Wasabi Fenway Bowl Game Post Game

[Waquoit]

As far as I'm concerned, that late TD put a nice capper on the season. We start fresh next year. I think we have a good coach, he has a plan and games will be fun next season.

 

[Scoe]

The decision to have Bell run that trick play looked pre planned and selfish. I'm not saying Skyler Bell is selfish but I felt that decision took away from Farrar's moment. You either play or you don't. Not to mention it was right after a 6 yard Rosa run.

I know it wouldn't have made a difference and yes we did take a 7-0 lead which we got a bit lucky on that 4th and 1 stop. The mentality instead of telling our guys we're gonna be in a battle with Army instead the message was we have to cater to Skyler Bell who only played as a gimmick.

 

[LIUCHusky]

Who here wouldn't take $2.5 million to get embarrassed on national tv? /s

In all seriousness, there was too much smoke about the players not being happy about the bowl selection for it to not ultimately affect our performance. It is what it is. Back to back 9 win seasons is still nothing to sneeze at.

Looks like Monday will be a big day for us recruiting wise, so we only have to bear with it for 36 hours.

Where is the 2.5 million figure coming from?

 

[amishboy]

There’s really nothing to discuss with the game because it wasn’t a game and the result was baked in the cake a month ago. A tragic ending to a great season. It should have never happened.

UConn never never never ever again should participate in a bowl game if our players do not want to go. Players made personal choices to put us in a position where we couldn’t win this game. And sorry this is competition. It’s about winning and losing. If we don’t want to compete. Don’t show up. And how is it that our program, in the precarious state it is in as an independent, thinks it’s too good for a bowl? Including a backup qb who fleeced Mike Burton out of 6 figures. Too good to showcase the best of the program on a Saturday on ESPN? Likely the biggest audience that saw us all year. We don’t play for a conference championship. So what are we playing for? What are the fans supposed to be invested in? Well I hope for starters we start holding UConn’s feet to the fire about getting into either the ACC or Big 12. I mean things are clearly going well for us as we feel comfortable enough to forfeit a bowl game and get worked by Army for 3 and half hours on ESPN. If the bowl doesn’t matter, something better for the fans to justify the support. Only getting us into a power 4 conference does so that should be the minimum expectation of the administration going forward. And no excuses on it this time.

Well let’s forget the fans for a second because we know us poor saps are not the focus during these times. How about what we did to our players?

Sorry, but I dont think any school considers what the players want when it accepts a bowl bid. Instead, they consider the exposure (regardless of eventual outcome) and the projected revenue. Even if they took the players wishes into account, at the time of the offer no one knows whether guys like Fagnano, Evers, and Bell are going to play.

How do fans start holding UConn’s feet to the fire about getting into a Power 4 conference? I was under the impression that it’s the conferences that are delaying this, not UConn.

Finally, I don’t think you need to be very concerned about Fagnano, Bell, etc., being hurt by what’s said about them on The Boneyard and other social media. They made decisions that are very common these days, especially since they know that they put their potential futures at risk every time they suit up, and they're being asked to play in one of the meaningless bowl games, not the CFP.

 

[DW1361]

I felt their uniforms looked sharp today!

 

[huskyinfl]

Good season. No one wants to defend the run in freezing weather with no offense.

 

[freescooter]

This was gonna be a tough game even with Joe and Skyler and everyone else playing and Monken is a better coach than Mora. Gotta give credit to Army they wanted it more we'll move on from this.

The only thing that sucked was paying the money for tickets to this game and sitting in the cold while Army's entire team went all out. This loss doesn't bother me, I understand today's circumstances and it's a it's a "meaningless " bowl game but if you went to the game you would have a different perspective.

We win by 20 with Fagnano and Bell. We couldn’t score or move the ball without Edwards.

 

[How Sway?!]

Where is the 2.5 million figure coming from?

That's the number that was being thrown in some threads. It was supposedly the reason the athletic department chose to go to Fenway over a warmer destination.

 

[How Sway?!]

We win by 20 with Fagnano and Bell. We couldn’t score or move the ball without Edwards.

You expect us to score 60? Cause the defense wasn't stopping them.

 

[Khal Drogo]

You expect us to score 60? Cause the defense wasn't stopping them.

We weren’t going to stop their scoring. This would have been another game where our offense would have out scored the opponent

 

[BonaConn]

I'll be writing a note to Sammis thanking him for staying on, for the great job he did with this year's offense and complimenting him on how much he grew as a coach at UConn.
I think he's a future star (Parcells reborn....at least in body type) and let's hope his legacy of excellent line play can be maintained.

lmao Sammis won’t last more than 2 years in Fort Worth. There’s plenty of reasons why he didn’t get a sniff at the HC job. Bell and Edwards bailed him out with raw talent so much this season.

 

[freescooter]

You expect us to score 60? Cause the defense wasn't stopping them.

If we got a solid lead, which would have happened, we would have closed them down. Worst case we would have scored 48. Their d wasn’t good. We just were horrible on that side of the ball without Edwards on the field.

 

[Devland]

I am wondering if Bell had some sort of clause in his NIL contract where he got more for playing in a bowl game. These days you never know.

 

[RitzLuce1]

You seem to be taking this very “personally.”

Sorry, but I just think this is the current “reality” of college footbaall. Players are much more “independent” than previously: they're being paid, they're able to transfer, and they're not interested in jeopardizing their future earnings (whether it’s NIL money or NFL money) for dear old “State U.” For all intents and purposes, they're a cross between gladiators and mercenaries. So I doubt that UConn “trotted out” Bell to suck you in.

I get that fans can get shortchanged, but, again, that’s just college football today, IMO.

UConn is not in the reality of college football. We are an independent. One of two. Our “independent” player who chose to sit out was the difference between us being 9-3 and being UMass.

Most of these teams who have players sitting out are power 4 team who have a depth of extremely capable players to take their spot (UConn clearly did not) and have a secure conference with a championship to play for and tv money to fill their coffers (again UConn does not).

 

[Scoe]

We win by 20 with Fagnano and Bell. We couldn’t score or move the ball without Edwards.

Assuming our D holds Army under 40. Ok I just ran a simulation we win 44-10.

 

[UCFBfan]

I will say, the money will ALWAYS be the reason we go to a bowl. Even if AD DB is coaching the team because we have no staff left and they had to pull the QB from EO Smith to play. UConn doesn’t get the revenue P4 teams get. Those schools can have the luxury to turn down bowls because they’re still pulling in multimillion dollar figures annually through TV deals. UConn doesn’t have that luxury so to get $2.5 million or whatever the sum is, is a necessity to keep the NIL and coaching salary pot full. If want to compete with the big dogs, we need to squeeze every penny out. So if it means going to Fenway to look awful, so be it…..it really stinks and I’m not going to comment on the game other than thank you to the players who showed up and played and/or just to support your teammates. I’m thankful for those that respected their teammates enough to be there for them even if they opted out. On to the Candle Era!

 

[RitzLuce1]

We win by 20 with Fagnano and Bell. We couldn’t score or move the ball without Edwards.

How much we win by with them means nothing because they chose not to play.

 

[RSTuthill]

And go with Tyler Smith, the freshman 5th string guy that didn’t get a single snap all year?

McDonald was listed as available.

 

[BonaConn]

Playing the military academies is a snowball effect, as we saw in both Air Force and Army. If you hold on to the ball, the academies don’t play their toiletball of offense. If you let the academies unleash toiletball all game long, your defense get gassed. So it stands to reason, Army doesn’t score close to 41 if we have our normal offense

 

[BKLand]

Glad I went today. Long drive from Catskills. We got 15" of snow last night, for a minute in the AM I figured the game would be cancelled! Great support for our team I thought. It was tough because I didn't recognize our offense. All good. Go Dogs!

 

[Forte]

Think about this. As down as we feel we saw Candle built program that was bought in and took a power 4 team Ville down to the wire. Miss St. and TCU fans tuned in to see their future coordinators lol. TCU better hope they have an absolute stud QB and WR core .... Miss St. our condolences.

 

[cthog]

We win by 20 with Fagnano and Bell. We couldn’t score or move the ball without Edwards.

With no head coach and the rest of the coaching staff getting on planes tomorrow? Sure

 

[UCan3]

Our QB was so inept the first half that he probably singlehandedly drove Skyler Bell to the end of the bench. Passes that were uncatchable, passes six feet off the ground being batted down, etc
Maybe Farrar will show more next year with an intact line and skill guys all in sync, but he was thrown into an impossible situation today. He was the proverbial deer in the headlights.

Second half he was better

 

[fleaflicker]

This was gonna be a tough game even with Joe and Skyler and everyone else playing and Monken is a better coach than Mora. Gotta give credit to Army they wanted it more we'll move on from this.

The only thing that sucked was paying the money for tickets to this game and sitting in the cold while Army's entire team went all out. This loss doesn't bother me, I understand today's circumstances and it's a it's a "meaningless " bowl game but if you went to the game you would have a different perspective.

Absolutely true

 

[Shamar]

And that is their choice. That's the current landscape of the game and if you can't accept that then maybe CFB ain't for you anymore.

I hate to say it but this take shows me how low your standards are. Everyone knows this current bowl system is broken and frankly unwatchable. Coaches leaving left and right before the season is even over. Players opting out left and right. It is not about the team anymore, it is all about the individual. It is so selfish it is disgusting. This needs to be fixed or I will absolutely not waste my time or my money on this disgrace. Fans have every right to be upset! These "bowl games" are a laughing stock! You know the system is broken when a coach like Lane Kiffin leaves his playoff bound program holding the bag. What the heck is this all for. Not for the brand, not for the team. It is all about the individual player and what is best for them. It is so hard to watch the selfishness and it is a bad example for this kids. When I played sports, it was always about the team. Not anymore in college football. Also hate to say it, players who opt out because they are afraid of getting injuried are soft. Its football for goodness sake, if you do not want to get hurt then dont play the sport. Also Skyler I do love ya but what the heck man, you watch your team on the sidelines in your street clothes as they get obliterated and embarrassed. You convince everyone to play and you bow out after the first series!?