Sitting at 1-5 and yet to win a conference game, it’s no surprise that UConn has failed to meet expectations in the first half of the season. First year head coach Bob Diaco’s only victory this year came against an FCS team in Stony Brook, and it was only by a mere three points.
After Casey Cochran was named the starting quarterback coming out of camp, he only played in one game before calling it quits on his career due to multiple concussions, causing Chandler Whitmer and Tim Boyle to step up in his absence. Offensively, the Huskies are only scoring 12.8 points per game.
On the other side of the ball, UConn has been able to hold opponents to an impressive 31 percent on converting third downs, good for 17th in the NCAA. Despite the lack of turnovers and big defensive plays, the defense has been the bright spot of this young team and keeps the Huskies from being blown out, and competing in the fourth quarter.
These grades won’t get you on the AAC honor roll, but there are six games left for improvement and building a foundation for the future.
Offense: D-
Senior quarterback Chandler Whitmer had to be convinced to come back to UConn’s football team prior to the season opener. A week later he found himself as the starter. Err…sorta. A week after attempting 29 passes against a competitive Boise State team, Diaco pulled the plug on the passing game and Whitmer only attempted nine passes against USF. Sophomore Tim Boyle has seen minimal time with his leg discomfort, and as a team, the Huskies have thrown six picks compared to their five touchdown passes
Defending the quarterback hasn’t been pretty either. The offensive line has given up 24 sacks — second most in the AAC. The front five hasn’t been able to compete with any defensive that they’ve played this year. Two freshmen have seen playing time on the O-line and even the impressive size of tackle Andreas Knappe cannot keep the quarterback safe.
The run game has seen changes, Diaco said last week, as freshman Arkeel Newsome and Ron Johnson will see an increased number of carries. Max DeLorenzo, the lone upperclassmen running back, started the season out getting the bulk of the carries, but only ran the ball once last week and it ended up as a safety for Tulane. Nevertheless, the offensive line can only improve, but at this point, it took a lot of generosity not to give this offense an F.
Defense: C
Despite the 1-5 record, three of those losses were by a combined 15 points. Without a doubt, the Huskies have their defense to thank for that. No, not the losses, but the ability to compete for four quarters against opponents.
Linebackers Marquise Vann and Graham Stewart are a solid core and a big reason why UConn is only allowing 121 rushing yards per game. Opponents aren’t trying the defensive captain, cornerback Byron Jones, but that isn’t slowing him down as he has a 70-yard interception return for a touchdown in the three-point loss to USF. This defense is showing signs of life, and would greatly benefit from playing with a lead — something as rare as a Tim Boyle sighting these days.
Special Teams: C+
Bobby Puyol has done his part when called on for kicking duties, except for a missed extra point and two field goals. One of his missed field goals seemed to be out of his range (45 yards) and it was his first attempt of the season.
Punter Justin Wain, who has a close relationship to Diaco, has been a bright spot for the Huskies this season. That alone says where the team stands, but Wain is averaging 41 yards per punt and cannot be overlooked when talking about this punt-friendly team.
The returners, Deshon Foxx and Newsome have been exciting in the open field — it’s exactly where you want them. Foxx clinched UConn’s sole win this season with a 72-yard punt return against Stony Brook and with opportunities, special teams can burn their opponent with firepower that lacks offensively.
Coaching: C
Two seasons ago, Diaco was the defensive coordinator for Notre Dame in the BCS Championship game. Those days are far gone in his first year as top dog for UConn. He’s as optimistic as they come, seems like a type of coach players want to play for and he even tests out your english vocabulary during his weekly press conferences. Diaco has an interesting way of saying his team is improving, but no where close to where he wants them to be.
As a defensive-minded guy, it’s interesting that he seems to be running a damage control style of defense for what seems to be three and a half quarters. He gets by this season for it being his first year, but if he doesn’t improve the direction of the program in the immediate future, Diaco may not have a home for long in Rentschler Field.
Overall: D
Nothing is going the Huskies’ way this season. Their 1-5 record is just the tip of the iceberg that we can all see. The bigger problems lie within. BYU and Boise State were losses out of the gate, but struggling at home against Stony Brook was just painful. UConn could easily be 0-6 with another embarrassing loss added to its resume.
The Huskies had their best chance at a conference win in the first half of the season against USF and Tulane. Going forward, it’s hard to see one coming up. Army will be a critical game played in a somewhat neutral location, but if UConn and SMU continue to occupy the bottom of the conference, we could see AAC’s 0-for bowl in the season finale between the two teams fighting for their first conference win.
Let’s remember, things get worse before they get better.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
