We are making progress...

[scoobydoo]

No doubt, the team is significantly better than the start of the season.

UCF is the best team we've played and for moments, we played them tough. We still don't have enough players or enough experienced players and we shot ourselves in the foot over and over again, starting with the first UCF series and punt.

I think we have 1 more win on our schedule and BCU is a team we can beat if we play our A game.

 

[History Geek]

And/or Cincy. One more win and we beat last year's record. That's something. And I'm not being facetious.

 

[noeynox]

We are losing some guys who are light years better than their backups. Foley, Carezola, Ormsby, and Junior Joseph.

Next year maybe rough as well.

 

[minidarren]

No doubt, the team is significantly better than the start of the season.

UCF is the best team we've played and for moments, we played them tough. We still don't have enough players or enough experienced players and we shot ourselves in the foot over and over again, starting with the first UCF series and punt.

I think we have 1 more win on our schedule and BCU is a team we can beat if we play our A game.

Caught the end of the BC game today but they did their quarterback left the game in the first half.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

BC is playing well now. I think Cincy is the best shot.

 

[huskysupporter]

We are losing some guys who are light years better than their backups. Foley, Carezola, Ormsby, and Junior Joseph.

Next year maybe rough as well.

The only position that worries me, badly, is DL. I mean aside from Murphy what is there? It all starts up front on defense and I fear we will be significantly worse on DL next year. And that’s a huge problem.

Really need to look at JUCO ranks here and maybe flip an offensive lineman to D Line.

 

[gtcam]

I agree that offensively I think this team has grown
Defensively, with exception to the 3rd qtr today, has been very bad and the secondary horrendous but they are young
Personally, I thought SFU was a better team, but UConn did play the #14/#18 team very close for good stretches of the game
Uncalled for penalties and missed tackles will continue to be the death of this team this year
Good effort but still a huge work in progress

 

[uconnbill]

Slight improvement on offense overall and the front seven were better and more consistent. Of course the defensive backs are still slow and can't cover but at least they didn't give up 500 yards of passing this week

 

[Jimdish255]

A few Takeaways.

The Offense was decent today and Pindell obviously has some tools. But he'll need to develop the instincts and recognition to determine how far he can progress. Timing will come and he was just a tick late occasionally but the touch is usually fine. He didn't get enough time in the pocket on multiple plays and UCF did a good job bringing pressure. He took hits and still made some nice throws and the wheels are good.

We have an issue at RB without Hopkins available for short yardage situation. Without a guy like Sherman, Todman, Brown or Frey it's tough to know where that first down is coming from and we had no answers today. Newsome up the middle is certainly not the answer. I also don't want to see Mensah returning punts or kicks and I think neither does he. We need to keep him healthy.

On Defense we were totally outmatched. Fatukasi, Ormsby, Carrezola and Joseph are known quantities but what's behind them often looks like molasses. If we do one thing in this offseason it needs to be to get a coach or trainer who can evaluate and work on SPEED even if we need to borrow one from the track team. And the guys who can't cut it need to be replaced with new guys who can run. There needs to be an intervention and if the coaches we have can't deal with it get somebody who can. It's the same issue many of us were worried about in the pre-season and it's worse than I thought. Can't help but mention Bell is really game-slow. It's so obvious but whatever the whole backfield needs a lot more juice.

Tackling with younger guys can be improved. They need to get smarter faster and stronger. If that doesn't improve next year it's on the coaches. Some of those guys have talent but need more time.

That's it for today. It is what it is in year 1 but the need for speed is a glaring weakness on our D this year.

 

[Uconnalliance]

We beat BC

 

[BlueDogs]

I'm sorry, but we need a new Defensive staff. Speed does not account for how piss poor these guys play. It accounts for big chunk plays. It doesn't account for the fact they can't tackle, can't get off blocks, take bad angles, can't maintain outside leverage, can't look back on passes , can't break on balls in the air, and miss assignments... fundamentals are not being taught or if taught not being drilled. One quarter of respectable D doesn't make a Defense.

 

[jdb50]

Shifting an O lineman to the defensive side crossed my mind as well when thinking about the lack of replacements for our starting seniors.

 

[kemba]

I'm sorry, but we need a new Defensive staff. Speed does not account for how piss poor these guys play. It accounts for big chunk plays. It doesn't account for the fact they can't tackle, can't get off blocks, take bad angles, can't maintain outside leverage, can't look back on passes , can't break on balls in the air, and miss assignments... fundamentals are not being taught or if taught not being drilled. One quarter of respectable D doesn't make a Defense.

Or maybe the coaches on the other side teach fundamentals too, and they have better players who can execute them better?

 

[UConnDan97]

Shifting an O lineman to the defensive side crossed my mind as well when thinking about the lack of replacements for our starting seniors.

I've been thinking about this for a little while now. My mind keeps going back to Brian Cespedes. I'm not sure where he currently is on the OLine pecking order, but he is listed at 6'7" 317lbs. A little tall for an NT, but if he's strong enough and athletic enough, it sounds like something that might be good for everyone...

 

[JMick]

I've been thinking about this for a little while now. My mind keeps going back to Brian Cespedes. I'm not sure where he currently is on the OLine pecking order, but he is listed at 6'7" 317lbs. A little tall for an NT, but if he's strong enough and athletic enough, it sounds like something that might be good for everyone...

I never understood why he was signed. I saw him in high school and he was terrible.

 

[huskysupporter]

I've been thinking about this for a little while now. My mind keeps going back to Brian Cespedes. I'm not sure where he currently is on the OLine pecking order, but he is listed at 6'7" 317lbs. A little tall for an NT, but if he's strong enough and athletic enough, it sounds like something that might be good for everyone...

Yeah, don’t think he would work out on dl.

 

[BlueDogs]

Or maybe the coaches on the other side teach fundamentals too, and they have better players who can execute them better?

Approximately 127 of 130 defensive staffs are teaching better fundamentals. Or, somehow we managed to find the very worst players in FCS? The ones that can't tackle, can't shed blocks, etc... come on. Do really come to that conclusion?

 

[huskysupporter]

One candidate I think might fit on DL is Zordan Holman. Great size, played end in high school. Has his weight up to 250. If Jay Rose can contribute meaningful snaps at TE, I think Holman can be switched.

 

[Redding Husky]

We are making progress. We're still not good, but we've moved past sucking.

As long as the trend is up, no matter how slowly, I'm happy.

 

[kemba]

Or, somehow we managed to find the very worst players in FCS? The ones that can't tackle, can't shed blocks, etc... come on. Do really come to that conclusion?

Umm I don't know why you think this is such a stretch.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

I'm somewhat torn. I watched the game today and felt like I saw some good things out there.

The end result was a 20+ point loss to Central Florida.

And I felt somehow OK about it.

We've got a long way to go.

 

[Uconnalliance]

We win by 14 goin away

 

[hardcorehusky]

There is game speed and then there is actual speed. Coyle, Herring, etc are NOT slow. The are game slow because they are freshmen and the game is too fast for them right now. Next year - by the middle of the season- you will see the secondary take a big leap in terms of the big plays they give up. If we don't get a pass rush next year, these guys will continue to look bad as they will be exposed.

DLine is the biggest worry. I think we have some redshirting LB's who will be faster and better.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

We might need to move some LBs into DLs next year. Our lack of pressure on QBs is one of the biggest weaknesses in our defense. We just need better players. I hope Edsall can recruit some players, but really good DLs are hard to come by.

 

[Redding Husky]

Scott Frost said they just didn't play well today. We've heard that before at SMU and some others.

Maybe, just maybe, their team did play ok and were just better than what they expected.