Ugly Wins Vs Not Winning

[businesslawyer]

So "you are what your record says you are" doesn't count all of a sudden?

That's an NFL quote, where teams don't make their own schedules and the variance between an easy schedule and a tough schedule isn't night and day. It has little applicability to college sports if you don't consider the schedule. Yes, 8-4 in any case means you won two thirds of your games, but if you think it doesn't matter in terms of how good you are whether you went 8-4 playing a SEC schedule and reasonable conference games versus going 8-4 in the MAC with one P-4 game OOC, I don't know what to tell you.

 

[Patman]

You might be on to something about this board. But seriously, Mora obviously thinks Evers is better. I have a basic belief that coaches aren’t suicidal when they make player usage decisions. Of course they can be wrong, but they make choices that seem right to them.

i'm not convinced mora believes that. i think mora is playing the long-term game and he also has to not lose the locker room by being indecisive. He has to deal with the personalities and can't just swap quarterbacks depending on what he thinks might be better in the moment.

 

[Patman]

That's an NFL quote, where teams don't make their own schedules and the variance between an easy schedule and a tough schedule isn't night and day. It has little applicability to college sports if you don't consider the schedule. Yes, 8-4 in any case means you won two thirds of your games, but if you think it doesn't matter in terms of how good you are whether you went 8-4 playing a SEC schedule and reasonable conference games versus going 8-4 in the MAC with one P-4 game OOC, I don't know what to tell you.

there's a reason computers are putting us in the mid-80s. Beat Wake and bomb out your schedule and maybe we look better but we didn't do either.

 

[cohenzone]

This is what most of the complainers, myself included, were complaining about. I believe that we are winning in spite of the QB choice and that Fagnano earned the right to get more PT with his play. I'm thrilled we are winning and going bowling, but that does not prevent me from believing that with a change at QB we could be even better. I want what's best for the team.

Yeah, I get it. But it is also a fact that this board wanted no part of Fagnano. I guess Mora got convinced. Fagnano was the QB in the Buffalo game if I recall and that was an unexpected rout done with very little passing.

 

[REB1094]

UConn football was squashed into the dirt and spit on for pretty much the last decade. Miserable season after miserable season with the two brightest spots being the years that we lost bowl games and went 6-7

Of course I want to play high quality football and put up 5 scores weekly against P5 competition, but that's a pretty steep hill to climb 1 year after last season and without a conference

So for now, I'll take 7-8 wins even if every win is a close win where the score ends up being 10-7. Then next season, the expectations will get higher

Win games = get better recruits = win more games = get more respect as a program

 

[cohenzone]

That's an NFL quote, where teams don't make their own schedules and the variance between an easy schedule and a tough schedule isn't night and day. It has little applicability to college sports if you don't consider the schedule. Yes, 8-4 in any case means you won two thirds of your games, but if you think it doesn't matter in terms of how good you are whether you went 8-4 playing a SEC schedule and reasonable conference games versus going 8-4 in the MAC with one P-4 game OOC, I don't know what to tell you.

What if the take on some of the teams you think should be walkovers but weren’t was not accurate? What if our own capability is being overestimated? Even a little bit of that might produce unrealistic expectations. I’m certainly not saying Evers has been the answer to any prayers, in fact I’ve said the opposite. But at the moment in this season and many doubts about the program’s ability to become a winner, we are giving a pretty affirmative showing so far. For aii I know this might be the last season that modest success means anything acceptable.

And I don’t buy that Mora would not play the QB he thinks gives them the best shot to win out of fear of “losing the locker room”. We don’t win he is more likely to be back in Big Sky country sooner than he wants. I think he would lose the confidence of the team much faster by using a QB who presents a greater risk of losing. Just my opinion.

 

[noeynox]

Yeah, I get it. But it is also a fact that this board wanted no part of Fagnano. I guess Mora got convinced. Fagnano was the QB in the Buffalo game if I recall and that was an unexpected rout done with very little passing.

Bell caught 3tds. Fagnano threw for like 227 in 2.5 quarters. But yeah good point.

 

[JMick]

i'm not convinced mora believes that. i think mora is playing the long-term game and he also has to not lose the locker room by being indecisive. He has to deal with the personalities and can't just swap quarterbacks depending on what he thinks might be better in the moment.

I do wonder what part of playing Evers has to do with recruiting/NIL. Not in the sense that Evers was paid to come here, but as something to point to for future transfers and HS players. He can say he brought a guy in and gave them every opportunity he could to play and let him try to develop

 

[Chin Diesel]

Keep in mind with the ground and pound and winning ugly...........

UConn was down two starters on the line- Murawski and Hoeh. Both the replacement and the back ups were relatively green. If you are having success running the ball, you don't goober it up and make green linemen figure out blitz packages and pass protection unless you have to do so. Especially after a QB prone to head injuries already took a stiff hit earlier in the game.
Even with UConn's zone read run game, run blocking assignments are usually less risky than pass blocking assignments for newer linemen.

 

[cohenzone]

I do wonder what part of playing Evers has to do with recruiting/NIL. Not in the sense that Evers was paid to come here, but as something to point to for future transfers and HS players. He can say he brought a guy in and gave them every opportunity he could to play and let him try to develop

That’s certainly possible. I still think a coach is depending on winning by playing the players he thinks will keep him employed. At what point during a game does he decide to switch QBs if he thinks Evers isn’t producing enough offense? UAB has had some high scoring games. If they cause our D a problem and if Evers can’t keep pace a lot of us including me would want him to make a change. We shall see.

 

[JohnFSilver]

Style points matter for teams in the 10-20 ranked range hustling for the at-large bids in the playoffs. For the remaining 100 teams, few outside of each team's fandom and professional better care how you got your record. All they have time to do is scan W's and L's.

Exactly, and if they recognize the name
Of the team you beat. .

 

[JohnFSilver]

I would have taken ugly wins against Duke or Wake

I'd take 4 more ugly wins. An ugly 10-3 record would be terrific going into next season.

 

[AllHusky]

so frustrating. I guarantee the talking heads will harp on and on about the 4 P4 losses if we end up going 2-1 over the last 3 games here. We'll even win our bowl game against that meh G5 school. a 9 win team is "TRASH, BRO".

I am so sick of uconn being pooped on.

Winning cures everything

 

[cohenzone]

Bell caught 3tds. Fagnano threw for like 227 in 2.5 quarters. But yeah good point.

All I know is my grandson is a Jr at Buffalo and I don’t let him forget about that game.

But thinking back, it was actually vs. FAU that we mostly ran, although we did run a lot vs. Buffalo.

 

[JMick]

That’s certainly possible. I still think a coach is depending on winning by playing the players he thinks will keep him employed. At what point during a game does he decide to switch QBs if he thinks Evers isn’t producing enough offense? UAB has had some high scoring games. If they cause our D a problem and if Evers can’t keep pace a lot of us including me would want him to make a change. We shall see.

I think if it is a factor then it's probably weighted more heavily than how much of a dropoff he sees between Evers and Fagnano. I don't think Fagnano is worlds better than Evers. I do think he's slightly better, but slightly better right now with no eligibility left might make the decision easier.

 

[Waquoit]

That's an NFL quote

Now tell me it's never been used in college football.

 

[businesslawyer]

Now tell me it's never been used in college football.

Can’t tell you that. Can’t prove a negative. My point was that it’s not applicable in college football.

 

[AllHusky]

Then maybe 90 percent of the board were dumb. He has looked pretty good when given the opportunity to play. I wonder what the outcome would be if the WR's were polled?

I’d also like to hear Sammis’ darkest innermost thoughts on the matter.

 

[uconnbill]

i think this is one of those cases where no one's wrong, per se.

• Wins are all that matters, yes.
• Passing game matters, yes.
• UConn winning against REALLY BAD G5 teams will soon not be good enough for spying P4 eyes - also yes (i believe).

Eventually, SOON, we will need to beat a P4 team besides that 2022 garbage BC team who came to the Rent. And then we will need to beat more of them to silence the talk radio haters talking about "it was a one-off against a meh team".

I think boneyard "complainers" are just painfully aware that the anemic passing offense we've demonstrated will not get it done against even the worst of the P4 - this team has confirmed it perfectly so far - 0 for 3 against recognizable programs, even a lame one like WF. And the syracuse humble-pie-reality-check game is coming up real soon, barring a miraculous emergence of Nick Evers.

You're both right (be happy + complainers) - For 2024 it's good enough. It might not be good enough by next year.

If you don't enjoy winning ugly over losing so-called pretty. UConn has most of the time had very good running from the trailers and on and off during the last 12 years or so.

I still remember UConn being ahead against Pitt and going for it on fourth down in their own territory. Pitt knew they were going to run it and still couldn't stop it. I love watching the team run and get 250+ yards a game

 

[uconnbill]

Sitting here and reading everything. I truly believe so many are spoiled by basketball success and you see it in the fanbase not showing up to senior day or homecoming.

Go to a Bowl, win and take that momentum into next season.

 

[Chin Diesel]

I’d also like to hear Sammis’ darkest innermost thoughts on the matter.

I'd wager every OC fantasizes about a video game offense.
I'd also wager they fantasize on how to game plan when they are hampered and don't have all the pieces.
They know it's Jimmy's and Joe's but they get hard ons for X's and O's beating Jimmy and Joe.

 

[Waquoit]

Can’t tell you that. Can’t prove a negative. My point was that it’s not applicable in college football.

Duh. My point is that you missed my point.

 

[AllHusky]

I'd wager every OC fantasizes about a video game offense.
I'd also wager they fantasize on how to game plan when they are hampered and don't have all the pieces.
They know it's Jimmy's and Joe's but they get hard ons for X's and O's beating Jimmy and Joe.

I'm just curious as to what his preference would be given our current personnel. I know he will toe the line, but like I said, innermost deepest darkest thought if he was able to choose. Guessing he recruited Evers. Not thinking this curiosity would be answered.

 

[ZooCougar]

I think if it is a factor then it's probably weighted more heavily than how much of a dropoff he sees between Evers and Fagnano. I don't think Fagnano is worlds better than Evers. I do think he's slightly better, but slightly better right now with no eligibility left might make the decision easier.

It’s worth playing Fagnano because those extra completions deep will make life easier for the defense and maybe these ugly wins look a little better.

 

[UCan3]

It’s worth playing Fagnano because those extra completions deep will make life easier for the defense and maybe these ugly wins look a little better.

I agree. Fagnano also has the experience which Evers does not. I cringe when I hear Mora say he doesn’t want QBs looking “over their shoulder“ if they play bad.

It’s like dude, it’s not end of world to give both QBs some reps when we have QB throwing for less than 100 yds in many games. Your not benching Evers - just play to your strengths.

Also Evers after a couple of concussions and toe injury is not the same and that isn’t his fault. Why not reduce reps, and try giving Joe a chance to shake things up.

When we play Syracuse, we cannot count on the D to bail us out time after time - we need to throw down field and make some big plays.

 

[Waquoit]

I cringe when I hear Mora say he doesn’t want QBs looking “over their shoulder“ if they play bad.

I understand that sentiment. But what if they play really bad? In multiple games?

 

[UCan3]

I understand that sentiment. But what if they play really bad? In multiple games?

Exactly, Waqoit!

No one has played the QB position so well that they deserve to be “annointed” starter no matter what.

I am not saying Joe is the answer to al our problems at QB, only that he is most deserving of some reps and yes, consideration to start against Syracuse if Evers had another 9/28 game with a couple turnovers UAB - win or lose.

 

[Improviser]

I'm also pleased that we aren't that abysmal.

Yes, best not to be at the bottom anymore.

Best, to be not staring at the abyss.

Winning is better than losing, for sure.