2015 UConn Football: The Drive for P5

StuckOnYouk

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Bernie has forced me to do what I've been waiting for a few others on SOSH to do - start the one and only 2015 UConn Football thread. Well here it is. Your welcome.
 
UConn, 2-10 last year, has already matched their win total in 2015 with wins over Villanova and Army. Yes, it's Villanova and Army. But on the flipside these are two games UConn definitely would have lost in 2014 (Hell, they DID lose to Army in 2014). Bob Diaco's task is simple. Get UConn's football program back to showing up in bowl games, even if they are meaningless...hopefully by 2016. Then hope and pray for a life raft from a Power 5 conference. 
 
The big test is coming up - traveling to #21 Missouri, where UConn is a 24 point underdog. Game is at Noon on ESPN. Keep it interesting into the second half and stay around 2 TD's and I'll be ecstatic. After Mizzou comes Navy and all-about-the-drama BYU. Daunting stuff. Down the road look for Houston and Temple to be ranked following some nice out-of-conference wins to start the year. The American is rising!
 
The 2015 Schedule
 
9/3 vs. Villanova (W 20-15)
9/12 vs. Army (W 22-17)
 
9/19 @ #22 Missouri
9/26 vs. Navy
10/2 @ #19 BYU
10/10 @ UCF
10/17 vs. USF
10/24 @ Cincinnati
10/30 vs. East Carolina
11/7 @ Tulane
11/21 vs. Houston
11/28 @ Temple
 

Dan Murfman

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The other football. Joe Morrone has passed away at 79. Before JC and Geno there was Joe Morrone. He built the soccer into a national contender winning and won NC title in '81. One of 4 college coaches to win 400 games. I don't think I missed a home game my time at UConn. Fun times.
 

Deathofthebambino

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UCONN with the early lead 6-2 against Missouri on the road, and looking really good.  They converted an interception into a touchdown.  They just faked a punt that worked.  Now, they really punted, and the Missouri player may have touched it without realizing it, and it'll be UCONN ball deep in Missouri territory. 
 
Missouri favored by 23.5 in this game. 
 

StuckOnYouk

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6-2 at the half, really ugly game but we dont give a rats ass. UConn's defense is playing great, they're offense is meh and Diaco is pulling out the trick plays on the road as a big underdog - as he should.
 
Can't expect a win at this point, I think Missouri is gonna come out pissed off to start the second, but I'm just happy we somehow have the lead at the half on the road at an SEC stadium. The way things went last year, who would have thought....
 
IF UConn finds a way to hold on, I can start thinking bowl game this year....it's been awhile.
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

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Hard to compete if you have nobody who can kick a football. Can't they grab someone from the soccer team?
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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Really a shame UConn couldn't find a way to win that.

But jeebus what an ugly game. Both teams played badly
 

Dan Murfman

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We're not a P5 team but the Big 10 says we count as the their P5 scheduling requirement.
 
https://twitter.com/McMurphyESPN/status/646342858312708097
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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Dan Murfman said:
We're not a P5 team but the Big 10 says we count as the their P5 scheduling requirement.
 
https://twitter.com/McMurphyESPN/status/646342858312708097
 
Rutgers keeps beshitting itself.  Could he B10 be playing footsie with UConn as a potential Northeast/NYC outpost?  
 
I've lived in NYC for 20+ years, and I think UConn gets more love from NYC fans and media than Rutgers (across the board, all sports, I would say Syracuse has the highest profile in that time, although they've stumbled lately; UConn is close behind).  No one gives two fucks for Rutgers.
 
I keep hoping that UConn football will do well enough that UConn would get a sniff from a real league, since it's otherwise attractive (decent sized and affluent media market, visibility in NYC market, men's hoops stays relevant despite lousy conference status, women's hoops a marquee/revenue program, decent profile in some other sports, academically not an embarrassment, only moderately corrupt as these things go).
 
Losing 9-6 games on the road won't help that, but what the hell, let's dream a little.
 

WayBackVazquez

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OilCanShotTupac said:
 
Rutgers keeps beshitting itself.  Could he B10 be playing footsie with UConn as a potential Northeast/NYC outpost?  
 
 
I don't think so. There are at quite a few B10 schools that would oppose the admission of a non-ND school that was not a member of the AAU. And if they were going to make exceptions, I don't see UConn as being one.
 

Clears Cleaver

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Uconn is in the process of applying for admission to the AAU. In fact, everything the school has done academically and athletically has positioned itself to be admitted to the B1G. The problems are obvious...the football team stinks and no one goes to see them play, and they are not yet AAU, and there isn't a second school to enter with them (kansas would be the obvious other school) 
 

StuckOnYouk

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Clears, the football team is headed in the right direction, IMO. Last year they would have lost all 3 games played so far. Shierrefs is light years ahead of most of our previous QB's in terms of protecting the ball and Diaco is putting together a decent recruiting class when you would think he would be hitting difficulties out on the trail.
 
I'm really curious to see how they do against Navy's pain-in-the-ass triple option and then out at BYU. Win one of those next 2 and that puts them at 3-2 and then who knows what happens. This is a pretty young team, find me a way to get 5 wins this year and I really think next year's team could take a nice leap into being a good, formidable football team against anyone who's not an elite program.
And if they do win, they will get most of their fanbase back. I know there will be a few who just won't come back unless we play a P5 conference schedule, but what can you do. One can't put into words just how much damage Paul Pasquoloni and his buddy George DeLeone did to the program in just 3 years.
 
And agreed on them trying like hell to impress the B1G with everything they are doing, especially with research, all the money the state is pouring into STEM, etc. Will it work? Who knows. I wouldn't bet the ranch on it, but you might as well try to put yourself in that position because we have too many enemies in the ACC between the football schools in the south and the basketball schools up north that don't want us on a level playing field in football.
 
It's a joke that we aren't in a P5 conference, but I keep talking myself into believing it will happen somehow, someway.
 

Clears Cleaver

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I agree with everything you said. Its absurd the position the school and athletic department is in, especially when you see some P5 schools that bring almost nothing to the table athletically or academically or demographically.
 
I am not a Diaco fan, but the defense looks better and the offense is now pedestrian as opposed to infantile. The Navy line was Navy -10.5 and is now -6...win that one and then maybe you can create some buzz. the 10pm game Friday night at BYU is not going to register in CT even if they can somehow win...lol
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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Watching UConn get worn down by the Navy running game was utterly predictable. In addition to the wishbone/option stuff, Navy had a couple of fullbacks who must have been 275 pounders. By the middle of the third quarter you could see that they were enjoying the contact a lot more than the UConn tacklers.
 

Dan Murfman

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So next year we have Virginia and Syracuse. So why bother with BCU at all. I have zero interest playing them. I thought Father Leahy the good Jesuit that he is was going to  refuse to play UConn.
 

StuckOnYouk

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I want to play them. Hell I want the entire Big East back together. General Lee ended up getting his revenge 150 years later when the ACC tore up the best basketball conference in the country. And our football was pretty close to the ACC in terms of quality despite the reputation out there.
But anyway yes let's play them again.
 

StuckOnYouk

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OilCanShotTupac said:
Watching UConn get worn down by the Navy running game was utterly predictable. In addition to the wishbone/option stuff, Navy had a couple of fullbacks who must have been 275 pounders. By the middle of the third quarter you could see that they were enjoying the contact a lot more than the UConn tacklers.
If it makes you feel better Navy is going to beat Notre Dame this week IMO.
That BS fumble that wasn't called on the punt completely changed the game. We would have had a shot to win.
 

Doug Beerabelli

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It would be fun.   6-7 years ago this could have been a pretty big game.   Not so much now, but perhaps it'll kindle a spark of interest in Division 1 BCS college football in New England.  
 
BC would seem to have more to lose than UConn, but it likely would get a good crowd coming up from CT.   Easy drive from Storrs.
 

yeahlunchbox

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Dan Murfman said:
So next year we have Virginia and Syracuse. So why bother with BCU at all. I have zero interest playing them. I thought Father Leahy the good Jesuit that he is was going to  refuse to play UConn.
 
This kind of whining exposes UConn fans for the frauds they are. You guys complain that BC won't schedule you in football even though you have no rivalry to speak of with them but you have no problem when your basketball team freezes out New England state schools that you actually had rivalries with. Rhode Island is far and away your most played rival with 145 games even though you haven't played us since the 2000-01 season. New Hampshire is second at 116, with Massachusetts third on the list with 108 games. You guys think you're above playing A10 schools in basketball, why wouldn't an ACC school think they're above playing UConn in football?
 

Dan Murfman

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yeahlunchbox said:
 
This kind of whining exposes UConn fans for the frauds they are. You guys complain that BC won't schedule you in football even though you have no rivalry to speak of with them but you have no problem when your basketball team freezes out New England state schools that you actually had rivalries with. Rhode Island is far and away your most played rival with 145 games even though you haven't played us since the 2000-01 season. New Hampshire is second at 116, with Massachusetts third on the list with 108 games. You guys think you're above playing A10 schools in basketball, why wouldn't an ACC school think they're above playing UConn in football?
Where did I complain about BCU not play UConn?
 

StuckOnYouk

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hey man, you're preaching to the choir, I love when we play local programs. UConn is a new england school and should keep to its roots when it can. 
 
UConn is playing Maine and UNH this year and I think we've just played a series with Harvard, who is a very good hoops program as far as non-UConn new england hoops schools go. We played a 10-game series against UMass that ended what, 5 or 10 years ago? Maybe UConn just wanted a break with the UMass stuff since we won 9 of those games.... But I have heard rumors that in the upcoming years UConn will be looking into playing more teams like URi, UMass, Providence and I would assume BC if this football thing happens...which it sounds like it probably will as of now. 
 
So cheer up bud.
 

Doug Beerabelli

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The denouement of the Big East into the current situation has messed up quite of bit of the history of the teams in regard to opponents.   Money has done the same.   Things are still shaking out, and perhaps some games that make a lot of sense in many sports will get back on the schedule.
 
Heck, UConn got into Hockey East.   Perhaps BC/UCONN football will actually occur.   And the PC/UMass/BC/URI  v. UCONN hoops games would be great to have happen again.   Might cost a game or two with an in state rival, however.  Not sure how really important that is to UConn.   UConn has to use its OOC hoops schedule to maximize quality opponents - thanks AAC!
 

RedOctober3829

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yeahlunchbox said:
 
This kind of whining exposes UConn fans for the frauds they are. You guys complain that BC won't schedule you in football even though you have no rivalry to speak of with them but you have no problem when your basketball team freezes out New England state schools that you actually had rivalries with. Rhode Island is far and away your most played rival with 145 games even though you haven't played us since the 2000-01 season. New Hampshire is second at 116, with Massachusetts third on the list with 108 games. You guys think you're above playing A10 schools in basketball, why wouldn't an ACC school think they're above playing UConn in football?
 Last year UConn played Yale, Central CT, Bryant.  In 2013-14, they scheduled Yale, BU, and Maine.  In 2012 they played UVM, QU, UNH, and Harvard.  So they do play regional universities.  The state universities they play are guarantee games.  Because of the conference situation, UConn has to maximize their non-conference schedule moreso than a Power 5 conference team.  They need to schedule big games out of conference because their conference stinks then they fill in with guarantee games.  As a UConn fan, I'd like to see them play URI. 
 

yeahlunchbox

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Where did I complain about BCU not play UConn?
I apologize, I must have read too much into your post.

For the record, if I was Sports King, I would have URI and UConn play every year, with the game at Mohegan Sun and a 50/50 split of tickets. Mohegan Sun is about half way between the two campuses, gets UConn a game in a part of their home state they don't normally play and Mohegan Sun could probably give UConn enough to make up what they'd lose having a true home game. And obviously it would be great for URI to have UConn on their schedule.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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A college football game at a casino has <0% chance of happening, regardless of how good the idea might otherwise be
 

yeahlunchbox

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They play a college basketball tournament every year at Mohegan, no reason they couldn't play a yearly game there outside of the tournament
 

yeahlunchbox

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So my cousin and I are bored today so we're coming to the game from northern RI. This is our first UConn football game. Any tips or tricks for parking or tailgating? Any seating sections we should aim for or avoid? Thanks for your help
 

Dan Murfman

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So my cousin and I are bored today so we're coming to the game from northern RI. This is our first UConn football game. Any tips or tricks for parking or tailgating? Any seating sections we should aim for or avoid? Thanks for your help
Don't really worry about seats. The place is going to be half empty and you'll be able to sit where you want. It should be a fun game.
 

StuckOnYouk

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Tailgating is always fun, good expansive areas, security for the most part leaves everyone alone.

Only expecting 25K or so, so seats shouldn't be a problem.

This is the kind of game UConn has played well in an underdog role when they have a decent team - at home, cool/cold weather by kickoff...usually the defense steps up. I'll have no voice tomorrow, hopefully for good reason. Time to go to a bowl game again.
 

Clears Cleaver

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nice call Youk!!!

Great schemes by the D and no turnovers. I hope this finally puts the Pasqualoni era to bed. Let's go bowling!
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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So... Not to be confused with Alabama, but not a tire fire anymore. 3 wins in a row, beat a ranked team, eligible for the Lou's Used Cars and Hemorrhoid Cream Bowl. Progress.

Still would love to get out of the American, but with Temple, Navy, Houston, Memphis and even South Florida, league was surprisingly decent this year.

Not ever expecting a national title, but Not a Laughingstock would be nice. Step in the right direction this year.
 

Clears Cleaver

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The AAC is not materially worse than the ACC this year. Navy lost their QB in the first QB against ND, or else that game would have come down to the 4Q. Houston and Memphis lost their QBs as well. Temple is a legit top 25 team. Conference still sucks to be in, but as a football quality discussion it has been pretty good.

#B1Gplease
 

WayBackVazquez

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The AAC is not materially worse than the ACC this year.
That's a pretty tough assertion to support. Sagarin has the ACC closer to the SEC than the AAC, and that seems right. The ACC has 7-8 Top 50ish teams, where the AAC has 4-5. And the very top and very bottom of the ACC are both much better than their AAC counterparts. I'd say the difference is easily "material."
 

VORP Speed

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UConn can become the first school to win a basketball nat'l championship and a football bowl game in the same building.

Edit: actually it's been done before....should have known better than to listen to the UConn fan that told me that
 
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