Why is nobody talking about how UConn's red zone touchdown percentage is gonna be the key to the entire season? Everyone's obsessed with the portal class sizes at Colorado and Oklahoma State, or the five-star hauls at Oregon and Texas. Meanwhile, we're sitting here in spring practice trying to figure out how to finish drives. Last season's red zone numbers were brutal, and that's what keeps independent teams from pulling upsets.
You can have all the yardage between the 20s you want, but if you're kicking field goals and the big programs are scoring touchdowns, you lose. Every time. The margin for error is zero. The new offensive pieces from the portal have to gel right now, in these spring sessions, specifically on those condensed field plays. It's about play-calling, execution, and a mindset that seven points is the only acceptable outcome.
How can we expect to compete with the Power Four teams on the schedule if we don't turn opportunities into touchdowns? The entire identity of this team has to be built on capitalizing when it matters most. Are the coaches installing the right short-yardage packages? Is the quarterback competition being judged on who delivers in the red zone? That's the only stat that will matter in the fourth quarter against those teams.