The View From Section 241 -- Duke

[ZooCougar]

That is certainly a valid point.

All it does is benefit the school they transfer to.

 

[RedStickHusky]

Or you recognize that you are in the portal era and you stop caring about redshirts.

True enough... Forget about team builders and find yourself a used car salesman, I guess.

 

[RedStickHusky]

I put a lot of it on Charlton.

All of it... We don't put our eggs in the Fagnano basket if Charlton doesn't sell him. We could've done better.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Mora is playing with fire when it comes to the fans. He better make changes or he’s going to regret it.

I’m also hopeful AD Dave has the stones to tell him what he’s seeing out there because I’m pretty sure he sees what we see. If there’s an OC out there that can join us midseason, let’s get him.

I think Mora has one more week of the same depth chart before things really need to change or the fans will really turn on him.

His presser claim post-game that he was optimistic at what he saw bs Duke because he’s been a coach for a while and knows these things needs to get clearly manifested next week…improved offense and improved defense need to be obvious even for the casual fan.

if not, he really loses credibility and starts getting into that BS artist danger zone.

I don’t want that to happen at all, but I’m really really worried for next weeks game.

I'm more concerned about Mora playing fire with the players in the locker room and losing their dedication than I am him playing fire with the fans.

As I said, all the players sit in the same film room and should be seeing the same mistakes and listening to the coaches. When players are allowed to continue to make mistakes and still get to stay on the field, that's a dangerous standard that doesn't engage those down on the depth chart or the "next man up" mentality which is so often preached by coaches.

 

[Chin Diesel]

I have a suggestion. Play Zion and if he catches fire in four games. then have a discussion with him about postponing his redshirt year with the full realization that he might never get one.

I don't get the rationale for trying to save a redshirt for Zion. He's barely 6' tall and weighs around 200 lbs. He's never going to play in the NFL. Give him five more years to develop and he's still not an NFL QB. Utilize him wisely in college and make sure he gets his degree. That is success for Zion.

 

[RSTuthill]

BINGO! The WR drops are inexcusable and stained Roberson's performance; however, his lack of effort on the fumble was a tell. The team leader should have been the first one into the scrum. Bench him for THAT and give Zion or whoever a chance. Not benching him sends the message that it is OK to take plays off and/or we have no one else so we have to keep Roberson in. Both messages are toxic for the team.

AND, this is more evidence that Charlton is over his head. We need a competent person leading the O. Now.

Not sure I agree. Perhaps more indicative that he is playing tentatively post injury. Same reason he always throws. Probably does not want to get tackled. I think it is time for Zion to see if he can move the team and give TR more time to get back to his old self.

 

[RedStickHusky]

Just to be clear, despite my observations on Roberson's play, I'm not hating. I think he's giving it a shot for the team when he really shouldn't be playing. I feel for the kid really. I know he left high school for happy valley dreaming big. Things haven't worked out for him.

 

[RedStickHusky]

Same reason he always throws.

... but never on time.

 

[ZooCougar]

True enough... Forget about team builders and find yourself a used car salesman, I guess.

That sort of team building just doesn’t exist in this era. Now that players have more choices they are looking out for #1. The program should do the same.

Plus it’s not like he is going to bloom into 6.5 foot tall NFL prototype. Zion Turner shouldn’t be turning down any playing opportunities.

 

[RedStickHusky]

That sort of team building just doesn’t exist in this era. Now that players have more choices they are looking out for #1. The program should do the same.

Plus it’s not like he is going to bloom into 6.5 foot tall NFL prototype. Zion Turner shouldn’t be turning down any playing opportunities.

and it's not ALL the portal --- started with "team mates" deciding there was too much risk in playing in lower tier bowl games. Maybe no "I" in team, but there is an "M" and an "E".

 

[ktuck911]

The majority of those WR drops were LATE, after we were being totally outclassed, down by 4 scores... Sure, it's inexcusable, but leadership is lacking on our offense on the field in general... just saying...

 

[ktuck911]

Zion Turner shouldn’t be turning down any playing opportunities.

Pretty sure if it were up to him he would've been our Week 1 starter...

 

[zmart]

7 listed tight ends on the team . Joly is actually a big wide receiver. A total of one
reception by the other six. ONE reception in 4 games!!

 

[Chin Diesel]

Not sure I agree. Perhaps more indicative that he is playing tentatively post injury. Same reason he always throws. Probably does not want to get tackled. I think it is time for Zion to see if he can move the team and give TR more time to get back to his old self.

Tentativeness is death to any play in football. Tentative decision making from a lack of experience or tentativeness due to concerns about his health are both realistic and reasonable explanations for Roberson's performance so far.

They're also both real good reasons to bench a player.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

After a third of the season, seems each positional group is no better and many are arguably worse except for the punter. Getting only one TO so far hasn't helped. We will only create three by the end of the season at his rate. Was always concerned that 2022 was like 2015 in that TOs played a big part in its success. Last year FIU as an example turned the ball over twice inside the UConn twenty-five and once inside their own twenty. They also turned the ball over on downs inside the UConn 10, this in spite of out gaining UConn in the game. Uconn had zero TOs.

 

[ktuck911]

Tentativeness is death to any play in football. Tentative decision making from a lack of experience or tentativeness due to concerns about his health are both realistic and reasonable explanations for Roberson's performance so far.

They're also both real good reasons to bench a player.

You hit the nail on the head.. TENTATIVENESS...

It was brutal watching it Saturday... even the easy throws were overthrown ( early in the game ).. Seemed like the focus was on Joly... Cam Ross is still my fav of the bunch... but you gotta use these weapons EARLY... Sense of urgency should be there from the first possession of the game... If your QB can't see/recognize defenses, or even more important, where his weapons are, and not willing to tuck it and run... major issues..

 

[gsmooth]

Not sure I agree. Perhaps more indicative that he is playing tentatively post injury. Same reason he always throws. Probably does not want to get tackled. I think it is time for Zion to see if he can move the team and give TR more time to get back to his old self.

That's the main thing. I can understand if he is tentative with the repaired ACL-that is completely understandable. But if it is going to prevent him from playing aggressively, then he shouldn't be playing until he is comfortable physically and mentally being tackled or falling to the ground.

 

[gsmooth]

After a third of the season, seems each positional group is no better and many are arguably worse except for the punter. Getting only one TO so far hasn't helped. We will only create three by the end of the season at his rate. Was always concerned that 2022 was like 2015 in that TOs played a big part in its success. Last year FIU as an example turned the ball over twice inside the UConn twenty-five and once inside their own twenty. They also turned the ball over on downs inside the UConn 10, this in spite of out gaining UConn in the game. Uconn had zero TOs.

That's what I mentioned in August when most people here were saying they expect this UConn team to have more wins that last year's team. I cautioned people that in 2015 we thought the same thing only for them to flounder in 2016. I was told Mora was different from Diaco and that wouldn't happen. I didn't think it would happen either TBH, but I was cautiously optimistic UConn would be better this year, but I was by no means confident of it.

 

[gsmooth]

You hit the nail on the head.. TENTATIVENESS...

It was brutal watching it Saturday... even the easy throws were overthrown ( early in the game ).. Seemed like the focus was on Joly... Cam Ross is still my fav of the bunch... but you gotta use these weapons EARLY... Sense of urgency should be there from the first possession of the game... If your QB can't see/recognize defenses, or even more important, where his weapons are, and not willing to tuck it and run... major issues..

I agree there are major issues. I also think having the undersized center constantly bull rushed into the lap of the QB doesn't help and speeds up Roberson's internal clock. The guy is already having his difficulties, he doesn't need more.

 

[SubbaBub]

As much as I've been trying to say that Robeson has never shown any promise as a college QB, i don't think Zion would improve the outcomes of these games. There ie too much disorganization and failure to execute all over the field.

 

[RSTuthill]

In the short time that I listened I thought I heard the name Kevens Clersius. Is he still playing? Why is he not getting receptions?

 

[RedStickHusky]

In the short time that I listened I thought I heard the name Keven Clersius. Is he still playing? Why is he not getting receptions?

Had at least one catch yesterday... a bubble screen I think.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

The day started so similarly to Fresno State last year -- awful weather forecast, cancelled tailgate with people from my office, bad but not awful morning, decision to go by myself made at the last minute, leaving just enough time for a beer in the parking lot -- that I went to my seat with some hope. And then something happened that hadn't happened in the 20 years since the Rent opened and I've been to almost every game. I left at halftime. And the weather had almost nothing to do with it, as I was dressed for a monsoon and it had done no more than mist.

In my eyes the weather was the worst part of everything but this was due to the forecast indicating that an event that I had planned once we knew we would have a home game for this specific weekend needed to be cancelled. To add insult to injury, the weather was such that we could have pulled off the tailgate. To add further insult to injury, well. the game.....

We did get there with time for more than one beer in the parking lot.

That really says it better than any analysis, but I'll give a short one anyway. The defense needs to tackle better, and I'm incredibly disappointed in Eric Watt's lack of impact this year, but the defense didn't suck. Duke has a damn good offense, and if the D wasn't going to get any help whatsoever from the offense, the special teams or the coaches, it's not going to have a chance. On specials, Ruelas now needs a chance to play. He was far better last year than McFarland has been in games. Our coverage sucks, but what do you expect when you can't tackle. Oh, and on the reverse kickoff return before the game was over, that should have been a much bigger play except that Tui Brown didn't whiff on a block as much as he let a guy run right by him without even attempting a block from great position.

I'm not sure why this hasn't been addressed more. Not merely this specific player, but the defensive line as a whole. We came into this season believing that this would be a strength (and Mora even mentioned it before the season began) but they haven't performed close to expectations. This is near the top of the list of my many disappointments to date this season.

I won't even get into our tackling woes (it will take too long) but the block was there (if he was willing to do it) to spring a very long return, possibly to the house. So many little details that we were better at completing last season (which played an enormous role in our unexpected success) seem to to overlooked this season.

The offense is a total train wreck. Roberson, however good he might have been before the injury, is not nearly the QB Zion Turner was last year. Continuing to play him is reminiscent of the utter stubborness, and inabilty to admit to a mistake, that we've seen from our last 3 failed coaches. And the current coach is starting to convince me that last year was a total fluke, like Diaco in 2015, rather than a good coach. The offense seems to be a total trainwreck from design, but the play calling is also absurd. We had one chance yesterday to generate offense. One. To pound the ball down their throats running it. And we had success at times doing that. But we'll never know if that might have worked because if we got a first down with 2 or 3 successful runs, then we had to either throw unsuccessfully or run a trick play. And the defensive play calling isn't much better.

After what we've witnessed since Fagnano went down, anyone who claims we never should have considered him for #1 QB needs to take a reality check. No, he wasn't anything to get excited about on this level but he clearly (at this point) was more capable than Roberson of running an offense. I don't know what happened but Robeson appears lost and if anyone looks like they are placed in a higher level of football than they belong, well, look at what we've done and come to your own conclusions.

I fully understand and agree that it is past time to turn the ball over to Turner. I imagine the concern is that a) Mora likely never expected it to come to this while we were still in September and b) as it would be a benching, with one of our QB's out for the year, there really is no coming back from this move once it's made. When he puts Turner in as QB, that's pretty much it for moves he can make this season and if this doesn't work out, well, the wheels may fall off.

I will come next week, weather cooperating, because I've already invited folks for a tailgate. But I don't want to. We suck, and I don't see a whole lot of hope at the moment. Other, as FCF said as I was leaving at halftime, basketball season is coming.

I hate the idea of missing games but (as I also have an obligation the following weekend that cannot be missed) I have let a lot of things fall behind around the house (including two bathrooms partially redone which I was supposed to have finished in August) that I cannot continue to postpone, I may end up passing on the Utas St game. This will be a last minute, executive decision.

Also, while I obviously am anticipating a very enjoyable basketball season, I hate the idea of mentioning as I did at Saturday's football game.

 

[Devland]

The weather wasn't that bad. It drizzled a couple times during the tailgate and during the game. The security guy standing in our section tool off his Pancho at one point and it started to drizzle. I jokingly blamed him for the rain starting.

 

[Luna]

7 listed tight ends on the team . Joly is actually a big wide receiver. A total of one
reception by the other six. ONE reception in 4 games!!

Teams are keying on Joly…also I think him and Zion Turner had good chemistry.. Joly also posted a picture of Zion just before the season started…