Whitmer has proven himself

[UConnDan97]

I have to say this message board is getting slightly embarrassing the past week or so, people just throwing up random thoughts without putting any thought into them at all.......oh wait, nevermind just business as usual

I have to say that many on the Boneyard are being overly irrational in my opinion; having a hard time balancing their expectations with what has happened. To be quite honest, I also believed that at this point in the year, we would be 3-1 or 4-0 (depending on the NCState game).

So what has happened? We lost 1 game....1 game....where we really didn't expect to lose. I didn't expect to lose it, and I know that most people who watch college football didn't expect to lose it. But we are pretty much 1 game lower than expected by many of the pundits, and some would have had us at 2-2 with a loss to MD. Today was a horrible calamity, with 2 gigantic turnovers turning into a 14-point swing, a missed field goal, etc. But let's treat it as what it was; a bad day for the kids on the field (and for some of the coaching decisions as well). I fully expect that this team will be in a bowl game before it is all said and done, and that is with an offense that most people believed couldn't put up 10 points in a game...

 

[uconnflyer88]

Today was a horrible calamity, with 2 gigantic turnovers turning into a 14-point swing, a missed field goal, etc. But let's treat it as what it was; a bad day for the kids on the field (and for some of the coaching decisions as well).

+1

 

[SAMCRO]

How many of those yards came while down 10-17 points when they gave him the underneath stuff. Sorry, he's avg at best, missed a lot of open guys throwing into coverage instead. Yes there were a lot of drops and the OL did him no favors, but we are so starving to have a good QB that we're grasping at straws to find a silver lining.

When WMU pressed and brought pressure, he was so-so at best. When they softened their D and gave up the underneath stuff (2nd half) he hit some, missed some, and had some drops.

It's going to be a long year b/c there is NO ONE ELSE to go to right now.

 

[uconnflyer88]

How many of those yards came while down 10-17 points when they gave him the underneath stuff. Sorry, he's avg at best, missed a lot of open guys throwing into coverage instead. Yes there were a lot of drops and the OL did him no favors, but we are so starving to have a good QB that we're grasping at straws to find a silver lining.

When WMU pressed and brought pressure, he was so-so at best. When they softened their D and gave up the underneath stuff (2nd half) he hit some, missed some, and had some drops.

It's going to be a long year b/c there is NO ONE ELSE to go to right now.

my post wasn't an analysis of where the yards came from, I agree both games the yardage was so high due to the fact that we were playing from behind both times

I was merely showing that J Mac basically had the same exact, if not better, stat line against the same team last year and we all know how that turned out, so people pointing to the stats and saying, see Deleone, he was good all along your play calling just sucks....may need to take a step back

also that we have had a 100 yard receiver since the FCS era

 

[spsct]

28/44 for 333 yards with 3 TDs and 1 INT. A truly impressive performance.

I'm pretty sure half of his 16 incomplete passes hit our receivers in the hands. Some nice catches and overall signs of life from the receivers (particularly Davis), but still far too many drops on catchable balls. The o-line wasn't exactly consistent in giving Whitmer time either - he was under pressure all day, but hung in there and made a number of strong passes as he was getting hit.

A throw-first offense makes McCombs a much more effective back because it opens up space for him to maneuver. He is a quick, shifty, intelligent runner -- not a power back. Going to the air more should actually make our ground game more effective.

Lastly, this game proves the folly of the random wildcat playcalling. No problem if we want to run a series or two out of the wildcat in the redzone occasionally, but today we got to see what the offense can look like when it is allowed to develop a rhythm. That is what we should be looking to replicate the rest of the way. All in all, a disappointing day, but very good signs at the QB position.

Great Post. Saved me the time from typing so much...

 

[nelsonmuntz]

UConn tore up a MAC defense that was playing prevent, just like last year. It was still not enough to win, just like last year. UConn should have scored 50 in this game, but between wasted plays by Deleone, mistakes, and Phillips' alligator arms, we were held to 24, much of which came after WMU was already up big.

I don't see much silver lining in this game.

 

[metsfan2323]

Whitmer is clearly talented. Hopefully the coaches go the Air Whitmer route the rest of the year so this kid and the receivers can develop. The Ground and Pound route won't lead to any payoff down the road.

 

[SubbaBub]

Whitmer is the least of our problems. We can win games with him at QB and he carries himself well for his first year in the system.

But, he needs to improve his accuracy to give the receivers a chance to run, make his reads and progressions faster, and stop turning the ball over, it's killing us. Do that and he can be a plus QB, which we haven't had in quite a while.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Thinking maybe they do.

Please explain how having a team as inept at passing the ball as we are at the moment will benefit from installing an offense that requires us to pass ~85% of the time into a defense that knows we will pass the ball ~85% of the time will give us better results?

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Whitmer is clearly talented. Hopefully the coaches go the Air Whitmer route the rest of the year so this kid and the receivers can develop. The Ground and Pound route won't lead to any payoff down the road.

Whitmer does have some talent. He also is a sophomore so there is the possibility of significant improvement. The INT (that cost us points) was him staring down Williams from the snap and throwing too early (without any pressure yet) behind Nick (who hadn't even turned back to face the QB).

I don't want the ground and pound, I want balance but even more important than balance is ball protection. If our turnover margin is zero in each of our two losses we very well could be unbeaten right now.

 

[Jerry27]

The comeback and production after being down 24-7 was somewhat encouraging. Too bad we waited to open up the playbook. But let's not forget WM was in prevent D.

Then the man to man they were running was my imagination! How do you think Davis kept getting open on the quick turnarounds? they were in man coverage he would fake the deep pattern the CB would bite everytime and then he would do a short curl. He did it so many times when the kid did react he blew by him and there was no saftey helping out over the top, too bad the throw went a little long cause it would have been six for sure. But they were in man coverage.

 

[coachRD]

I hope we can RIP the wildcat given the slop in that formation today

I agree it has been frustrating during many games, but it also made the difference in a positive way in games both last year and this year against UMD. We can't rely on it too heavily a la the Miami Dolphins of a few years ago, but I think the package needs to stay. Especially if we can continue to develop the passing game-opponents will spend a greater percentage of practice time prepping for a legitimate passing game, and less time prepping for the Wildcat.

I think we're in trouble if we see the Wildcat more than say 5"ish" plays a game, but I think it can still play its role in future wins.

 

[ruskin]

Then the man to man they were running was my imagination! How do you think Davis kept getting open on the quick turnarounds? they were in man coverage he would fake the deep pattern the CB would bite everytime and then he would do a short curl. He did it so many times when the kid did react he blew by him and there was no saftey helping out over the top, too bad the throw went a little long cause it would have been six for sure. But they were in man coverage.

Point taken but from my view it was a much softer man after they went up 24-7

 

[Buffett10]

28/44 for 333 yards with 3 TDs and 1 INT. A truly impressive performance.

I'm pretty sure half of his 16 incomplete passes hit our receivers in the hands. Some nice catches and overall signs of life from the receivers (particularly Davis), but still far too many drops on catchable balls. The o-line wasn't exactly consistent in giving Whitmer time either - he was under pressure all day, but hung in there and made a number of strong passes as he was getting hit.

A throw-first offense makes McCombs a much more effective back because it opens up space for him to maneuver. He is a quick, shifty, intelligent runner -- not a power back. Going to the air more should actually make our ground game more effective.

Lastly, this game proves the folly of the random wildcat playcalling. No problem if we want to run a series or two out of the wildcat in the redzone occasionally, but today we got to see what the offense can look like when it is allowed to develop a rhythm. That is what we should be looking to replicate the rest of the way. All in all, a disappointing day, but very good signs at the QB position.

It really wasn't that impressive of a performance for him. Johnny Mac had almost the same stats as whitmer did(22 for 39 300 yds 4 tds 0 ints 2 sacks taken). So I'm not completely sold on whitmer yet.

 

[Stinger92860]

I can't say I agree with the premise that Whitmer has proven himself with this one game against WMU. Below is a comparison of WMU 2011 vs 2012

Comp Att Yards Percent Sacks TDS INT Total Offense
Whitmer 28 44 333 63.6 6 3 1 415
JMAC 22 39 300 56.4 2 4 0 451

I was unable to locate JMac's rating but I think it may have been higher due to the pick this year. One could argue that if Whitmer has a JMac like game yesterday, we win. Now, I am not saying JMac should be back in there, but the point I am trying to make is that it highly unlikely that you u can judge our QB based on a WMU program which does not play a strong defensive unit.

Interestingly, a late fumble in both games hurt us. But in this game you can also make the argument that 10-14 points can be attributed to Whitmer due to the int and and fumble. Not entirely fair, but the turnovers say Whitmer in the box. Another interesting fact, in 2011 we had 10 penalties compared to 7 yesterday. I'd be curious to know the breakdown and how many are Oline mistakes.

So my point is, one game does not a career make. Casey or a 2nd semester Freshman is going to have a great shot at starting next year, no matter the coach or the Oline.

 

[businesslawyer]

UConn tore up a MAC defense that was playing prevent, just like last year. It was still not enough to win, just like last year. UConn should have scored 50 in this game, but between wasted plays by Deleone, mistakes, and Phillips' alligator arms, we were held to 24, much of which came after WMU was already up big.

I don't see much silver lining in this game.

There was no silver lining in this game. It looked closer than it was only because Carder got hurt.

 

[uconndogs]

I agree with that. The one thing I will say is that sometimes young QBs simply need to gain some confidence throwing the ball and those types of situations can really help in that regard. I'm hopeful anyway.....

 

[Jimdish255]

Whitmer is clearly talented. Hopefully the coaches go the Air Whitmer route the rest of the year so this kid and the receivers can develop. The Ground and Pound route won't lead to any payoff down the road.

"Down the road" is exactly the reason why I never understood the reasoning of "don't open up the playbook" against UMass or XYZ State because we might give a hint to our next opponent. We have a new QB and recievers that need to get their timing down. We know what McCombs can do and that the passing game opens things up for his style of running was evident. Whether Whit is our guy long term or just a stopgap is the real question. So what if other teams have to prepare for something we've shown we can do well. At least then we have something we can do well and they can spend time preparing while we add in the counter play. Down the road is our conference schedule and that's why it was necessary to be more diverse sooner rather than taking baby steps. Whit showed some good things (with shaky protection) but the young man needs more full speed reps before the timing gets better and the game slows down for him.

I'm not down on him as much as the OC, line blocking and yesterday's unforced drops. Still not convinced the RB cupboard is that bare that no one else can contribute. That's just P's philosophy apparently. Problem is our D is hurting and the potential for them winning the close ones for us has probably passed with injuries. They can keep us in games but winning depends on our being more productive on the other side of the ball. And the kitchen has just gotten a little hotter.

 

[noeynox]

Excellent post jim. Sums up pretty much how I feel about the season to date as well.

 

[VAHuskyFan]

I'm not down on him as much as the OC, line blocking and yesterday's unforced drops.

This is really one of the key points. To borrow a phrase from noted football commentator, Gisele Bundchen, Whitmer "can't [expletive] throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time." He also can't throw the ball and pick up a blitzing LB at the same time. The young man had a solid game under difficult circumstances. I don't care if WMU is a MAC opponent. The point is that when you're getting leveled as you throw and your receivers aren't coming down with catchable balls, that's a challenging situation. Whitmer had a good game despite that.

Again, the receiving core wasn't all bad news -- there were a few genuinely nice catches and Geremy Davis was electric. The less that is said about the offensive line play, the better. DeLeone taking over for Foley as o-line coach always made exactly zero sense. The results have been predictably disappointing. The offensive line play has to be the number one concern right now for UConn fans and it's maddening because Foley happens to be one of the best offensive line coaches in college football and we're basically wasting him.

 

[ZooCougar]

The jury is still out on Whitmer. It's too hard to gauge his play given that the Wildcat and the bad Oline play have been so disruptive.

 

[Waquoit]

The jury is still out on Whitmer. It's too hard to gauge his play given that the Wildcat and the bad Oline play have been so disruptive.

Maybe so, but the deliberations have taken a positive turn.

 

[ZooCougar]

Maybe so, but the deliberations have taken a positive turn.

I think so too. But a bunch of that yardage was the underneath stuff. And it is a MAC defense.

It doesn't seem like he makes bad throws, really they just seem like bad decisions. That's more correctable IMO.

 

[Excalibur]

This was an awful defense. I wouldn't get your hopes up too much. My bigger issue is that, in the first half, we got conservative after the first mistake when we knew that the WMU defense could be lit up through the air.

I disagree with the notion that the game would not have been as close had Carder not gotten hurt. At the time he was hurt he was 7 for his last 17 (after starting off really hot), and we had stopped them on 4 of the previous 5 possessions. The defense appeared to have adjusted.

We lost because we dug ourselves a huge hole. We got down 17-0 because, apparently, we hadn't bothered to review the film from last year, on both sides of the ball.

 

[MidTown Husky]

Can anybody remember the last time we had a WR that caught nearly 10 balls and over 100 yards receiving in a single game? Anybody? at the BCS level? Honestly, the obvious and ONLY one is Marcus Easley... but the last year in year out consistent WR we've had you'd have to go back to the FCS days ( Dak Newton??? Norwalk, CT's own )

Yes, I recall Kashif Moore had 8 catches for 112 yards and 2 TD's in LAST YEARS western michigan game.

Also J Mac threw for over 300 yards in that game as well and we know how the rest of the year turned out.

Something to think about before everyone gets all excited.

 

[freescooter]

Part of the reason it is difficult to judge Whitmer is that the play calling has been, to be charitable, strange. he was 10/16 against Maryland all dink and dunk stuff, mostly on3rd and long...that's pretty tough to evaluate. NCState was similar...we threw more but not a lot of aggressive stuff. he has been over 55 % completion rate in every game...mostly over 60%. all good things. And he looks in command much more than JMac. And the o-line seems to like to do a fair amount of lookout blocking, which doesn't help...I mean 6 sacks... so I have hopes that by season's end we'll be looking at the best passer we've had in a while.

 

[ZooCougar]

It's hard to get into a rhythm when your coach pulls you out every time you make a good play.

The second half against WMU might have been the only time this season he was allowed to be consistent. WMU's defense isn't all that, but you have to start somewhere.

 

[RedSoloCup]

but you have to start somewhere.

That is the crazy part to me... I got perspective on this earlier this year than many, after NC State.

Whitmer is a RS Frosh, and he is improving.
The players all want it, they don't like to lose.
Our armchair discussions of past and future match ups are just hot air.

I am going to tailgate, have a drink, watch them play and cheer for them until the last second of the season is gone.

...Then hope they all graduate, and lead productive lives. {takes another drink of sterno}

 

[ZooCougar]

That is the crazy part to me... I got perspective on this earlier this year than many, after NC State.

Whitmer is a RS Frosh, and he is improving.
The players all want it, they don't like to lose.
Our armchair discussions of past and future match ups are just hot air.

I am going to tailgate, have a drink, watch them play and cheer for them until the last second of the season is gone.

...Then hope they all graduate, and lead productive lives. {takes another drink of sterno}

Yup, it should have started with UMass, but we wanted to play musical QBs.