Some Perspective
It’s hard not to think each game in the 2014 season is providing a new low in the history of UConn football. The numbers last night, in a 12-3 loss to Tulane (2-4, 1-1 AAC), are bad. The three points equaled the amount of turnovers the Huskies (1-5, 0-3) committed, all on drives that had made it into Green Wave territory. It was the lowest scoring output since a 19-3 loss in Piscataway to Rutgers, in 2012.
Despite all of that, there are areas to point to where the team did improve and it did not go unnoticed, particularly the production from the running back position. Last night, the Huskies had runs of 6, 6, 10, and 13 from freshman Arkeel Newsome and 23 and 13 from fellow freshman Ron Johnson. Newsome also grabbed a ball out of the backfield for 13 yards and returned a kick forty-seven.
“[They were] excellent, if you take the turnovers out of the mix,” head coach Bob Diaco told WTIC’s Joe D’Ambrosio following the loss. “They are talented players, they are going to be great players. They are freshmen. I heard a bizarre stat coming up as a coach, for every freshmen you have to play, count it as a loss.”
The positive plays from the position are improving and it has to do with the play of the offensive line. Of note, on the safety, it was tight end Tommy Meyers who was beaten at the point of attack on the first and only appearance for RB Max DeLorenzo on the night.
The Huskies, despite only scoring three points, did move the ball in New Orleans. A 13-play, 48-yard drive to open the game, was capped with a Bobby Puyol 44-yard field goal, that gave the Huskies a 3-0 lead. Following two consecutive three and outs, QB Tim Boyle came on and threw a pick on his third play of the game, at the Tulane 39.
On the following possession, QB Chandler Whitmer came back on to lead a 7-play, 52-yard drive that ended with Newsome’s first fumble of the night on the Tulane 32-yard line. The defense allowed just 12-yards before forcing a punt, prior to the half winding down.
Whitmer again, led a 5-play, 32-yard drive on the first possession of the second half, that was halted by another Newsome fumble, this time at the Tulane 31. It was the second consecutive turnover inside Puyol’s field goal range. The Huskies only other possession of the third quarter was the safety, after a punt was downed at the half-yard line.
The fourth quarter saw Whitmer lead the Huskies on a 9-play, 36-yard drive that stalled at the Tulane 39, forcing a punt which Justin Wain promptly dropped inside the five. UConn’s next possession was a three-and-out where Whitmer was sacked twice, before the final drive went 7-plays, 53-yards, that ended with a badly missed 36-yard field goal by Puyol.
There were inconsistencies, yes, but the ball did move. The main point from last night is finishing drives and ball security. The three turnovers and one safety, resulted in only five Tulane points, two for the safety and three on the ensuing drive for the Green Wave. That is a testament to the play of the Huskies defense, yet again.
Although they didn’t force a turnover, UConn did stop Tulane on 4th and 1 on the first drive of the second half. Sophomore defensive tackle Mikal Meyers stood out, including back-to-back tackles for loss on the final drive of the first quarter. Pass defense was improved, limiting Tulane to just 135 yards through the air, but they do not get off scott free. One area that needs to improve on the defensive side of the ball is tackling, something head coach Bob Diaco talked about, following the loss.
“I still don’t like the missed tackles, we don’t miss tackles, that’s not what we do,” he again told D’Ambrosio. “We need to hit them with that statistical number, that YAC yards, that yards after contact, so these guys will be shocked on Monday when they find out first contact, to how many yards were produced. Nothing against them, they are excellent backs, they do a great job and they are hard to tackle, but still, we are a great tackling outfit, that’s what we do.”
Moving back to the offense, Whitmer had a decent game throwing the ball, when given the opportunity. He completed 17-24 passes for 141 yards and did not turn the ball over, despite dropping the ball on a crucial third down late in the fourth, on a non-contact play. He found WR Geremy Davis 8 times for 63 yards, including the longest pass play of the game that went for twenty-one.
Fans want to see wins and entertainment, that is understandable. Watching a 61-58 shootout between Baylor and TCU, before switching to the defensive battle seen last night is frustrating. The team will get there. The process, which has been talked about ad nauseam, is in motion. The team is young, they are making young, freshmen mistakes. Holding the ball high and tight can be taught. The speed and elusiveness that Newsome possesses, cannot.
Through all the muck, there is improvement, no matter how small. Patience is hard to ask for after a 1-5 start, but it is needed. There is talent here, but it is mostly young and inexperienced. Pass protection improved. The running game was night and day better. The defense allowed two drives all game.
Rebuilding a program takes time and not only does it begin with the development of the young players, but it also means bringing in a set of recruits that will change the course of the program moving forward. They cannot show up mid-season, but the fifteen commits for 2015, fit the bill with their size, speed, athleticism and character. The program is not dead. In fact, one could argue, the future is bright.
by 
