The View From Section 241 -- Duke

[Devland]

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!!

Travis Kelce is a big wide receiver. He admits that himself. He also admits he sucks at blocking.

 

[Devland]

Do we need a fullback? Last year's we ran the ball a lot better with Burns at fullback. Most teams don't even stack the box to stop the run against us. The only team that really did was GA ST. A full back would also help with pass protection. Our best teams had Dion Anderson and Anthony Sherman.

 

[FlakeyFoont]

The only thing that playing Turner will show is how equally mediocre both quarterbacks are. Slow foot speed, zero elusiveness, no accuracy on deep passes and no touch on short ones, no field vision and constant indecisiveness. Last year's Utah State numbers for Turner: 12 for 31 for 109 yards and three carries for 4 yards. Let's get real.

 

[BigTenFan]

ESPN college gameday going to Duke next week v ND

 

[Husky68]

ESPN college gameday going to Duke next week v ND

Duke QB looked pretty good to me, Massey has ND by 10, Duke could win outright. Beat ND and then go into FSU (should have lost to Clemson) and win and talking playoff team.

 

[freescooter]

I second your thought on Watts. He has everything you would need to be an impact player and it has not happened. Pryce Yates has been a solid DE this year. The staff has locked onto players that are not getting the job done at QB, kicker and WR. Another UConn/Jets like offensive performance in the first half next week and it would be astounding if we do not see Zion. Mora mentioned Hicks at WR in postgame. Can he run a deep route? Clercius did last year, use him. Buckman has been overthrown near the sideline repeatedly. He is listed as 6' in the program but looks shorter. We need a taller receiver to make these catches. Wideouts don't block well or at all. Our offense is a 5 alarm fire right now and somebody better fix it. Punt coverage is shaky as well. Lot of work to do. Standing pat is not going to cut it.

There are some issues here I simply don’t understand. Last year I thought our wide outs blacked downfield very well. What happened? We won last year by pounding the football. Now it seems like we don’t even try to establish a run game. Not sure what is going on at quarterback. I admit I didn’t love Zion but he made plays when he needed to. This offense is unwatchable. Throw in the middle of the field. Throw long to Ross who had a number of long catches as a freshman. I have to wonder if injuries have slowed him too. I’m thinking they will bring in Zion with 4 games left. That protects his redshirt. Only reason I see for not using him now.

 

[TheDoggPound]

I would start Zion the next 4 games and Tucker McDonald the last 4. Give him an audition like Casey Cochran had the year we were 0-9.

 

[ZooCougar]

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.


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.


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 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.

It seems pointless to argue over which of these two terrible QBs are better.

But at least Fagnano would try to recover a fumble.

 

[TheDoggPound]

Can anybody give more context surrounding the posts about Mitchell flipping off the fans? That seems like a big story. Mets fans thought it was bad Javier Baez and Lindor gave the crowd thumbs down but we got guys flipping us off lol unreal

 

[ktuck911]

re-watching parts of this game now... in the 2nd half, right after the big Rosa run... We were in the redzone, 1st and 10... Perfect RPO opportunity for Roberson to keep the ball and not let Rosa take it... the ENTIRE right side of the field was wide open for Roberson to run... He didn't do it... The only time I noticed him run was during our first offensive possession...

 

[ktuck911]

then.. on the Mitchell fumble... AGAIN, why not take it back from Mitchell and try and make a play with your legs Roberson??? Duke keyed on him all the way.. all of them... smh....

 

[uconnyankee]

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.

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.

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.

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.

Very fair write-up.
I thought defense was solid against the run. But the passing defense was abysmal. Losing Mitchell hurt.

Biggest issue is we have a HS level offense. It’s not rocket science. Plays are limited, opponents know what is coming, and we’re not executing.

I think players need to be held accountable if they aren’t giving 100% or not where they need to be. But thinking back how easily Rhett or Noel could move the ball with similar talent speaks volumes.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

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.

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.

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.

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 have been a season ticket holder at the Rent every year it has been open, and you have been too.

Can you ever remember a team that put in such poor effort? The year UConn set a record for passing yards allowed is the only year I can think of where I ever questioned the team's effort, and that team may have just sucked. This season I don't question the team's effort, I deny that it exists.

This football team doesn't care so I don't know why any of us should care.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Watts doesn't seem to be playing with his usual verve of seasons past. I would bet that he led the team in personal fouls each year and I don't think he has any yet this year.

 

[UCan3]

Couple of things. First Mora is a professional with a proven track record as both a position and head coach. Diaco was an escapee from a lunatic asylum.

It's odd that they never seem to throw the ball vertically as that would open up the defense a little for the running game even if the passes fail.

Also, it never seems like Roberson has a check down throw. That would relieve a little pressure on him.

well, in terms of Roberson, he only looks at one option on the field. And that's it. With Zion - he would go to a check down. He would also scramble and pick up some yards and do the intangibles that would keep us generally going in the right direction. I admit without the big plays we all want to see a lot more of.

I agree with business lawyer, that this is all about stubbornness, Ala Edsall - what you need to do is forget about locking players into the QB position, look where that approach has gotten us?

No, let players go out and have some time on the field and let someone claim the position rather than being anointedt the starting QB and rarely coming off the field.

 

[businesslawyer]

I have been a season ticket holder at the Rent every year it has been open, and you have been too.

Can you ever remember a team that put in such poor effort? The year UConn set a record for passing yards allowed is the only year I can think of where I ever questioned the team's effort, and that team may have just sucked. This season I don't question the team's effort, I deny that it exists.

This football team doesn't care so I don't know why any of us should care.

It's really hard to judge "caring" from the stands. I can tell you from my side of the field that the UConn bench looks engaged each and every game (until it gets out of hand). They don't come out just waiting for the hammer to fall on them. But does the defense fly around every play with 11 guys chasing the ball even if it's unlikely they will get near it? Like we saw Duke do? Heck no. And the results (and I don't just mean wins and losses) from units that returned such an overwhelming number of starters on both sides of the ball don't show caring. But sometimes a team is just off mentally for whatever reason. Heck, I didn't think we played anywhere near like we should have been playing for 7 games in 2010, and then a light switch went on under the lights against WVU and we won 5 straight and got to a Fiesta Bowl. So bottom line is it certainly feels like you are 100% right, but I try to be cautious judging a team's mentality because we just don't know.

 

[Nostical]

Also, it never seems like Roberson has a check down throw. That would relieve a little pressure on him.

Not true. Go watch the tape. On several occasions while TR was locking in on his sideline “going nowhere” receiver, right across the line of scrimmage, standing wide open for the check off throw was #5, Jalen Mitchell. Of course he never threw to him.

 

[businesslawyer]

I think the bigger problem is that I don't think Roberson can make those easy throws and get it to the RB with enough accuracy that he can make a move on the defender who will be coming up on him. Roberson seems to have enough arm strength to make throws, but his accuracy just seems to be not adequate.

 

[DocB]

I think the bigger problem is that I don't think Roberson can make those easy throws and get it to the RB with enough accuracy that he can make a move on the defender who will be coming up on him. Roberson seems to have enough arm strength to make throws, but his accuracy just seems to be not adequate.

The main downfield passing route in the outside zone offense that we run is variations of the sail route. It basically gives the QB an opening crossing route or a dump off in the flat. The play has worked but unfortunately it has usually resulted in a poor throw to the flat or a dropped pass across the middle. We do not have the correct personnel to run the scheme. The scheme itself works but not with the team as it is.

 

[UCan3]

I think the bigger problem is that I don't think Roberson can make those easy throws and get it to the RB with enough accuracy that he can make a move on the defender who will be coming up on him. Roberson seems to have enough arm strength to make throws, but his accuracy just seems to be not adequate.

In fairness to Roberson, there have been lots of dropped balls and not enough open receivers. With that being said, when I saw him just watch the fumble last Sat and refuse to make play for it, that was all I needed to see. Maybe the year and a half off has him rethinking if he wants to go “all in.”

Also, there is lots of blame on NC who hasn’t been exactly lighting it up - when all players are covered like glue - to some extent you can pin that on OC.

But the one thing Zion does as well as any one is compete - he is trying to make something happen - we need that - also like to see Tucker on field too.

 

[BlueandOG]

I think the bigger problem is that I don't think Roberson can make those easy throws and get it to the RB with enough accuracy that he can make a move on the defender who will be coming up on him. Roberson seems to have enough arm strength to make throws, but his accuracy just seems to be not adequate.

I totally agree with this. He's like Nuke LaLoosh from Bull Durham. He can throw it, but his accuracy is sketchy. Plus, most of his receivers have made easy drops, which can't help his confidence.

 

[Nostical]

I think the bigger problem is that I don't think Roberson can make those easy throws and get it to the RB with enough accuracy that he can make a move on the defender who will be coming up on him.

Sadly, but you think correctly. A crossing route, a quick slant, even a well disguised screen in motion should be easy throws for an experienced college QB. TR isn’t the guy.

 

[Fairfield_1st]

I totally agree with this. He's like Nuke LaLoosh from Bull Durham. He can throw it, but his accuracy is sketchy. Plus, most of his receivers have made easy drops, which can't help his confidence.

Does he need a pair of women's underwear to make things better?

 

[uconnfan68]

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!!

Yeah, but it’s 1 for 1 (or 2).

 

[UConnJim]

Here are some passing stats that surprised me. Comparing 2023 to 2022, UConn is throwing the ball more down field. 10 yards or more: 2022 24.7%, 2023: 44.4%. That is probably skewed since we have been behind in all 4 games this year and we won 6 games last year.

2022:
Throws 20 yards+: 13.5% (completed 20%)
10 to 19 yards: 11.2% (completed 34.5%)
0 to 9 yards: 43.2% (completed 67.9%)
behind LOS: 25.9% (completed 83.6%)

2023:
Throws 20 yards+: 13.3% (completed 16.7%)
10 to 19 yards: 31.1% (completed 31.1%)
0 to 9 yards: 30.0% (completed 63.0%)
behind LOS: 17.8% (completed 93.8%)

But, drops are a huge difference: Drop % 2022: 9.1%, 2023: 17.5%. You can't have that. Drop % Fagnano 18.2%, drop % Roberson 17.5% so it isn't the QB.

According to PFF, Roberson is graded much higher as a passer than Fagnano or what Zion was graded last year.