Utah State Post Game Thread

[Tdaley]

He hadn't played a full game since 2018 in HS, he was coming off injury, did not play Spring football, and he doesn't seem like he has fully recovered his speed after the injury. I think that is why Fagnano was selected the starter.

It’s my own speculation, but I suspect that both Mora were thinking deep down that Roberson was going to be our starter this year but had to pivot when Roberson wasn’t playing that that well at the end of this summer camp.

 

[Gburyhusky]

I was at the game, and I’m gonna disagree with some of what I’ve seen so far here. There were a lot of high points in a game, and some outstanding plays by our offense and to a lesser extent, the defense. We had a few big letdowns and we’re just not good enough to let a receiver catch a screen pass and run untouched for 70 yd touchdown. And then do it again. And also on the special teams plays we just continue to make mistake after mistake. And I don’t think that’s a talent issue. I think it goes to coaching And preparation. And Mora, that one is squarely on your shoulders.

We just don’t have the winners mentality and it shows when we self-destruct or there’s a special teams play that’s important. And I’m tired of hearing that it’s a talent issue and remember where we were a couple years ago. This is a coaching issue and maybe Mora needs to hire a defensive coordinator, maybe NC has to go? But the fact is we’re not going to a bowl game this year and all I know is I saw a tremendously entertaining game today that we came up short.

Agreed, entertaining and disappointing. Team didn't quit.

 

[Greedo]

Everyone here needs to remember that Roberson at Penn St played maybe a handful of snaps in garbage time. He then transfers to UConn and gets a serious injury on the first series of the year. Out a whole year and now today starting only his 3rd college game. He's essentially a freshmen still. With playing time those missed screen passes to Rosa are made, with time and more confidence in his knee he will run more and we did see more of that today. Given all the drops, the fact that our receivers don't get separation and the overturned TD throw against FIU because of a penalty and I would say his numbers are pretty good. Give the kid some time, I thought he looked good today and he will continue to grow.

He played basically a whole game against Iowa when their QB1 got injured and looked like trash while surrounded by a ton of talent. Most PSU fans think that game was what gone him shown the door at the end of the season.

I do still think he has potential to be serviceable at the level UConn needs, but he had a legit shot at Penn State to prove himself.

 

[UCTitleTown]

You guys think Mora sticks around if we go 1-11?

I'd say no, but we can't afford a contract buyout, he'd have to leave on his own. We were very limited in our coaching options when Mora was hired. He needed/wanted another shot at coaching at 60+ years old and he was the best we could get given the state of our program. The best we could get is 0-5. I think him failing is the final nail in any dreams of ever having a viable program. I expected us to be 3-2 at this point and we're 0-5. Like Parcells said, "You are what your record says you are."

 

[ZooCougar]

Yeah, that's exactly the point, the donors are. You seem to be a bit slow in comprehending the donors are not stepping up for football. And the unrestricted donations are being allocated more to BB than FB because that is the priority.

No you specifically said UConn. Not the donors. If you meant to say donors then go back and edit your post.

 

[UCTitleTown]

And where are you gonna get that cash? If it was as easy as that it woulda been done long ago. The donors obviously see natties in BB as more attractive than mediocre football.

I dream of us being mediocre in football.

 

[Scoe]

He played basically a whole game against Iowa when their QB1 got injured and looked like trash while surrounded by a ton of talent. Most PSU fans think that game was what gone him shown the door at the end of the season.

I do still think he has potential to be serviceable at the level UConn needs, but he had a legit shot at Penn State to prove himself.

At Penn State, we don’t have that luxury.

 

[ZooCougar]

Charlton ran a motion play that had Joly getting hit by the snap. We had way too many crap plays on first down. The rushed QB sneak with Roberson with Rosa pushing really screwed us before halftime. UtSt runs a designed QB draw for 12 and then a skinny post for a TD. Second half they come out and get 4 first downs on 6 plays. Hot knife through butter. Our D was a mess after owning the first half except for 34 seconds. Our offense started the second half with 2 three and outs. 4th Q Roberson could have run for close to a first down heading towards our bench but forced a throw to Joly who was double covered on the sideline. Joly was having his left shoulder looked at after that play. We continue to not run vertical routes on most plays so the D can overload coverage on sideline routes. The middle of the field is open. Cam Edwards looked to be attacking holes that the lineman were creating rather than bounce plays outside and he had some solid gains.

Right. Maybe @RSTuthill can get "UConn" to pay Charlton $200,000 more a year and he will stop calling dumb plays.

 

[gars44]

Go watch something else then.

UConn isn’t paying the players. The donors are.

This season is a huge disappointment but it’s not like it was under Edsall where we lose a game like this by 40.

He shouldn’t have to watch something else. We all love the same team. We’re all on the same team. His point is that this is not sustainable if we don’t start winning, and we don’t have the resources for that. It’s a reality that none of us like, but it may be our reality. I happen to think there are a lot of P5 programs that ultimately are going to be left out, and we will eventually join up with them. UConn is going to excel at basketball, football is going to be second tier.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Yeah, that's exactly the point, the donors are. You seem to be a bit slow in comprehending the donors are not stepping up for football. And the unrestricted donations are being allocated more to BB than FB because that is the priority.

Shenkman and Burton didn’t step up for football?

 

[Gburyhusky]

Another positive from today: Edwards may be an upgrade over Houston and Brewton. Love to see a CT guy (who wants to be here) succeed.

 

[UConnJim]

And where are you gonna get that cash? If it was as easy as that it woulda been done long ago. The donors obviously see natties in BB as more attractive than mediocre football.

I was on the board of a non-profit and we had a big donor come in to speak to the board about why he made the big donation. He said that he hadn't been asked before. The point was, if we wanted to increase donations, the first thing we needed to do was ask.

I know this sounds simplistic, but UConn (not just athletics) has historically taken a passive approach in seeking donations. UConn is doing much better now, but there are a number of improvements that need to be made. For example, large donors want to interact with distinguished fund raisers, not junior fundraising people. We have too many assistant and associate level fund raisers and we really need Sr. VPs.

 

[gars44]

At some point the Edge Lord act about the end of UConn's football program becomes trolling. Is this board at that point yet?

I’ll be the one. Who is the Edge Lord and what is the Edge Lord act?

 

[Greedo]

Do people really think Mora doesn’t know how to coach? The guy knows how to coach defense. You could bring Nick Saban in to coach this team and we’d have the same results.

He’s also operating on a shoe string budget, trying to bring coaches into a program that has some serious stink on it from the last decade. I’m absolutely sure he’s scraping the barrel with coaches that are willing to risk their careers here for any sum of money. I’m also assuming it’s why we don’t have a DC, so Mora has more money to fill out the rest of the staff.

For better or worse, Mora tried to pull a Hurley and keep a lot of the players from the previous regime out of the kindness of his heart. The difference is with basketball one or two good recruits can pull the rest of the team up too .500ish in those early years. The same is not true for football.

We have a group of FCS players trying to make plays against FBS teams. That’s the fact of the matter. I’m holding my judgement of this staff until we have true roster turnover. Hurley’s style of play is completely different now than when he first came in here because now he has the guys for his system. The coaches can’t catch balls for these kids and they can’t run next to the other team’s receivers for them.

If Mora went for 2 at the end of the game and they failed, the same people would be criticizing him for that that are criticizing him now for going for 1. It is what it is, we don’t have the personnel.

 

[Greedo]

At Penn State, we don’t have that luxury.

I agree

 

[How Sway?!]

What about from the approximately $600M university endowment.

Unless the donation was specifically geared towards athletics, the university should never use the endowment for athletics.

 

[ZooCougar]

He shouldn’t have to watch something else. We all love the same team. We’re all on the same team. His point is that this is not sustainable if we don’t start winning, and we don’t have the resources for that. It’s a reality that none of us like, but it may be our reality. I happen to think there are a lot of P5 programs that ultimately are going to be left out, and we will eventually join up with them. UConn is going to excel at basketball, football is going to be second tier.

This is what that guy always does. Tries to pin this on one thing.

There are literally tons of teams with the same talent level out there doing bigger and better things and they have less NIL to play with. We also pay our coaches BETTER than these schools. Some of them actually deserve it too.

If we ever focus on hiring an offensive coordinator who actually wants to score tons of points and sling it all over, all of this talk will seem silly.

Instead we have a guy who has a signature Iceball offense. Literally the first thing he ever said here was that he wanted to run the ball 40 times a game.

This mentality won't cut it in this era of football. I think Mora knows this already and I think Charlton will be history here soon after the season is over. That or someone will be brought in to force/help Charlton move into the 21st Century.

Secondly, Mora is the damn HC. He needs to stop being the DC. I think he has cornered himself here and DB probably needs to force that hire soon after the season.

 

[How Sway?!]

Do people really think Mora doesn’t know how to coach? The guy knows how to coach defense. You could bring Nick Saban in to coach this team and we’d have the same results.

He’s also operating on a shoe string budget, trying to bring coaches into a program that has some serious stink on it from the last decade. I’m absolutely sure he’s scraping the barrel with coaches that are willing to risk their careers here for any sum of money. I’m also assuming it’s why we don’t have a DC, so Mora has more money to fill out the rest of the staff.

For better or worse, Mora tried to pull a Hurley and keep a lot of the players from the previous regime out of the kindness of his heart. The difference is with basketball one or two good recruits can pull the rest of the team up too .500ish in those early years. The same is not true for football.

We have a group of FCS players trying to make plays against FBS teams. That’s the fact of the matter. I’m holding my judgement of this staff until we have true roster turnover. Hurley’s style of play is completely different now than when he first came in here because now he has the guys for his system. The coaches can’t catch balls for these kids and they can’t run next to the other team’s receivers for them.

If Mora went for 2 at the end of the game and they failed, the same people would be criticizing him for that that are criticizing him now for going for 1. It is what it is, we don’t have the personnel.

Our football budget is middle of FBS, nowhere near shoe string. I like Mora, but he needs to be held accountable for the bad coaching on show.

 

[ZooCougar]

What about from the approximately $600M university endowment.

That's not what endowments are for our how they are used.

 

[Skies2018]

I guess I just don’t understand the goal right now. We’re not in a conference so that means no rivalries, no regular season championships, no conference championships, no bowl tie-ins, and to be quite honest - no hope of a P4 invite until at least 2033. I think the lack of direction and goals is really killing us. I love this program but I don’t see what those guys are playing for out there and I don’t think they do either.

independence is killing us just like the American killed us - just in different ways. It’s really frustrating.

 

[DoctorWho85]

I don't feel so bad after watching how UCF just lost to Baylor. That's even more brutal

 

[psilotic]

well have to hand it to Ut St nice overload -- but CBS guy buries TE & WB for "poor technique" and he's right

 

[LoyalFanCT]

That's not what endowments are for our how they are used.

UVA did it with their volleyball coach, other schools do it. Use of Endowments for Athletic Fundraising Grows - Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics

 

[willie99]

Bummer, we all wanted a win, everybody

Nobody is happy, need to come together and finish strong

No excuses, just win baby

 

[ZooCougar]

UVA did it with their volleyball coach, other schools do it. Use of Endowments for Athletic Fundraising Grows - Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics

Those are separate endowments.

Like for example William and Mary’s football scholarships are endowed.