With the possibility of a bowl game appearance now out of reach for UConn (2-7, 1-4 AAC), the team will concentrate on becoming a better group for the future. Now that the pressure of winning out is out of the picture, the Huskies won’t be focusing on wins as much as figuring out the depth of the team going forward.
A 35-21 loss to Army eliminated UConn’s chances at an even .500 season under first-year head coach Bob Diaco and with three conference games left on the schedule, the Huskies could be headed for a consecutive year with three wins or less. It’s a rebuilding year if there ever was one in college football.
“We get better every day. We’re a bad football team,” said Diaco following the loss. “We’re just way less bad than we were when I got here in December, so, it was a giant mess, colossal. And now it’s still a mess, but it’s less of a mess, a lot smaller mess.”
It goes without saying that the offense needs the most refining, and that’s what we will examine for the rest of the season and beyond.
Senior quarterback Chandler Whitmer will finish his collegiate career with two more home games split between a road date against Memphis. Tim Boyle will be under center next season, as announced by Diaco earlier this year. The 6-foot-3 in-state product has appeared in six games so far this year, compared to the four he started last season, but could see more minutes down the stretch as he tries to adapt back into a starting role. Nevertheless, it’s Whitmer’s season to play out.
Much like how this year started for the Husky quarterbacks, the running backs will likely head into the 2015 campaign with unclear expectations of who will be the lead back. Junior Max DeLorenzo has provided UConn with a steady run game for the majority of the past three seasons, but as of late he’s been incognito. After reaching the end zone five times last year, DeLorenzo has yet to score this season as a trio of freshman have bit into his time.
Ron Johnson, Arkeel Newsome and Joshua Marriner have all accounted for at least one touchdown this season, which poses a problem that’s not so bad to have. Johnson has eclipsed DeLorenzo for the team lead in rushing yards with his 48 yards against the Army Black Knights. However, Newsome has seemed to have caught the eye of the coaching staff with explosive plays in the run game, pass game and special teams.
Going forward, it will be interesting to see how these backs play in the final three games. Newsome should be etched into next year’s run game, but a complementary between-the-tackles runner is needed — whether that is the lone upperclassman DeLorenzo or another young powerful back.
If Saturday’s loss showed how much UConn’s offense missed wide receiver Geremy Davis, it will be tough to imagine life without him as he takes his talents to the next level after this season. It’s possible that Davis duplicates his sophomore year stats, but it was last season’s 1,000-yard campaign that put him on the NFL radar.
Without Davis going forward, the Husky offense will look toward the likes of Deshon Foxx, Noel Thomas and a pair of tight ends. Foxx has seen time takings snaps in the Wildcat formation, but placing your top receiver for next year as a quarterback on special occasions limits what the defense should expect.
Then, there’s the offensive line.
Despite the penalties and the early bumps in the road, this unit has shown improvement in protecting the quarterback in recent games. Center Alex Mateas will need to be replaced after this year, but the rest is up to recruiting and discipline. Extra experience given down the stretch of this season should be an early test for next year’s depth.
The UConn offense will be revamped next year and the remainder of the season might give us an initial look at what is to come for the future of the program.
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