I guess Desmond Conner sums it up best

[the Blades]

@ Desmond Conner-Courant[/B]
" Feel dam bad for Uconn Football fans right now. Players, too.. "
and

"Off the tweeter. Only bad things to say right now."



And how does a FBS team end up with only 61 scholarship players on it's roster ? I know they've been playing like it but that's
below FCS levels. I've heard of cleaning house but ...Wow......When Penn St's were restored did the NCAA give Uconn a scholarship reduction ? ..............add 2 more upperclassmen to the list:SNY- Ashiru, Abrams leave football team
"The attrition is a problem for UConn. The Huskies had only 61 scholarship players dressing for Saturday's game
against Cincinnati."


This post was edited on 11/23 6:29 PM by the Blades

 

[Shaggydog84]

You know what's interesting Blades, after I watched the 1st few games this year my thought was....if i'm the new HC of a program that's struggled with the previous coach, evaluating the lack of overall talent, and is now playing in a less competitive league, i think i want my 1st year to be pretty bad. Not necessarily lose games on purpose, but it will look a whole lot better if i'm 2-10 or 3-9 in year one, then 5-7 in yr 2, 7-5 in yr 3, etc. He gets a pass in yrs 1, right? No matter how bad. Next yr maybe he looks like the savior....who knows.

HCBD can say all he wants that they have the players who can win, but maybe not the attitude, strength, etc...but I don't buy it. They don't have the players, but as he finally moves to a much younger team it looks like he's generally correct in the fact that the attitude is not there. Are you kidding me? a 2 yr starting LB who's been productive and only a jr just ups and leaves with 2 games left in the season? The starting DE who decided to shut down for the season (i know he had injury problems but don't remember anything about him not being ABLE to finish the season...and then say that he's not through with football and will work out for the NFL? I don't know, maybe i'm over analyzing things, but I'd rather play with the younger more hungry players, along with the veterans that still have the tough mentality like GD. Let's go 2-10 this year, 20k at the Rent, then let's get this thing going again...the right way.

It's interesting, i really hated what former HCRE did. Coaches leave, i get it. But the way he did it, and i still feel strongly that he carried his actions with him as a cross when he got to MD. But I also know he's a solid coach...and he's starting to pick himself up after his program lost over 20 players to transfers. All i can say is it's tough but holy crap...it has to get better lol.

I'm rambling on here but i know in my heart this ship will be righted (is that even a word?). I'll just keep watching with excruciating pain until it does.

 

[the Blades]

My 2 cents and more....

I think it'll be awhile to build the depth back-up and get the right players. You're probably right in saying
Diaco knows exactly what he is doing with his seeming indifference to winning or losing, remember the talk
about real games in the beginning of the year only being like "pre-season or development games".

He's also dropped upperclassmen like flies and his weird comment when asked if his seniors could lose motivation
at 2-7, Diaco's answer. "If they do, I'll throw them off the team. That's easy. I'll clean out their lockers and dismiss them."
was either brilliant or one of the dumbest responses to a question I've heard yet....because "yeah that'll make guys
who've busted their ass for 4-5 yrs for 4 different coaches want to play harder for you " And why would you respond to a
hypothetical like that from some writer anyway ?

.....I think Diaco is up to 9-10 true freshman playing right now...compared to Edsall playing zero the year they went
to the Fiesta Bowl. Diaco does get their feet wet now but he also loses a year of eligibility that could've been used for
strength, conditioning and development...(as a redshirt)

I really have no clue what the "mad scientist" is doing....but I hope he knows he's doing major damage to the FB
attendance, especially with this the end of the 3 year season tix cycle. After 9 years of Uconn FB at about 95% capacity...
and PP dropping it down to 77% ( now at about 70% this year) he's gotta right that ship soon....cleaning house is
alright with players who won't buy in .....but you can't do the same thing to your fanbase while it's happening.
This post was edited on 11/25 7:27 AM by the Blades

 

[Shaggydog84]

Yeah, agreed on the depth issue. I missed those comments on the upperclassmen but that's kinda strange that he even answered the question like u said. On the subject of redshirting, I'm a huge proponent of not using that redshirt as a frosh unless there is the knowledge that the player is a difference maker. Edsell was big on taking his time and building so he felt that 5th yr was huge. I argued at nausium with my friends about using Boyle last yr. First, i thought Whitmer at least deserved a few games with coach Foley back in with the O line and he-who-shall-not-be-named out the door. Whitmer was running for his life and i thought he did...ok. With that said, at 0-4 interim coach Weist's only chance, at least in his mind, to get the permanent position was to do something PP didn't do, and that's play Boyle. But, at 0-4 and playing the most brutal part of their schedule i really didn't want to use Boyle and was content with another non bowl yr if it meant giving him that RS yr he deserves. Now, if i recall, he did well that 1st game but there were a large # of dropped passes. But either way, that was a bad move IMHO.

The attendence is a huge issue, but if/when they start winning again...and they continue to bring in intriguing out of league matchups, i think that will reverse it self. Winning cures....

With all that said Blades, I absolutely hear ya on all ur points and agree. Just tryin to keep that proverbial glass from getting half empty!

 

[the Blades]

True that..... regarding Boyle...I had mentioned your same thoughts on this board last year when some posters..
were complaining about Whitmer....Diaco even said it was a terrible decision to rush him out there as a true FR...
we all saw the OL struggling but that decision seemed to be made by PP right before him and his sidekick
left so the remaining staff went with it......then we thought we'd be getting his RS back this year...but er' ...the
Casey situation....not alot been going right for this team... the new recruits seem to be positive....so I'll take
that as a + and hope for the best on signing day....

This post was edited on 11/25 11:11 AM by the Blades

 

[the Blades]

More tweetes from DC at yesterdays presser for what it's worth:
https://twitter.com/desmondconner/status/537294708385775616

" Diaco said he has a long way to go but has learned so much as a head coach.....

like RT Andreas Knappe, I'm growing, too"

" We really feel bad the record is the way it is. It hurts that our fans not enjoying Saturdays like
need to and will be.......we're going to get it solved. The problem has been identified. We've

enacted an action plan to solve it. It's an awesome fanbase and I'm anxious to grow it.'

Diaco on Jefferson Ashiru: "he decided he didn't want to be on the team anymore. I wish him the

best. He's a fine young man."



"Diaco said he can't say whether Boyle will start Saturday yet has to see production during the week"

And from outside the program Even ex-Uconn QB Micheal Nebrich takes notice of his former team mates to DC:
Michael Nebrich[/B]@

" kids are droppin like flies"
This post was edited on 11/26 8:51 AM by the Blades

 

[the Blades]

I might as well give Dez a link to his follow-up story:

UConn Losses, On Field, On Roster, Keep On Mounting

 

[Shaggydog84]

Thx Blades
It's a very interesting situation with Ashiru. This happened a few yrs ago with Rutgers and evidently the player was lying to his parents. I'm absolutely not saying this is the case...just worth a mention. It's too bad either way. If it's HCBD, that's disappointing from my perspective..

 

[the Blades]

Originally posted by Shaggydog84:
Thx Blades
It's a very interesting situation with Ashiru. It's too bad either way. If it's HCBD, that's disappointing from my perspective..

Very true...who knows what really happened but not doing everything possible to keep a starter and supposed
good student on the team when your down to 60 or so scholly players just doesn't pass the smell test...which
then goes back to the interesting point you made about Diaco..

"i think i want my 1st year to be pretty bad. Not necessarily lose games on purpose, but it will look a
whole lot better if i'm 2-10 or 3-9 in year one, then 5-7 in yr 2, 7-5 in yr 3, etc. He gets a pass in yrs 1,
right? No matter how bad. Next yr maybe he looks like the savior "

So Is he resume building ???
Since he seems to be in no hurry to win. Is it let's get things right by stripping the team of veteran players and
playing young guys that will make mistakes....or just future resume building ...because unlike TJ Weist
he already has the HC job ? The reason I bring up TJ is he worked with what he had...actually had a very clear
offensive plan and didn't sound like the "crack pot" or mad scientist Diaco does at times in press conferences.

Especially after HCBD's Uconn FB excitement and "feeling like a winner" tour which was a bunch of BS to the
fans this summer.......I guess time will tell what Diaco is doing but it seems like he's done everything possible
to make sure he can only go up...

 

[the Blades]

Desmond Conner[/B] @
Diaco on Ashiru's father basically saying he was forced out: "I was crushed. No shred of truth of it anywhere, headline
was wrong." ....." Junior Joseph won the job at Ashiru LB spot four weeks ago...he didn't like his new role "

This post was edited on 12/2 2:36 PM by the Blades

 

[Shaggydog84]

yeah, good point on all fronts. If the kid is a good kid, hard worker, good student, loyal, one would think HCBD would do anything he could to not make this happen.

Just read your last post on Diaco's reaction comments to the situation. We may never know although I'm hoping Diaco did the right thing here. If the players telling the truth, that's not a good sign for current players and we could see more attrition, which would just put us back a few more yrs. I keep telling myself he's the real deal, give him time, don't over react. I also keep thinking about the player from a decent program in NJ he reneg'd on (if my memory is correct) and the coach wasn't too happy about that. Can't burn bridged, esp in NJ and esp where we are league-wise.

Hopefully the truth eventually comes out Blades. I will hold my judgement until i see next years team perform. I need to have that pre-season excitement. Should be interesting if nothing else.

 

[the Blades]

Originally posted by Shaggydog84:
I also keep thinking about the player from a decent program in NJ he reneg'd on (if my memory is correct) and the coach wasn't too happy about that. Can't burn bridged, esp in NJ and esp where we are league-wise.

Are you thinking of the Ben Hartwick update who was injured but is now a 2016 gray shirt ?

 

[the Blades]

I also just read: Jeff Jacobs: Getting To The Bottom Of The Jefferson Ashiru Departure

 

[Shaggydog84]

No, not Hartwich. I'll have to see if i can figure out who it was. I think Diaco didn't think he was going to be eligible but the kids h.s. coach said that he would be. I thought that Diaco then reneg'd on the offer and the coach was upset. Had to be at least a few months ago.

 

[Shaggydog84]

I was gonna say this sounds like the Alex Oriakhi situation...but that's probably not fair as every situation is different.

Blades, one of the things I tell the parents of the kids i coach is that they will have a wide variety of coaches throughout their playing days....and that a kid should never not play a sport he/she truly loves due to the coach. The variety of coaches is one of the things that should make the player stronger. I'm always getting a parent saying her son doesn't want to play a certain sport because of the coach....ugh. Ultimately the player looks back and wishes they played.

I think what i'm getting at here is this....If true, it sounds like the kid is a good kid, but maybe a bit immature. I don't want to say he doesn't have the heart cuz i don't know him...However, "He cried like he's never cried before". Really? I know we need every player we can, but i'm guessing in the end this was the right decision. Now, I would be estatic if he has it in him to pick himself up and go talk to his HS and str8en things out. Whether he decides to play is not the focus here. I guess, from the flip side it might behove Diaco to talk to Jefferson as well.