The View From Section 241 | The Boneyard

The View From Section 241

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In the irony of ironies, for an hour or two there it looked like FHCRE was going to revive our program. When I rolled in to the blue lot at 5:40, I was parked rows, rows further away from what I would have expected. It looked to me like we sold out all the normal seats, and sold some tickets in the temporary bleachers to boot. A higher percentage of fans wore blue than, say -- ever. And, while not as enthusiastic a crowd as we would have had for a big night game if we were any good, the crowd stated incredibly into it given how our team and program has gone. And, to their credit, the players seemed to play with more heart than against Towson. That having been said, it should be obvious to anyone who watched the game that what P has done to our program is not going to be solved short term just by changing coaches. The difference in team speed between the two teams was astounding, especially when you consider that last year I wouldn't have told you there was a difference. Now, part of that is actual speed, but part of that, to be fair, is mental speed -- the ability to use your physical speed because you are not thinking but running with the confidence that your body is taking you in the right direction. Our DL does not have a single pass rusher on it. We've wasted three years listening to this clown talk about prototypical bodies, and what we've got are a group of DLs with not one guy who started undersized and grew into a small DE who can actually generate a pass rush. And our OL utterly sucks. Lack of physical talent? Guys being held back by the zone schemes that P made clear in his presser we are still running? Both? I don't know, but I know this -- the game was over when Kevin Friend limped off and Xavier Hemingway came on. I'm sure he's a good young man, but I don't see a RT who is big enough to get it done. And I say that having watched him be overrun for two games. So what happened? Stop wasting my time about play calling and schemes. Yes, I liked the way they ran the freeze option, but the bottom line is coaching aside the vastly superior team won, and we were only able to stay in the game for 30 minutes because they kept shooting themselves in the foot early. Everyone here needs to wake up and smell the coffee -- firing P and GDL now is not going to save this season. We are going to have to struggle for a few bad years while we restock the talent. Whether we do that Edsall's way or find a new strategy, who knows. But we will have to do it while we suck and play in a suck conference . Good luck.

Offense, defense and specials? I'm suck of the comments about McCombs. No one here as any reason to think he is less a player today than he was as a frosh, when he was competent to fairly good. The OL sucks. Plain and simple. There are not holes, and putting a TB in who is less accomplished at finding them isn't going to help. If we had John Delahunt (or Steve Brouse or Danny Murray) lined up next to Hemingway at TE, we could help Hemingway in protection. We don't. McQuillan is an H Back (although I thought he played well) and Parker is a walk-on. How we didn't recruit TEs earlier .... The WRs as a group may have been our one bright spot. I love Davis, even though he didn't have a great game, right down to how he wants to block LBs on short yardage runs (a la Marcus Easley before he became a star), and if Phillips has now put it together to, that's a good sign. And I get both the praise and the criticism of Whitmer, but I really think some of the judgments are unfair given how poor the OL is and the lack of a credible running game.

On D, I have very little to say. Credible performances by Taylor Mack and Smallwood, but beyond that .... Other LBs aren't making plays, too many missed tackles, not enough of a pass rush and too many blown coverages and angles (yes, Mr. Melinfonwu, I am talking to you despite your physical talent). I really don't want to bash people individually, because the D's failure is a team effort. But it starts with the lack of any semblance of a pass rush, and that starts with the fact that we have guys who look like DTs playing DE. Our "prototypes." When we "fixed" a "problem" that had been working well with the Osundes and Campbells and Trevardos and Wittens and other guys who were recruited when they weighed 220 and less.

And can we not lose fact of the fact that, for all that went wrong, that may have been the worst special teams game I remember UConn playing since the blocked punts day at Chapel Hill. If Lemelle isn't going to catch the ball because he's worried about fumbling, put someone else back there. Cole Wagner is not playing like a senior leader. And the inability of the coverage team to down a punt inside the ten was disheartening.

So that's all I can muster the enthusiasm to say. I thought the crowd's effort was more than good considering. I do think the team played hard. But, unfortunately, I don't see firing P, and switching from zone to man blocking, in the middle of the season as a panacea that is going to instantly cure all (which is not to say I wouldn't like to try it). Whether or not you liked him, Edsall had a plan for what could be accomplished short term in Connecticut and how he was going to accomplish it. P, at best, has a generic plan that isn't working. Given the lack of talent and the conference fiasco, I hope to God the next coach will have a plan that makes sense for and can be implemented at UConn. Whether it's the plan that people on this board think is the way to win or not. Oh -- and please, no more speculating about whether we would take Edsall back, o.k.? First, the answer to that has always been "no thanks," and second, he's not going anywhere anytime soon. Despite the anger of the MD fanbase for him blowing up a decent team two years ago, this year's team is going in the right direction, will go bowling and if they don't win 8 this year I fully expect them to next year.
 
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Last night was a game you literally shook your head at the amazement that all three facets of the game are in complete disarray. When you factor in that last night we added two more delay of game penalties, and we still have players confused as the ball being snapped, still looking for defensive calls, its a wonder what these guys do in practice. We heard about the corrections after the Towson game, we sure didn't see them.
 
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Interesting points of view. The simple fact is that if we don't turn the ball over for a pick 6, and we have any sort of running game production over a 100 yards, chances are we are the team that is up by 3 scores in the fourth quarter instead of down. Blame it wherever you want.

I'm tired of trying to find reasons for things that I have no way of knowing. WHitmer made multiple bad reads and decisions, and McCombs couldn't break through holes and tackles. I prefer to sit in the stadium in a position where I can see the line splits nad movement.

I do agree that somethign is not right on offense, with simple playing slow. Too many delay of game penalties, and too much of what appears to be confusion - both on offense and defense between play.

Again - blame it wherever you want, new OC and DC........it is what it is. Maryland played faster because they apparently know their system, I don't particulary see the major difference in speed and talent that you saw. Stefon Diggs is a phenom of an offensive athlete. We don't have anything comparable on offense, other than that - I didn't see the difference you're talking about.
 
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I agree with just about everything said here....even that firing P now wouldn't save the season....but I still would like him to be dismissed now.

I just don't want him on the sideline anymore. Could it be worse without him there and an "interim" in place. Yep....absolutely. But I really don't care.
 

nelsonmuntz

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We looked like a mid-major squad in every way, with the exception of the fact that mid-major teams play with a chip on their shoulder and UConn played like they had scheduled a football game between English Comp and Intro to Calculus. The players look like they have to be there, not that they want to be there.

You are 100% right about the talent gap. It is the grand canyon, and Maryland isn't all that good. Louisville and Michigan are going to destroy UConn. I think Memphis, Buffalo and USF are the only winnable games on the schedule. Every other team should beat the Huskies by 10+ points.

I think the football program is smoked. Finished. I don't think that UConn football will ever recover from the combination of Pasqualoni and conference realignment. UConn's next coach won't even have Pasqualoni's resume, and anyone decent we get will be gone within 3 years. UConn will permanently be a 3-4 win program with the occasional minor bowl sprinkled in between.

I think next week will be the last time a UConn football game will ever be an "event". We should enjoy it. I am not going to rant about how awful Pasqualoni is because there is nothing to say that is not obvious to everyone. Let's enjoy the last full house in UConn history. To be honest, we should think of it as more of an "End of the World Party" like some of the dorms on South Campus threw before they were torn down. By keeping Pasqualoni, Manuel announced he was tearing down UConn's football program. We should have a party to celebrate the memories.
 

CL82

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In the irony of ironies, for an hour or two there it looked like FHCRE was going to revive our program.....
Hard to like this, but the truth of it speaks for itself. I hate seeing it in print but it is inescapable that Connecticut football is a mess and will be for years. It is bad, really bad, and coaching change notwithstanding, it is not getting better for the foreseeable future.
 
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Interesting points of view. The simple fact is that if we don't turn the ball over for a pick 6, and we have any sort of running game production over a 100 yards, chances are we are the team that is up by 3 scores in the fourth quarter instead of down. Blame it wherever you want.

I'm tired of trying to find reasons for things that I have no way of knowing. WHitmer made multiple bad reads and decisions, and McCombs couldn't break through holes and tackles. I prefer to sit in the stadium in a position where I can see the line splits nad movement.

I do agree that somethign is not right on offense, with simple playing slow. Too many delay of game penalties, and too much of what appears to be confusion - both on offense and defense between play.

Again - blame it wherever you want, new OC and DC........it is what it is. Maryland played faster because they apparently know their system, I don't particulary see the major difference in speed and talent that you saw. Stefon Diggs is a phenom of an offensive athlete. We don't have anything comparable on offense, other than that - I didn't see the difference you're talking about.


Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that the offense runs the ball mainly out of the shotgun formation, and when they get under center its a pass play? I can see the shotgun hand off option working if Whitmer could actually be a running threat, but he isn't and defenses just go after McCombs. I'd like to see more run plays from under center, to set up play action. They have the WRs, why not do it.
 
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Wow, I always look to BL to somehow lift my spirit after a loss. Not today. I was rooting for coach P when he was hired, but the product I saw for the last 3 years told me that P and company had lost the program and the team. P is a stubborn coach who stuck to his ways no matter what and that's his downfall. There are old coaches who can adjust, not P. By all accounts P is a decent human being but he's wrong for UConn, wrong time, wrong place, wrong team. The lack of talent is a problem, but somehow this is still a game of emotion,of energy. I do not detect any enjoyment or fun from the players, any excitement of playing above yourself. At this stage it's hard for anybody to rescue this program unless it's a miracle worker like Calhoun did for the BB program. I just hope there is another Calhoun out there for UConn football.
 
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Thanks Biz. Not sure where you find the emotional energy to do these with this team right now. Anyway....

Does Maryland have more talent at the skill positions with Diggs and Brown and Likely? Sure. But, after that, I'm not buying the talent argument. For a long time before this coaching staff came on board this program had developed big, effective run oriented OLs with talented RBs who could break tackles. We put LBs and DBs in the league continually who played and won games against teams more talented than the one we saw last night. No, I'm not chalking this up to just talent. This coaching staff has failed in scheme, player development and assessment, and, I fear, chemistry.

I think P and GDL came here and thought they were going to be the first geniuses to put a pro style offense together in college football and I think in doing so they royally duck*ed up. That we are going into our third straight season with a workhorse RB who can't break an arm tackle is inexcusable. Said back also does not stretch the field with his speed. Three straight seasons...

And let me say this about McCombs. Gutsy and talented. Huge heart. As quick a set of feet as you will see. But, he is grossly misused in an offensive scheme that is borderline moronic.
 
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Offensive lines are more about communication and teamwork than talent. A group of average players that "jell" are better than five four stars that are not in sync. There is enough on the UConn OL to be much, much better. The coaches deserve their share of blame.

I agree McCombs hasn't gotten any worse. He is exactly as he was two years ago. However, a great back would inspire this line. A back who made moves or broke tackles would make this line look much, much better. This line gets McCombs one-on-on with LBs or safeties on a regular basis. Many running schemes are designed to leave one man free for the RB to beat (the Redskins Joe Gibbs did this with John Riggins). Time to give someone else a chance.

Whitmer is lost. He is afraid to get hit. He shows little poise and even less escapability. There are things he can do.He can get the ball down the field if there is a clean pocket. None of his problems are the fault of the coaches except one - they write his name on the line up cards. BTW, P's thrown away Nebrich went for 320 and over 60% yesterday.
 

Dooley

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We have the worst O-Line in our program's history. The players are completely confused in pivotal moments of gates and, for the millionth time, we came out of the games playing well, the other team makes an adjustment or two, and we are completely stifled for the rest of the game. I know canning Pasqualoni and DeLeone won't turn this miserable sh1tshow around to get to a bowl game this season, but at the very least, it would mean that these two clowns are no longer associated with our program.
 
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I gotta be honest. At first I thought the whole Nebrich thing was a bunch of bull. I'm really beginning to wonder if this staff can evaluate talent and if they are so wed to these schemes they don't consider any modifications to match that talent.

Could Hemmingway really be the best option to spell Friend? None of the other guys on the roster can help? Walk-on kid Steven Brown was on the two deep at RT and they let him walk. Big tough kid. McCombs as a workhorse? Ashiru's play last night was much better than anything Stewart has shown - why was he behind him?

Really makes me wonder if these guys are completely out of the loop.
 

SubbaBub

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We looked like a disorganized mess and I am confident the off-season was also a disorganized mess. That was not a good team we lost to last night and as bad as we played it was a winnable game until the Pick 6. When teams like Akron and UCF can hang with and beat teams a lot better than Maryland, it's has everything with the leadership of the program. Talent? There is enough to have been 2-0. No one is teaching these guys to play football. How hard is it to maintain your contain assignment, to keep your eyes on the QB until he hands off the ball, to not try to return a missed FG when the entire MD team was coming down on the return coverage unblocked. And if the talent recruited by Edsall was so bad at the end, then why are so few of the PP recruits beating them out for starting spots?

To me it's telling that we look good in the first 10 minutes of the game when the opp is playing base defense and in the last 10 minutes when the opp is playing prevent. The team isn't being prepared to compete and are learning how to be losers.

I said it a couple weeks ago, we go nowhere until P is gone and we don't start turning it around until he's gone. I don't expect it to happen Michigan week, but it needs to happen asap. Maybe a new coach won't save the season but it might will inspire the players or provide some hope, because they are not getting better under P. You can't tell me that guys on the team who went to Arizona aren't looking at this mess and calling BS on the P era.
 
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Missing a solid blocking TE (Brouse, Delahunt) is one of the vulnerabilities of this team.

For the Towson and Maryland games, #94 would cycle into the game at TE, blocking only. Just looking at him it was clear he is not the #94 in the program/roster: Rick Harrison, a 5' 11" kicker/punter. Last night, after Friend got hurt, #94 came off the field and switched jerseys to become: #78, Dalton Gifford, tackle.

That move reduced the availability of "TE" to cycle through on the plays, leaving Sean McQuillan and Spencer Parker out there for the rest of the game. The TEs are young and not a big part of the O right now.
 
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Missing a solid blocking TE (Brouse, Delahunt) is one of the vulnerabilities of this team.

For the Towson and Maryland games, #94 would cycle into the game at TE, blocking only. Just looking at him it was clear he is not the #94 in the program/roster: Rick Harrison, a 5' 11" kicker/punter. Last night, after Friend got hurt, #94 came off the field and switched jerseys to become: #78, Dalton Gifford, tackle.

That move reduced the availability of "TE" to cycle through on the plays, leaving Sean McQuillan and Spencer Parker out there for the rest of the game. The TEs are young and not a big part of the O right now.

It's a great point! And how long did this staff know that we would graduate two of the best TEs we've ever had after last season? You're absolutely right, it's a huge problem. And if McQuillan goes down it's going to be a utter disaster.
 
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If you are saying the talent sucks, that's largely on Edsall as P's first recruiting class are mostly redshirt freshmen. I think it's the coaching and we will see an improvement on the field as soon P and D are canned. Making a change ASAP is at least worth a shot.
 
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My disappointment with our program no longer centers on the inability of the coaching staff to evaluate, teach and plan at the level this program requires. The problem now rests with the athletic department where there seemingly is no predilection to action, or at the very least, the action to which they are predisposed, has been trending toward too little, too late.
 

Adesmar123

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Is this the type of game FHCRE would have won when he was at UConn? UConn was outmatched in the skill positions - as well as other aspects I guess. But a good game plan and some enthusiasm might have overcome much of that. When does PP take some responsibility?
 
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I don't think it is all doom and gloom for the future after PP. the current coaching staff made some terrible recruiting decisions after the past 3 years that can be fixed fast. The RB situation is mind boggling. The fact that McCombs, a 170 lb RB that can't break tackles and doesn't have breakaway speed is still the best RB on the roster is crazy. (and I greatly respect McCombs.). No TE depth? How does that happen? Freshmen RBs can contribute in FBS football, so this problem is correctable. PP has started to address the TE depth, but 2 years too late. Correctable.

Also, the apparent confusion on both O and D are easily correctable, but apparently not by PP. OL blocking schemes? PP took UConn's greatest strength and made it a weakness. Correctable.

Lack of energy on the sideline by the head coach? Correctable.

Maybe there is a small step back when PP is replaced, but many of the problems are correctable. And, we seem to have more QB depth, the most important position in college football, than UConn has ever had. Remember, PP's first year, he had to start a walk on QB.
 
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Ward should be going through his list now and will plan on a replacement as soon as the season is over. The only thing that will get P canned during the season is a rash of off field incidents or total mutiny. I don't think those things are out of the question, but they are certainly not in the long-term best interest of the kids or the program as a whole.

UCONN fans better resign themselves to the fact that we are in for a long, long season and there is a good chance we don't see another bowl for 2-3 more seasons. Hope I'm wrong......
 
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Guys, I'm impressed.

The level of discussion on this thread is far superior to the articles by the press contingent covering the team. Nice job by everyone.
 

SubbaBub

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For those looking to blame the QB, we are getting the same production from that spot as we are acustom. We can win with the QB, we can even win with this secondary. We can't win with this running game, this front 7, or this coach.

RK NAME FRM TO ATT CM % YDS TD INT Y/A Y/G RAT
21 Scott McCummings 2011 2012 23 12 6 50.00 159 2 0 13.3 6.9 216.30
8 Johnny McEntee 2009 2012 16 360 182 50.56 2209 13 10 6.1 138.1 108.46
6 Chandler Whitmer 2012 2013 13 387 229 57.70 2935 12 17 8.1 225.8 121.20
22 Michael Nebrich 2011 2011 5 14 5 35.71 69 0 1 4.9 13.8 62.83
25 Leon Kinnard 2010 2010 4 1 1 100.00 3 0 0 3.0 0.8 125.20
23 Michael Box 2010 2010 3 17 6 35.29 65 0 1 3.8 21.7 55.65
7 Cody Endres 2008 2010 15 313 182 58.15 2236 11 9 7.1 149.1 124.00
4 Zach Frazer 2008 2010 26 562 298 53.02 3422 17 21 6.1 131.6 106.68
14 D.J. Hernandez 2005 2008 40 237 132 55.70 1364 15 10 5.8 34.1 116.49
5 Tyler Lorenzen 2007 2008 22 510 276 54.12 3236 16 14 6.3 147.1 112.28
18 Dennis Brown 2005 2007 7 66 33 50.00 341 3 2 5.2 48.7 102.34
11 Matt Bonislawski 2002 2006 41 332 161 48.49 1701 11 10 5.1 41.5 96.44
16 Keron Henry 2001 2004 41 116 44 37.93 525 2 6 4.5 12.8 71.29
1 Dan Orlovsky 2001 2004 46 1567 916 58.46 10706 84 51 6.8 232.7 127.03
 
C

Chief00

I agree with BL's observation about lacking both pure team speed and mental speed. I don't know but one observation is the scheme's are just too complicated and the players look paralyzed and then add in a low energy level and here we are after another loss.
 
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