UConn Huskies QB Chandler Whitmer Playing Best Stretch of His Career

It took some major convincing from head coach Bob Diaco for quarterback Chandler Whitmer to stick with UConn’s football program for the 2014 campaign, but after taking the backseat to Casey Cochran in a preseason competition, Whitmer now finds himself as the starter and playing the best stretch of football in his career.

The senior played most of the 2012 season as the starter only to lose his starting job the next year after four disappointing games.

Now, it’s all his.

Whitmer has posted an Adjusted QBR of at least 50 for the last three games — a first for his career.

Much has changed since UConn’s three-point loss to USF earlier this season when Whitmer only attempted nine passes the entire game, where his QBR was in the single-digits in back-to-back losses to the Bulls and Temple.

In the team’s second road game of the year against Tulane, the UConn offense couldn’t muster up a touchdown, despite Whitmer throwing for more yards than the Green Wave’s Nick Montana. An early substitution for backup Tim Boyle seemed to give Whitmer the extra kick that he needed to prove himself going forward. The scoreboard didn’t end up in the Huskies’ favor, but Whitmer threw for a season-best 70.8 percent completion rate.

A bye week before the team’s next contest proved to be valuable, especially going up against the top team in the conference, the ECU Pirates. As 28-point underdogs, the Huskies almost upset the Pirates behind Whitmer’s 303 passing yards and three total touchdowns. A strong last eight minutes of play secured the victory for ECU, but the performances by both UConn and Whitmer cannot be ignored. Whitmer’s QBR of 66.4 was higher than Shane Carden’s (61.6), who is the conference leader in passing yards.

The Huskies would return to Rentschler Field for homecoming, and Whitmer did not disappoint. He only threw for 142 yards, but provided two touchdown passes for the second straight game as UConn handed UCF its first conference loss ever. Two consecutive impressive showings against teams that often occupy the top two or three spots in our AAC Power Rankings is nothing to shy away from. Whitmer has found comfort in the pocket with a tweak in the offensive game plan.

Some of the biggest differences in the last few games for Whitmer has been Diaco’s trust, taking chances down the field and the pressure taken off the offensive line.

After dubbing sophomore Tim Boyle as the “quarterback of the future,” Diaco is sticking with seniority for this year, and it seems to be paying off. Whitmer doesn’t hesitate as much as he did, and he can maneuver his way around the pocket better. The opportunities to sling the ball downfield are being seized more. The green light is there to let plays develop more often, but that also means the protection has to step up.

Whitmer has already been sacked 24 times this year, which leads the conference in the category you don’t want to be No. 1 in.

However, the coaching staff has designed plays to get the ball out of Whitmer’s hands in a hurry to avoid the constant pressure in the trenches. Screen passes and short routes spread the field and make defenses have to protect the entire line of scrimmage. This results in more time in the pocket when deeper routes are called on as the defense has to respect the quick development of plays that are being called.

If the past few weeks foreshadow anything, it’s that the competition no longer matters for Whitmer. Quality quarterback play often translates into quality wins, and with the outings against the recent opposition, there is no reason why the Huskies cannot turn around their season behind Whitmer’s improved play.