Edsall-Crocker

[Hamms30]

Yes. But I believe that was the first time in three games.

First drive against Boise St. last week. Fortt broke up a slant in the end zone and forced a FG

 

[Scrutineer]

To be fair it requires a level of football IQ, assignment discipline, and communication that we just don't have.

You're right. That was the point of my attempt at humor regarding experience.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

You came to this conclusion before you ever saw URI play one snap. There was not a noticeable difference in speed or athleticism and URI was definitely stronger.

There is a separate Mensah thread but all those tough yards he got was a result of him getting stronger over the year. We are playing alot/too many kids on D that rightfully should be RS.

 

[Excalibur]

There is a separate Mensah thread but all those tough yards he got was a result of him getting stronger over the year. We are playing alot/too many kids on D that rightfully should be RS.

Experience corrects the strength deficiency, but do kids get faster? The lack of foot speed, especially at the ends and at linebacker, is painfully obvious.

 

[CL82]

Experience corrects the strength deficiency, but do kids get faster? The lack of foot speed, especially at the ends and at linebacker, is painfully obvious.

I've been thinking about this as well. They do and they take better lines which makes them seem faster.

 

[Excalibur]

I've been thinking about this as well. They do and they take better lines which makes them seem faster.

I would agree with this for the most part -- increased familiarity with assignments and recognition of plays will make players look faster in terms of game speed. Another reason why moving from scheme to scheme is not recommended as you sacrifice that familiarity.

 

[CL82]

My son used to look faster in the second half of games. I asked him why that was, was he holding back early on, did the opponent get tired, etc. His answer was by the second half he had a good idea of what opposing players liked to do, how they made their cuts, etc. So he gained a step or two by anticipating. At the end of games in made a difference.

Not a perfect analogy, but experience matters. These guys will look better next year. The question is will it matter enough to make a material difference on the field. That, I'm just not sure about yet.

 

[Chief00]

I just having a feeling it’s gone to end with a bad look - Edsall and Crocker blaming each other. Crocker will say he couldn’t run his D, Edsall will say Crocker did not effectively teach fundamentals.

 

[huskymedic]

I just having a feeling it’s gone to end with a bad look - Edsall and Crocker blaming each other. Crocker will say he couldn’t run his D, Edsall will say Crocker did not effectively teach fundamentals.

The buck stops w/ Crocker (on D) then Edsall but isn’t teaching fundamentals/technique primarily a position coach’s responsibility? There are others in the mix here that seemingly get overlooked in the grand scheme of things.

 

[#1 PA Husky Fan]

Crocker has been ineffective as a coordinator. The talent-level and youth are certainly issues that make this a long-term fix. Maybe given time, he and his scheme can work out, but we don't have much time. I would rather see us make a change, and bring in someone that can recruit. I just don't see him having an impact on the recruiting trail, and that is what we desperately need. You could argue that our geography is a barrier in recruiting, but the local preps are bringing in D1 prospects from all over the country.

 

[FDNY99]

Crocker has been ineffective as a coordinator. The talent-level and youth are certainly issues that make this a long-term fix. Maybe given time, he and his scheme can work out, but we don't have much time. I would rather see us make a change, and bring in someone that can recruit. I just don't see him having an impact on the recruiting trail, and that is what we desperately need. You could argue that our geography is a barrier in recruiting, but the local preps are bringing in D1 prospects from all over the country.

Crocker has the south NJ area for his recruiting territory. He has been all but absent from
Perennial UConn pipeline Red Bank Catholic and not 1 kid there has a UConn offer...this year there are 3 kids that will be playing FBS ball in the future (TE Kevin Bauman at ND, QB steve Lubuscher at BC as an Athlete, and WR/DB Jayden Key who has offers from Navy and Pitt among other schools. Jayden actually was hoping for a UConn offer). He has also been all hit absent from St John Vianney another school with several FBS kids on the roster. When you are in desperate need of talent, and the HC at RBC was the H Coach of Donald Brown and friends with a former UConn Football co-Capt and RBC grad you make sure you stop by and make yourself known ! So now I’m addition to having a poorly put together Defensive game plan Week after week the guy can’t even recruit a part of NJ that UConn has traditionally Done very well in!

 

[Carl Spackler]

 

[uconnphil2016]

Bill Connelly does some advanced analytics for all 130 FBS teams. One of his metrics is havoc rate, where UConn ranks last. Despite having a bad defense (ranked 130 in probably half of all analytical categories), that’s the biggest indictment of Crocker. That was his number one priority coming here—he said we’d give up big plays but we’d create havoc—he used this exact word. Clearly, we’re worse at doing that than any other team in the nation

 

[huskymedic]

You could argue that our geography is a barrier in recruiting, but the local preps are bringing in D1 prospects from all over the country.

I’m not arguing that UConn shouldn’t continue to build relationships w/ the CT Prep Schools (Choate, Cheshire Academy, St. Thomas More, Salisbury, Kent, etc..) but alot of the out of state kids enrolling are being steered/parked there by P5 schools for a PG year or already committed.

 

[CL82]

View attachment 34432

I wondered when this would be broken out.

So it begins...

 

[uconnphil2016]

Another stat--UConn's defense is giving up 6.8 points per drive

 

[Carl Spackler]

I wondered when this would be broken out.

So it begins...

It was either the super moist chocolate, or the vanilla classic. It's better than fish cake. GAAACKKK!

 

[Exit 4]

Another stat--UConn's defense is giving up 6.8 points per drive

Well absolute worst would be 8 points per drive. That is the floor....right??

 

[businesslawyer]

Experience corrects the strength deficiency, but do kids get faster? The lack of foot speed, especially at the ends and at linebacker, is painfully obvious.

Not materially. Kids don't get much faster at this point. They can, however, learn to "play faster." Unless you're judging 40+ yard speed, which is less critical in football anyway, how quickly you start is more important than how quickly you move once you get started.

 

[Carl Spackler]

I’m not arguing that UConn shouldn’t continue to build relationships w/ the CT Prep Schools (Choate, Cheshire Academy, St. Thomas More, Salisbury, Kent, etc..) but alot of the out of state kids enrolling are being steered/parked there by P5 schools for a PG year or already committed.

I'd argue that it doesn't matter whether or not a player is playing football in high school at this point for where the program is at. We need speed. There was a time - a decade ago now JHC, where I argued pretty strongly that Edsall needed to step up his recruiting plans and program to be bringing in the size and skill with the speed, or we needed to find somebody else who could, but those days are long gone.

And we still got Edsall, who doesn't appear to have any job security issues, and seems like he's in it for the long haul - which is a mindphark in itself, and gone is the BCS and our place in it - and we've got the likes of Tulsa, Tulane and co. in the American Athletic Conference to compete with.

So - it's back to the drawing board - and scouting outdoor and indoor track and field meets moreso than football games, and tracking the official digital timing results for speed, and watching the basketball courts for balance and foot speed agility. Got to get the raw talent and coach it up.

I had some concerns about our team speed when I read the thread about the depth chart for UCF and what was in that thread. There was a story going around about players running with ankle weights on. You can get around a lack of team speed in football in some ways in game planning and strategy and tactics and balancing, but when the situations arise on the game field, where things become a foot race in the offense vs. defense pass first sequences, or have to do with quick feet and balance and leverage/gap control and all that in the offense vs. defense run first sequences, then the film don't lie.

The challenge for the coaches, is to find the best ways to give the players a chance to flourish and succeed. I just hope that all the first and second year players Edsall has brought in, and is now playing very early in their college careers as other players transitioned out - are capable raw talent wise of competing in the AAC conference. No way to know - until the games and seasons play out.

We'll see, if the Edsall HC and Crocker DC pairing can begin to put the players in positions to succeed. The offense - it's concerning what would happen to the offense if the QB goes down, but through 3 games, the offense has capability to produce in the AAC.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Experience corrects the strength deficiency, but do kids get faster? The lack of foot speed, especially at the ends and at linebacker, is painfully obvious.

There are drills to improve this even running stairs can make you faster. But yeah few candidates for those needs, maybe Devaughn down the road?

 

[Carl Spackler]

There are drills to improve this even running stairs can make you faster. But yeah few candidates for those needs, maybe Devaughn down the road?

Tough to increase speed if it's just not there naturally, but you can improve for sure. There is nothing like running stairs for that. Over and over again, and the strength comes back - and some speed. Is there any place on campus still that is the equivalent of running the stairs at memorial stadium?


But to your weight room and training points - young players. Conditioning, aerobic conditioning and anaerobic conditioning - and being in the best shape you can be there - is what usually determines the difference between who's fastest in the 4th quarter of games.

 

[CL82]

There are drills to improve this even running stairs can make you faster. But yeah few candidates for those needs, maybe Devaughn down the road?

There are a ton of ways to increase speed. Conditioning is one, of course, but there are ways to increase your first step. A lot of trainers specialize in that.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

I'd argue that it doesn't matter whether or not a player is playing football in high school at this point for where the program is at. We need speed. There was a time - a decade ago now JHC, where I argued pretty strongly that Edsall needed to step up his recruiting plans and program to be bringing in the size and skill with the speed, or we needed to find somebody else who could, but those days are long gone.

And we still got Edsall, who doesn't appear to have any job security issues, and seems like he's in it for the long haul - which is a mindphark in itself, and gone is the BCS and our place in it - and we've got the likes of Tulsa, Tulane and co. in the American Athletic Conference to compete with.

So - it's back to the drawing board - and scouting outdoor and indoor track and field meets moreso than football games, and tracking the official digital timing results for speed, and watching the basketball courts for balance and foot speed agility. Got to get the raw talent and coach it up.

I had some concerns about our team speed when I read the thread about the depth chart for UCF and what was in that thread. There was a story going around about players running with ankle weights on. You can get around a lack of team speed in football in some ways in game planning and strategy and tactics and balancing, but when the situations arise on the game field, where things become a foot race in the offense vs. defense pass first sequences, or have to do with quick feet and balance and leverage/gap control and all that in the offense vs. defense run first sequences, then the film don't lie.

The challenge for the coaches, is to find the best ways to give the players a chance to flourish and succeed. I just hope that all the first and second year players Edsall has brought in, and is now playing very early in their college careers as other players transitioned out - are capable raw talent wise of competing in the AAC conference. No way to know - until the games and seasons play out.

We'll see, if the Edsall HC and Crocker DC pairing can begin to put the players in positions to succeed. The offense - it's concerning what would happen to the offense if the QB goes down, but through 3 games, the offense has capability to produce in the AAC.

Scour to find the Shamar Stephan types.

 

[BlueDogs]

I've been thinking about this as well. They do and they take better lines which makes them seem faster.

Study Hahn. 3rd year guy. Transitioned from Safety.

6'2" 214.​

Its a clinic in how not to play LB. I cant figure out how he made it out there at his size, apparent speed and plain lack of instinct for the ball. 5 tackles/ 3 assists in 3 games at LB is atrocious.

I don't like singling kids out over talent, but for goodness sake he's not even a good linebacker in the upper tier of DIII. But, this is the Crocker small guy, tween influence and its not getting it done.

Gimme 3 true LBs that want to stick their heads in a pile and 4 down lineman and stop the friggin run and put pressure on the front line. Stress the DBs in man cover and let them learn to cover on an island. They cant stop anybody in a nickel anyhow, so lets not worry about that and fix at least some of our challenges.