Does Don Brown get too much credit?

[huskymedic]

J187Money,
I get what you're saying. But every team drops interceptions. Last year I think Johnny Mac had at least 6 dropped. But when I think this team had the fewest of any UConn team in the D1A era, and ranked at the bottom of the list among D1A. And we had 2 NFL calibre corners. Over the past years our INTs have been:
2005-14, 2006-12, 2007-NA, 2008-18, 2009-12, 2010-20, 2011-18, 2012-6. Even the 2 not very good teams, 05 and 06 had 14 and 12 respectively. The 2007 link didn't work and I don't recall how many we had then, but I think it was not unusually low. So UConn has typically been in the Top half, usually the top third of the nation in INTs. Until last year. I have to think it had something to do with the schemes, guys not being in position to make plays, or not coached to make interceptions but to be in position to bat the ball down or make the tackle.

I guess the other thing this data does is it gives me a little more confidence that we'll be fine with Hankcalling the shots on that side of the ball. We may not have the same number of top players, but as far as approach we'll be fine with Hank.

23 interceptions in 2007 - led by Robbie Vaughn w/ 7 (http://www.uconnhuskies.com/datadump/MFootball/2009/Media Guide/5/Stats.pdf)

 

[Excalibur]

So we discount 2011?

 

[freescooter]

So we discount 2011?

To an extent I would,yes. that was a "transition" year before Brown had his defense fully implemented. I don't know, though. It might have been that 2012 was a fluke. he didn't stick around long enough to find out.

 

[Nostical]

Masters and Friend (yes, I said Friend) will get sniffs.

Masters was hurt and wasn't playing that day against Maryland. I agree Adam will get a good look.
The scout and I spoke for a while. I asked him how many of our players were SEC-like. He said you've got several who could play for Alabama. They just have a lot more, lol. I was intrigued with his schedule. He was flying to KC for the next day's Falcons game v the Chiefs, then out to San Jose St to look at some kid at practice. Then down to San Diego to look at a couple SD State kids, etc. His next actual game was at Colorado the following Saturday. He wasn't young. He's been twice divorced!

 

[Excalibur]

To an extent I would,yes. that was a "transition" year before Brown had his defense fully implemented. I don't know, though. It might have been that 2012 was a fluke. he didn't stick around long enough to find out.

As I recall, his defenses at his other stops caused plenty of turnovers.

 

[J187Money]

The players loved him. And when he was rumored to be leaving for Yale last year the to be seniors went nuts (at least some of them) which may be why he stayed and only stayed to see them through.

 

[whaler11]

Don't think we have a sample size here with Brown and turnovers. They didn't generate many, but if you look at turnover numbers teams generally regress to the mean over time.

The defense got buried at WMU and got torched at Syracuse. They crumbled against Temple - but that one is on the head coach and offense. Defense was generally good - wasn't great, with an average offense they win 8-9 games.

He inherited some very good players and they played well as a unit. No one will ever know the exact impact. Let's just hope his defenses suck at BC.

 

[pj]

The players loved him. And when he was rumored to be leaving for Yale last year the to be seniors went nuts (at least some of them) which may be why he stayed and only stayed to see them through.

Yes. He only stayed for his seniors, he was always planning to leave this winter, and he didn't invest in recruiting. How much he invested in developing the younger players, you'd have to be on the team to know. As far as game prep is concerned, the team seemed well prepared except in the WMU and Buffalo games -- which were our #3 and #6 games in points allowed, but were the #10 and #11 teams on the schedule -- the 30 points given up to WMU cost us a bowl game, and these games were early enough in the season that the team shouldn't be tired or unable to get up for the games. The 40 points against Cuse I'll chalk up to (a) good offense and (b) playing for 8 consecutive weeks.

 

[huskysupporter]

The 11th ranked defense in the country got "destroyed" by short passes?

I swear that some of you watch one game each weekend.

My use of the word "destroyed" was poor. Coach Brown did not adjust when offenses adjusted in the second half. Western Michigan found a soft spot (underneath passes), and exploited it non stop. Brown continued to allow linebackers to cover wideouts.

I thought Coach Brown did very well here. He is a master motivator and had to deal with a horrible offense that consistently went 3 and out and put the defense in some terrible positions.

But I do think he did not always make the right adjustments.

 

[Excalibur]

My use of the word "destroyed" was poor. Coach Brown did not adjust when offenses adjusted in the second half. Western Michigan found a soft spot (underneath passes), and exploited it non stop. Brown continued to allow linebackers to cover wideouts.

I thought Coach Brown did very well here. He is a master motivator and had to deal with a horrible offense that consistently went 3 and out and put the defense in some terrible positions.

But I do think he did not always make the right adjustments.

I think you've got the WMU game backwards. For some reason we came out looking to stop the run, and got burned. Then we tightened up, helped by the injury to Carder, but we had started to right the ship even when he got hurt. WMU's last 8 possessions after going up 17-0 went like this:

Punt (3 and out)
End of Half
Touchdown (Sio whiffs on a tackle)
Punt (3 and out)
Punt (3 and out, Carder hurt on 3rd down play)
Punt
Punt (3 and out)
Punt

 

[huskysupporter]

I think you've got the WMU game backwards. For some reason we came out looking to stop the run, and got burned. Then we tightened up, helped by the injury to Carder, but we had started to right the ship even when he got hurt. WMU's last 8 possessions after going up 17-0 went like this:

Punt (3 and out)
End of Half
Touchdown (Sio whiffs on a tackle)
Punt (3 and out)
Punt (3 and out, Carder hurt on 3rd down play)
Punt
Punt (3 and out)
Punt

Am I confusing last years WMU game with 2 years ago? I might be.

 

[J187Money]

I think you've got the WMU game backwards. For some reason we came out looking to stop the run, and got burned. Then we tightened up, helped by the injury to Carder, but we had started to right the ship even when he got hurt. WMU's last 8 possessions after going up 17-0 went like this:

Punt (3 and out)
End of Half
Touchdown (Sio whiffs on a tackle)
Punt (3 and out)
Punt (3 and out, Carder hurt on 3rd down play)
Punt
Punt (3 and out)
Punt

Don't let facts get in the way. And of course blame the last touchdown on the UCONN defense, even though it was a scored by WMU's defense.

 

[huskysupporter]

Don't let facts get in the way. And of course blame the last touchdown on the UCONN defense, even though it was a scored by WMU's defense.

Check out post above yours. I think i am the first boneyarder to admit he was wrong about something

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[Excalibur]

Am I confusing last years WMU game with 2 years ago? I might be.

Probably. The previous year was a total shootout with nobody able to stop the other team. This year, the defense laid an egg for the first quarter and a half and then righted the ship. The offense laid an egg for the first quarter and a half, managed to start moving the ball, and then made a game altering mistake. Either way, the talent should have been good enough to win that game, as well as the Temple and USF games.

 

[huskysupporter]

Probably. The previous year was a total shootout with nobody able to stop the other team. This year, the defense laid an egg for the first quarter and a half and then righted the ship. The offense laid an egg for the first quarter and a half, managed to start moving the ball, and then made a game altering mistake. Either way, the talent should have been good enough to win that game, as well as the Temple and USF games.

Temple was simply inexcusable. Don't know what was up with the kicking game.