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

[huskysupporter]

Who are some of the recruits Brown secured the past couple of years?

I loved his passion and his players fed off of it. Sad, but not surprised, to see him go. He has to do what is best for him and staying at UCONN at a mac like conference with a lame duck coach, is not a great move. He should have at least 3 years job security at bc.

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[businesslawyer]

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.

Exactly this. Over his two years, he did a good job. Over his two years, he did not do a great job.,

 

[uconnfan68]

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.

Agree. If the game is about adjustments, you can safely say he didn't always make the best ones either. As he lost players he went more vanilla. We were very standard by the end. I think we'll miss his emotion, and hope they can find a replacement for that.

 

[uconnfan68]

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

This looks like an irrational objective.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

This looks like an irrational objective.

Speak for yourself.

 

[uconnfan68]

Speak for yourself.

I spoke for both of us.

 

[ktuck911]

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.

If your offense does help your defense get a breather then you can make this assessment...

 

[Palatine]

If your offense does help your defense get a breather then you can make this assessment...

That is true. A great offense helps the DC. However, Brown's defenses had certain flaws independent of the offense performance. As noted they had trouble making the critical stop. They also were susceptible to trick plays which were success against his defenses all year long.

 

[businesslawyer]

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

I doubt this by the way. First, I doubt Warde is going to tell PP whom he has to hire as DC. I'm sure Warde wants P to make the decision so Warde's hands aren't over the corpse next December when P is let go.

Second, if P wanted Hughes to be DC, he would have been made DC when P came. If P thought then he could do better, it's likely he still thinks that way now.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

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

It's not a fair knock...it isn't even sane. In four of our losses, the Defense that couldn't get big stops held the opponent to less than 20 points. If our Offense could have scored two touchdowns with PATs and two field goals, we probably win those games. 5-7 becomes 9-3. How did they hold those teams to less than 20 points without being able to get the big stops?

They were great all year, save two games, with no offensive support. So now that he has left the summation of his time here is he couldn't get stops in critical situations.....un-####ing-believable!!

 

[pj]

And while his departure is a loss it is not catastrophic in any way.

For a healthy program his loss is not catastrophic, just a minor hurdle. What is catastrophic is the cumulative effect of keeping a coordinator who produces the #119 offense and losing one who produces the #10 defense. Keeping incompetence and losing competence makes the whole program look like it's regressing. Combined with the loss of conference status, it's demoralizing.

I doubt this by the way.... f P wanted Hughes to be DC, he would have been made DC when P came. If P thought then he could do better, it's likely he still thinks that way now.

P surely believes there are better coordinators, but that doesn't mean he would hire one of them. First, would he be able to attract a top DC? The reality is that what would make the job attractive to a top DC is if he were promised leading consideration for the HC position in a year, but why should PP try to hire his own replacement? If Warde Manuel were committed to replacing P in a year and willing to promise the HC position to a new hire, then why would he have let P bring back GDL? Why wouldn't he have paid up to keep DB? ... Second, if P believes his job is on the line, he'll want continuity in schemes and coaching, a new system might set the defense back in year 1, and if a poor year means he's fired, he may prefer Hughes for continuity.

I think if we get a B1G invite quickly, then you may see a top hire. If we don't, you may see them conserve money and promote Hughes. That would allow Clayton White to move to defense and allow hiring of an ex-RB as RB coach. Not great, but the university saves money and is in position to remake the staff with a new HC hire in a year.

 

[freescooter]

They weren't great. they were a good defense, better statistically than they were in action. They didn't make big stops, they didn't intercept the ball (sheesh they had 6 lousy picks all year, tied for 109th) with 2 NFL caliber d-backs. I couldn't find stats again, but they while they were good between the 20s, their red zone performance was horrible, among the worst in the country. You want to hang the late game collapses on fatigue, that's not unreasonable, but why no picks? Why poor red zone performance? Why no fumble recoveries? For a high pressure defense, our inability to force turnovers was hard to fathom.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

It's not a fair knock...it isn't even sane. In four of our losses, the Defense that couldn't get big stops held the opponent to less than 20 points. If our Offense could have scored two touchdowns with PATs and two field goals, we probably win those games. 5-7 becomes 9-3. How did they hold those teams to less than 20 points without being able to get the big stops?

They were great all year, save two games, with no offensive support. So now that he has left the summation of his time here is he couldn't get stops in critical situations.....un-####ing-believable!!

You're skipping over the part where there is nearly consensus from everyone that Don Brown was a good coordinator and we are not happy he is gone.

 

[CL82]

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

More of a Kate Upton guy myself, but your point is duly noted.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

For a healthy program his loss is not catastrophic, just a minor hurdle. What is catastrophic is the cumulative effect of keeping a coordinator who produces the #119 offense and losing one who produces the #10 defense. Keeping incompetence and losing competence makes the whole program look like it's regressing. Combined with the loss of conference status, it's demoralizing.



The reality is that what would make the job attractive to a top DC is if he were promised leading consideration for the HC position in a year, but why should PP try to hire his own replacement? If Warde Manuel were committed to replacing P in a year and willing to promise the HC position to a new hire, then why would he have let P bring back GDL? Why wouldn't he have paid up to keep DB?

Why on earth we UConn consider hiring a DC and promising them the head coaching job when PP is fired? Have we learned nothing? Offense, offense and more offense is the name of the game in college football Hurry up and score so that I can get my offense back on the field". Let's be sure that UConn's new HC is an offensive minded coach. Offense, offense, offense.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Why on earth we UConn consider hiring a DC and promising them the head coaching job when PP is fired? Have we learned nothing? Offense, offense and more offense is the name of the game in college football Hurry up and score so that I can get my offense back on the field". Let's be sure that UConn's new HC is an offensive minded coach. Offense, offense, offense.

That's gonna work great with the 37 TE's and FB's that P has recruited.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

The Top 10 defense that some like to harp on is a sham.

Top 10 defenses don't get lit up by Western Michigan, they don't let Buffalo come back and they sure as hell don't let Temple drive and score last minute TDs.

This defense had an extreme amount of talent on it and overall, especially given the ineptitude of the offense, did a pretty good job.

However, with a schedule this weak and individual stand out players, I think they could have been better.

Losing Don Brown sucks because he was a GOOD coordinator, but let's not make him out to be better than he actually was.

 

[JaYnYcE]

Coach Brown was the best coach on our coaching staff. To trivialize his stay here is just disrespectful.


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[Husky68]

The Top 10 defense that some like to harp on is a sham.

Top 10 defenses don't get lit up by Western Michigan, they don't let Buffalo come back and they sure as hell don't let Temple drive and score last minute TDs.

This defense had an extreme amount of talent on it and overall, especially given the ineptitude of the offense, did a pretty good job.

However, with a schedule this weak and individual stand out players, I think they could have been better.

Losing Don Brown sucks because he was a GOOD coordinator, but let's not make him out to be better than he actually was.

Great defenses do get lit up 'cause other teams have scholarship players also. Not saying that Uconn had Alabama's defense, but come on, how many times in the Temple game did Uconn stop 4th down plays before they gave up the touchdown. How many 3 and outs did the offense have in the second half against Buffalo.

Uconn was ranked 23rd in points given up. ND's defense was rated #1 against points and they gave up 20 points in regulation to Pitt where Uconn held Pitt to 17. So ND must have beat Pitt in spite of their defensive failures in that game. And they gave up 17 points to Purdue in a 3 point victory, isn't that the amount of points Uconn gave up to Temple, in overtime. So you see, defensive success is in keeping other team from scoring, but also helps perception of your defense if it holds other teams to 17 points that you score enought to actually win like ND against Purdue as opposed to Uconn vs. Temple. Oh and by the way, every 1A team that Temple played except for Penn State scored over 30 points against Temple and even PS scored 24.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Great defenses do get lit up 'cause other teams have scholarship players also. Not saying that Uconn had Alabama's defense, but come on, how many times in the Temple game did Uconn stop 4th down plays before they gave up the touchdown. How many 3 and outs did the offense have in the second half against Buffalo.

Uconn was ranked 23rd in points given up. ND's defense was rated #1 against points and they gave up 20 points in regulation to Pitt where Uconn held Pitt to 17. So ND must have beat Pitt in spite of their defensive failures in that game. And they gave up 17 points to Purdue in a 3 point victory, isn't that the amount of points Uconn gave up to Temple, in overtime. So you see, defensive success is in keeping other team from scoring, but also helps perception of your defense if it holds other teams to 17 points that you score enought to actually win like ND against Purdue as opposed to Uconn vs. Temple. Oh and by the way, every 1A team that Temple played except for Penn State scored over 30 points against Temple and even PS scored 24.

If you want to sit here and act like Top 10/Top 25 defenses struggle with Western Michigan, Buffalo and Temple than be my guest.

The defense was good for a Big East/ACC team and I think they had potential to be very good. Don Brown was a good coordinator, but not great.

It's a loss, but it pales in comparison to the loss of defensive talent that exited at the end of the season.

 

[pj]

The big play given up in the late Temple drive came about because our defenders were chest-bumping to celebrate a sack on the previous play as Temple lined up to quick snap the next play. I don't think that's Don Brown's fault. I think it's the offense's fault, mainly, for putting so much pressure on the defense that they had to make no mistakes through multiple quarters and that made the final drive very emotional for the defense; and it's the defensive players' fault for not focusing on winning the game until the clock hit zero.

The defense did have a few bad games, eg WMU and Syracuse, but they also had some outstanding games, eg NC State and Pitt. If we hadn't lost our pass-rushing defensive ends they might have been much better in the takeaway category.

I don't see how you can take whatever defects the defense had as devaluing what they accomplished -- or what Don Brown accomplished as their leader.

 

[Husky68]

If you want to sit here and act like Top 10/Top 25 defenses struggle with Western Michigan, Buffalo and Temple than be my guest.

The defense was good for a Big East/ACC team and I think they had potential to be very good. Don Brown was a good coordinator, but not great.

It's a loss, but it pales in comparison to the loss of defensive talent that exited at the end of the season.

\

Struggle in giving up 14 points in regulation to Temple? How good was ND's defense giving up 20 points to lowly sPitt. That was the top points defense in the country team.

I guess # 4 defense Rutgers sucked too 'cause they gave up 27 Points to lowly sPitt, gave up 35 to a Mac team matched Uconn in giving up 20 to Loseville and even gave up 12 to Tulane a team that was shut out by Ole Miss.

Why don't we just have you judge defenses and do away with stats. Uconn wasn't really 23rd against scoring 'cause some teams scored against them, so guess ND wasn't number 1 'cause sPitt scored so much.

Buffalo scored 17 on Uconn and the Uconn defense struggled 'casue the offense could only score 24 points; Georgia gave up 23 to Buffalo at home but that's ok and the Georgia defense doesn't suck 'cause the offense scored 45 (it was 24-16 at the half). Is Georgia's scoring defense rated at #17 legit 'cause they play in the SEC in spite of giving up a whopping 23 points to lowly Buffalo; sure seemed like a pretty good defense against Alabama but I'll wait for your official defense points against ranking.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

The transitive property argument in college football? Really?

I've said UConn had a good defense last year, wtf do you want me to say? They were the 10th best defense in America? Absurd.

They weren't great. They were good. Don Brown was a good, not great defensive coordinator.

Great college football defenses don't have the games we had vs. Western Michigan, Temple and Buffalo. Period.

 

[whaler11]

\

Struggle in giving up 14 points in regulation to Temple? How good was ND's defense giving up 20 points to lowly sPitt. That was the top points defense in the country team.

I guess # 4 defense Rutgers sucked too 'cause they gave up 27 Points to lowly sPitt, gave up 35 to a Mac team matched Uconn in giving up 20 to Loseville and even gave up 12 to Tulane a team that was shut out by Ole Miss.

Why don't we just have you judge defenses and do away with stats. Uconn wasn't really 23rd against scoring 'cause some teams scored against them, so guess ND wasn't number 1 'cause sPitt scored so much.

Buffalo scored 17 on Uconn and the Uconn defense struggled 'casue the offense could only score 24 points; Georgia gave up 23 to Buffalo at home but that's ok and the Georgia defense doesn't suck 'cause the offense scored 45 (it was 24-16 at the half). Is Georgia's scoring defense rated at #17 legit 'cause they play in the SEC in spite of giving up a whopping 23 points to lowly Buffalo; sure seemed like a pretty good defense against Alabama but I'll wait for your official defense points against ranking.

Comparing Notre Dame's defense to UConn's makes you look like a moron.

Cherry picking point totals is even worse.

sPitt? Really are you a West Virginia fan?

UConn's defense was good. Brown is a good coordinator. I'll tell you a secret - he inherited a lot of good players. It's weird how that translates to good results.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

You're skipping over the part where there is nearly consensus from everyone that Don Brown was a good coordinator and we are not happy he is gone.

I was responding to that specific post and the one it was supporting. There was no mass indictment in my post.