What went wrong?

[TouchdownHusky]

Two primary contributors:
1) Tackling . . . or total lack of tackling. It was really poor all night Mack and Flowers looked like men against boys, and too many times defenders had made contact only to have them take off for big gains.

2) BS locks on to one receiver and one receiver alone. Guys wide open all night. Also, down in red zone, UConn insisted all night on throwing to the corner of the end zone. They could stand there all night and not hit one of those . . . so stop!!! BS cannot make that throw, partially because he's throwing to smaller receiver. Please use the tight ends more (like on the TD pass at the end). Diaco raves about them but hardly uses them as receivers . . . makes perfect Bob Diaco sense.

Other observations:
3) While Newsome had a good game, I do not like him on kickoff returns. He comes out of the end zone slow and tentative.
4) Pass blocking . . . continues to plague.
5) Zero pass rush. Flowers had all night on some throws and if he was an accurate passer the score would have been ugly.

 

[FDNY99]

@TouchdownHusky right on the money!

 

[JMick]

I think it's time to fire our OL coach.

 

[huskymedic]

2) BS locks on to one receiver and one receiver alone. .

... which severely limits play calling. I'd love to know how many potential plays have been scratched/rendered useless because of progression read/receiver route tree issues.

We ran 5 receiver sets tonight (w/ Newsome lined out wide or in slot) - I can't remember when I've ever seen UConn do that. Doesn't do a hill of bean of good if the first receiver isn't open.

I did think we'd see more misdirections tonight.

 

[UConnNick]

I think it's time to fire our OL coach.

Do we actually have an OL coach? There's nothing happening on the field during games to suggest that we do.

 

[Greathusky]

We need to work on picking up the blitz better. Many times the USF CB came in untouched.

 

[psilotic]

Two primary contributors:

3) While Newsome had a good game, I do not like him on kickoff returns. He comes out of the end zone slow and tentative.

Respectfully disagree. He's a huge upgrade over Beals. Glad this change was made.

 

[psilotic]

I think it's time to fire our OL coach.

It's amazing that what was a strength from 2005 until 2010 has become the weakest link of the program. Perhaps the ultimate legacy of the PP hire: the lingering effect of George DeLeone as OL coach continues to haunt UConn.

 

[JSM1970]

BS is awful, could care less what any stats say. He's a zero threat QB, can't throw or pass. Just tired of watching the O wth him.

 

[Uconn93]

The three biggest differences I saw last night between our team and USF are speed on offense and huge disparity between our offense line and theirs.

First of all, they're skill players are much faster than ours. I see this as a talent and recruiting issue.

Second, our offensive line is terrible. Our quarterback was scrambling for his life all night while their quarterback had all day when back to pass. Their offensive line opens holes on third or fourth and short while ours does not.

I also still see big problems with the play calling. We had an interception at our own one yard line and proceeded to run the ball up the gut three times, punt from the back of our own end zone and then get the ball rammed down our throats on USFs next offensive possession. USF was able to move the ball while backed up to their own goal line. They were willing to throw the ball and completed passes in that situation. Why can't we do the same thing?

I do think there were some positives and that the game was closer than the score indicates but it would certainly be nice to get to the point where we could have a winning season and win a bowl game.

 

[JSM1970]

@Uconn93 the recruiting is the issue for the O-line, defense, skill positions, etc. The recruiting is bad, in the bottom 5-10% of all P5 and AAC schools. Maybe the coaches are actually overachieving based on the fact they have little to work with in aggregate.

 

[Palatine]

@Uconn93 the recruiting is the issue for the O-line, defense, skill positions, etc. The recruiting is bad, in the bottom 5-10% of all P5 and AAC schools. Maybe the coaches are actually overachieving based on the fact they have little to work with in aggregate.

Yet, come draft time, we find that there are NFL players on our roster. And we have consistently had them for he past decade.

 

[kemba]

Yet, come draft time, we find that there are NFL players on our roster. And we have consistently had them for he past decade.

Having some talent doesn't mean you have enough of it

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Yet, come draft time, we find that there are NFL players on our roster. And we have consistently had them for he past decade.

JJ Barrea has been in the NBA for quite a few years. I guess that means Northeastern should have performed better than they have the past decade. Kyle O'Quinn has lasted a while as well. Norfolk State therefore has been a disappointment on the collegiate level.

The truth is (proportionate to roster size and number of players who see significant time) what we've sent to the NFL is comparable to what the two above stated schools have sent to the NBA.

 

[huskymedic]

I also still see big problems with the play calling. We had an interception at our own one yard line and proceeded to run the ball up the gut three times, punt from the back of our own end zone and then get the ball rammed down our throats on USFs next offensive possession. USF was able to move the ball while backed up to their own goal line. They were willing to throw the ball and completed passes in that situation. Why can't we do the same thing?

See your #2. -- Curious - what would your play call have been @ the 1 w/ the way USF was shredding the line and living in the backfield?

Second, our offensive line is terrible. Our quarterback was scrambling for his life all night while their quarterback had all day when back to pass. Their offensive line opens holes on third or fourth and short while ours does not..

 

[JSM1970]

Also, our starting QB is a player that a middling P5 team basically said you can't play this position effectively at this level. But somehow UConn and its elite offensive philosophy and coaching can find a way to make it work.

BS can't make his progressions and isn't an accurate thrower beyond 10 yards. His long run last night was 6 yards, so even when he gets out in some space he has zero speed or elusiveness to get big yards. Flowers long was 54. Flowers had 16 carries for 157 and BS had 15 carries for -20. I'm sure we'll hear it's the O-line. I wonder why NC State thought he had zero ability to play QB, I wonder what their rationale was?

I wish they'd move on from him immediately even if it is a small step back and we miss out on a 6-6 season and getting to another prestigous bowl game like the Boca Raton Bowl, Miami Beach Bowl or the Cure Bowl.

Having some talent doesn't mean you have enough of it

 

[SubbaBub]

Does Western Michigan have better talent? Are their top recruits flocking to play in Kalamazoo? Just stop. At the back half of the FBS the talent difference is negligible. We do stupid things. We sleepwalk though half the game. We turn game changing takeaways into touchdowns for the other team. We give up huge chunks of yardage to anyone fast enough to get to the edge and break one tackle.

These are not talent issues, these are commitment and coaching issues. We are too slow to compete with top athletes at key positions, a holdover from the PP big and slow era, but we play way to passively and that is a coaching decision.

That was a better team last night with an elite running QB. If we made a few more tackles we could have won, but that would have been nice surprise.

The test is these next 5 games. Do we continue wasting 30 minutes or do we come out like we did in the second half? Judge Diaco and the team on that.

 

[SubbaBub]

Also, our starting QB is a player that a middling P5 team basically said you can't play this position effectively at this level. But somehow UConn and its elite offensive philosophy and coaching can find a way to make it work.

BS can't make his progressions and isn't an accurate thrower beyond 10 yards. His long run last night was 6 yards, so even when he gets out in some space he has zero speed or elusiveness to get big yards. Flowers long was 54. Flowers had 16 carries for 157 and BS had 15 carries for -20. I'm sure we'll hear it's the O-line. I wonder why NC State thought he had zero ability to play QB, I wonder what their rationale was?

I wish they'd move on from him immediately even if it is a small step back and we miss out on a 6-6 season and getting to another prestigous bowl game like the Boca Raton Bowl, Miami Beach Bowl or the Cure Bowl.

Thank you for your interest in UConn athletics.

 

[cheech63]

One of the problems with this team and every team associated with Uconn football,has been team speed and the lack of it.It really shows up against fast running Quarterbacks.It looked like the defense was running and grasping at South Florida with snow boots on.

 

[JSM1970]

Umm, wrong, Western Michigan has much better talent. UConn's recruiting is brutualy bad.

2016 recruiting by 247
West Michigan: 71
UConn: 103

2015
W Mich: 76
UConn: 100

2014
W Mich: 71
UConn: 110

Does Western Michigan have better talent? Are their top recruits flocking to play in Kalamazoo? Just stop. At the back half of the FBS the talent difference is negligible. We do stupid things. We sleepwalk though half the game. We turn game changing takeaways into touchdowns for the other team. We give up huge chunks of yardage to anyone fast enough to get to the edge and break one tackle.

These are not talent issues, these are commitment and coaching issues. We are too slow to compete with top athletes at key positions, a holdover from the PP big and slow era, but we play way to passively and that is a coaching decision.

That was a better team last night with an elite running QB. If we made a few more tackles we could have won, but that would have been nice surprise.

The test is these next 5 games. Do we continue wasting 30 minutes or do we come out like we did in the second half? Judge Diaco and the team on that.

 

[JSM1970]

I don't follow. Just move on from BS, we know his ceiling, you have to crawl to not hit your head. I guess NC State is lost too?

Thank you for your interest in UConn athletics.

 

[businesslawyer]

BS is awful, could care less what any stats say. He's a zero threat QB, can't throw or pass. Just tired of watching the O wth him.

It is one thing to explain why you don't think a stat reflects something or other. To say you "could care less what any stats say" says far, far more about your accuracy than they do about the statistics' accuracy.

 

[JSM1970]

He's supposed to be a quasi-duel threat QB. He is not an accurate thrower beyond 10 yards and can't make multiple reads. he is incredibly slow and is not elusive. See the stats, he had 15 carries for -20 and Flowers had 16 for 157. BS' long run was 6 yards, so even when he gets into space he can't gain any meaningful yards. I'd rather just move on an try something new, even for a half. What are we risking, not making the Cure Bowl against a Sunbelt team?

It is one thing to explain why you don't think a stat reflects something or other. To say you "could care less what any stats say" says far, far more about your accuracy than they do about the statistics' accuracy.

 

[psilotic]

BS is awful, could care less what any stats say. He's a zero threat QB, can't throw or pass. Just tired of watching the O wth him.

Did you listen to the color analyst last night? Shirreffs was by far the toughest person on the field Saturday Again, he has his flaws, but I'm tired of people running this kid down. Dan Orlovsky is not walking back through that door he walked out of 12 years ago. Get over it. Sheesh. Love to know when UConn football fans, of all people, got so entitled when it came to QB play.

EDIT: And another thing. I'd like to see how you'd hold up against USF's pass rush. Now, again, BS deserves blame for a couple. But not even close to all.

 

[psilotic]

Umm, wrong, Western Michigan has much better talent. UConn's recruiting is brutualy bad.

2016 recruiting by 247
West Michigan: 71
UConn: 103

2015
W Mich: 76
UConn: 100

2014
W Mich: 71
UConn: 110

are you aware that UConn has had similar ratings since, oh, the beginning of our recorded FBS time, yet somehow has 16 players in the NFL now?