This needs to be said

[UConnDan97]

What does it say that most of the kids on the 2 deep are underclassmen?

What does the defensive scheme that Diaco employs tell you?

The last Edsall class and both of P's were horrendous. It doesn't mean that they didn't recruit some good players. But when guys go through 4 or 5 years without making any real contribution? There's no other conclusion to make.

The players that I think are talented came from P's "horrendous" classes, including people like Newsome and Thomas on the offensive end and people like Campenni and Carrezola on the defensive end. We've heard about the tremendous talent of a player like Melifonwu from multiple coaches and multiple announcers.

But what has to be separated in this thread as well as others is the following: talent does not equal performance. And there are many reasons for that. Learning schemes. Changing position coaches and position philosophies. If you are young, getting stronger. You can be a talented 19 year old and struggle against 21 and 22 year olds. It doesn't mean you aren't talented...

 

[Storrsbred]

Honest question: what if Edsalls judgement is correct, that UCONN hit the ceiling and regardless of coach, it is what it is?
Forget the BB analogy, that's a much easier sport to turn around. UCONN football does not operate in a vacuum, where all other teams remain at their current level and only state U improves. If UCONN wants to move up the foodchain they have to out-recruit their contemporaries for several cycles. Can that happen? Yes, but not proven yet. The UCONN ceiling in football may be a consistent 7 win team.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

You must be smoking K2 again...good recruiter..LMFAO.....his failure to recruit ANY talent on the OL outside of Hopkins is a BIG reason why this team is where it is right now!

Right. It is Pasqualoni's fault that kids recruited to play in the Big East can't block at a mid-major level after 4 years.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Right. It is Pasqualoni's fault that kids recruited to play in the Big East can't block at a mid-major level after 4 years.

I'll give him a pass on Gifford and Nwokeji since they were both a part of Edsall's last class. But other than them? Yep.

 

[HobokenHusky]

Honest question: what if Edsalls judgement is correct, that UCONN hit the ceiling and regardless of coach, it is what it is?
Forget the BB analogy, that's a much easier sport to turn around. UCONN football does not operate in a vacuum, where all other teams remain at their current level and only state U improves. If UCONN wants to move up the foodchain they have to out-recruit their contemporaries for several cycles. Can that happen? Yes, but not proven yet. The UCONN ceiling in football may be a consistent 7 win team.

Temple and Memphis are forces right now, both better than any UConn team ever (I don't care that we made the Fiesta bowl, that team wasn't that good and we all know it). The only way they are more appealing destinations than UConn is Memphis's proximity to the south and both schools locations in a metro area, if those things are appealing. That is it. There is no reason we can't be at least that good, and I would argue our brand and facilities make us have more potential, even in this conference. No reason we can't go the Boise route and dominate this conference year in and year out. None.

Is Diaco the guy to do this? I like the improvement so far (it requires patience though), but next year will be telling. I do know though that The Fiesta Bowl season was not the potential ceiling as a team (maybe as an end destination, I don't think we will ever get into the playoff as it stands in this conference).

 

[FDNY99]

Right. It is Pasqualoni's fault that kids recruited to play in the Big East can't block at a mid-major level after 4 years.

How about the fact that failure=not bringing in any kids...

 

[businesslawyer]

Honest question: what if Edsalls judgement is correct, that UCONN hit the ceiling and regardless of coach, it is what it is?
Forget the BB analogy, that's a much easier sport to turn around. UCONN football does not operate in a vacuum, where all other teams remain at their current level and only state U improves. If UCONN wants to move up the foodchain they have to out-recruit their contemporaries for several cycles. Can that happen? Yes, but not proven yet. The UCONN ceiling in football may be a consistent 7 win team.

It's hard to be here some days.

1. Edsall said he had reached UConn's cieling where exactly?

2. Our cleling is 7 wins notwithstanding the fact that our last 4 years with Edsall, in a tougher conference, produced 9, 8, 8 and 8 wins.

And people wonder why I'm reduced to saying "with all due respect."

 

[Nostical]

With all due respect, ceiling and cleling?

 

[cohenzone]

This isn't that controversial. The players clearly need to execute but are better than they have shown. Losses are due more to deficiencies in our coaching philosophies and overall play calling.

Evidence please, that the players are better than they've shown. I go back away. I remember when Eric Torkelson played his whole first year as a return man and and it was clear he had the most talent of any other back, balance wise, vision, and drive. I just don't see many kids right now who stick out like that. I will say that some of the play calling has been curious, and that I wish that they would use a blitz now and then, which might expose more talent in the D backfield, especially LBs, to screw up an offense, than I think we've seen. But my own leash on Diaco extends at least until next year, and maybe realistically the year beyond when he can get a fair evaluation of whether the talent he gets is at least at the Edsall level and how successful he is with it.

I don't write that much on the FB board, but I said over two seeks ago when most were saying our D was okay and ahead of the O that I thought the contrary, that the D was not all that good and the O was showing me more, even with our O line. Just nobody jumps out at me on D as someone offenses really have to worry about as being disruptive. Schemes are a part of that, but talent usually finds a way to show itself.

 

[J187Money]

With all due respect, ceiling and cleling?

Or cieling. If you are going to make fun of someone please quote their misspellings accurately

 

[Nostical]

Or cieling. If you are going to make fun of someone please quote their misspellings accurately

Well, OK, but I'll be scouring your posts very carefully from now on, so be careful.

 

[J187Money]

Well, OK, but I'll be scouring your posts very carefully from now on, so be careful.

I'm OCD about it. So will appreciate any error checking.