Arguing with him is a waste of time. Everyone knows UConn used to be a safety school for the vast majority of majors/programs, and is now much more highly regarded. That's a GOOD thing for us. Flagship state schools down south are a privelege to attend: UNC, UF, UVA, UT... kids aggressively pursue those schools down south.
We don't really have the equivalent up north, but UConn is getting close. My fiance went to UNC Chapel Hill for her BA and her law degree. For pretty intelligent kids in that state, EVERYONE applies to UNC and Duke--it's just what you do.
My fiance was accepted to PhD programs at Georgetown, UVA, FSU, BU, Duke and a few other schools but chose UConn because their program is more highly ranked in her field. 40 years ago that wasn't the caliber of student we were attracting, whether people want to admit it or not.