Diaco is running the offense he wants...

[Milo65]

Bob has a plan... Run the ball, control the clock, wear teams down, bend but don't break defense with space eaters in the middle and active linebackers that can bring pressure. The players aren't here yet, even so, this team has made huge improvements. Still a very young team with most of our playmakers coming back.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

You mean like Tulsa and Toledo? It's utter nonsense to suggest we have to be a top recruiting school in the entire region to run an explosive offense or at least one that can score on a regular basis. There's no denying that we have made strides since last year but the some of the stuff I'm reading is like a dream that ignores reality.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/statistics/team/_/stat/total/sort/totalPointsPerGame

Take a look at the rankings and the list of teams ahead of us or even just the top 50. Plenty of teams in there with recruiting challenges and a few turnaround stories as well. If you make the argument that our OL stinks and that accounts for a lot of the disparity we can agree. If you're making the excuse that we can't recruit guys that can make plays in a more diverse offense, we have a fundamental disagreement based on the teams that have made it work. And right now you can take your pick of about 95% of 1A who are ahead of us.

This seems to be a philosophy based on low low risk and keeping our most talented guys in sync with what the weakest unit on the team can accomplish within the system. We may still be able to slowly progress to respectability on offense but I worry we may hit a ceiling in terms of what this scheme can produce versus the top half of teams. I sincerely hope I'm wrong but even if I am this will likely be a very gradual process unless some fundamental changes in philosophy are made or one of the QB's in the stable turns out to be Johnny Football..

This is the part that is frustrating for me. Bowling Green, Toledo, directional Michigans, etc. have no trouble putting together capable offenses. They do it with low paid coaches (Diaco made $1mm more than Toledos coach this year)and poor recruiting appeal. And in cold weather cities. Yet year after year UConn struggles to just be competent. I am not asking for Oregon.....just games where the team can make multiple sustained drives and I don't feel like the game is over when they are down two scores.

If the defense and special teams don't improve much next year....I can live with that (although I hate the return game). But it's gonna be tough to watch this team if the offense doesn't significantly improve. If this team runs out the same offensive results next year as the did this year, Diaco deserves all the heat that he gets.

As I have said before...for a program trying to build a fanbase, 6 wins with a good offense is better than 6 wins with the 117th ranked offense and bend don't break defense. There is some value to putting on a good show. Even under PP (with Brown) the D was fun to watch. For the casual fan, there is nothing fun to watch on this team. I am sure hardcore football fans don't care about style points, but casual fans do....and UConn is losing casual fans.

I love how Diaco runs the program. But I believe he has to show significant offensive progress next year or this team will lose even more fans.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

I know very few people who would be unhappy with any philosophy/style of play - as long as it leads to win. In college football, it's not unheard of to see programs really cheat like hell in all respects, as a philosophy to win games - and fans are happy.

Lots of discussion to be had about how to go about getting to winning.

I love smashmouth football. I despise the powder puff, flag football style of play. May as well shorten field, eliminate the punt from the game, and have every body start on offense at the 50 and go one way. Fit more people into a football stadium that way.

And you must like an average of 17 points per game too. Ahhh. . . Mano-a-Mano summo wrestling. Modern college football is points on the board as quickly as possible.

 

[freescooter]

It isn't black and white. It's possible to have a running attack and a passing attack that complement each other. Even UConn has managed it. One year Orlovsky threw for 3000 yards and Brockington led the Big East in rushing. The 2009 team gained 170 yds rushing and 216 passing per game and had 375 pass attempts vs 500 rushing. But had 3 games where they threw more than ran.
M

 

[huskyinfl]

I just want to win. 2-0 6-3 as long as we have more points than our opponent.

 

[Jimdish255]

It isn't black and white. It's possible to have a running attack and a passing attack that complement each other. Even UConn has managed it. One year Orlovsky threw for 3000 yards and Brockington led the Big East in rushing. The 2009 team gained 170 yds rushing and 216 passing per game and had 375 pass attempts vs 500 rushing. But had 3 games where they threw more than ran.
M

342 passing for 2412 yards vs 477 rushing attempts this year.

In Orlovsky's last 2 years he had 475 and 457 attempts respectively in 12 games.
3485 and 3354 yards.

Not fair to compare Dan O to Bryant Shirrefs or the teams but when you run 878 plays from scrimmage in 12 games in 2004 vs 819 plays in 13 games this year it's a big reason why you go 8-4 with a Bowl win. Totally different teams but we did pass effectively and win once upon a time at UConn.

 

[pnow15]

This is excellent news. Now, UConn fans won't have to tune in before the 4th quarter to see whether we will win a 14 to 10 game every week.

 

[J187Money]

One other stray thought that just popped int my head. A normal pro set will tend to take its' downfield shots on waste downs like 2nd and 2... When do we have anything that remotely resembles a waste down?

That's a huge part of the problem. Not being able to get to 2nd and short due to poor 1st down performance hinders the entire offense.

 

[freescooter]

342 passing for 2412 yards vs 477 rushing attempts this year.

In Orlovsky's last 2 years he had 475 and 457 attempts respectively in 12 games.
3485 and 3354 yards.

Not fair to compare Dan O to Bryant Shirrefs or the teams but when you run 878 plays from scrimmage in 12 games in 2004 vs 819 plays in 13 games this year it's a big reason why you go 8-4 with a Bowl win. Totally different teams but we did pass effectively and win once upon a time at UConn.

I wash really just making the point that it is possible to run and pass. You don't have to be a running team or a passing team.

 

[Nostical]

It looks like Diaco is using the Iowa offense.

 

[kris1]

It looks like Diaco is using the Iowa offense.

I hope he's taking notes on the Stanford offense. They are impressive and McCaffrey is unreal.

 

[Nostical]

Even without a McCaffrey, UConn would look better than Iowa against Stanford. BTW, the word for Stanford's offense is imaginative.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Even without a McCaffrey, UConn would look better than Iowa against Stanford. BTW, the word for Stanford's offense is imaginative.

Stanford has (had as all five starters ran out of eligibility when the final gun sounded) a ridiculously talented and veteran offensive line.

If we had their offensive line (even without McCaffrey) I believe our offense would have been considerably more imaginative than what we've seen.

 

[Chief00]

Our offensive end product was terrible - we can dissect and slice & dice it differently but the end result is the same. A "D" grade at best.

 

[CTMike]

Our offensive end product was terrible - we can dissect and slice & dice it differently but the end result is the same. A "D" grade at best.

I hear that passing up opportunities to practice is a great help with it...

 

[Devland]

The problem isn't the scheme, it is the play calling and the execution. Some of the issue is talent and some of the issue is coaching.

Any scheme will work. Give me offensive linemen that can win their battles, RB's that can find a hole and block, a fairly accurate QB and receivers that can get open, block downfield and catch the ball. I'm pretty sure that people would be happy with any play calling. I'm pretty sure Sheriffs can be accurate if he is given time. I think the main problem with the passing game is that the field is shortened because of lack of time. The defense has less field to cover it is also a reason for lack of separation by the receivers.

 

[gopher2]

Any scheme will work. Give me offensive linemen that can win their battles, RB's that can find a hole and block, a fairly accurate QB and receivers that can get open, block downfield and catch the ball. I'm pretty sure that people would be happy with any play calling. I'm pretty sure Sheriffs can be accurate if he is given time. I think the main problem with the passing game is that the field is shortened because of lack of time. The defense has less field to cover it is also a reason for lack of separation by the receivers.

Seemed to me the pass protection was ok about 70% of the time. But 30% of the time there was pressure too quickly for routes to develop. Certainly the protection was better this year than last, but still not good enough. Improve the pass protection, start throwing downfield more and I think all phases of the offense will start to click. There were numerous times this year when it seemed the QB had time to throw, but ran instead.

 

[Chief00]

I hear that passing up opportunities to practice is a great help with it...

What were they practicing on? Their tans?

At any rate, the 3 weeks of practice yielded a pass to a tackle who dropped the ball. Not time well spent.

 

[RonnyFrancis]

I've seen the O-line mentioned numerous times, and I'm pretty optimistic about it. We've gotten the bodies to clog it up before, and I don't think it's a big stretch to recruit and train more large bodies again.

I remember seeing some kind of statistic that the Fiesta Bowl team was among the heaviest O-line in college football that year (might have been THE heaviest). I think that coincided with a new dining hall on campus.

 

[BNich]

What were they practicing on? Their tans?

At any rate, the 3 weeks of practice yielded a pass to a tackle who dropped the ball. Not time well spent.

You still just don't get it.

 

[RedSoloCup]

You still just don't get it.

There is a group that never will. It's why I don't post here as much as I did in a previous incarnation. People are set in their ways, they latch on to a notion and they drive on like a container ship.

Very little direction change and can't stop when they get going.

And I will not call myself immune to the same logic. I just argue less and drink more.

....and a lot of SMDH....

 

[ktuck911]

It looks like Diaco is using the Iowa offense.

Personally I dont want Iowa's offense. I understand what he wants, but first off he's a defensive coach. He should be using a variation of ND's offense instead. Brian Kelly's system moves the football at will.

 

[Nostical]

Personally I dont want Iowa's offense

I'm not sure anyone would.

 

[CTMike]

I'm not sure anyone would.

According to this:

http://espn.go.com/college-football/statistics/team/_/stat/total/sort/totalPointsPerGame

They scored 30.9 points per game this year. We scored 17.2. We'd have a hell of a lot more Nostical wins if we scored 30.9 a game.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

There is a group that never will. It's why I don't post here as much as I did in a previous incarnation. People are set in their ways, they latch on to a notion and they drive on like a container ship.

Very little direction change and can't stop when they get going.

And I will not call myself immune to the same logic. I just argue less and drink more.

....and a lot of SMDH....

I hope you're not one of the millions that I drove away RSC.