What's the consensus expectation this year for the Huskies?

[bmayuc]

People can knock the "pessimistic" predicitions of 5 wins all day long. But this staff has shown nothing to give me any confidence that we will do more with less against a much, much more difficult schedule this year.

Any predicitions of 7 wins or more is simply not based on any of the realities that we've seen the last couple of years. It's based on pure blind faith and nothing else. All the power to you guys. I'm basing my predicitions on what my eyes have seen on the field. 4 or 5 wins is about where I see it. Can they win 7 or more? Sure they can. But I have no reason to believe that they will.

Defense will take a huge step back in the seconday this year unless one of the freshmen can step in right away at CB. Losing passrushing and corners at the same time is a big problem.

Offense should take a nice step up in the passing game with qb/wr combo having some experience.

Smells like a 6-6 year with 1 unexpected loss(@smu?)and 1 unexpected win(loiusville?).

sent from my Galaxy Note 2 using tapatalk

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

I'm glad you have the ability to differentiate between my fictitious posts that defend a 13-0 year and the one that I posted in this thread; the one that describes the games that I believe we should win or are at least a 50/50 in.

Did we underachieve last year? Absolutely yes. But does that mean that the thought process here is that we should always underachieve every year? I'm judging based on what I think this roster should do against this schedule...

Jeez you still have not learned the ability to tell when I'm joking.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

1. I'll keep picking this argument because you keep presenting your opinion as fact.
2. I never said P was the "right man for the job," but I do think he probably deserves 3 years to find out and I'm sure thankful we gave Edsall more than 2 years.

From now on I will start every post with the following disclaimer in CAPS just to make Irish Loop happy:

OPINIONS IN THIS POST ARE THE SOLE OPINIONS OF JIMMY SERRANO AND SHOULD NOT BE MISCONSTRUED AS FACTS. THE FACT THAT THIS DISCLAIMER IS NECESSARY ON AN INTERNET MESSAGE BOARD WHERE OPINIONS ARE LIKE AS IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT MATTER ALTOGETHER.

 

[uconndogs]

Over the years I have been an optimistic fan. I think the program was developed very well. Now, I have never been more concerned. We have just come off of two consecutive seasons where we should have been to bowl games because of excellent defenses. Last season, we even got decent QB play to go along with a top 10 defense. I put this squarely on the coaches. No ifs ands or buts, with the personnel we had, there was no reason not to be an 8 or 9 win team last season against the schedule we played.

P allowed GDL to duck up an offense like I have seldom seen it done. Between the wildcat BS and a 160LB workhorse RB it was just about unwatchable. This season, big holes to fill on defense and I'm not sure we will be able to run the ball. The schedule is much togher. I hope I'm wrong, but I think P signed his own termination aftern next season keeping GDL in charge of the OL.

 

[CL82]

Am I wrong or will GDL employ the blocking scheme that weist wants installed? I was hoping to find out at the spring game.

Good question. Although I hate myself for saying it, I think we should stick with zone blocking. This is the year that the change should be effective.

 

[jrazz12]

This season depends entirely on the authority level of GDL.

The minute the announcer at the Rent alerts everyone in the stadium to the 2nd and 8 playcall of McCummings' "wildcat" is the minute we know we and WM have been duped, and the PP/GDL Syracuse charade is on. We'll be staring straight down the barrel of a 4-8 season and looking for a new staff in December.

However, if Weist is actually allowed to do his job and install a pro style system that wasn't formulated in 1974, then with the improvements on offense and a slight dropoff in the defense, this team should be bowling with around 7-8 wins.

I think the other key for the season is momentum. If we start 1-2 with blowout losses to UMD and Michigan at home, it will be tough for both players and fans to get excited for what's left. We can win those games, though, and the positive momentum there would be incredible.

Head 4-8 (I think we're being played by GDL/PP), heart 13-0 (always)

 

[B1GEast]

We beat the BCS rep last year. We're losing some top guys, especially two staring corners, there needs to be a sense of urgency with the team and the staff. We NEED to make a statement. This is the last chance for an auto BCS, with no power conference affiliation in sight as of the moment, we need to kick some major as$ this year, I mean really lay it all on the line and not let up.

It's not going to be easy, but everyone should be motivated this season, everyone.

 

[joey3$trike$]

I don't like guaranteeing wins but I'm pretty confident that they should beat Towson and Memphis at home. 2 wins right there, the rest is a crap-shoot. Too many ? marks on this team. It's still the same issues as last year the O-line, qb play, playmakers, an offense.. Plus our biggest headache GDL is coaching the biggest problem on the team the O-line. The pessimism is in full effect for me. Playing @ buffalo is still no gimme, didn't they win 10-3 2 years ago. Wasn't that finally the game NW caught a pass for a td. I have no idea about @ SMU, long trip to Texas, plus I think they play a similar style of O with Western Michigan which gives our D fits. Temple has our # the last 2 years, def. no gimme there either. I will be ecstatic if we beat Maryland and start 2-0 vs. Michigan, atleast I will enjoy the game more than just having Michigan play @ the rent. This is the year for Uconn to show me something, and the rest of the nation, and big time schools like Michigan. Time for instead of being left-out in the cold, to start being a team and university to be reckon with. This only comes with Winning!

 

[UConnDan97]

Jeez you still have not learned the ability to tell when I'm joking.

I seriously haven't. (LOL) Maybe it was the three or four posts after yours that were in complete agreement with you that threw me off the scent. I'm getting better, though....

 

[rich1122]

Everybody is discounting the good recruiting year, Weis, and the late development of Whitmer. We have proven that we can screw up anything, but I think not. Saying 8-4. Worst 7-5 best 9-3

Interesting MI not in top 25 - looked at 2 sites. Louisville #8 and #10

 

[jdb50]

If we start the season with blowout losses to Maryland and Michigan I want Warde to fire GDL, PP and name Weist head coach immediately. There is no way this program will survive a death march through the rest of the schedule with all the key players remaining at their posts. That aside my optimistic side sees us winning 7 games and then the question of what to do becomes real murky (i.e. contract extension). We need a great year this year and I'm rooting for PP to succeed. A 4 win season would be unbearable.

 

[mets1090]

I would sign on the dotted line right now for a 7-5 season plus a bowl win. The last two years have been incredibly painful.

 

[rich1122]

If we start the season with blowout losses to Maryland and Michigan I want Warde to fire GDL, PP and name Weist head coach immediately. There is no way this program will survive a death march through the rest of the schedule with all the key players remaining at their posts. That aside my optimistic side sees us winning 7 games and then the question of what to do becomes real murky (i.e. contract extension). We need a great year this year and I'm rooting for PP to succeed. A 4 win season would be unbearable.

Yes commander and next we should invade N. Korea and fire everybody there.

 

[Alum86]

Yes commander and next we should invade N. Korea and fire everybody there.

Small time yankee conference mentality. Why wait? Not unprecedented to fire midseason.

 

[ZooCougar]

If you accept the premise that we had loads of offensive and special teams talent capable of winning football games. If.

There's that old apologist line.

We had better talent than the 115th ranked offense in the country. Chalk that up to Pasqualoni and GDL incompetence.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

There's that old apologist line.

We had better talent than the 115th ranked offense in the country. Chalk that up to Pasqualoni and GDL incompetence.

You say that, but looking at our O-line, our QB, our WR's... I'm not sure I agree.

 

[ruskin]

You say that, but looking at our O-line, our QB, our WR's... I'm not sure I agree.

you can keep throwing the players under the bus all you want loop but people who ACTUALLY PLAYED know there wasn't that much of a talent gap between the defense that was 9th in the country and the offense that sucked because the coaching/playcalling sucked (Buffalo, Temple, momentum-killing wildcat) .
And guess what? The talent on this year's offense isn't going to be significantly better. Maybe when TJ coaches them up to say, 100th, you'll quit defending Statler & Waldorf.

 

[ZooCougar]

You say that, but looking at our O-line, our QB, our WR's... I'm not sure I agree.

You actually think that those guys are 115th? Are you kidding me? You should lose your posting privileges.

It's more like we had the 120th ranked coaching staff.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

You say that, but looking at our O-line, our QB, our WR's... I'm not sure I agree.

GDL has to be the unluckiest person on the planet. In 2005, as running game coordinator at Ole Miss, he inherited talent so freaking bad that they ranked 118 out of 119 teams in total rushing. Now he's been at UConn for 2 years with FCS level talent on offense again. Poor guy.

 

[ktuck911]

GDL has to be the unluckiest person on the planet. In 2005, as running game coordinator at Ole Miss, he inherited talent so freaking bad that they ranked 118 out of 119 teams in total rushing. Now he's been at UConn for 2 years with FCS level talent on offense again. Poor guy.

Not sure if you're being sarcastic bro ( didn't read thru this entire thread...it's on page 4 now and I ain't goin back to look ), but if you are serious about "FCS level" offensive firepower, I have to agree with you. Fact is we do... We're still getting more tweeners ( FCS kids on the cusp of a FBS scholly ) at KEY positions on offense, RB & OL... I hope we finally break through at RB ... we've gotten a few kids on OL in year's past including this one...

 

[Husky25]

Not sure if you're being sarcastic bro ( didn't read thru this entire thread...it's on page 4 now and I ain't goin back to look ), but if you are serious about "FCS level" offensive firepower, I have to agree with you. Fact is we do... We're still getting more tweeners ( FCS kids on the cusp of a FBS scholly ) at KEY positions on offense, RB & OL... I hope we finally break through at RB ... we've gotten a few kids on OL in year's past including this one...

It's a question of actual coaching ability, not necessarily play calling or ingame adjustments (though that is also a probably). Coach Pasqualoni's staff cannot do it.

Coach Pasqualoni's predessor (CPP) recruited 2 star football players, at best, but he managed to coach them up to the point of being viable NFL options and eventually a 1st round pick and 3 second rounders in the same draft.

Coach Pasqualoni takes the same (sometimes better) talent and during most weeks, it looks like they would have a hard time vs. Xavier High School.

Same level of player; Two different coaches; Two different result. I am not convinced the correlation lies between the players and the results.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

You actually think that those guys are 115th? Are you kidding me? You should lose your posting privileges.

It's more like we had the 120th ranked coaching staff.

"You don't agree with me, therefore you're wrong."

Nice point. We still had one of the worst, least experienced O-lines pretty much ever. How many good football teams you know starting that many first-time players at O-Line, QB, and WR?

Actually, don't bother responding cause you'll just keep repeating the same thing over and over again. I know you disagree. That's fine. But it's not fact. It's just the words coming out of your mouth and the thoughts coming out of your brain. Believe it or not, it takes more than that to convince me.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

GDL has to be the unluckiest person on the planet. In 2005, as running game coordinator at Ole Miss, he inherited talent so freaking bad that they ranked 118 out of 119 teams in total rushing. Now he's been at UConn for 2 years with FCS level talent on offense again. Poor guy.

Yeah if only GDL had a history with another former Big East team with some decent offenses in the past. Maybe a ton of bowl victories and whatnot?

Too bad he doesn't, though.

I, too, can cherry pick statistics.

 

[ZooCougar]

Yeah if only GDL had a history with another former Big East team with some decent offenses in the past. Maybe a ton of bowl victories and whatnot?

Too bad he doesn't, though.

I, too, can cherry pick statistics.

20 years ago. Oh ok.. Those are some old cherries! Apologist.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Yeah if only GDL had a history with another former Big East team with some decent offenses in the past. Maybe a ton of bowl victories and whatnot?

Too bad he doesn't, though.

I, too, can cherry pick statistics.

You talk as though your opinion is fact. It's not.

Everyone is a better coach when they have better players. McNabb, Harrison, Rhodes, etc. A coach earns his keep when he does more with less. P & GDL, IN MY OPINION, have been epic failures in this regard.

Say what you want about Edsall. The guy far surpasses P in this area. And there's the problem. P needs to recruit much better players because he can't coach them up. Can he recruit effectively enough considering all the realignment crap? I don't personally think so.