The View From Section 241

[spsct]

Thanks for the writeup, BL.

My opinion of the whole mess Saturday was that QB play was more or less the only thing keeping SB in the game. The OL didn't play great, but if memory serves* they degraded as the game went on. If we put them away early then it's a non-issue.

*I was several beers deep when the game started so I could be wrong.

 

[businesslawyer]

Ok BL after praising your overall post, I must say you are pretty clueless about QB. I would not extrapolate someone's career based on being unexpectedly thrust into a starting position their Freshman year while a mid season coaching change was underway - that's just not very thoughtful. Again, many uninformed fans dumped on Drummond for not producing more his Freshman year when all kinds of coaching and other changes were happening. Now he has made Team USA. Quite frankly, that shows how silly that standard when applied to freshman is during a disruptive season.

Two totally different points. If you are telling me Boyle might be much better as a soph than as a true frosh -- of course he might be. I hope he is. But when you pretend he wasn't beyond ineffective for his third of a season last year -- well, you're lying. What we have as evidence is what we saw last year, and that he wasn't made the #1 or the #2 coming out of camp. Those are both facts -- not speculation.

If he plays, I hope he's a star.

 

[Carl Spackler]

I feel for Chandler Whitmer, I do. The kid, with all his strength's and faults, has never had the opportunity to be the fan's favorite player. He's never really been the #2 QB. He's gone straight from #1, to #3 and back to #1A, #1B. Boyle is #2 now, for all intensive purposes, so it's only natural that he's the best QB on the roster.

 

[DCUconnfan]

I'm hoping to hell Casey can play next week. He makes the offensive line look competent because he doesn't start scrambling like a chicken with his head cut off at the slightest bit of pressure. Instead he shuffles slightly within the pocket and finds himself a throwing lane. Chandler has clearly regressed. Maybe it was the beating he took, but like you said that the coaches came to the conclusion that he and Casey were basically a pick em at that spot is the only coaching decision I will question this year.

This. There were many things I found taking issue with on Saturday, but in reflection the number of times I said "goshdarn*t chandler" had to have been double other names/positions on my histogram chart (that may actually be a fun way of grading a game by the end, I may have to actually make one), secondary probably only to "This is a joke, right?" or "You have to be kidding me".

Oh, and regarding Melifonwu, in watching him so far this year I think it's primarily growing pains of his safety technique in a 3-4. He'll get there again.

 

[businesslawyer]

I feel for Chandler Whitmer, I do. The kid, with all his strength's and faults, has never had the opportunity to be the fan's favorite player. He's never really been the #2 QB. He's gone straight from #1, to #3 and back to #1A, #1B. Boyle is #2 now, for all intensive purposes, so it's only natural that he's the best QB on the roster.

He started for an entire year. Coming on as a replacement for an ineffective Johnny Mc. To say he never had a chance to be a fan favorite I don't get.

 

[Carl Spackler]

He started for an entire year. Coming on as a replacement for an ineffective Johnny Mc. To say he never had a chance to be a fan favorite I don't get.

He never was the clear #2 QB, BL, come on, you know that's the only position on the roster, where every UCONN fan, knows....KNOWS.....the #2 is better than the starter. Do I need to run down the list? Cochran, Boyle, Nebrich, Endres, Frazer, etc. etc. This has been the case for many years now. Whitmer has missed out. I feel bad for him. I'm bleeding a little bit in my cold black heart.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

In his first game (against USF) Boyle impressed me with his physical tools. In that game (granted against a less than stellar opponent) our receiving corps did him no favors. As the level of competition rose and his confidence fell, he looked more and more like a true freshman.

One thing that I found striking last season (which I personally believe is playing role in Diaco's stance that more than one QB will play this year) is that once a QB was demoted from #1 he never saw the field again. If Whitmer believed this would still be the M O, he would have had no reason to return. Whether we like it or not we need him just to have enough bodies that can take a snap from center.

For those who see no need to worry about Boyle's redshirt (as we will be loaded with QB's next year), keep ini mind that in consecucutive recruiting classes we brought in Box; Nebrich; Cochrane and then Boyle, Lagow & Taylor. If (and this is a big if) Casey can return to health and Boyle can maintain his redshirt, we will have all of four scholarship QB's on the roster (with one ideally suited to redshirt). Anyone who doesn't believe that this is a) a critical position and b) a position that will always require quality depth has not been paying attention.

I dislike the idea that this season may be a throw away year, where preparing for future seasons is prioritized over current year wins and losses but I would absolutely hate it if we sacrificed something that would benefit us two or three years down the road for a chance (one that ahs no guarantee) at an additional win or two this year, especially if once the season ends that win or two only had us remaining home at 6-6 or 5-7 instead of remaining home at 4-8.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Reality is that we are an extremely slow, and extremely soft team right now, on both offense and defense. The only consistent strength through 2 games, the only place we are not some soft, limp ----, is the defensive tackles. There have been a few flashes here or there, but nothing worth writing home about.

The only saving grace, is that the head coach has clearly stated we're in a preparatory phase of the season, and to his credit, he was pretty brave to do that, because it deflects from how soft and slow the team has been.

It will be interesting to see what happens this weekend, and then beyond. Really, I've written his elsewhere too, BYU is potentially a much different game, if we don't turn over the ball twice, early and give up the points. Stony Brook, is an entirely different game if we don't turn it over, twice, early and give up the points. The process, isn't going to change, and you know what, if the coach believes it's working, and everybody, including the coach, is learning from their mistakes, and improving, the last thing you do is change the plan. So really, if the team stays together, stays positive, and plays hard together as a group, within the process - Boise should be a competitive and winnable game for us. Imagine that, actually being 2-1? I'm going to stay positive on it.

I'm waiting patiently, for the team to tighten up, get a little hard, instead of so soft, get a little urgency of game playing speed going, instead of so slow. That's not going to happen, at minimum, until the preparatory phase is over, and even then, who knows what the new era of football will bring, but I'm excited to find out.

For now - it's Boise State, and I believe the answer to all questions this week - is "Don't F-----king turn the ball over TWICE to start the game."

 

[businesslawyer]

He never was the clear #2 QB, BL, come on, you know that's the only position on the roster, where every UCONN fan, knows....KNOWS.....the #2 is better than the starter. Do I need to run down the list? Cochran, Boyle, Nebrich, Endres, Frazer, etc. etc. This has been the case for many years now. Whitmer has missed out. I feel bad for him. I'm bleeding a little bit in my cold black heart.

LOL. Your right. Starting and winning games isn't enough -- it's only the possibility of being great (because we haven't seen him yet) that gets people excited.

My bad.

 

[businesslawyer]

Reality is that we are an extremely slow, and extremely soft team right now, on both offense and defense. The only consistent strength through 2 games, the only place we are not some soft, limp ----, is the defensive tackles. There have been a few flashes here or there, but nothing worth writing home about.

The only saving grace, is that the head coach has clearly stated we're in a preparatory phase of the season, and to his credit, he was pretty brave to do that, because it deflects from how soft and slow the team has been.

It will be interesting to see what happens this weekend, and then beyond. Really, I've written his elsewhere too, BYU is potentially a much different game, if we don't turn over the ball twice, early and give up the points. Stony Brook, is an entirely different game if we don't turn it over, twice, early and give up the points. The process, isn't going to change, and you know what, if the coach believes it's working, and everybody, including the coach, is learning from their mistakes, and improving, the last thing you do is change the plan. So really, if the team stays together, stays positive, and plays hard together as a group, within the process - Boise should be a competitive and winnable game for us. Imagine that, actually being 2-1? I'm going to stay positive on it.

I'm waiting patiently, for the team to tighten up, get a little hard, instead of so soft, get a little urgency of game playing speed going, instead of so slow. That's not going to happen, at minimum, until the preparatory phase is over, and even then, who knows what the new era of football will bring, but I'm excited to find out.

For now - it's Boise State, and I believe the answer to all questions this week - is "Don't F-----king turn the ball over TWICE to start the game."

Damn. I wish we had coaches who had thought of that.

 

[whaler11]

He started for an entire year. Coming on as a replacement for an ineffective Johnny Mc. To say he never had a chance to be a fan favorite I don't get.

Spackler is so far over the top now he broke your sarcasm meter.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Spackler is so far over the top now he broke your sarcasm meter.

Impressive, eh? Pushing toward new heights daily.

 

[sdhusky]

Damn. I wish we had coaches who had thought of that.

coaches can be judged on tiny swings. Brimah misses a ft and everyone is wondering if Ollie (while certainly a nice guy) can really win it? Donyell makes a free throw...

I think if Whitmer hit a couple of passes (that he has shown he can hit), the game yesterday is completely different. We go up by multiple scores & their d loosens up a bit...

Bottomline - in these first two games, Diaco isn't getting any luck. BYU is just a tough match up for any defense with Hill and turnovers early suck. Getting Casey hurt doesn't help. I'm not so sure that Diaco saw CC & CW even, just that he knew he would need more than 1 QB & that CW's confidence was hurting.

If it is CW for the rest of the year, I'm confident he can play better.

 

[Sky ball]

Reading these QB discussions is like watching Fox News, in that I'm fine with people having different opinions than me but have a problem with people having different facts. Each of the three CBs started four games. CC's numbers are much better than Chandler's, and Chandler's numbers were much better than Boyle.

I think you meant MSNBC News

 

[sdhusky]

I think you meant MSNBC News

Same thing

 

[Fairfield_1st]

I'm not going to weigh in on what the quarterback depth chart should be. I'm just going to say that you can't compare what they did last season, given the comptetion levels each faced and the coaches in place. I don't remember the timing of it all, but I have to think CC must have benefitted from having Foley back as O-line coach and Weist in total control of the offense, which may or may not have been the case before. I don't care about redshirting, just winning.
My personal thought is HCBD sees something in TB to want to redshirt him and therefor needed CW to come back so we had a mildly experienced backup. Without CW, TB would have to play right now.

 

[Dogged]

It is what it is. You have two quarterbacks to use and you better prepare them both. Each one has issues at this point but both may develop. Boyle has had little opportunity and cannot be judged based only on
what a 19 year old with no prior FBS experience and no offensive line can do against the beef in your schedule. He is a year older now. Chandler is also at risk with a history of concussion. Chandler has had more opportunity to show his stuff on the field and is 23 years old. He is still struggling with many aspects of the game.

We must press on. Both QBs must play. The O line must improve. The D must get better. Boise will be tough. They are an offensive juggernaut and tough against the run but they are vulnerable to the pass. A good showing by the QBs could make for a good game and the 12th man can make a big difference. Rome was not built in a day.
Neither will UConn football. This is a process.

 

[businesslawyer]

I'm not going to weigh in on what the quarterback depth chart should be. I'm just going to say that you can't compare what they did last season, given the comptetion levels each faced and the coaches in place. I don't remember the timing of it all, but I have to think CC must have benefitted from having Foley back as O-line coach and Weist in total control of the offense, which may or may not have been the case before. I don't care about redshirting, just winning.
My personal thought is HCBD sees something in TB to want to redshirt him and therefor needed CW to come back so we had a mildly experienced backup. Without CW, TB would have to play right now.

FWIW, I think the difference in compensation is being vastly overstated by those supporting Boyle. 2 of Cochran's 4 starts were against bowl teams. Two of Whitmer's were against Maryland and MIchigan. Did Boyle overall play against tougher competition. Yes, absolutely. But the differences we saw in QB play went well beyond that.

That having been said, I hope we get good QB play Saturday and the rest of the season, and personally I don't give a damn where it comes from.

 

[CL82]

I think Chandler had some trouble adjusting to the speed and athleticism increase from JUCO. He was throwing a lot of picks there as well, but he made enough throws to be successful. When he came to UConn, he made the necesssary split second judgements as to whether a a throw was there or not based upon his JUCO experience. Throws that he felt he should have been able to make weren't there anymore and defensive linemen and CBs were covering ground a lot faster, so that he had less time than he anticipated. I think that process left him second guessing himself. His happy feet are Chandler reacting to the speed of tacklers and the long throws are just a shade to conservative to avoid picks. So where do we go from here? Well it's possible that CW continues as he is, or is just slightly better, and it ends up being a long season. It is also possible that he is either completely ineffective or injured and Boyle comes in (or Boyle shines in limited posessions and wins the role outright.) But it is also possible that with more snaps and more maturity, he figures it out and is effective for us. I'm hoping for the last one. It's better for the Chandler, better for the team and better for Tim. We'll see. If he is going to be our QB the rest of the way he has to do better than the SB game.