The elephant in the room.

[Carl Spackler]

Lots of talk this week about football so far. Interceptions, defensive ends. Not too long ago - it was who was actually calling offensive plays. Our defensive line isn't getting sacks........it's been alleged that he defensive schemes are allowing us to gashed by opposing runners as much as 60% of the time. Paul Pasqualoni is a crappy coach. George Deleone doesn't know his from his elbow. TJ Weist should be head coach. etc. etc. etc. Nobody is looking at the elephant in the room.

The elephant in the room is that we are not running the ball. We suck at running the ball. Through three games, we are ranked 123 out of 123 division 1A program in total yards rushing. We've gained a grand total of 156 yards on the ground in 3 games.

Point your fingers wherever you want as to why. Coaches coach and players play, and if you're going to point a finger as to a tangible football reason, why the coaching staff is in danger, it's because this part of the game, has regressed as far as it has in the past 2 seasons and 3 games.

This is what needs to get fixed for us to have a chance to win games.

 

[hexlub]

I thought you were going to mention that you were sitting near Kermit Buggs.

 

[MarbleheadHusky]

Carl - The lack of a good running game has been talked about since the beginning of last season on here. Not sure you can all that the "elephant in the room".

 

[HuskyFan16]

I thought you were going to mention that you were sitting near Kermit Buggs.

Full disclosure -- Legitimate chuckle at the desk.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Carl - The lack of a good running game has been talked about since the beginning of last season on here. Not sure you can all that the "elephant in the room".

Lmao, agreed. There have literally been thousands of posts on how our running game sucks due to GDL philosophy and re assigning Foley away from OL coach.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Carl - The lack of a good running game has been talked about since the beginning of last season on here. Not sure you can all that the "elephant in the room".

Yeah no kidding. It's been beaten to death on this board.

Look at Deleone's past job performance and tell me what the common theme is. His one year at Ole Miss as running game coordinator. These can't all be coincidences.

 

[ruskin]

Lmao, agreed. There have literally been thousands of posts on how our running game sucks due to GDL philosophy and re assigning Foley away from OL coach.

It's the elephant in the room when the Horde meets PP. "Coach before you got here UConn was able to run the ball successfully. Now you can't. Is there an explanation for that?" Good luck getting the boys to pose that one, too.

 

[hexlub]

I think there was a comment on Saturday where they were trying to set up play action for later in the game. Unsure how consistently running for one yard for multiple quarters will benefit you greatly at the end of the game.

Regardless, as things are, until there is consistency in the passing game (including protection) the running game is going to suffer. We are just not built to control the line of scrimmage so until the defense is made to be kept honest, we won't be fooling anyone with our running schemes.

 

[Carl Spackler]

I thought you were going to mention that you were sitting near Kermit Buggs.

Ha. Buggs hasn't impressed me, and that's more having to do with specials, than RB's. But he's a first time ST coach, so I give him room to improve. He brings the rep of a good recruiter, so hopefully that's intact.

What hurts is that Joe Williams is apparently an idiot. I don't know if he'll ever make it back to the field, but he's the only player we've got that had the kind of speed and size we need in a RB. The kid from Virginia or Maryland or wherever, is a freshmen, and might have the goods, but he's a freshmen. Is he a liability on the field? I don't know, but I wouldn't mind seeing what he could do with ball in his hands. DeLorenzo, ahs done a good job, and I'd prefer to see him carrying over McCombs primarily, but truthfully, I think that pasqualoni is one of these old guard coaches that keeps upperclassmen in over underclassmen until they physically can't play anymore or run out of eligibility. It's crazy, but it's the simplest answer I can come up with that explains the most head scratching roster decisions we see. I don't see any benefit of keeping or RT rotation as it is, and not involving any of the bigger freshmen. We constantly are moving the RG position, and not using Samra, who played last year. Steve Greene appears to be our best run blocker, but there are 5 offensive line positions, and we have no TE that can reliably block.

How is it like this in year 3 of this era? Maybe I shouldn't ask that.

The elephant in the room is that we are not running the ball with any effectiveness at all. You cannot close out a game, if you cannot run the ball. My opinion.

 

[Palatine]

Our running game would improve if the coaches would rotate backs. And why not give the frosh a run or two.

And why did Joe Williams get virtually no carries last year?

 

[Carl Spackler]

Carl - The lack of a good running game has been talked about since the beginning of last season on here. Not sure you can all that the "elephant in the room".

Because I've been looking at the actual media, at the discussions and what the people around here are interested in, and everybody has a reason for wanting the coaching staff fired, and what sucks about our team now. The defense has improved significantly through 3 games, replacing multiple starters that went to the NFL. I admitted I was foolish to think that the D would immediately be able to pick up where they left off, but 3 games in, they are there.

The kicking game? Inconsistent, but getting better. Everybody dumping on this Lemelle kid, but he's got ice water in his veins, he came back from what had to be an incredibly emotional swing in his first collegiate game, and we need a guy that is going to be able to live with the pressure of playing that role on the field. The kickers? I'd like to see them more reliable.

Our passing game, is phenomenal, better than any passing offense structure we've had since Skippy was coaching Shane Stafford to records. We need more players that can actually catch the ball, and a QB to make better choices, but the game is there.

All of these things so far - are on the players to get better at.

The running game? This is where the focus should be. Not on defensive ends, or defensive schemes, or who's making offensive play calls, or whether or not we should make a QB change.

WTF is up with the running game? that's what I want to know, and I want to see it fixed now, not tomorrow, not next week.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Our passing game, is phenomenal, better than any passing offense structure we've had since Skippy was coaching Shane Stafford to records. We need more players that can actually catch the ball, and a QB to make better choices, but the game is there.

You have officially lost your mind.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Yeah no kidding. It's been beaten to death on this board.

Look at Deleone's past job performance and tell me what the common theme is. His one year at Ole Miss as running game coordinator. These can't all be coincidences.

Well maybe it's time to resurrect it, because through three games, the rest of the team is improving from where it was to start the season. I frigging hate losing, I'd reather be poking holes in winner than a loser. We are losing because we can't run the ball. Ownership of this problem needs to be taken, and something needs to be done about it.

 

[bigAbruns]

Anyone know how many times we run the ball in shotgun vs. under center? Seems to me that we run the ball more in the shotgun then under center and I wonder if that is something that should be changed.

 

[Carl Spackler]

You have officially lost your mind.

I'm talking about the structure of the offense Jimmy. We have a passing offense, that is set up to be very, very good. The options are there in the structure of the offense, the players need to get better at it. We get glimpses of it, every week getting better and better, going back beyond this season too. Did you forget already what Philips was able to do against Maryland? What Davis was able to do against Michigan? DId you read the Callahan's kid breakdown of every offensive drive? Did you see our TE catch a TD pass, and then drop a wide open pass that would have been a first down because he's a walk on, converted volleyball player and didn't do the fundamental of keeping his head focused, until he caught the ball?

Whatever. I see this team on video, and I've watched them live for a long, long time. They are a better team than 0-3, and I'm sure they all know it. We have the offensive systems in place that can be successful. The anchor holding them back is the production from the offensive backfield, and that includes the QB.

Blame it wherever you want, because you can't talk running game, without talking offensive line, and vice versa, but that is the problem, and the flashlight needs to shined on it. Not on the lack of sacks, or the defensive schemes, or the special teams.

 

[HomeKing93]

To the Boneyarders that are more computer proficient than I am - can anyone photoshop GDL's head on a picture of an elephant?

 

[Carl Spackler]

Anyone know how many times we run the ball in shotgun vs. under center? Seems to me that we run the ball more in the shotgun then under center and I wonder if that is something that should be changed.

That's a good question. I don't know the answer. We ran at least one I-formation full back , TB set against Michigan. We also ran out of the shotgun several times. I don't know the answer. I bet if you go to that kids blog that was posted, about the offensive drives - I bet it's in there.

 

[Carl Spackler]

well, whatever. Everybody's got reasons for not liking the coaching staff, I just think that if you're going to complain about something, it should be something that actually warrants complaining about.

we suck at running the ball, and why that is, should be answered for. It's the only place that hasn't shown any kind of improvement, has continually regressed, and continually drags us down to losing.

We will need to run the ball, to win.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

I'm talking about the structure of the offense Jimmy. We have a passing offense, that is set up to be very, very good. The options are there in the structure of the offense, the players need to get better at it. We get glimpses of it, every week getting better and better, going back beyond this season too. Did you forget already what Philips was able to do against Maryland? What Davis was able to do against Michigan? DId you read the Callahan's kid breakdown of every offensive drive? Did you see our TE catch a TD pass, and then drop a wide open pass that would have been a first down because he's a walk on, converted volleyball player and didn't do the fundamental of keeping his head focused, until he caught the ball?

Whatever. I see this team on video, and I've watched them live for a long, long time. They are a better team than 0-3, and I'm sure they all know it. We have the offensive systems in place that can be successful. The anchor holding them back is the production from the offensive backfield, and that includes the QB.

Blame it wherever you want, because you can't talk running game, without talking offensive line, and vice versa, but that is the problem, and the flashlight needs to shined on it. Not on the lack of sacks, or the defensive schemes, or the special teams.

Carl I don't know what to tell you here. There were a ton of us here screaming from the rooftops that GDL's system was not working here at UConn. The flashlights couldn't have been brighter. There is a "Repromote Mike Foley to OL Coach" thread that gets resurrected almost every game. While we were shouting this, you were touting how we, for the first time ever, had prototype players up and down the roster.

Fire GDL. Give Foley back the OL gig. And for God's sake......let the OLinemen hit the man in front of them without having to think and be reactive. Simplify. Simplify. Simplify.

 

[rich1122]

I do not remember a passing game that we have had that has been this good. I mean maybe Frazier, but we really do throw the ball down-field.

Here is the dilemma. You can't run and it puts pressure on the QB, but our passing game is not good enough to handle it the entire game. Eventually a sack or an INT occurs. Whitmer is OK, but not Johnny Manziel. Case in point the Giants who cannot run the ball at all. They give up 7 sacks against Carolina and Eli is suddenly throwing loads of INT's. The other teams are loading up same as against us.

If Williams can get back this year or they develop Hypolite or DeLorenzo we can relieve some pressure off of the pass game. I think that maybe we see more straight ahead blocking schemes with more power running. After re watching the game twice, both of them looked better than McCombs or the plays that were run for them seemed to just work better.

What ever happened to using Walsh. They blew the redshirt, but they still like the 1-back set.

The coaches have seen enough I guess and should make some adjustments against Buffalo. They have to find a way to relieve the pressure on pass game.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Carl I don't know what to tell you here. There were a ton of us here screaming from the rooftops that GDL's system was not working here at UConn. The flashlights couldn't have been brighter. There is a "Repromote Mike Foley to OL Coach" thread that gets resurrected almost every game. While we were shouting this, you were touting how we, for the first time ever, had prototype players up and down the roster.

Fire GDL. Give Foley back the OL gig. And for God's sake......let the OLinemen hit the man in front of them without having to think and be reactive. Simplify. Simplify. Simplify.

well, maybe it's time to turn up the heat again. We'll see what happens at Buffalo. 0-3, we can recover from, based on what's been happening on the field through the first three games. There is a lot to build on, and we are not playing teams for the next two games that are the same kind of challenges we had with the first 3. 0-4 though, and it's time for heads to roll. The running game is where we start.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

I do not remember a passing game that we have had that has been this good. I mean maybe Frazier, but we really do throw the ball down-field.

Here is the dilemma. You can't run and it puts pressure on the QB, but our passing game is not good enough to handle it the entire game. Eventually a sack or an INT occurs. Whitmer is OK, but not Johnny Manziel. Case in point the Giants who cannot run the ball at all. They give up 7 sacks against Carolina and Eli is suddenly throwing loads of INT's. The other teams are loading up same as against us.

If Williams can get back this year or they develop Hypolite or DeLorenzo we can relieve some pressure off of the pass game. I think that maybe we see more straight ahead blocking schemes with more power running. After re watching the game twice, both of them looked better than McCombs or the plays that were run for them seemed to just work better.

What ever happened to using Walsh. They blew the redshirt, but they still like the 1-back set.

The coaches have seen enough I guess and should make some adjustments against Buffalo. They have to find a way to relieve the pressure on pass game.

Are all of you guys under 12 years old and don't remember the Orlovsky years?

The passing game in the second half of 2009 was light years better than this year's as well.

 

[sportsart]

The real elephant in the room is the "dead MEN walking".

How do players play for coaches who will be gone next year? When a player or two or 10 think certain coaches are clueless, how do they focus, keep their mouth shut and tow the line?

Then there are the recruits. They read the papers and the forums.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Are all of you guys under 12 years old and don't remember the Orlovsky years?

The passing game in the second half of 2009 was light years better than this year's as well.

I see we are at an impasse.

Yes, I am old enough to remember the Orlovsky years. I'm old enough to remember a lot of years, and probably forget some too.

The passing game in the second half of 2009 was not light years better than this year's. The passing game we had then was effective because we had a powerful running game, and the play action fake was nasty and we had a receiver on the field that could make plays. The passing offense itself was rudimentary, and would have been non-existent without the presence of Easley, as was demonstrated in 2010 when we tried to run the same offense without that receiver, and tried to run the same offense against an Oklahoma team in a bowl game, that in 2009 was able to destroy a South Carolina team with that receiving threat, and in 2008, was able to beat a Buffalo team with 6 total passing attempts to 49 rushing attempts in a single game.

If we're going to dredge up the past, so be it. The offense we ran when Orlovsky was playing was entirely different than the offense we ran when we moved to BCS conference play. The greatest passing offense we had in the BCS conference time that Edsall, came with a walk on WR as the primary play maker. The passing offense was rudimentary, and built entirely off of run play fakes. we dabbled in the kind of thing that Edsall is now running on offense at Maryland, but we didn't have the players to run it the way they are running it down there now.

With the offense we have now, we will be able to recruit the type of QB's and WR"s that Edsall was unable to recruit. We have two WR's in Davis and Philips that have the tools, with another year in college, to work their way in the NFL was WR's. What's fekked up is that the running game is bad now, and how the hell do you recruit the best players to want to come here, other than bringing them to a game like the one Saturday night, and telling them - "we could really use you".

We need to start running the ball effectively, or we don't win, and the whole thing falls apart, and we're going to need to transition coaches at some point - again.

 

[freescooter]

Orlovsky was a great passer and he didn't have great receivers, certainly nobody who could even make the 2 deep on this team. But Carl is correct in his comment that we have a pitiful running game. that we haven't been able to recruit a stud tailback to this point is head scratching to me. That we haven't been able to open some holes is too. If you look at McCombs, he had over 1000 yards as a freshman. He hasn't come close since. What changed? Anyone think that Mike Foley might just be a little better oline coach than Deleone? My impression is that the linemen would run through brick walls for Coach Foley. They would do it for Coach DeLeone, too but only if by doing so they cause said wall to collapse on top of him. The other thing missing in our run game is the fullback. We had a series of fullbacks leading Brown, Todman, Dixon and the others. Deon Anderson was a road grader and he was followed by Sherman who was an honorary lineman he was such an effective blocker. Those guy opened holes when there were no holes allowing backs to get up a head of steam. I'd be inclined to go with a few more 2 back sets and let Walsh try and earn his keep in the Anderson-Sherman role. I know td will lose his lunch, but it would be awfully nice to see our tailback have the occasional hole. I don't have issues with using Max DeLorenzo or Hyppolite a bit more, but I don't think either of them is really a dominating tailback. Hyppolite has had 4 years to show his stuff but other than 1 long run, he has barely done much. DeLorenzo I think is more a short yardage pounder than a guy who will carry the load. On th eother hand, given the lack of any production from the position to date, I would not object to making some kind of switch.