UConn Football Class of 2022 National Signing Day Coverage (Feb. 2nd >)

[businesslawyer]

I wish McCummings got a fair shot and not just obvious wildcat packages where everyone including Stevie Wonder knew he was running the ball.

Sorry, but the reality does not support your desires. When McCummings was given a chance to throw the ball, which always caught the defense by surprise, he didn’t show the ability of a decent high school QB. I mean, we saw him miss wide open throws by ten yards.

 

[Pudge]

It is on Pasqualoni. And all you need to know is to look at Mora attacking the QB position in the last 75 days.

PP & GDL had a roster in 2010 with Fraser, Endres, Box, McCummings and McEntee. Plus another walkon in Driscoll. 2011 had the first three gone. Brought in Nebrich - which we can surmise Joe Moorhead had involvement in the recruiting, courtship & commitment. After watching McEntee for a few snaps ... THEY should have known that the Quarterback room needed more. A lot more. And in retropect, yeah ... McCummings wasn't the answer; nor McEntee. And Mike Nebrich was the real deal - if given a shot with Moorhead. But there should have been more talent brought in by those twins.

 

[uconndogs]

P and Deleone came from a Cuse program that played at a very high national level through much of their careers there. They then went onto the NFL in various roles. I wonder sometimes if they were just arrogant enough to think that they would be easily able to continue UCONN's progression given their perception of the level of competition UCONN was up against.

At the end of the day they couldn't have screwed it up any more than they did..............

 

[UConnRock]

The first thing out of Mora's mouth that I haven't really liked.

It's one thing to hold them accountable like NFL players for things you can do for any team at any level- meetings, film, time management, etc.

But in terms of skill, strength and conditioning Mora has inherited something closer to FCS than NFL and trying to treat them like a finished product rather than extreme developmental players can go astray.

The second sentence of Mora’s quote more than adequately explains the meaning of the 1st sentence. He will be coaching them as best he can to achieve their NFL dream. Hopefully we can get back to having a decent NFL pipeline again. Those days when UConn had 15-20 players in the NFL were fun

 

[UConnJim]

... so you play Johnny McEntee? How did that guy ever get above the rest. I went to the game at UBuffalo and threw up pflegm balls. Nebrich had to be better from Day One. George DeLeone.

Nebrich transferred to Fordham in 2012 after Moorhead was named head coach and he played in 3 games his first year at Fordham. If he wasn't ready to start at Fordham in 2012 with Moorhead, who recruited him at UConn, then I doubt he was ready to start as a true freshman at UConn in 2011. They did recognize the problem and brought in a JUCO transfer QB for 2012, Chandler Whitmer.

 

[Husky68]

Nebrich was a true freshman that year and not ready.

He was the readiest of the unready. Went to the Vanderbilt game that year and talk about a QB that wasn't ready, Johnny M. wasn't ready then or ever.

 

[UConnRock]

It is always fun to look back at what Pasqualoni had on the roster in his 1st year at the helm.

Sio Moore, Blidi, Gratz, Byron Jones, Andrew Adams, Nick Williams, Smallwood, Trev Williams, Shamar Stephen, Geremy Davis, Ryan Griffin and Kendall Reyes.

They lost Todman and Frazer and tried to replace them with McEntee and Lyle McCombs. The big loss was Endres at QB. The starting spot was his.

 

[UConnJim]

He was the readiest of the unready. Went to the Vanderbilt game that year and talk about a QB that wasn't ready, Johnny M. wasn't ready then or ever.

I agree, none of them were ready which is why UConn needed a JUCO.

Believe it or not, for a UConn QB (which has been a low bar), Johnny McEntee performed OK. Here's some crazy stats that really point to UConn's pathetic offenses over the last 16 years:

Since 2005:

Most passing yards by a QB in a season:

1) Chandler Whitmer (2012) 2,664 yards
2) Tyler Lorenzen (2007) 2,367 yards
3) Bryant Sherriffs (2017) 2,287 yards
4) Johnny McEntee (2011) 2,110 yards

Most TDs by a QB in a season:

1) David Pindell (2018) 19
2) Bryant Shirreffs (2017) 14
3) Tyler Lorenzen (2007) 13
4) Johnny McEntee ( 2011) 12

Comparing 2010 QB stats (Fiesta Bowl year) vs 2011 QB stats:

2010 (13 games): 52.7% completions %, 1,964 yards, 10 TDs, 9 Int.

2011 (12 games): 50.7% completion %, 2,336 yards, 14 TDs, 9 Int.

Bonus question. Who was the last UConn QB to throw for more than 20 TDs in a season?

Dan Orlovsky with 23 in 2004.

 

[gioff2323]

It’s amazing that after all the years, all the HCs, all the players, folks still like to discuss Ps decision to go with a YouTube sensation at qb.

FWIW, P recruited well, even at the qb position - see Boyle and Lagow. He sucked at development and communication, so we saw almost nothing from them.

 

[Palatine]

It is always fun to look back at what Pasqualoni had on the roster in his 1st year at the helm.

Sio Moore, Blidi, Gratz, Byron Jones, Andrew Adams, Nick Williams, Smallwood, Trev Williams, Shamar Stephen, Geremy Davis, Ryan Griffin and Kendall Reyes.

Yet, the constant drum beat in the Courant and on The Boneyard was that the "cupboard was bare." Anyone who cared to look knew the cupboard was loaded.

And that leaves out Deshon Foxx who was in training camp with the Seahawks and Moe Petrus who was in camp with the Tampa Bay Bucs. Both we good college players just a notch below an NFL roster.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Nebrich transferred to Fordham in 2012 after Moorhead was named head coach and he played in 3 games his first year at Fordham. If he wasn't ready to start at Fordham in 2012 with Moorhead, who recruited him at UConn, then I doubt he was ready to start as a true freshman at UConn in 2011. They did recognize the problem and brought in a JUCO transfer QB for 2012, Chandler Whitmer.

Nebrich had a season ending injury early of the third game of the 2012 season against Cornell. P wasted the most talent of any UConn head football coach in the last fifty years.

 

[uconndogs]

Yet, the constant drum beat in the Courant and on The Boneyard was that the "cupboard was bare." Anyone who cared to look knew the cupboard was loaded.

They had an NFL defense with which to work and there were enough weapons on offense to post winning seasons. They just didn't develop kids and let the culture go to s***. I'm not sure what they did or didn't do to try to keep Robbie Frey in place, but that kid should not have been let out the door. They road a fly weight RB in McCombs as if we was a 230 LB workhorse. God only knows what that was about. Every time a defensive lineman farted that kid was on the ground.

 

[UConnJim]

Nebrich had a season ending injury early of the third game of the 2012 season against Cornell. P wasted the most talent of any UConn head football coach in the last fifty years.

Yes, he did get injured, but Ryan Higgins was the starter even before Nebrich got hurt.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[businesslawyer]

They had an NFL defense with which to work and there were enough weapons on offense to post winning seasons. They just didn't develop kids and let the culture go to s***. I'm not sure what they did or didn't do to try to keep Robbie Frey in place, but that kid should not have been let out the door. They road a fly weight RB in McCombs as if we was a 230 LB workhorse. God only knows what that was about. Every time a defensive lineman farted that kid was on the ground.

This. He had a defense that could win the Big East. The offense, frankly, had only been mediocre the year before, and the offense was mostly about Jordan Todman. Tailback was a string of terrible luck. Robbie Frey leaving when Edsall left, Meme Wylie breaking his leg and not coming back for a fifth year, and Shumate just not working out. And to be fair to McCombs, he was adequate. The problem (besides coaching) was at QB. You can show me as many statistics as you want, Johnny McEntee was not Zach Frazer. Was Nebrich more ready for the 2011 season than McEntee? Let's be honest -- none of us know.

But part of P's problem, which cost us the opening game at VAndy, was his inability to accept that he was going to have to win by playing great D and special teams and just keep the offense from losing a game. And thus, we let the offense lose us a Vanderbilt game that the D and special teams had well under control. If he just didn't screw opening day up, every reason to think we at least went to a bowl in '11 and maybe things would have been better from there.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Yes, he did get injured, but Ryan Higgins was the starter even before Nebrich got hurt.

Yes he was and Nebrich was already a productive player by his second game. More than Higgans. I just think P gave up on him because of style which probably would have helped as the OL began to degrade.

 

[SubbaBub]

You could have 6 NFL players on your team, if the other 80 suck then you aren't winning. This has been hyperbole.

We had a DT that could eat up 3 OL and still couldn't get pressure. Who's fault is that? Everyone's.

 

[ZooCougar]

The first thing out of Mora's mouth that I haven't really liked.

It's one thing to hold them accountable like NFL players for things you can do for any team at any level- meetings, film, time management, etc.

But in terms of skill, strength and conditioning Mora has inherited something closer to FCS than NFL and trying to treat them like a finished product rather than extreme developmental players can go astray.

You take issue with that? I think kids like hearing that. And that might be the football experience and lifestyle he is selling.

 

[Tdaley]

I wish McCummings got a fair shot and not just obvious wildcat packages where everyone including Stevie Wonder knew he was running the ball.

After watching the previous year spring game, I thought McCummings was our best option at quarterback. All the quarterbacks struggled to throw behind an offensive line that was already starting to show some cracks. Little did we know how bad the offensive line would become in the next few years. McCummings was far and away the best running quarterback that day. Coach P stubbornly stuck to his plan to install a prostyle offense even though he did not have the offensive line or the quarterback to run that offense. In my humble opinion, if Coach P stuck with a college style offense with one of his dual option quarterbacks at the helm, Uconn would have had a couple 7-5 years and made a lower level bowl each year.

 

[gioff2323]

It was a decade ago. Move on. This has nothing to do with the thread.

 

[Waquoit]

In fairness to ASU they have exactly nine commits in their class. You better be beating that or its time to fold up the tents.

You can't even let us have this one? Geez, Herm fan?

 

[huskymedic]

Quick listen > talks about incoming class, transfers (Fitzgerald, Barboza, Guidone, McDuffie, etc.), QB Room and Victor Rosa.

 

[formerlurker]

 

[noeynox]

It’s amazing that after all the years, all the HCs, all the players, folks still like to discuss Ps decision to go with a YouTube sensation at qb.

FWIW, P recruited well, even at the qb position - see Boyle and Lagow. He sucked at development and communication, so we saw almost nothing from them.

Cochran also.

 

[Exit 4]

Quick listen > talks about incoming class, transfers (Fitzgerald, Barboza, Guidone, McDuffie, etc.), QB Room and Victor Rosa.

For those that dont get a chance to listen, Mora talks up how Victor Rosa did it all and had to do it all on his HS team and that he sees Rosa starting in the RB room, but more of a utility knife that will be looked at as an outside the tackles RB and slot WR. He sees Rosa creating mismatches.

 

[DoctorWho85]

For those that dont get a chance to listen, Mora talks up how Victor Rosa did it all and had to do it all on his HS team and that he sees Rosa starting in the RB room, but more of a utility knife that will be looked at as an outside the tackles RB and slot WR. He sees Rosa creating mismatches.

Rosa is going to be used like Robbie Frey or Nick Williams. He's gonna get the ball in his hands because he makes plays happen. I think he's listed as RB just because WR is stacked right now.

 

[gioff2323]

Rosa is going to be used like Robbie Frey or Nick Williams. He's gonna get the ball in his hands because he makes plays happen. I think he's listed as RB just because WR is stacked right now.

I think Nick is the better comparison. Maybe even a Deshon Foxx.

Listening to Mora, it’s like he understands the crayola crayons box was expanded from 8 to 64, and even comes with a sharpener. (Sorry for dates analogy)

 

[Hskies4Ever]

It is always fun to look back at what Pasqualoni had on the roster in his 1st year at the helm.

Sio Moore, Blidi, Gratz, Byron Jones, Andrew Adams, Nick Williams, Smallwood, Trev Williams, Shamar Stephen, Geremy Davis, Ryan Griffin and Kendall Reyes.

They lost Todman and Frazer and tried to replace them with McEntee and Lyle McCombs. The big loss was Endres at QB. The starting spot was his.

McCombs did rush for 1,000 yards that season so he was a nice surprise. It’s too bad Enders couldn’t stay off the drugs.

 

[Hskies4Ever]

You can show me as many statistics as you want, Johnny McEntee was not Zach Frazer.

You’re right. McEntee was better. Excluding the QBs who were on the roster in 2021, Zach Frazer is probably the worst starting QB we’ve had since 2007 with the possible exception of Tim Boyle who was underdeveloped and just not ready.

 

[cttxus]

Yeah, too bad about Cody. He was definitely a talented QB. Living in TX since '96, though, the only time I saw him play in person was in Waco vs. Baylor in 2009. My family and I were part of maybe 300 UConn fans in the corner of the end zone, along with a couple dozen great Army/Nat'l Guard fans from CT, probably stationed at nearby Ft. Hood. Cody, Andre and Jordan just carved up Baylor and Art Briles in front of 50k stunned fans that afternoon. One of my best UConn FB memories.