UConn Huskies head football coach Bob Diaco held his weekly pregame press conference on Tuesday afternoon in anticipation of Saturday’s Homecoming Game against the Central Florida Knights and talked about a myriad of things.
Diaco got things kicked off by saying it was nice to start off with another conventional game week for the second week in a row. He said it was also nice to start the week up after a victory.
He stated they face an incredible challenge against Army this week and they are excited to be playing at Yankee Stadium.
He said the culture is taking root and that they talk about how to handle things win or lose. He stated they go to the contest expecting to win.
He said Army plays a mostly run offense and has just a handful of passes on the season. He said it’s an absolute nightmare to defend them. He said when they pass, they are typically point producing passes or ones that set up points.
He said it’s an awesome offense and isn’t sure why more teams don’t run it.
With Army’s primarily run offense, Diaco said that the Huskies can’t squander their opportunities because it could be a while before they get back on the field.
Diaco stated that he enjoys Yankee Stadium. He’s taken many trips with his family who has four season tickets. His favorite memory though is playing football there when he coached at Notre Dame.
He said this is great exposure for UConn.
He stated that they have no plan for when Deshon Foxx goes in at QB. It’s more of a feel thing. He reiterated that Foxx not only practices at WR but also at QB during each practice. He said it takes a certain maturity level for a player to be able to do that. He also said that Foxx can throw the ball well on the move.
When asked about leadership from the younger players, he said it’s time for that group of 4th year players to get moving with real leadership. Andrew Adams, Graham Stewart, Tyler Samra were among the names he reeled off.
He said the young corners did a great job especially with the challenging conditions. They were all very disciplined with their footwork.
He said that facing Army is an incredible challenge for everyone on defense.
Diaco stated that Junior Joseph is primarily the 1st and 2nd down LB. It also depends on what is being called so Jefferson Ashiru could be in their as well. He said that Joseph is great on D at down hill runs.
He said the Army offense is so complex, so fast. They have limited time with game answers and Army usually has an answer for yours.
He stated it’s so disruptive to schedule as far as preparation and then going week to week from facing a team like Army to back to conventional defense. He stated that it’s physically taxing.
I asked him about his past experience of coaching at Yankee Stadium and how that will affect his preparation with the team. He said that it really is a lot different now than when he coached at ND. It was the first time a game had been played there.
He said that Reuben Frank does a great job of getting in the backfield.
He said that Luke Carrezola and Cameron Stapleton are similar bigger body players. Cam has great hold at the point of attack and that he brings another of level of athleticism.
He stated that Geremy Davis has been cleared to participate in practice and should be able to go this weekend.
He said that Noel Thomas is a very talented WR and continues his maturity off the field as well as on it. He said he’s big, fast, has good hands and is very competitive.
He stated that the team has enough players to be a good team but they aren’t a good team yet. But they will be. He said they need to continue to work on things that cause losing and work on things that cause winning.
He stated that the younger group of guys are going to be a nightmare for teams down the road with the experience they’re gaining this year.
He said Jamar Summers blocked field goal was a huge and gave them a big momentum shift.
He stated Army plays a 3-4, they move a lot of players and put a lot of pressure on the offense. He said they more of an attacking 3-4 then a stand alone 3-4. I also asked him if playing running teams this past year has helped in preparation and that it will help.
Diaco said that when he’s recruiting if a player asks him about weather, he’ll move on because he knows that player isn’t right for UConn. He said that recruiters down south plant seeds like that when visiting recruits.
He finished up by basically agreeing with whatever Bill Belichick says about meteorologists when he was asked about what Belichick said last week about them.
We’ll be back this week with more from the press conference as the team prepares to play Army.
I will be at Yankee Stadium this weekend and will be down on the sidelines taking pictures as usual.
