Well, it's a full fledged disaster and it's only going to get....

[outsidethebox]

No. I am not a UCONN grad but someone who has followed UCONN sports since I was kid.

 

[sdhusky]

I'm not complaining about 57 yard runs. You must have missed that.

I'm complaining about a repeated pattern of behavior, that happened after a 57 yard run, when we were down 7-0 on the scoreboard, and are an 0-6 team, and is entirely representative and symptomatic of what this team is right now..

Its a repeated behavior issue?

So, the two times he broke long runs he did this?

I want more of this repeated behavior issue. Much more.

McCombs got excited after his second best run of the season and that's a problem?

When is it ok for him to show some emotion?

 

[Carl Spackler]

Really? McCombs got excited after his second best run of the season and that's a problem?

When is it ok for him to show some emotion?

You're not paying attention and you don't impress me.

 

[Carl Spackler]

No. I am not a UCONN grad but someone who has followed UCONN sports since I was kid.

Well, you aren't the only one then, who was there, and saw the same things and thought the same things.

 

[sdhusky]

You're not paying attention and you don't impress me.

I've paid attention to you. And you do impress me.

As an idiot. You impress me as an idiot.

 

[noeynox]

Art, I get what your saying but you take it way TOOO FARRR, to the other extreme. These poor kids, on scholarship had to endure poor coaching and teaching, and new coaches with different philosophies constantly.

I've already stated I will no longer focus on what I perceive to be a lack of effort, but if this is the worst thing these kids experience, they're going to have damn good lives.

I'll be there cheering as usual next home game,'just like a lot of others on this board.

 

[sportsart]

Art, I get what your saying but you take it way TOOO FARRR, to the other extreme. These poor kids, on scholarship had to endure poor coaching and teaching, and new coaches with different philosophies constantly.

I've already stated I will no longer focus on what I perceive to be a lack of effort, but if this is the worst thing these kids experience, they're going to have damn good lives.

I'll be there cheering as usual next home game,'just like a lot of others on this board.

First of all I never said "these poor kids" or even implied it. I said they have been put in an impossible situation and with multiple coaching changes at key positions on the staff, it is very difficult to succeed.

Repetition is key to success in college football. When you keep starting over it's tough to get in a rhythm. When you are taught poorly it's even worse. Finally the machine breaks down and needs a major overhaul.

Many on here think you can just put on a uniform and turn it on. If these kids could do better, I'm 100% sure they would. Right now the system is broken and once it's broken it can't be fixed over night.

When you go to the game make sure you let them know how you quit on them like you say they quit on the field. You might as well boo them right? Isn't that what you and others are doing to them on here? You're booing them. They have multiple legit reasons to be all funked up right now. What's yours?

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Under normal circumstances, I would agree with you, Carl. The problem for me is the fact that McCombs is seemingly the only one out there showing any emotion whatsoever. Should he flex his biceps? Probably not. But at least someone seems like they are excited to play football on that field. I think you'll agree with me about the fact that this UConn team seems lifeless, and has seem lifeless for the better part of this season...

What McCombs shouldn't do is get caught from behind. He has now had a few big runs and in most instances he was caught before he scored. Wanna know why UConn is struggling . . . . . very little BCS caliber talent. Terry Caulley, Donald Brown, JT and Andre Dixon don't get caught, LM does. McCombs would be a solid 2 or 3 back . . . giving the real talent a breather every now and then. As for the rest of the team, with few exceptions ("85) they are all Colonial Conference caliber.

 

[UConnDan97]

What McCombs shouldn't do is get caught from behind.

Sometimes when I read your posts, it makes me want to jam a thumb in my eye. What he shouldn't do is get caught from behind??? How, pray tell, does one accomplish that? Does he magically make the other team slower, or does he just click the button on the nitrous oxide tanks he installed in his Nikes?

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Sometimes when I read your posts, it makes me want to jam a thumb in my eye. What he shouldn't do is get caught from behind??? How, pray tell, does one accomplish that? Does he magically make the other team slower, or does he just click the button on the nitrous oxide tanks he installed in his Nikes?

First off, I'd suggest safety goggles, dude. He would accomplish "not getting caught from behind" by sitting on the bench and having a legit BCS talent playing ahead of him. But RE and PP couldn't recruit well enough. Look . . . not disappointed by LM not having the speed to take it to the house, disappointed that this is the state of UConn football . . . . that they don't have a few backs more talented to play in front of him.

 

[UConnDan97]

He would accomplish "not getting caught from behind" by sitting on the bench and having a legit BCS talent playing ahead of him.

He would accomplish not getting caught by not being there?!? There goes my other eye...

...you just can't make up this level of "stupid"...you are like the Mr. Miyagi of this board: "Best way to block punch, no be there!"

 

[hthusky74]

Its a repeated behavior issue?

So, the two times he broke long runs he did this?

I want more of this repeated behavior issue. Much more.

McCombs got excited after his second best run of the season and that's a problem?

When is it ok for him to show some emotion?

What is that old cliche, "act like you've been here/done it before". I think it is called class.

 

[hthusky74]

What McCombs shouldn't do is get caught from behind. He has now had a few big runs and in most instances he was caught before he scored. Wanna know why UConn is struggling . . . . . very little BCS caliber talent. Terry Caulley, Donald Brown, JT and Andre Dixon don't get caught, LM does. McCombs would be a solid 2 or 3 back . . . giving the real talent a breather every now and then. As for the rest of the team, with few exceptions ("85) they are all Colonial Conference caliber.

Well, the kid from Ansonia that just set the state record for career rushing yardage (about 8,300 with a few games left) is verballed to UConn. If he doesn't change his mind, when he gets here I guarantee you he won't get caught from behind. The problem is he is just a little guy. Then again, when is the last time you saw McCombs put his head down and run into someone?

 

[ZooCougar]

You guys are thinking catastrophically. I see this season as a really, really bad round of golf. Just because you shoot 10 over what you normally score doesn't mean you will have to spend the next 5 rounds getting back to where you were.

This team had terrible Coaching and Leadership. From day one PGDL didn't have this team ready to play ball.
He spent the last 2 years eeking out 5 wins with the talent Edsall left for him, usually with opportunistic offense and strong defense.

We lost the DC that was making the defense more than was on paper. We got away from our running attack that always gave us a fighting chance.

With more effective leadership restoring a sense of purpose, direction and motivation I think that this program can make great strides in a short period of time. We have two young QBs getting invaluable game experience and a host of other players could be stronger, better and more competitive if they learn from this experience.

 

[uconndogs]

McCombs has nowhere near the straightline speed that Brown or Todman have. It's not even close. To my eye, Frey was the fastest of the bunch. I don't think he had the acceleration from scrimmage or quickness that those two have, but his top end was really good and that's why he was so great in coverage and such a good returner. I don't mean to pick on McCombs. I think he does a lot of great things for this team. But, he's been badly misscast imo.

 

[Kgun7]

Ok - quick question - I don't give a hoot about what you think of Pasqualoni as a coach, and if the palyers liked him or not.

Is the defense better now, or worse since Pasqualoni was fired and running the defense? Is the entire team playing better now, or worse since Pasqualoni was fired? Answer that honestly.

Don't get me wrong, Pasqualoni had to go, and he had to go because he failed to fire his buddy Deleone after last season, and I believe whole heartedly that his allegiance to Deleone is what cost him the trust and support of his players - so he had to go.

But you are being dishonest and misguided if you can't see that the players are responsible for what's happening on the field now, and that they are worse without Pasqualoni as the head coach.

There is partial effort all over the place, there are stupid penalties being committed all over the place by both freshmen and extended year seniors, and there are players that have no business, talent wise, effort wise, and leadership wise to be showboating, and there is no discipline in place to point out that you better frigging get back to the huddle and do your job as accurately and forcefully and with the most effort you can, and do what you can for the team to get a win, before you go out and put some kind of nonsense celebration together after a play on TV being broadcast across the entire country.

Trust me - if I had my way, Lyle McCombs would never play another down of UCONN football after his reaction to the long run on Saturday, and he's just the most visible example, there are more. It would be done, because there are no players on the team to take care of the attitude problem on their own.

This entire program needs to clean house. Randy Edsall's greatest strength, which eventually became his greatest fault at UCONN, was his micromanagement, - but his micromanagement, created the will to win, by demanding that players be disciplined and committed to the team and play with a chip on their shoulders at all time to be on top on the scoreboard - playing to win - at all times.

I remember when Jordan Todman scored against Notre Dame, and did the touchdown Jesus impersonation. Edsall, ran out on the field as he was coming off, and freaked out about as hard as I did on Saturday in my living room, when McCombs flexed his arms after running play on Saturday that didn't even result in a touchdown because he's too slow.

The difference? McCombs has done nothing, hje didn't even score!!! He got caught from behind AGAIN - by a player cutting across the entire field that was faster, and his team is winless, and undisciplined and has accomplished NOTHING but the worst season in 35 years of UCONN football. Todman's teams were winning and disciplined. Donald Brown was a huge trash talker - but they won, and were disciplined.

THis entire 2013 team is playing with leadership from the players, that is very much like they have a sense of entitlement, that they are better than they are because they play at UCONN, and have friends in the NFL, and Weist's has enabled it. You want to blame coaches, sure - they deserve a good portion of the blame, but the coaching has changed, the players have not.

They are an 0-7 team and getting worse, and every single one of them better look in the mirror and decide what kind of football player they are going to be, and leaders, disciplinary leaders, the emotional leaders, and the players that truly care about the scoreboard, need to get up and do something, or this team will continue to fold like a house of cards in the remaining 5 games.

I swear, I am still fuming, that there is no one on this roster or coaching staff, preferably a player, that was tearing McCombs a new after that play and showboat on the sidelines, and grabbing him by the head and forcing him to look at the scoreboard. For me - the game was over - that early. It was 7-0 on the scoreboard, and our players are celebrating on the sideline after a NON-scoring play.

That little arm flex was seen by UCONN fans from the east coast to California, and those of us that know what we're looking at felt the same way. I'm not joking about that.

Yes - I'm making example of him - somebody's got to, because that single play, and his reaction, and the team's reaction to him, sums up entirely in my little world, why this team is 0-7 and getting worse.

I believe 1000%, that if the attitude that I portray here, existed, and that someone - more importantly a player - not the coaches - was there to set McCombs straight after that play - in the way I"ve described, that we would not be a winless team, and threatening to go winless for an entire season.

But no TJ Weist - you are wrong - we WERE an 0-6 team,. and they want to Orlando and played like an 0-6 team, and they are now an 0-7 team.

You started by saying "quick question" ... and then you typed 890 more words ...

 

[Carl Spackler]

You started by saying "quick question" ... and then you typed 890 more words ...

Irony.

 

[FAIRTIDES]

LM is the least of the team's worries. All he needs, and has needed, is someone to put an arm over his shoulder and say, "Kid, we don't do that stuff at UCONN and if you do it again, you're sitting." The reason I'd try the softer approach is that the kid has shown that he really gives a damn. He has been taking a terrible beating (all running backs do, but his has been worse) for almost two seasons. But, he keeps taking the ball, keeps running at big mean people, and I've not seen or heard one complaint. Get rid of the show boating and I'd take 21 others with his attitude.

 

[noeynox]

Carl is too forceful, and calling out one player in particular is too much for me, but he is not wrong, when he points out that players who allegedly high fiving each other when P, was canned are playing far worse now that he is gone. I'm speaking in general terms as I don't know which players were celebrating the firing. This team needs a new coach to come in and lead and change the culture that has sunk in the last three years.

 

[hthusky74]

Carl is too forceful, and calling out one player in particular is too much for me, but he is not wrong, when he points out that players who allegedly high fiving each other when P, was canned are playing far worse now that he is gone. I'm speaking in general terms as I don't know which players were celebrating the firing. This team needs a new coach to come in and lead and change the culture that has sunk in the last three years.

They definitely need a coach who is a morph of Jim Calhoun, Bobby Knight, Shug Jordan, and Bear Bryant.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

He would accomplish not getting caught by not being there?!? There goes my other eye...

...you just can't make up this level of "stupid"...you are like the Mr. Miyagi of this board: "Best way to block punch, no be there!"

Miss the point much? McCombs wouldn't be starting at TB in a good program. Why? Doesn't have the breakaway speed needed. If he were a pitcher on an MLB team, he'd be a "back of the rotation guy". Unfortunately, on the recruiting challenged UConn team he's be the #1 starter now for three years. As for your eyes, stop poking them, you'd be amazed at how much sharper your vision will become.

 

[UConnDan97]

Miss the point much? McCombs wouldn't be starting at TB in a good program. Why? Doesn't have the breakaway speed needed. If he were a pitcher on an MLB team, he'd be a "back of the rotation guy". Unfortunately, on the recruiting challenged UConn team he's be the #1 starter now for three years. As for your eyes, stop poking them, you'd be amazed at how much sharper your vision will become.

I love it. In this thread, I was responding to Carl, and you had to chime in with:

"What McCombs shouldn't do is get caught from behind. He has now had a few big runs and in most instances he was caught before he scored."

That is the level of quality of your posts. I would argue that it isn't D-1 quality. If your problem with Lyle McCombs is that he isn't as good as the #1 running back at some other schools, then I don't know what to tell you. Go root for Alabama. You brought up Caulley before in this thread, so answer me this: How many offers did Terry have before he came here? Terry was successful because the OLine scheme was successful. I have no doubt that McCombs could be just as successful. I know that's true, because he did it his freshman year. It's amazing how much crap that kid catches on this friggin' board, and I don't have any logical reason as to why. But what do you care anyways? You don't want a running game. You want the QB to throw 70 times a game and have a "high-powered" offense...

 

[sdhusky]

Miss the point much? McCombs wouldn't be starting at TB in a good program. Why? Doesn't have the breakaway speed needed. If he were a pitcher on an MLB team, he'd be a "back of the rotation guy". Unfortunately, on the recruiting challenged UConn team he's be the #1 starter now for three years. As for your eyes, stop poking them, you'd be amazed at how much sharper your vision will become.

Donald Brown got caught from behind on several occasions. He was pretty good too.

 

[freescooter]

I love it. In this thread, I was responding to Carl, and you had to chime in with:

"What McCombs shouldn't do is get caught from behind. He has now had a few big runs and in most instances he was caught before he scored."

That is the level of quality of your posts. I would argue that it isn't D-1 quality. If your problem with Lyle McCombs is that he isn't as good as the #1 running back at some other schools, then I don't know what to tell you. Go root for Alabama. You brought up Caulley before in this thread, so answer me this: How many offers did Terry have before he came here? Terry was successful because the OLine scheme was successful. I have no doubt that McCombs could be just as successful. I know that's true, because he did it his freshman year. It's amazing how much crap that kid catches on this friggin' board, and I don't have any logical reason as to why. But what do you care anyways? You don't want a running game. You want the QB to throw 70 times a game and have a "high-powered" offense...

This is my view too. He's a good back. His problem is that he isn't Todman or Brown, but he isn't running behind the lines those guys ran behind either. When he gets a hole he makes the best of it, often more than the best. The criticism seems to be that he doesn't run over guys, but he's 5-6 165 so he isn't running over too many 6-4 300 pound defensive tackles. And if you watch any football you'll see running backs get run down all the time. He's a good football player. he seems to give a damn, which I can't say for everyone on this current team, he does what ever is asked of him like returning punts, and kickoffs not because he is a great punt or kickoff returner but because we needed someone to go back and do it. and I've seen him layout much bigger pass rushers on more than one occasion. Give me 22 guys who give as much as he does and I'll take my chances.

 

[J187Money]

Donald Brown got caught from behind on several occasions. He was pretty good too.

He also delivered blows (and stiff-arms) to anyone that tried to tackle him. If your argument is that DB = LM so be it. But it isn't a winning one. LM is a good back. But based on what came before him, he is a step down when we couldn't afford it considering that the rest of the team also took a step back. DB and others have carried the team on their backs. LM can't. I'm not blaming him for that. But the argument that he would have done the same as DB or others if only he had the same lines to run behind doesn't feel true to me. Can't prove it either way, but that's where I come out.