STORY UPDATE: UConn quarterback Casey Cochran has ended his football career due to multiple concussions, making Chandler Whitmer the clear starter for the rest of the season. Tim Boyle, who Bob Diaco has redshirted this year, is now the No. 2 moving forward.
UConn QB Casey Cochran’s career is over due to multiple concussions, UConn says.
— Ed Daigneault (@EdDaigneault) September 8, 2014
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Gotta feel for Cochran. Class kid. In school release, Bob Diaco says Cochran has interesting in coaching and team will help in that.
— Ed Daigneault (@EdDaigneault) September 8, 2014
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It wasn’t pretty, but a win is a win.
Stony Brook fought until the very end and gave UConn a run for its money, but eventually Bob Diaco earned his first win in an ugly fashion by a score of 19-16.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2qor8BJ5Do?list=UUCpTipFQZJNTTpIFx-j-aSg]Chandler Whitmer was named the starting quarterback for this lackluster Week 2 matchup after Casey Cochran was ruled out with an upper-body injury mid-week. Reports are saying that the sophomore sustained a concussion after the team’s loss to BYU.
Nevertheless, Whitmer’s 17th career start did not go smoothly.
Against an FCS defense in Stony Brook, Whitmer fumbled early without being hit. The redshirt senior did not show poise under pressure and was lucky to not have two or more turnovers on the day.
For every accurate throw Whitmer completed, it seemed like there were two or three overthrows on relatively easy targets. When UConn was able to drive down the field in the second quarter, Whitmer threw an absolute dud on 3rd-and-goal.
Overthrow after overthrow.
Whether it was nerves or feeling the pressure of the Seawolves’ front line, the silver lining of Whitmer’s performance would have to be that he did not underthrow any pass. Perhaps playing it safe, Whitmer would have definitely thrown a pick or two if he didn’t overshoot his receiver on half of his pass attempts.
His lone touchdown pass was his best throw of the day. If it wasn’t Geremy Davis on the receiving end of it, the pass may have not been caught at all. Thrown into a small window into the right corner of the endzone, I still credit Davis and his NFL-caliber skill with the score.
At halftime leading 12-10, there was some concern that Whitmer would not start the second half. Diaco stated before the season that he would like to redshirt the sophomore backup quarterback Tim Boyle, and he kept to his word as Whitmer came back out for the second half.
The overthrows did not stop, but Whitmer was able to step up in the pocket and at least look like he had the mechanics of Casey Cochran. He finished 12-of-27 with 142 yards and a touchdown.
The quarterback position battle should be settled now if Cochran is able to play next week against Boise State. Cochran was suited up on the sidelines with a headset and a clipboard and seemed to be healthy despite sitting out.
Diaco had to convince Whitmer to remain with the program to compete for the starting job after the senior had thoughts of leaving UConn. The Newnan, Georgia native lost the first four games in last year’s 3-9 campaign before losing the starting gig.
Instincts tell me this was a test for the backup quarterback and how he would respond to having his name called. Diaco has no reason other than injury to start Cochran from here on out.
In other words, quit on Whit.
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