Why UConn isn't good (spoiler alert)

[Alum86]

Tarbutt was going to be the long FG kicker and kickoffs. He missed one and FG and could not reach the end zone on kickoffs. Yeah, a wasted RS as Puyol has stepped up in all aspects. Yes, Whaler, our only all conf candidate probably.

 

[Srqhusky]

When you tell me I'm wrong - let me know who on this team is going to be all-conference. Or should be all conference. Puyol has the best chance. Think about that.

I wont tell you your wrong but what do you suggest to fix it. Maybe the louisville hospitality comitee??

 

[whaler11]

I wont tell you your wrong but what do you suggest to fix it. Maybe the louisville hospitality comitee??

It takes what the staff is attempting to do. They are recruiting against solid programs and winning some of the battles.

They might not be successful because they aren't hiring pros and they aren't calling for grades to be changed.

They took the harder road. That is something to be proud of.

 

[JMick]

It takes what the staff is attempting to do. They are recruiting against solid programs and winning some of the battles.

They might not be successful because they aren't hiring pros and they aren't calling for grades to be changed.

They took the harder road. That is something to be proud of.

It also doesn't seem like we're taking the JUCO-with-questionable-academics route, which many programs thrive off of.

 

[noeynox]

When you tell me I'm wrong - let me know who on this team is going to be all-conference. Or should be all conference. Puyol has the best chance. Think about that.

Only one I think has a chance is Jhavon Williams. I actually think he is a real good corner who defenses a lot of passes.

 

[noeynox]

It also doesn't seem like we're taking the JUCO-with-questionable-academics route, which many programs thrive off of.

I wouldn't mind sprinkling some JUCOs in.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

We will never load up on jucos the way a few schools do and we won't consider a juco who has a blemished academic past. Our best hope is a stray kid who is a quality student that ended up at a juco in an attempt to improve his FBS prospects, not someone who couldn't qualify out of high school.

It is kind of interesting that the only jucos we've brought in (at least in my memory) were QB's (Lorenzen, Whitmer and Anderson).

 

[Huskygamble19]

right now we are not a good team, but I have noticed a sprinkling of Diaco's recruits being inserted into the starting lineup. they look like very athletic players for the future. My biggest disappointment is the regression of Ron Johnson. He ran hard as was a handful last year, but this year he is going down too easy. I wish they would stop sending him wide where he cant square up his shoulders. He is a straight on runner, but even that has been suspect this year. He is the only Diaco recruit I am concerned about.

 

[noeynox]

right now we are not a good team, but I have noticed a sprinkling of Diaco's recruits being inserted into the starting lineup. they look like very athletic players for the future. My biggest disappointment is the regression of Ron Johnson. He ran hard as was a handful last year, but this year he is going down too easy. I wish they would stop sending him wide where he cant square up his shoulders. He is a straight on runner, but even that has been suspect this year. He is the only Diaco recruit I am concerned about.

I never saw "it" with Johnson. Not last year or this year. To my eyes, Delorenzo is better. We need to recruit some studs at RB for sure. Disappointed Mariner hasn't gottner more burn.

 

[uconnphil2016]

Only one I think has a chance is Jhavon Williams. I actually think he is a real good corner who defenses a lot of passes.

Puyol, Williams (maybe), and Newsome could find his way in as a returner.

 

[RedStickHusky]

Good post; hard to argue with. I once worked for a Marine two-star who liked to say that "you can't make chicken salad from chicken ". Not to say we don't have some kids that can play, but not nearly enough and too many glaring gaps. Especially wrt depth. It's why HCBD doing everything he can to shorten games and avoid track meets makes great sense to me but we have a number of deficiencies - some we can cover up and some are badly exposed in certain match-ups:

1) you can't play soft on D if your offense can't maintain some possession;
2) you can't live on three-step outs and slants if you can't back up the coverage with a downfield threat;
3) you can't establish a consistent downfield passing threat if you can't protect the QB;
4) we simply can't cover the crossing patterns behind lbs in front of the safeties and letting recievers outrun tackles underneath exacerbates that weakness;
5) we really can't handle up-tempo without better depth than we've developed to this point.

HCBD has this roster playing competitive football and I want to give him credit for that, I'm not on the 'no wins=no progress' bandwagon. I'm waffling on whether or not I consider the Cincy game to be some kind of regression, I'm more inclined to think that it was just a nightmare matchup in terms of a team designed to take advantage of the things we're not good at. What is largely unmentioned, but I think was pretty decisive, was their defensive game plan to jump short routes and crowd the line; once they either adjusted to BrS running (or we decided he'd taken enough hits...), we couldn't keep our offense on the field and our defense was basically thrown to the wolves....

 

[ktuck911]

We need a few more transfer playmakers like Cincy

 

[businesslawyer]

Good post; hard to argue with. I once worked for a Marine two-star who lliked to say that "you can't make chicken salad from chicken ". Not to say we don't have some kids that can play, but not nearly enough and too many glaring gaps. Especially wrt depth. It's why HCBD doing everything he can to shorten games and avoid track meets makes great sense to me but we have a number of deficiencies - some we can cover up and some are badly exposed in certain match-ups:

1) you can't play soft on D if your offense can't maintain some possession;
2) you can't live on three-step outs and slants if you can't back up the coverage with a downfield threat;
3) you can't establish a consistent downfield passing threat if you can't protect the QB;
4) we simply can't cover the crossing patterns behind lbs in front of the safeties and letting recievers outrun tackles underneath exacerbates that weakness;
5) we really can't handle up-tempo without better depth than we've developed to this point.

HCBD has this roster playing competitive football and I want to give him credit for that, I'm not on the 'no wins=no progress' bandwagon. I'm waffling on whether or not I consider the Cincy game to be some kind of regression, I'm more inclined to think that it was just a nightmare matchup in terms of a team designed to take advantage of the things we're not good at. What is largely unmentioned, but I think was pretty decisive, was their defensive game plan to jump short routes and crowd the line; once they either adjusted to BrS running (or we decided he'd taken enough hits...), we couldn't keep our offense on the field and our defense was basically thrown to the wolves....

And people get upset when the term "military intelligence" is profferred as an oxymoron? Of course you can make chicken salad from chicken.

 

[RedStickHusky]

And people get upset when the term "military intelligence" is profferred as an oxymoron? Of course you can make chicken salad from chicken.

filter got me.. one '*' apparantly insufficient to mask my profane intent. Maybe 'chicken ' would've gotten through...

 

[Huskygamble19]

Good post; hard to argue with. I once worked for a Marine two-star who liked to say that "you can't make chicken salad from chicken ". Not to say we don't have some kids that can play, but not nearly enough and too many glaring gaps. Especially wrt depth. It's why HCBD doing everything he can to shorten games and avoid track meets makes great sense to me but we have a number of deficiencies - some we can cover up and some are badly exposed in certain match-ups:

1) you can't play soft on D if your offense can't maintain some possession;
2) you can't live on three-step outs and slants if you can't back up the coverage with a downfield threat;
3) you can't establish a consistent downfield passing threat if you can't protect the QB;
4) we simply can't cover the crossing patterns behind lbs in front of the safeties and letting recievers outrun tackles underneath exacerbates that weakness;
5) we really can't handle up-tempo without better depth than we've developed to this point.

HCBD has this roster playing competitive football and I want to give him credit for that, I'm not on the 'no wins=no progress' bandwagon. I'm waffling on whether or not I consider the Cincy game to be some kind of regression, I'm more inclined to think that it was just a nightmare matchup in terms of a team designed to take advantage of the things we're not good at. What is largely unmentioned, but I think was pretty decisive, was their defensive game plan to jump short routes and crowd the line; once they either adjusted to BrS running (or we decided he'd taken enough hits...), we couldn't keep our offense on the field and our defense was basically thrown to the wolves....

I have to agree that the defense was spent from being on the field the whole game. shirreffs was doing more running than passing in the 1st half and changed it up in the 2nd half standing in and looking for receivers more. Unfortunatley, he was mostly off target. It was his worst game. I think the reason for is happy feet is because he doesn't trust the O line to protect him for very long. they definitely need to have more athleticism in the defensive backfield.

 

[RedStickHusky]

I wouldn't mind sprinkling some JUCOs in.

gotta be rkg's...

 

[Adios]

It takes what the staff is attempting to do. They are recruiting against solid programs and winning some of the battles.

They might not be successful because they aren't hiring pros and they aren't calling for grades to be changed.

They took the harder road. That is something to be proud of.

That's why the NFL likes our program.

 

[Huskygamble19]

I remember the year under PP that we were pleasantly surprised when we actually scored a point in the 2nd half of games. We really thought that was progress for the team. this team is far and away better than that team.

 

[UConnDan97]

If you pit me and Bobby Fisher at chess and don't give him bishops or rooks - guess what - he's going to lose.

My money is still on Fischer, and he's been dead for 7 years...

 

[RedStickHusky]

And people get upset when the term "military intelligence" is profferred as an oxymoron?

Biz, BTW my 'filter' excuse does not invalidate your observation. The same boss once instructed me on a writing project that "I need this written to a graduate level... in crayon."

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Johnson's biggest asset last year was that he was the only one that didn't fumble. He averaged 3.5 ypc and 35yds/game.

 

[DoctorWho85]

Some will argue. It's silly. As soon as you see them against a Cincinnati - it's clear the roster is paper thin.

I'm a forever optimist and still believe this team can go bowling and although this team does have talent on it, it lack the talent depth to sustain drives and make stops on defense. Diaco is killing it on the recruiting trail and I think next year we'll definitely see depth improvement.

 

[Nostical]

And people get upset when the term "military intelligence" is profferred as an oxymoron? Of course you can make chicken salad from chicken.

Reminds me of an elitist academic boss I once had, who, in an impassioned speech to the employees, asked us all to display a much greater work ethnic.

 

[Kgun7]

They spent the last half decade getting their a**es kicked in recruiting. Beat FCS teams for players and you've got an FCS team.

Thank God Diaco doesn't subscribe to the fever dream that you can take a bunch of guys no one wants and coach them into the little engine that could.

I don't think anyone would have a reason to disagree with you. I also think that is what every head coach sets out to do.

 

[traitor71]

We need playmakers. Every team we face has players that turn what should be short to average gains and break a,big play. We don't and it puts enormous pressure to be perfect in play calling and execution. Same thing on defense. It can't all be on the schemes at all times.

This is really the key. More than ever, football is an explosive game. You have to have the ability to get an "easy" touchdown or to create a "big play" sort of defense that creates sacks and turnovers. There is simply zero margin for error when you have to drive down the field a bit at a time or hope to bend but not break.

 

[SubbaBub]

When you say talent, do you mean size strength and speed? Or, do you mean unfamiliar with the finer points of winning football?

Because other than a handful of anchor draggers, I think it's more of the latter, which can certainly be taught.

 

[microfich]

Any coach in any sport will tell you you need explosive athletes to win consistently.

 

[NYUConn]

Agree with the sentiment though I will say there is a difference between being as talented as the top tier of the league and having talent in general.

Nobody here but the biggest of die hards will tell you we are as talented as Memphis, Temple, Cincy, Houston or even USF or ECU.

But, I will argue that we have some talent on both sides of the ball. I think Shirreffs, Newsome and Thomas are talented and could become major playmakers next year on offense. Conversely I think Jhavon Williams, Fatukasi, Joseph and Summers have shown they have some talent on defense and can step up and make plays.

But to your point you can't win football games with 2-3 talented players on both sides of the ball. It takes a talented core of over 6-8 truly gifted players to win consistently and 8-10 talented guys to win every week.

 

[J187Money]

We are as talented as USF. The rest probably not. Don't know about ECU.