me mark place and time. No different than the angle of the sun, etc.

As a fan, I really only follow UConn closely, then some FCS schools. I dive in and out of FBS, and I do think that the Big Ten and SEC really don't understand how they are ultimately hollowing out their product. Crazy how the rise of two power conferences, who want all the air, has me paying more attention to the CAA than anything.

Really appreciate this perspective. College athletics is about something different than professional athletics (or at least it used to be). That is being greatly diminished and I have to believe that over time that will diminish its appeal to many fans. The more the differentiation is reduced between the NFL, NBA and WNBA, those entities become primary competitors, and it's hard to believe that will be a good thing for college athletics.

 

[ZooCougar]

I can say with full confidence that Joe's decision to leave his teammates and the university on their own neither hurt or helped Joe's chances with the NFL.

And anyone defending Benedict's position to circle the wagons and give out no information is defending mickey mouse tactics.

In both cases, the decisions have minimal or no impact on anything in the future. But both choose the low road.

If he’s trying to get to full health before spending a week of practices in front of scouts from every NFL team then it’s undoubtedly helpful.

 

[rich1122]

Folks can analyze this all they want, but this is not a UCONN problem this is a college football problem. These players are young and they are simply behaving based on what they observe. Coaches, athletic departments, conferences and the NCAA have made in very clear that you look out for your own self interest first and foremost. And make no doubt about it.......that interest is MONEY! The idea of student athlete, love of the game, brotherhood, etc. is for the most part......crap.

Major college athletics needs to bifurcate soon into a segment of full fledge professional athletics with the schools as sponsors of those franchises; and another segment that resembles something along the lines of amatuer sport with academics. The former is going to compete with the NFL, NBA and WNBA. Don't see that going particularly well.........

USC had 7 opt outs. It’s just a big mess. Eventually nobody will be interested in this product offering.

 

[KryHavok]

Like last year's bowl game, I was out of the country on vacation, so I was nervous all day Saturday and prayed for a great outcome. We didn't get that outcome, but the fact that we got a chance to play in a later bowl game and go for 10 wins is a tremendous improvement over what we had to endure post RE1-era.

I would have preferred coaches and players stay to honor commitments, but let's face it, this is not the same game we grew up watching. It's morphing into something else, hence our expectations need to adjust accordingly. We now have a new head coach who is building his staff and bringing in players.

I don't see a bleak future, but neither do I see things as rosy. We're still in a precarious situation with no conference and nothing to play for except pride. I will look forward to next year knowing we can compete...other than that, all I can do as a son of the nutmeg state and an alumnus of the school is to support UConn with all my heart. Bring on 2026, I'm psyched!!!!

 

[UCan3]

Like last year's bowl game, I was out of the country on vacation, so I was nervous all day Saturday and prayed for a great outcome. We didn't get that outcome, but the fact that we got a chance to play in a later bowl game and go for 10 wins is a tremendous improvement over what we had to endure post RE1-era.

I would have preferred coaches and players stay to honor commitments, but let's face it, this is not the same game we grew up watching. It's morphing into something else, hence our expectations need to adjust accordingly. We now have a new head coach who is building his staff and bringing in players.

I don't see a bleak future, but neither do I see things as rosy. We're still in a precarious situation with no conference and nothing to play for except pride. I will look forward to next year knowing we can compete...other than that, all I can do as a son of the nutmeg state and an alumnus of the school is to support UConn with all my heart. Bring on 2026, I'm psyched!!!!

I agree.

As I reflect, I think some too harsh on the young QB who has few targets to throw to but think played respectably given circumstances with most top receivers out.

The defense showed their warts, again with some key players out. The defense needs to reinvent itself next year - Mora's decision did not impact this topic.

The issue of who sat out / who played is bigger than UConn. It is a NCAA Division 1 issue - the bowl games are now an afterthought in many instances. NIL clouds this further as you might expect scholarship players and especially those who got paid extra $$$ to suit up for every game.

That is the only issue I struggle with - maybe NIL should come with a hook to play every game? But even that I can see some phantom injuries coming up. A problem with no great solution.

This issue is larger than UConn. We don't like outcome of Saturday's game but neither did UNC last year.... We didn't as a board seem to preoccupied w/ topic last year but now it comes full circle.

The end result on Saturday was as predictable as January being cold in the Northeast

Next year and the next few are huge questionmarks.

But anyone not excited by what's ahead needs to reexamine what it means to be a fan. We've hired a very good coach. He's bringing lots of good recruits with him - perhaps better than we had coming in w/ Mora?

For players that are leaving, my best to you but we are entering a new era and it "is what it is" and time to roll with the changes!

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

If he’s trying to get to full health before spending a week of practices in front of scouts from every NFL team then it’s undoubtedly helpful.

You have mentioned multiple times that JF is recovering from some injury. Is that a reported fact or just rumor?

 

[The Viking]

Benedict is in a tough spot on this. While we would like him being as forthcoming as possible on who is playing and for how long, he also knows that would negatively impact uconn attendance - perhaps by anywhere from a third to even a half.

His goal is to get this football program to the level where the ACC and Big 12 takes us seriously.

Quite frankly, We don't have the option others may have of turning down a bowl game. Both from an image and a financial standpoint.

It also makes us look better as a program if we get decent turnout to bowl games. Having Fenway 70 percent empty would not have been a great look image-wise for the fanbase.

As someone who went with a decent size group, we all knew the risk that was presented before us in terms of game outcome. The Bell thing threw everyone off but in the end i look at it simply as this and i mentioned it in another thread.

The only things as fans we control is our support of the program. If there were all backups playing i still would have gone because my presence and financial support benefit the program.

Ultimately its my view that as a fanbase we aren't in the position to complain about not being in a P4 conference and then opt out ourselves of not attending a bowl game that is drivable distance because we dont like the players who have actually chosen to put the jersey on one last time.

But to each their own.

 

[Alum86]

You have mentioned multiple times that JF is recovering from some injury. Is that a reported fact or just rumor?

That may be incorrect and Joe was an opt out to avoid injury before auditioning next month. Chief even gave it the benefit of the doubt that he has a month to heal in case he got dinged up. Regardless, he made his choice and we knew ahead of time. It’s Evers and the radio silence that irks me.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

That may be incorrect and Joe was an opt out to avoid injury before auditioning next month. Chief even gave it the benefit of the doubt that he has a month to heal in case he got dinged up. Regardless, he made his choice and we knew ahead of time. It’s Evers and the radio silence that irks me.

I agree…Evers is more annoying. He would have given them a fighting chance…but I guess he didn’t have enough confidence in himself to play the game.

But I am still curious…is it a fact that Fagnano was injured and needed time to recover or was that just a rumor? If he truly was injured and needed time to recover before pro day and senior bowls, then that is completely logical.

@ZooCougar has mentioned multiple times that he was injured…that’s why I was asking, was that a fact or just a rumor?

 

[Chief00]

I would say that the bowl games still matter to the fans. That is pretty obvious by the responses here and the number of people who went to Fenway. They might matter to the players but that is based on circumstances. Us last year and 2022, Army this year. But once Mora left it was difficult to keep the players focused and involved. They don’t know what their future holds in a new regime so are looking to get in the portal even if it is just in case. The assistants were only partly focused. Mostly they were looking for or planning on moving to their next job. And while I like Sammis, he is nowhere ready to be a head coach at this point. He really didn’t do a good job on the sideline or in getting buy in for the game. I also think the opponent didn’t help. A P4 opponent would have generated some juice with then team. Army didn’t nor would any G6.

It all started with Mora. Character and ethics do matter. When the leader abandons his group and goes against what he preached, bad things follow.

 

[ZooCougar]

That may be incorrect and Joe was an opt out to avoid injury before auditioning next month. Chief even gave it the benefit of the doubt that he has a month to heal in case he got dinged up. Regardless, he made his choice and we knew ahead of time. It’s Evers and the radio silence that irks me.

Chief? Good grief. Who cares what he thinks. I heard from multiple places unconfirmed that he wasn’t 100%. That doesn’t confirm it but it makes sense.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

It all started with Mora. Character and ethics do matter. When the leader abandons his group and goes against what he preached, bad things follow.

I don't know if I would go that far Chief, but something did happen among at least some of the players, where they felt they really were no longer a team and basically once the head coach was gone, they were done with the football program.

Wheile I could see some players feeling a bit betrayed, or having a gripe about abruptly losing their head coach, that should have been directed towards the departing coach, not the school or the program.

I can see pinning some of this on Mora as the message some of our players delivered was an every man for himself attitude, which cannot work in any team sport and absolutely cannot work in football.

Whether it was due to directly providing that message or by implication because the buck stops at the guy in charge, the culpability starts with Mora and continues through everyone who (at least mentally) checked out of the program when he announced his departure.

Mora is allowed to pursue whatever career opportunities he believes are in his best interests. Whether he did or did not do anything to lead the players who did opt out to believe they were immediately free agents once he announced his move is up to speculation. I also believe that Mora did us a favor, actually a couple of favors. First by digging us out the hole we were mired in when he was hired. Second, by moving on, as I believe we wouldn't have seen much beyond what we saw this past year under his leadership. By hiring Candle, we traded up and it shouldn't be too long before we see this on the playing field.

 

[freescooter]

I don't know if I would go that far Chief, but something did happen among at least some of the players, where they felt they really were no longer a team and basically once the head coach was gone, they were done with the football program.

Wheile I could see some players feeling a bit betrayed, or having a gripe about abruptly losing their head coach, that should have been directed towards the departing coach, not the school or the program.

I can see pinning some of this on Mora as the message some of our players delivered was an every man for himself attitude, which cannot work in any team sport and absolutely cannot work in football.

Whether it was due to directly providing that message or by implication because the buck stops at the guy in charge, the culpability starts with Mora and continues through everyone who (at least mentally) checked out of the program when he announced his departure.

Mora is allowed to pursue whatever career opportunities he believes are in his best interests. Whether he did or did not do anything to lead the players who did opt out to believe they were immediately free agents once he announced his move is up to speculation. I also believe that Mora did us a favor, actually a couple of favors. First by digging us out the hole we were mired in when he was hired. Second, by moving on, as I believe we wouldn't have seen much beyond what we saw this past year under his leadership. By hiring Candle, we traded up and it shouldn't be too long before we see this on the playing field.

I agree with this interpretation. Mora didn’t tell Fagnano and Bell not to play. That was a decision each of them made. In the past he was able to convince guys to stay and play but that didn’t happen this time.

Over all though, I am very thankful to have had Jim Mora as our head coach for 4 years. Remember what he inherited. No winning seasons since 2010. Previous 5 years we were 3-9, 3-9, 1-11, 2-10, 1-11. Mora got us bowl eligible in his first year with a true freshman 3rd string quarterback and his best running back quitting after 4 games to preserve his eligibility to transfer. After a step back the next year he won 9 games twice. He had multiple wins over P4 opponents. And importantly he modernized the football program operations and w ith donors and showed that UConn could indeed put a good team on the field. It would have been a very different situation if UConn had finished with 2 straight 6-6 seasons.

So I think he set us up to continue to be successful. Candle seems very impressive. 10 straight years without a losing season. Excellent recruiter. I’m thankful to Mora and excited for the future of this program.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

I don't know if I would go that far Chief, but something did happen among at least some of the players, where they felt they really were no longer a team and basically once the head coach was gone, they were done with the football program.

Wheile I could see some players feeling a bit betrayed, or having a gripe about abruptly losing their head coach, that should have been directed towards the departing coach, not the school or the program.

I can see pinning some of this on Mora as the message some of our players delivered was an every man for himself attitude, which cannot work in any team sport and absolutely cannot work in football.

Whether it was due to directly providing that message or by implication because the buck stops at the guy in charge, the culpability starts with Mora and continues through everyone who (at least mentally) checked out of the program when he announced his departure.

Mora is allowed to pursue whatever career opportunities he believes are in his best interests. Whether he did or did not do anything to lead the players who did opt out to believe they were immediately free agents once he announced his move is up to speculation. I also believe that Mora did us a favor, actually a couple of favors. First by digging us out the hole we were mired in when he was hired. Second, by moving on, as I believe we wouldn't have seen much beyond what we saw this past year under his leadership. By hiring Candle, we traded up and it shouldn't be too long before we see this on the playing field.

I think you are spot on here. This bowl game isn’t that important in the big picture. The big picture is that Mora brought the program back and now Candle has a chance to take it to an even higher level. I hope that Candle’s success will make us completely forget about the mess that was this bowl season.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

Chief? Good grief. Who cares what he thinks. I heard from multiple places unconfirmed that he wasn’t 100%. That doesn’t confirm it but it makes sense.

That would make sense…but UConn nor Fagnano has said this…so it seems silly for you to keep parroting this talking point as if it is fact.

 

[Husky25]

This will be my first last and only post on the Bowl game (I know. This matters only to me)...

I went to the game with three really good friends, my son, and his friend who also happened to be the son of one of the other guys. The experience was a blast, but at the end of the day, the game itself felt like something out of the late Diaco era. UConn scores first, the D keeps it close for a half, but at the end of the day, neither faction had the horses to compete. What's worse is we all knew it going in.

Mora was gone before the bowl game was even announced, and left behind a backhanded "compliment." I thought it was poor form considering he had exactly zero coaching prospects not more than 4 years prior. Then the opt-outs rolled in. I get it. It was the same bowl game as last year and some players have pro aspirations, but for Bell to opt back in, only to get fans' hopes up before play a single series (and being a major reason UConn went 3 & out) was an equally crap move.

I also understand that it's merely entertainment for us fans & alums and any post season game outside the playoffs and NCG (i.e. 90% of them) is an exhibition, but all the personnel movement (1. early LOI day, 2. coaching, and 3. portal declaration) should be to be moved to mid-January. Also players should really be required to declare playing before the bowls are announced.

Bowl games are a bonus for cash-spending fans just as much as they should be for the players. It's wonderful that eggs are cheaper, but generally (and for reasons that will remain unsaid, yet understood by most) disposable income is getting tight all around. I was in NYC when the bowl was announced and was half disappointed on the train home that UConn wasn't invited to the Gasparilla Bowl or any other game farther away. The decision would have been so much easier.