Filed under: Uncategorized
After another dubious season by HCRE (that’s Head Coach Randy Edsall), I felt now was as perfect as a time as ever to reflect on the past. Perhaps the only thing I wrote on this blog that turned out to be correct (I really thought the Orioles future was bright and that the Royals were on their way to being serious players in the AL Central) was the one post that I deleted!
It was a post in which I received hate emails for, a post entitled, “Connecticut Football is a Joke” written in September 2009. After reading articles by John Feinstein of the Washington Post, and Jeff Jacobs of the Hartford Courant about the latest “successful season” in the eyes of Randy Edsall, I thought now was the perfect time to resurrect the past.
Before I begin, I do have to state the reason I deleted the post. I deleted the post because after the horrendous tragedy of Jasper Howard, I didn’t think it was fair to have a negative article about Randy Edsall on a website associated with myself. I would never take something down because the majority of people called me a coward or an idiot, and that is NOT the reason I deleted this post. In fact, it was left up for over a year after I wrote it.
After reading the articles by the aforementioned people, thanks to the Wayback Machine (and a little help from the Bleacher Report), I went back and found this article. It turns out everything I wrote back in 2009 about Randy Edall is exactly echoed in the article written by Feinstein, after just one season of him covering Maryland football. Of course, since he has a little more credibility, I can totally understand why thousands of people read his, while roughly 60 read mine!
Before I repost the article, I am going to share the email I wrote to Feinstein this morning (written before I went back and read my original work):
FROM A DIEHARD UCONN FAN TO MARYLAND: THANK YOU!
John,
What a great article about Randy Edsall! I feel for you, but as a diehard UConn fan, all I have to say is thank you Maryland! Even during my time at UConn as a student, working for the Athletic department, and covering his post-game press conferences, I couldn’t stand his smugness, and constant “Like I saids”. Even worse than that was his “uh, uh”, or the ability to start a sentence and completely stop in the middle of it and start a new one.
Anyone who seldom understands the game of football can understand that he ran a gloried high school offense at a Division 1 football program at UConn. All they did was run the football! Ask yourself this question – if Donald Brown goes to any other school in which they play a balanced offense, do you think he is a first round pick? ‘Tis why DJ Shomate transferred in!
The only big time recruits he got? Jerrell Miller transferred before playing a game, Zack Frazier got benched in favor of a true freshman, and if it wasn’t for his one five yard catch ever-three-games, who would have known Dwayne Difton was on the team? Aaron Hernandez reneged on a commitment he made to UConn only so his dad could see him play, and then when his father unfortunately passed, Aaron left for Florida faster than than N.C. State can score on Maryland.
He completely alienated all the high school coaches in this state. In fact, Graham Stuart chose BC (I can’t believe BC is stopping the ACC from taking us, what a joke), yes BC, over UConn because his high school football coach had a bad relationship with Randy. Amari Spivey? Yeah, he chose Iowa.
Nothing against his players who always got better by the time they graduated, but it doesn’t take a smart one to know that when 1.) a recruit chooses UConn over Buffalo and Ohio, they feel like they should have received more big time offers, and because of that 2.) play with a chip on their shoulders. Similar to a Cinderella in the NCAA Tournament, of course they are going to play their hardest and do whatever they can to prove to the world that he should be playing for that big-time program. And that is what helped Randy achieved “success” at UConn.
I always thought my alma mater was stuck with him for the long haul because he won games in a “classy” manner, and I NEVER thought a big time program – even if he wore a sign around his neck that said “I’ll work for food” - would hire him. At a big time program such as Maryland, in which athletics is of huge importance, I have to ask this question…did anyone at Maryland ever watch a UConn football game in which Randy Edsall was coach? Because if they did, I’d be stuck with him forever! I’m probably the only fan of a D1 program that can say this, but I was never more happy to see Paul Pasqualoni!
And now, the article as appeared on The Spendid Splitter back in September 2009:
CONNECTICUT FOOTBALL IS A JOKE
I’m hoping I generate a lot of readers on this because they need to understand that Connecticut Football is a joke.
I’m a huge UConn fan myself, but you have to get over the hype people…they’re never going to be anything special as long as Randy Edsall is at the helm.
The University of Michigan football program ought to be celebrating that they didn’t seriously grant Edsall an interview. Coach Rodriguez’s troubles are nothing compared to what Edsall would have done to that program talent-wise.
Watching the whole game against North Carolina, I’ll agree that UConn has a really good defense. However, you’re nine years into rebuilding and telling everyone you’re a premeire football program in the nation when really, UConn is no better than your local high school football team. The thing too is that they don’t have to be. They have some playmakers who are held back by our wonderful head coach.
I’m sick of it Edsall. I’m sick and tired of watching an anemic offense out on the field. If you’re going to run the ball everytime, fine. Go play against a high school team. It would be a great game and not the snooze-fest I’m used to seeing on offense from the Huskies.
UConn has a terrible excuse for a passing game. I love it (sarcasm people) – UConn’s passing game consists of two, three, of if they’re thinking big, seven yard passes! Somehow they think they can win like that at this level of college football.
It’s funny because they play in the same Division as Georgia, Florida, Texas, USC and somehow there’s Connecticutin that same division. In reality, if this program somehow makes a BCS Bowl sometime in the near future, they’re going to get smoked by quite possibly one of those aforementioned programs. As a fan, I know that since the BIG EAST is a weak conference, they’ll always have a shot at one. I cringe at the thought of UConn in a BCS Bowl game on National television. It would be a detriment to this program to get beat 43-0 in a high-stakes bowl game. The funny thing too is that if UConn could manage 20 passing yards in that game, it would be a moral victory, just like the BIG EAST title. More on that later.
Edsall gets mad that ESPN and news outlets always criticize his recruiting classes. The only kids he can get here are players with very minimal D-1 scholarships, or scholarships from other schools like Ohio and other joke D-1 colleges like that. While I respect every single player on the UConn team for going out there and making themselves into really good football players, as I fan I want to see a guy who comes in highly-touted. Basically, I want a reason to get excited about UConn football! Two or three star recruits are fine, but it’s been nine years and the most highly-touted UConn recruit before this year never played one game in a UConn uniform. (That’s Jarell Miller.)
Finally, UConn gets a hyped recruit in Dwayne Difton and a top-recruited QB transfer in Zack Frazier and they are utilized in the worst possible way. Difton has proven he can handle all those three-yarders that are thrown his way. The coaching staff wants Frazier to improve but how can he when you call plays that don’t let him open the field? UConn is the only program in the nation that can make good players look bad and bad players look good.
It’s to the point now where it’s impossible as a UConn fan to tolerate it. Wonder why fans come into games late? What’s the big deal? It’s not like they missed anything exciting. Maybe three series of run, run, punt, or run, two-yard pass, one-yard screen pass, punt. Yeah…suddenly the tailgating seems more of a good time correct me if I’m wrong.
This program needs to take the next step if it wants to compete. It needs to start throwing the ball. If they lose seven games because of it then fine. It’s actually progress for the next season and to show top-rated recruits that you’re willing to open up the field for them and let them make plays.
I’m sick of the high school offense approach to try and win games. I’ve been a UConn fan since they turned to D-1 and in the last four years, I can’t remember one exciting play in UConn history. D.J. Hernandez’s two-point conversion attempt is probably the most exciting thing in this program’s history (shocking it was a run from two-yards out).
Oh, and for those of you who want to point out that UConn won the BIG EAST two years ago…hahahaha, get over yourselves! UConn shouldn’t even count that after getting smoked, and I mean smoked, by the team they “shared” the title with that year. How do you think those “West Virginiajust scored again” jokes came about?
Go ahead and pride yourself on winning Bowl games against Toledo and Buffalo. That’s not saying much. Edsall has done as much as he possible can here at UConn. He has built this progam from obscurity to minute. It’s time to hire someone else to take the next step.
Look at Brian Kelly at Cincinnati. In roughly four years, that program is on it’s way to being special. Face it UConn fans, as long as Randy is at the helm, International Bowls are this programs peak.
A former person I worked with who has since left UConn once told me Edsall is a good coach and that he’s done wonderful things here. While I respect his opinion a helluva lot, you guys have to start looking at reality. He’s DONE wonderful things. He’s NOT DOING wonderful things anymore, nor will he BE DOING any wonderful things in the future.
I’m tired of the news reporters who cater to Edsall. Can anyhow have the “you know what’s” to go into today’s post-game conference and ask Coach why so many short yard passes? How does that help? Why can’t a receiver do a ten-yard curl route? Why can’t Difton go down field? Why, why, why can’t we throw the ball back-to-back plays?
The only guy not afraid to ask Randy the tough questions is Desmond Connor. He tried that last year with the Tyler Lorenzen situation at Syracuse. All he got was attacked and insulted. Thank God for people like Desmond.
Look, if UConn wants to keep up the way they constantly run the ball then fine. Just don’t expect people to come to the games anymore. You want people to support you? Show us a good reason why we shouldn’t come out to the next UConn football game without a pillow and a blanket. Oh, and Rhode Islanddoesn’t count.
I’m telling you UConn fans, don’t let this University fool you anymore with they’re marketing campaigns to come out and support your Huskies. It’s not fair to all you hard-working people out there for UConn to steal money from you by subjecting you to the worst offense performances you have ever seen. The worst thing is the offense gets worse and worse each year. UConn has some players to do big things. It’s about time Frazier, Difton, and Todman can go to work.
Leave a Comment so far
Leave a comment
