Brown's defenses couldn't make that critical stop when they needed to.

[Palatine]

I like coach Brown. He's a good coordinator.

But here's the thing. Remember Temple? His defense controlled the whole game. Then they let Temple drive the length of the field in the last two minutes to get to overtime.

And this is not an isolated incident. The big stop. the one after UConn took the lead. The one that put the game away. Gut check. Brown's defenses didn't make them.

So while it's okay to miss Brown. Let's not saint him. He had his warts just like everyone else.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Agreed. However, that defense was under such pressure all season long. And, quite honestly this has plagued UConn for years - think back to the game against North Carolina where they led 10-0 in the fourth quarter in a contest that they dominated on defense. In the end, they made the UNC QB look like Tom Brady/Peyton Manning.

UConn needs to figure out how to score enough to take the pressure off the defense. In college football, the offense is often times the best defense.

 

[UConnJim]

Totally agree. Edsall had a very good defense before Brown, but Edsall's D took fewer risks. Brown's D could make exciting plays, but took a lot of risks which sometimes didn't pan out. Heis a good DC, but he can be replaced.

 

[CTMike]

This is where we are. Full Stockholm Syndrome of our situation. Don Brown wasn't that good! A league with Fresno and Tulane will work! As the Bill Simmons would say, I will now light myself on fire.

I'm considering a last minute switch to rooting for the Mayans.

 

[ibleedhuskyblue]

UConn needs to figure out how to score enough to take the pressure off the defense. In college football, the offense is often times the best defense.

this

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

I like coach Brown. He's a good coordinator.

But here's the thing. Remember Temple? His defense controlled the whole game. Then they let Temple drive the length of the field in the last two minutes to get to overtime.

And this is not an isolated incident. The big stop. the one after UConn took the lead. The one that put the game away. Gut check. Brown's defenses didn't make them.

So while it's okay to miss Brown. Let's not saint him. He had his warts just like everyone else.

This is a fair knock. But I still wish he were here.

 

[freescooter]

I like coach Brown. He's a good coordinator.

But here's the thing. Remember Temple? His defense controlled the whole game. Then they let Temple drive the length of the field in the last two minutes to get to overtime.

And this is not an isolated incident. The big stop. the one after UConn took the lead. The one that put the game away. Gut check. Brown's defenses didn't make them.

So while it's okay to miss Brown. Let's not saint him. He had his warts just like everyone else.

I've been saying this all season. They were very bad in the red zone, too. And despite having 2 dbacks with pro potential this team had the fewest picks of any UConn defense in the D1A era I think. Fumbles are to a degree a case of luck. the ball bounces left instead of right or whatever, but interceptions are less about luck. He was a good coach, I liked him. But I think if our offense hadn't been so dysfunctional, the warts on this defense would have been far more obvious to all. A big stop. A key pick. those can change a game in dramatic fashion. give the offense a 35 yard field instead of 70 yards and a 7 point lead can become 10 or 14 or a 3 point deficiet can become a 4 point lead. We seldom got those kind of situations.

 

[pj]

When the defense is on the field all the time, late game breakdowns from tired defenders are to be expected. Overall the defense was terrific. Plus, Don Brown's kids loved playing for him, and a bunch of his players will be playing in the NFL. That means something.

The managers -- PP and WM -- have to make sure you keep your most effective staff and lose the least effective. They're failing at that.

 

[ruskin]

Wow. . . . Don Brown was the only lucid adult with recent proven results in the program and his departure gets greeted like this. Unbelievable. I'll take the occasional stumbles of a Don Brown defense over the systemic repeated fails of PP/GDL any freakin day of the week. And nice job throwing a gutty defense that nearly got us into a bowl all by themselves under the bus, too. "Couldn't get a stop at Temple". Jesus. Can you even imagine being a defensive player having to watch an incompetently-run offense bring you back on the field over and over again?

PP got extremely lucky when Don Brown became available. If you have trust and faith that the same guy who thinks George DeLeone is worthy of bringing back for another year is going to make a good hire now that he has time to think about it you are seriously deluding yourselves.

 

[Palatine]

This is where we are. Full Stockholm Syndrome of our situation. Don Brown wasn't that good! A league with Fresno and Tulane will work! As the Bill Simmons would say, I will now light myself on fire.

I'm considering a last minute switch to rooting for the Mayans.

No, from what I have seem most of us believe that Don Brown had many fine qualities. I start my post saying, "I like coach Brown. He's a good coordinator." I am simply putting his time at UConn in context. And while his departure is a loss it is not catastrophic in any way.

 

[whaler11]

They did struggle in some late game situations. In general the games never should have been in doubt in the first place. Buffalo, Pitt, Maryland, Temple are all examples.

 

[BHusky]

I like coach Brown. He's a good coordinator.

But here's the thing. Remember Temple? His defense controlled the whole game. Then they let Temple drive the length of the field in the last two minutes to get to overtime.

And this is not an isolated incident. The big stop. the one after UConn took the lead. The one that put the game away. Gut check. Brown's defenses didn't make them.

So while it's okay to miss Brown. Let's not saint him. He had his warts just like everyone else.

I guess in the state we are in with UConn Athletics, we need to spin anything and everything in a positive manner. I would love to agree and say that he really won't be missed, but factually that couldn't be farther from the truth.

DB manufactured a top 10 Defense in the country. The reason they couldn't not seal the games in most cases is because there is only so many plays they can handle before they wilt. I don't believe they keep readily available stats for this, but I would argue that the UConn defense played the most downs of any team in the coutnry or at least top 5. When you have a horrendous offense ranked 111 of 124 teams then there is no way to sustain the dominance over 60 minutes. I would argue that the ONLY reason we were even in some of these games was because the defense was locking down thew opponent for a majorty of the ganme until fatigue set in. Extreme fatigue generates mental lapses.

Some have said that Edsall's defenses made those plays. I am not sure they did this on a consistent basis or there are 3-4 examples that lead people to assume this was more common than it was. Fact is Edsall's defenses broke into the top 50 defense twice since 2004, they were 44 in 2007 and 25 in 2009. Other than that they probably averaged in ther 60 range. They were a bend but don't break defense that had the extreme benefit of having a great rushing offense. Rushing offenses don't score a ton we know, but they sustain drives and eat the clock. That is time when the defense rests up and continues gameplanning on the bench. This year they were 117 in rushing offense which makes for very quick drives and A LOT of 3 and outs.

 

[ruskin]

No, from what I have seem most of us believe that Don Brown had many fine qualities. I start my post saying, "I like coach Brown. He's a good coordinator." I am simply putting his time at UConn in context. And while his departure is a loss it is not catastrophic in any way.

you mean catastrophic as in throwing the 2013 season away while the microscope is on UConn's real commitment to I-A football?

 

[CL82]

Not a problem GDL can take that over as well. The man's a genius!

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Wow. . . . Don Brown was the only lucid adult with recent proven results in the program and his departure gets greeted like this. Unbelievable. I'll take the occasional stumbles of a Don Brown defense over the systemic repeated fails of PP/GDL any freakin day of the week. And nice job throwing a gutty defense that nearly got us into a bowl all by themselves under the bus, too. "Couldn't get a stop at Temple". Jesus. Can you even imagine being a defensive player having to watch an incompetently-run offense bring you back on the field over and over again?

PP got extremely lucky when Don Brown became available. If you have trust and faith that the same guy who thinks George DeLeone is worthy of bringing back for another year is going to make a good hire now that he has time to think about it you are seriously deluding yourselves.

Nobody here is saying he's a lousy coordinator or that they didn't wish he was here. But pointing out the warts is fair.

Yes, the defense couldn't stop Temple when it matters. The defense didn't create TO's. We're supposed to ignore all that because some want to Saint Don Brown? He's a good coordinator. I'm sorry to see him go. But he isn't even Buddy Ryan.

 

[CTMike]

No, from what I have seem most of us believe that Don Brown had many fine qualities. I start my post saying, "I like coach Brown. He's a good coordinator." I am simply putting his time at UConn in context. And while his departure is a loss it is not catastrophic in any way.

Honestly- you are probably right. Have to see who fills his shoes. I'm just grumpy in general with the direction of UConn Athletics and Football in particular. :-/

 

[freescooter]

We had 2 corners who have pro potential and a line backer who is also a prospect and we had the fewest number of interceptions in the D-1A era and it wasn't even close. So despite the good things, something wasn't quite right. We ranked tied for 109th in picks. That was a huge weakness especially for a defense that was built to force teams to throw the ball.

 

[mattp]

The truth is his end result wasn't that different from the end results we got from Edsall/Hughes, but it was more exciting, and when you're not winning games excitement is nice.

He can be replaced, but we just spend two seasons getting his defense installed and now we might be starting over from scratch. Also it sucks when you have to replace the only piece that seemed functional. We can replace Brown, but I'd much rather be replacing GDL

 

[Dann]

Warde will promote hank and take the easy answer with this.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Warde will promote hank and take the easy answer with this.

Given where we are (because he didn't fire P & GDL like we all wanted him to) this is probably the best solution anyway. Who is going to take a 1 year gig? Only someone desperate enough for a paycheck.

 

[thatguyed]

Given where we are (because he didn't fire P & GDL like we all wanted him to) this is probably the best solution anyway. Who is going to take a 1 year gig? Only someone desperate enough for a paycheck.

That also provides some continuity for the kids planning to come to UConn, hopefully helping to keep it that way.

 

[Dann]

Given where we are (because he didn't fire P & GDL like we all wanted him to) this is probably the best solution anyway. Who is going to take a 1 year gig? Only someone desperate enough for a paycheck.

The right move here is to find a dc that can be a hc in a year and just get him here early. But that requires balls, brains and other things that this school lacks to a degree that its getting hard for me to comprehend it. If they had these qualities then we would never be in this situation. Im trying to not go nuts and say bad things because of newtown and what i said the other day on the bball forum but my god i want to go to war or something its so bad.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

The right move here is to find a dc that can be a hc in a year and just get him here early. But that requires balls, brains and other things that this school lacks to a degree that its getting hard for me to comprehend it. If they had these qualities then we would never be in this situation. Im trying to not go nuts and say bad things because of newtown and what i said the other day on the bball forum but my god i ****ing want to go to war or something its so bad.

It's also the right move for me to bang Jessica Alba tonight.

 

[freescooter]

The right move here is to find a dc that can be a hc in a year and just get him here early. But that requires balls, brains and other things that this school lacks to a degree that its getting hard for me to comprehend it. If they had these qualities then we would never be in this situation. Im trying to not go nuts and say bad things because of newtown and what i said the other day on the bball forum but my god i ****ing want to go to war or something its so bad.

Dan,

Doubtful you're going to do that unless you already know that P is going at the end of the season. And beyond that, you are sure he's the guy you want to replace Pasqualoni. Now I'm not saying I expect it, but what happens if we go 10-2 with an upset of Michigan? Again, I don't expect that, but let's just suspend expectations for a minute. Or alternatively, we go 3-9 and want to totally clean house? there's a reason why schools rarely bring in someone like that. Actually several reasons. Who knows what other coaches will be available next December? Who knows what our record will be? Who knows whether the new DC will actually be effective?

 

[huskynation]

Here's the thing. Don brown was the best recruiter on this staff, he had some pull in florida and down-south, which is now gone, that is gonna hurt.

Also, DB had the best defense in the big east. what more can you ask, (considering the talent (which was not elite and lacked depth), that's the best you're gonna get, more than good enough to win games ) aside from a few stinkers, the defense was pretty outstanding, dominant at times.

But you cant only win with a good defense, if you look at the team stats its clear why they lost games and had a record under 500. , opponents produced alot more against our defense than our offense produced against opponents defenses. The stats back this up. For example, We had one of the best rush defenses in the country, yet we rushed for less yards than the defense gave up to opponents. On the season uconn only had 48 rushes which produced a first down. Opponents had 69 rushing first downs. As far as passing, uconn out-gained opponents slightly but, only passed for 10 touchdowns on the year, and opponents passed for 15 tds (that's 35 points right there). But What also really hurt were the ints, uconn had 18 picks opponents only had 6. That explains the whole season.

Don brown isn't stupid, if anything, this shows the lack of belief in PP and his ability to rebuild this program. He (PP) is completely uninspiring, goofy and a little spaced out. I remember watching clips from spring football 2011, and PP always had this stupid, oh gosh look on his face, he was so happy to be a HC again, but the man has been completely, ineffective, and values his friendships and philosophies more than the best interests of the program.

The man can't even wipe the snot from his nose before he goes on national tv ( which is an embarrassment). If anything the season has shown that PP is extremely boring, stubborn, and stuck in his ways. So that's why losing DB is a major blow, cause, his unit was the only one that produced. PP is in over his head, and I blame Warde for being the weakest and most docile AD in the nation.