Zion's No INT Streak

[Chin Diesel]

Another game, no pick offs.

If my math is correct, he was picked off at the end of the first half against CCSU. Hasn't thrown an INT since. That's 86 pass attempts from the start of the second half against CCSU through last night.

 

[UCFBfan]

That's a great stat, could you just black out the total yards next time, YIKES! That is simply amazing in today's game that we can throw for under 100 yards in three games and under 140 for all but one. Somehow we are 3-4. That speaks volumes to our OLine and RBs.

 

[RedStickHusky]

That's a great stat, could you just black out the total yards next time, YIKES! That is simply amazing in today's game that we can throw for under 100 yards in three games and under 140 for all but one. Somehow we are 3-4. That speaks volumes to our OLine and RBs.

And defense.

 

[Devland]

Definitely seeing improvement every game.

 

[Punkbo]

ZT is very serviceable at this point. Still hasn’t shown great accuracy, but his pocket presence and decision-making process have both improved materially. Give the kid some time. The passing stats are less than impressive, but he’s a true freshman thrown into a difficult situation.

 

[Stinger92860]

And defense.

I have no idea what caused the previous DC to take a leave, but I would prefer that we move on regardless. There is momentum here and he is not participant. His return would represent a return to the stink we had. Keep moving forward. I wish him well.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

ZT is very serviceable at this point. Still hasn’t shown great accuracy, but his pocket presence and decision-making process have both improved materially. Give the kid some time. The passing stats are less than impressive, but he’s a true freshman thrown into a difficult situation.

Zion was not 100% last night, was cramping up during the game.

 

[cohenzone]

I have no idea what caused the previous DC to take a leave, but I would prefer that we move on regardless. There is momentum here and he is not participant. His return would represent a return to the stink we had. Keep moving forward. I wish him well.

I sort of agree. But we beat Fresno whose back up QB didn’t show much and an at best mediocre FIU. We are still pretty bad at finding LBs or D backs who fill big holes against the run. Overall, though, we are becoming a watchable team. Could be that playing several really good offenses early was good for our guys. UConn fb seems on the way to being fun again.

 

[RedStickHusky]

I sort of agree. But we beat Fresno whose back up QB didn’t show much and an at best mediocre FIU. We are still pretty bad at finding LBs or D backs who fill big holes against the run. Overall, though, we are becoming a watchable team. Could be that playing several really good offenses early was good for our guys. UConn fb seems on the way to being fun again.

"Watchable" is no mean feat.

 

[SubbaBub]

Looking hard for a silver lining. Edsall is jealous of the wraps Mora has put on the passing game.

 

[Palatine]

I have no idea what caused the previous DC to take a leave, but I would prefer that we move on regardless. There is momentum here and he is not participant. His return would represent a return to the stink we had. Keep moving forward. I wish him well.

Not to be mean, but the further we get from Spanos the better we look.

Last night. FIU actually gained more yards than us. We both had 66 offensive plays. We gained 6.0 YPP and they gained 6.1 YPP. TOs and red zone defense made the difference.

 

[Bongo Fury]

Impressed with the stops. Gave up yards but few points.

 

[UCFBfan]

I sort of agree. But we beat Fresno whose back up QB didn’t show much and an at best mediocre FIU. We are still pretty bad at finding LBs or D backs who fill big holes against the run. Overall, though, we are becoming a watchable team. Could be that playing several really good offenses early was good for our guys. UConn fb seems on the way to being fun again.

While there may still me weaknesses, we can finally wrap up and tackle more often than before. There are still some head scratching misses but it's been night and day with the tackling and it's been huge with this defense.

 

[RedStickHusky]

Looking hard for a silver lining. Edsall is jealous of the wraps Mora has put on the passing game.

14-19, a handful of third down conversions, no interceptions... Play defense and run the ball. Phil Simms won a super bowl playing like that.

 

[BugsyCT]

I believe this is what the coaching staff has had in mind for Zion - limit the passing attempts & when you throw, throw the safer passes - for the sake of minimizing INTs. It's worked out the last 2 games thanks to the running game and OL blocking.

If you have a strategy that's effective enough to win games, then stats don't matter.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Not to be mean, but the further we get from Spanos the better we look.

Last night. FIU actually gained more yards than us. We both had 66 offensive plays. We gained 6.0 YPP and they gained 6.1 YPP. TOs and red zone defense made the difference.

We would have outgained them had it not been for one or two costly penalties.

 

[UConnDan97]

I love this thread title and am really happy for it, but I'm worried about the mojo...

 

[Lippy1]

ESPN stats have him throwing 3 INTs. CCSU, SYR & FRES.
He's getting the job done but he's not the answer. I believe they are just buying their time with him. True Freshman or not ...he struggles and they know it, that's why they limit what they do with him so that way he doesn't make mistakes.
They are doing the best they can with what they have. They are growing every week.

 

[kibblesnbits]

The improved play is certainly a tribute to the players and the ooaching staff overall, but the guy I want to lock up with a lifetime contract is the offensive line coach. From the disaster that was GDL through the Diaco and Edsall 2.0 years our OL has been a disaster. With a very limited passing attack (here's hoping Marion makes it back to open things up a bit), the team this year has depended on the OL to open up holes for the running attack and they've done a pretty damn good job of it.

 

[ZachFan]

ESPN stats have him throwing 3 INTs. CCSU, SYR & FRES.
He's getting the job done but he's not the answer. I believe they are just buying their time with him. True Freshman or not ...he struggles and they know it, that's why they limit what they do with him so that way he doesn't make mistakes.
They are doing the best they can with what they have. They are growing every week.

They limit what they do with Zion because he has no one to really pass it to. Plus when you have a running game like we have there's no reason to open it up.

 

[RedStickHusky]

It takes a special kind of UConn fan to think, "I wish we could win differently".

 

[Spsone07]

I think we have some weapons to work with right now, KC, Joly, and A. Turner have been making plays when called on.

 

[Dizzy21]

That's a great stat, could you just black out the total yards next time, YIKES! That is simply amazing in today's game that we can throw for under 100 yards in three games and under 140 for all but one. Somehow we are 3-4. That speaks volumes to our OLine and RBs.

The kid was not a big thrower in high school. Averaged around the same amount of yards per game throughout his career as he has been doing here, 126 ypg in the air and 25 ypg on the ground. Expecting him to jump to a more competitive level with probably less of a supporting cast and suddenly throw for 300 yards a game is probably something that isn't that wise right now. Who knows, hopefully he may develop into something he hasn't been with good coaching and they may see something in him, but so far how the yards he is throwing are exactly inline with how he performed in high school.

 

[gioff2323]

… and the D is forcing opponents to go the length of the field and forcing mistakes and turnovers. Much improved

 

[Chin Diesel]

ESPN stats have him throwing 3 INTs. CCSU, SYR & FRES.
He's getting the job done but he's not the answer. I believe they are just buying their time with him. True Freshman or not ...he struggles and they know it, that's why they limit what they do with him so that way he doesn't make mistakes.
They are doing the best they can with what they have. They are growing every week.

Weird. I put a snip of Turner's stats from ESPN in my OP and it shows 2 INT's against Utah St and one against CCSU.