This needs to be said

[FDNY99]

So we are arguing the cupboard is bare after this team played Missouri and BYU close into the 4th quarter? Pasqualoni may have been mailing it in, but he was still a good recruiter and UConn was beating decent program for talent during his tenure.

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!

 

[Confident Carl]

I posted this in another thread but it is how UCONN nation needs to think. Let's hope for 5-7 in 2015 and 2016 could be special for UCONN.

You are correct huge turnarounds at Memphis and Temple. Same will happen at UCONN. Learn from this little guy!

 

[Tdaley]

It was a bad game all the way around especially on defense. We are improving slowly but not fast enough for the fan base. The biggest disappointment of the game was the players being unable to execute Diaco's defense properly. When we blitz our two inside linebackers between the defensive ends and nose tackle and our best defensive end allows the running back to get outside then who do point fingers at? The player or the coaches? The bend not break defensive blueprint is falling apart as the season has gone on. The lack of speed at our linebacker position really does hurt us as well our inability to put any kind of pass rush on the quarterback. I think it is a fair question knowing the talent level that we have on the defensive side of the ball and not anticipating a huge upgrade in the next few years whether Diaco defensive schemes are the best utilization of our talent. After the past two weeks I'm not so sure. Lets hope that the players and the coaches turn things around next week or this season may become very ugly.

 

[Confident Carl]

Didn't claim it was controversial. Just asking if are saying the 3-5 record is a function of players or coaches.

Both its a team!

 

[J187Money]

I posted this in another thread but it is how UCONN nation needs to think. Let's hope for 5-7 in 2015 and 2016 could be special for UCONN.

You are correct huge turnarounds at Memphis and Temple. Same will happen at UCONN. Learn from this little guy!

To me special would be our first 10 win season ever. Let's get to a bowl first.

 

[Nostical]

It's great you believe the players are good enough. That particular belief is contrary to all evidence.

Please spare me. Contrary to the evidence? Your comment is exactly what they said about Brady Hoke's Michigan players. It was said by many that the Wolverine players were good but the coaching wasn't up to the task of getting the most out of them. Was that contrary to the evidence too? Or did a different approach to their coaching turn them around. Sometimes the soldiers are just fine---but the generals aren't.

 

[BlueandOG]

FCF your ECU beers are on me if you throw in another Calhoun post this week. I'll even buy the Prestone... no wait - make it Quaker State.

How should I prepare the Fetzer valve?

 

[SAMCRO]

Please spare me. Contrary to the evidence? Your comment is exactly what they said about Brady Hoke's Michigan players. It was said by many that the Wolverine players were good but the coaching wasn't up to the task of getting the most out of them. Was that contrary to the evidence too? Or did a different approach to their coaching turn them around. Sometimes the soldiers are just fine---but the generals aren't.

Nos, Harbaugh doesn't have to deal with our OL. It is not a good group right now. Will be better... maybe average... in a year, but still a ways from average at this point.

 

[CL82]

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It's great you believe the players are good enough. You can believe whatever you want. That particular belief is contrary to all evidence.

Biz is it your opinion that these guys are at their high water mark? That this is the best they can do. I see the youth and correctable mistakes and I think that we can be compete this season and have a shot at a bowl next season. Don't take that away from me...

 

[fgbrault]

What a piece of misguided crap. Great things rarely come from a "no roadblocks" attitude. Great things are much more likely to come from recognizing what roadblocks are there and then figuring out how you are either going to remove it or avoid it.

I think that is what he said. The "no roadblocks" attitude does not ignore the roadblocks, it recognizes them and fixes them instead of allowing them to become an excuse for mediocracy.

 

[SubbaBub]

You are going on the record that the players are good and the coaches are bad?

The players are good enough for what the current expectations are. The staff is overly contributing to losses. Not Saturday we had no shot.

 

[businesslawyer]

Biz is it your opinion that these guys are at their high water mark? That this is the best they can do. I see the youth and correctable mistakes and I think that we can be compete this season and have a shot at a bowl next season. Don't take that away from me...

Do I see this as the long term high water mark for this staff? No. Do I think we should be 6-6 or better next year? It depends on the schedule, but let me answer the question this way: on Offense we start 1 senior, 3 juniors, 6 sophomores and a freshman. Of course I expect us to be better next year as players gain experience and strength.

 

[SubbaBub]

The way Disco is playing this (playing lots of guys, spoon feeding techniques and schemes) says that at some point there will be a leap up in class. Building for the sake of building doesn't get you anywhere as the roster turns over.

I expected a better pop this year. For Diaco to be proven right it has to come next year.

 

[UConnDan97]

Do I see this as the long term high water mark for this staff? No. Do I think we should be 6-6 or better next year? It depends on the schedule, but let me answer the question this way: on Offense we start 1 senior, 3 juniors, 6 sophomores and a freshman. Of course I expect us to be better next year as players gain experience and strength.

So then it might just be youth, inexperience, and inexperience in a new system, rather than talent?

If so, then I agree. I don't buy the "lack of talent" argument. And if we had finished the job against either USF or Mizzou, we would currently be a .500 team with all of the aforementioned youth. The OL isn't very good, but they have gotten better. We have a fair amount of talent at the skills positions (Newsome, Shirreffs, Thomas, Beals, etc.). Our D-Line is really stout, save their performance against Cincy. Et cetera, et cetera.

Do we have Alabama-like talent? No
Do we have even Miami-like talent? No
Do we have talent enough to be a successful program? Yes. And I'll stand by that statement...

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

So then it might just be youth, inexperience, and inexperience in a new system, rather than talent?

If so, then I agree. I don't buy the "lack of talent" argument. And if we had finished the job against either USF or Mizzou, we would currently be a .500 team with all of the aforementioned youth. The OL isn't very good, but they have gotten better. We have a fair amount of talent at the skills positions (Newsome, Shirreffs, Thomas, Beals, etc.). Our D-Line is really stout, save their performance against Cincy. Et cetera, et cetera.

Do we have Alabama-like talent? No
Do we have even Miami-like talent? No
Do we have talent enough to be a successful program? Yes. And I'll stand by that statement...

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.

 

[businesslawyer]

So then it might just be youth, inexperience, and inexperience in a new system, rather than talent?

If so, then I agree. I don't buy the "lack of talent" argument. And if we had finished the job against either USF or Mizzou, we would currently be a .500 team with all of the aforementioned youth. The OL isn't very good, but they have gotten better. We have a fair amount of talent at the skills positions (Newsome, Shirreffs, Thomas, Beals, etc.). Our D-Line is really stout, save their performance against Cincy. Et cetera, et cetera.

Do we have Alabama-like talent? No
Do we have even Miami-like talent? No
Do we have talent enough to be a successful program? Yes. And I'll stand by that statement...

Do you want to twist words or truly disagree. Alex Bloom, now, is not a talented TE. He is not a good blocker, he doesn't make the correct decision on what to do with a blitzing LB and he drops too many balls. He is in his second year. By his 4th or 5th year (if he takes a redshirt), he may be a very talented player.

And saying "we could have a better record" is meaningless. Most losing football teams can point to a handful of plays and say if they were different we could have won. We could have beaten MIzzou, but we hardly proved we were the better team. We were the better team against USF for 30 minutes and the inferior team for 30. So what.

 

[NYUConn]

Do you want to twist words or truly disagree. Alex Bloom, now, is not a talented TE. He is not a good blocker, he doesn't make the correct decision on what to do with a blitzing LB and he drops too many balls. He is in his second year. By his 4th or 5th year (if he takes a redshirt), he may be a very talented player.

I think you are going to be proven right about Bloom FWIW (I know not exactly the point we are debating here, but it's something I've been thinking about a lot last few games).

He's shown an ability to get open quite frequently this year. The drops are a MAJOR issue, but there's something to be said about a tight end that has the ability to get open as consistently as he can. Much easier to stop drops than it is to teach effective route running.

Now the blocking on the other hand...well, yeah. Needs to spend a little more time with the O-Line.

 

[SubbaBub]

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.

It says they should get better quickly. A good number of those guys play on Sunday now. I can't stand the talent argument.

Do we have top 10 talent, no. We have had .500+ talent the entire time.

 

[RedStickHusky]

talent (raw), preparation, game day coaching, schemes (conceptual and execution) none of these exist in isolation and performance is a function of their product. there was always, theoretically, a level of talent that would have made PP a winner, however unattainable. I guess you can speculate on which aspect is holding us back, but we haven't really arrived until it all comes together.

 

[businesslawyer]

It says they should get better quickly. A good number of those guys play on Sunday now. I can't stand the talent argument.

Do we have top 10 talent, no. We have had .500+ talent the entire time.

Which is why every neutral preseason prediction had us at .500 or better.

Wait -- nobody did? So you just are better at seeing the talent than everyone else in the world. I hope you are an NFL scout and making bank off that skill.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

It says they should get better quickly. A good number of those guys play on Sunday now. I can't stand the talent argument.

Do we have top 10 talent, no. We have had .500+ talent the entire time.

What guys are playing on Sundays now? You don't have to like the talent argument. You're free to disagree with it. But my eyes tell me that you're wrong.

Where are the players on the OL? Where are the LB's at the level that we've had? Where is the Kendall Reyes or hell the Shamar Stephen? Where is the Ryan Griffin? The Donald Brown/Caulley/Todman/Brockington? Newsflash: there isn't any of these caliber players on the current roster. Bloom is in his second year after getting some PT last year. He's not half the TE that Griffin was as a RS freshman. I hate having to name names but you and others are constantly chirping about this and leave me no other choice.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Do you want to twist words or truly disagree. Alex Bloom, now, is not a talented TE. He is not a good blocker, he doesn't make the correct decision on what to do with a blitzing LB and he drops too many balls. He is in his second year. By his 4th or 5th year (if he takes a redshirt), he may be a very talented player.

And saying "we could have a better record" is meaningless. Most losing football teams can point to a handful of plays and say if they were different we could have won. We could have beaten MIzzou, but we hardly proved we were the better team. We were the better team against USF for 30 minutes and the inferior team for 30. So what.

Nobody has butchered more names than BL over the years (well maybe Pal has). It's ALEC Bloom.

 

[businesslawyer]

Nobody has butchered more names than BL over the years (well maybe Pal has). It's ALEC Bloom.

Fair.

 

[Pudge]

Talent?

We have eyes. And every week, we get to watch the other team (presumably a peer Program). We don't have the playmakers that USF has; no way are we as explosive as 3/4 of their guys. We don't have 3 powerful RBs like Cincinnati; though, I like having Newsome on the team, I'd sure like one kid that broke the line like the UC 3. We have some kids developing at the Offensive playmaking spots; that's it. Potential versus what I saw is real production in volume. Our Offensive Line? We can say it's better than last year ... and hope. In the last 2 weeks, we have seen better rush game/pass game blocking. I wish we were progressing ALEC Bloom and Tommy Myers faster and giving them more targets.

Defensively? We are decent on the DLine; though, lacking any speed rush. The Linebackers (with last year) are as diminished a threesome as we have seen since 2001. I am not seeing much from them; I yearn for the Sio Moore, Greg Lloyd, Lawrence Wilson, Scott Lutrus four. (and, btw, they don't seem that hard to recruit considering 3 of the 4 we were their only offer). And although I like our 4 starting secondary players, they aren't as good as many we see these days. Let's not even remember Missouri players on Defense.

We can get better Talent with this staff. I think they have the sales and evaluation skills. We need time. We also need a far more aggressive roster management mode. More Levenberry's.

 

[businesslawyer]

The LB thing shouldn't be a great mystery. We thrived recruiting smaller LBs who could run, and then building them up (hopefully) without losing speed. Under both P and HCBD, we recruit bigger players (and then act surprised when other teams are faster than us).

Yes, if we were Penn State we'd recruit bigger and faster players. But at the moment that option does not appear open to us.