How UConn football’s new defensive scheme under Matt Brock should help as a ‘talent equalizer’ (Arruda)

[huskymedic]

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-> As soon as he arrived, the Huskies started implementing the scheme Brock coached at Mississippi State, a 3-3-5 or 4-2-5 alignment that includes multiple “hybrid” positions and presents opportunities to be flexible. The new scheme, head coach Jim Mora said Tuesday, should be “somewhat of a talent equalizer” at times with its unique look.

“One of our safeties is more of a hybrid and one of linebackers is more of a hybrid,” Brock said after practice on Friday. “Three down linemen, one of the three linebackers can be an inside guy, can be an outside guy, can be on the ball, off the ball, do a lot of different things which honestly is the polar opposite of a lot of people. A lot of people are sub-packaging max personnel, we’re the opposite. We ask guys to be a little more flexible.”<-

-> “Looking at guys like Donovan Branch, he can be a SAM linebacker, he can fit that mold. Guys like Malik Dixon, he fits our dog safety position,” Brock said. “But at the same time, the flip side of that is you’re constantly needing to look outside the box to find your best personnel decisions. That’s the key: How do we get the best level football players on the field all the time doing things that they can do. It’s a constant evaluation of all those things. <-

-> “The beauty to me of what we’re able to do is we’re able to be aggressive, we’re able to be multiple within the base system.”

Brock introduced the new system to players with a progression that Mora referred to as “brilliant,” and they spent the summer learning and adjusting to it. “They love it, they do, it’s an aggressive, penetrating, confusing defense for an offense,” Mora said. “It’s not something that people see every week so it’s not easy to prepare for on a week-in, week-out basis.”<-

 

[huskyblooz]

getting me pumped. Though, I would not be talking about what we want to do.

 

[Platt81]

A D-Coordinator not being influenced and a puppet for the head coach?? This might be the first time since Don Brown that could potentially happen. In Mora We Trust.

 

[Hamms30]

Hopefully Brock has the personnel he needs. Last time we ran the 3-3-5 we got exactly what Crocker promised us. Chaos.

 

[Tdaley]

I am surprised the hiring of Brock has not created the buzz that I would thought it would have caused on the boneyard. Maybe the thought of 3 3 5 defense causes too many of our fans to relive the nightmare 2017 season. I am on the other hand optimistic that this may turn out to a great hire.

 

[Palatine]

The scheme is a concern. But the bigger concern is last year's opener versus NC State when we missed over 20 tackles. Can he teach our guys to tackle?

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Hopefully Brock has the personnel he needs. Last time we ran the 3-3-5 we got exactly what Crocker promised us. Chaos.

Crocker never had the talent that Mora is getting now, or kids who understood how the 3-3-5 can work for you. Typical for Edsall to experiment with a defense and have an offense that gives you 3 yards and a ball of dust.

 

[Patman]

The scheme is a concern. But the bigger concern is last year's opener versus NC State when we missed over 20 tackles. Can he teach our guys to tackle?

Man that was so terrible to watch. I don't know how things turned that ugly. If defense hadn't walked so backwards last year wouldn't have been so bad.

 

[Ldandy]

Hopefully Brock has the personnel he needs. Last time we ran the 3-3-5 we got exactly what Crocker promised us. Chaos.

Hopefully we see a LOT more 4-2-5 than 3-3-5. The first allows you to be a little more versatile in the pass game by getting more players who can cover or blitz from the second level. The second is more gimmicky IMO. Like a 3-4 it requires you to develop players over a few classes if you don’t have the requisite personnel. That said the portal could aid in the transition by signing college ready bodies at DL.

 

[RedStickHusky]

The thinking could be sound (I hope it is), but I don't like the expression "talent equalizer". I mean, I may be in denial but would you say that about your own kids?

 

[Bubba1957]

The idea that any schema is a “talent equalizer” is wrong to me. If that were the case everyone would run the same thing. What is a talent equalizer is when a coaching staff is able to prepare for each opponent, giving each player the reads they need based on the tape. If remains to be seen how the D staff can do that.

 

[uconnfan68]

Hopefully we see a LOT more 4-2-5 than 3-3-5. The first allows you to be a little more versatile in the pass game by getting more players who can cover or blitz from the second level. The second is more gimmicky IMO. Like a 3-4 it requires you to develop players over a few classes if you don’t have the requisite personnel. That said the portal could aid in the transition by signing college ready bodies at DL.

I just want to see some deception for our schemes. Need a little edge.

 

[JohnFSilver]

If you are going to run a defensive scheme, 3-3-5…you actually gotta recruit linebackers.

Edsall/crocker and team didn’t have a single linebacker in the roster who could physically play at the FBS level when it had perhaps the worst defense in fbs history

It was a massively embarrassing coaching miss.

 

[hardcorehusky]

If you are going to run a defensive scheme, 3-3-5…you actually gotta recruit linebackers.

Edsall/crocker and team didn’t have a single linebacker in the roster who could physically play at the FBS level when it had perhaps the worst defense in fbs history

It was a massively embarrassing coaching miss.

Edsall knew he had no speed at any of the levels on that defense. He told us that. The fact they still ran it speaks to the fact that he used that year as a throw away

 

[Chin Diesel]

The idea that any schema is a “talent equalizer” is wrong to me. If that were the case everyone would run the same thing. What is a talent equalizer is when a coaching staff is able to prepare for each opponent, giving each player the reads they need based on the tape. If remains to be seen how the D staff can do that.

The scheme is a concern. But the bigger concern is last year's opener versus NC State when we missed over 20 tackles. Can he teach our guys to tackle?

I think the scheme is to find whichever alignment allowed the greatest number of UConn's better defenders to be on the field at the same time.

But, scheme and speed, still means you got make the tackle. And UConn has been woefully bad at that over the past few years.

 

[huskymedic]

I think the scheme is to find whichever alignment allowed the greatest number of UConn's better defenders to be on the field at the same time.

Yup…

-> “Looking at guys like Donovan Branch, he can be a SAM linebacker, he can fit that mold. Guys like Malik Dixon, he fits our dog safety position,” Brock said. “But at the same time, the flip side of that is you’re constantly needing to look outside the box to find your best personnel decisions. That’s the key: How do we get the best level football players on the field all the time doing things that they can do. It’s a constant evaluation of all those things. <-

 

[DoctorWho85]

It finally looks like we have an actual DC that knows how to adjust the scheme to the player not the other way around. This also explains why DB's have been recruited so much in the last couple cycles.

 

[uconnfan68]

Edsall knew he had no speed at any of the levels on that defense. He told us that. The fact they still ran it speaks to the fact that he used that year as a throw away

Did he get a higher draft pick? Oh, wait...