Interesting commentary from DeLeone on N. Williams and M Nebrich

[Carl Spackler]

on williams, it's the coaches not taking chances on a smaller guy? Seriously? I'm not buying that.

 

[mattp]

Pal, i still don't understand what you've seen that makes you think Nebrich should be starting. i saw every snap Nebrich took and he looked like he was struggling to keep up with what was happening on the field. i think stats are overrated, but he has a completion percentage of something like 38% and averages just over a yard/carry, yet you claim he's hands down our best QB. do you have a reason? if so please enlighten those of us that don't get it

 

[mattp]

on williams, it's the coaches not taking chances on a smaller guy? Seriously? I'm not buying that.

you're not buying it because it's total B-S. he's bigger than Kashif Moore, if only marginally, but Moore's been involved in our offense from day one. the people that keep bashing P over not using Williams more also seem to forget that he sees a lot of snaps on offense. he's just not usually productive with them for one reason or another. it's not like he's buried on the depth chart a la Marcus Easley

 

[Carl Spackler]

Anybody know what percentage of offensive plays that Williams has been in on so far this season? Anybody?

I wish people would know what they were talking about sometimes, but that's a lot to expect I guess.

Not taking chances on a smaller guy. Come on. Tell that to Lyle McCombs. Or for that matter, Michael Nebrich as our backup QB over the one QB he had with game experience.

I love what Nick Williams brings to the team, and the deeper I get into looking at this team, especially after discussions like this, the more impressed with how much this coaching staff is squeezing out of this offense.

Players have to make plays, and Nick Williams doesn't disappoint, and we'll need him again Saturday.

 

[Uconnfan13]

[on williams, it's the coaches not taking chances on a smaller guy? Seriously? I'm not buying that.[/quote]

Absolutely. Look what's always surrounding him...size. The media, the coaches, the blogs...everyone talks about his size and his ability to make plays, yet there seems to be a gap when it comes to Nick being given the opportunity to make plays. It doesn't add up.

We all see what he does with the ball in his hands. How can anything else be attributed to his lack of contribution. When he's given the ball, he contributes...much more often than not, in a very positive way. He makes the most of his opportunities...imagine what he'd do with the ball more often!

Look at his stats. "The kid has almost half the yardage gained of our leading receiver on about a quarter of the receptions. He is averaging 25 yards per reception and yet has only gotten 7 receptions." Tack 2 touchdowns along with those 7 receptions as well.

 

[businesslawyer]

Coaches make mistakes on QBs all the time. Pasqualoni made one when he GAVE the job to Mac and sat Nebrich after an unfair competition.

I don't know a single poster who would disagree with that statement.

Of course, just because coaches make mistakes selecting QBs does not mean that the odds of you (or me for that matter) being right at the same time that they are wrong are very high. In fact, those odds are relatively low. It's one thing to say they could be wrong. It's another entirely to really believe you are more likely to be correct than they are.

 

[Carl Spackler]

you're not buying it because it's total B-S. he's bigger than Kashif Moore, if only marginally, but Moore's been involved in our offense from day one. the people that keep bashing P over not using Williams more also seem to forget that he sees a lot of snaps on offense. he's just not usually productive with them for one reason or another. it's not like he's buried on the depth chart a la Marcus Easley

You wrote this while I was writing my last response. I spent a good amount of time looking at some stuff, but I'm not writing what I found. All I can say is that we are totally unpredictable on offense in the pass routes we put out there right now, and you've got to dig real deep to find anything that even looks predictable.

The only thing that really stands out clearly, is that Nick Williams is by far our big play receiver on offense, with only 7 catches on the season, and the rest of the pass offense is spread evenly between two split ends and a tight end.

Much like defenses need to game plan and practice for the snaps for the one or two snaps where McCummings might throw the ball, defenses are haivng to game plan for the one or two times that Nick Williams might be getting the ball on offense, and it's totally unpredictable where that is.

My guess is tat Deleone watched the kick return film, thought how come thsi kid doesn't ahve the ball more, then went and actually reviewed the offense we've got in 2011, and then said "oh - that's why". but that's part didn't get into the article in the papers.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Absolutely. Look what's always surrounding him...size. The media, the coaches, the blogs...everyone talks about his size and his ability to make plays, yet there seems to be a gap when it comes to Nick being given the opportunity to make plays. It doesn't add up.

We all see what he does with the ball in his hands. How can anything else be attributed to his lack of contribution. When he's given the ball, he contributes...much more often than not, in a very positive way. He makes the most of his opportunities...imagine what he'd do with the ball more often!

Look at his stats. "The kid has almost half the yardage gained of our leading receiver on about a quarter of the receptions. He is averaging 25 yards per reception and yet has only gotten 7 receptions." Tack 2 touchdowns along with those 7 receptions as well.

Put Williams next to Kashif, and take a picture, then come back. Over and out.

 

[huskyrob1]

what have you been watching? if you think he's better that's a fair opinion, but to say he's light years ahead makes me think you haven't watched a snap of UConn football this year. he's faster i'll give you that, but it's not like Nebrich brought much of a running aspect to our offense. he had a total of 7 yards on 6 carries. if the coaches and Nebrich both agree that he's not ready, why do you think you know better?

as for Nick, if he can't get open on routes, what can the coaches do to give him the ball? you can't just have him run screens and end arounds all day or the defense will catch on really quick. he just needs to improve his routes, which i'm sure he will.

Where are you getting your stats from? I saw Nebrich gain 10 yards on just one carry, after he saw his receivers were all covered, AND get a 1st down in the process, and that was the last time I saw him play in a UCONN game. The kid is an excellent runner, and yes...LIGHT YEARS ahead of McEntee (aka Stephen Hawling).

 

[Carl Spackler]

It just can't be that complicated. The head coach has 40 years of coaching experience and his assistants have a lot also. I would hope coaches could figure out practice time allocation since August to get a playmaker available at WR. If he isn't as quick on the uptake as the two red shirt freshman re learning plays and routes, have a "Williams" package for him like a "SMc" package, where Williams only learns a few plays where he is the primary receiver (and practices the hell out of those routes and route trees). The kid has almost half the yardage gained of our leading receiver on about a quarter of the receptions. He is averaging 25 yards per reception and yet has only gotten 7 receptions.
Part of the problem is only have 133 completions through 9 games and only 75 are to WRs. Only so many passes to go around in Uconns NFL style offense. Only 5 wide receivers get 75 completions for 9 games. Rest to TE or backs and I'm not counting TE receipts even if split wide - which is probably not correct but don't have those stats to separate. Have 32, 28, 7, 4, 4 receipts by WR with Williams having the 3rd most. Either you need to increase passes to WR, increase completion % or you are just taking away opportunities from the Moores (two leading receivers). Moores are both averaging about 14 yards per catch so don't really want them to get less action (would actually like to see more).
By game 10, coaches should not be wistfully scratching their heads.

Didn't see this before. The assumption you're making ist aht Williams isn't already practicing quite a bit with the offense. I don't ahve any inside info, but based on what I see on the field during games, I have reason to believe that Williams is already getting a whole bunch of time in practices with the #1 offense in the passing game.

maybe I shouldn't have written all that stuff on play calls and route trees, I just thought it would be infomative to folks that care about the sport, and might not be aware. There's a hell of a lot more to a passing game than drawing up a square in and a post pattern on the palm of your hand in the huddle, and working things like end arounds and trick plays into an offense takes a ton of work in practices.

I also did not mean to imply that Williams is not understanding the offense, all evidence to the contrary. Again, just trying to point out that it's not as simple as just lining up and throwing the guy the ball.

when you're looking at numbers there, you're seeing problems that aren't really there.

It's actually not easy at all to spread out an offense as evenly as we have, and the fact that you can't look at paper and identify any one thing that stands out in the passing game, except for williams 7 catches, is actually the only real strength in the passing game we've got right now.

Consistency from the QB positiion is certainly not the strenght of our passing game.

 

[Uconnfan13]

Percentage of plays is nearly irrelevant with a QB who ducks and takes sacks before reading a defense, or checking down his receivers.

 

[Uconnfan13]

Didn't see this before. The assumption you're making ist aht Williams isn't already practicing quite a bit with the offense. I don't ahve any inside info, but based on what I see on the field during games, I have reason to believe that Williams is already getting a whole bunch of time in practices with the #1 offense in the passing game.

maybe I shouldn't have written all that stuff on play calls and route trees, I just thought it would be infomative to folks that care about the sport, and might not be aware. There's a hell of a lot more to a passing game than drawing up a square in and a post pattern on the palm of your hand in the huddle, and working things like end arounds and trick plays into an offense takes a ton of work in practices.

I also did not mean to imply that Williams is not understanding the offense, all evidence to the contrary. Again, just trying to point out that it's not as simple as just lining up and throwing the guy the ball.

when you're looking at numbers there, you're seeing problems that aren't really there.

It's actually not easy at all to spread out an offense as evenly as we have, and the fact that you can't look at paper and identify any one thing that stands out in the passing game, except for williams 7 catches, is actually the only real strength in the passing game we've got right now.

Consistency from the QB positiion is certainly not the strenght of our passing game.

+1

 

[Carl Spackler]

Percentage of plays is nearly irrelevant with a QB who ducks and takes sacks before reading a defense, or checking down his receivers.

I prefer not to speak badly about any player that puts everything they've got on the field for my blue and white.

But I do wish that we could have a passing game with that most important piece on the chess board able to compelte passes at a decent clip. We've been stuck at right around 50% completions out of the QB position for many years now. This is not something new to this year.

 

[Bootsthemonkey]

Where are you getting your stats from? I saw Nebrich gain 10 yards on just one carry, after he saw his receivers were all covered, AND get a 1st down in the process, and that was the last time I saw him play in a UCONN game. The kid is an excellent runner, and yes...LIGHT YEARS ahead of McEntee (aka Stephen Hawling).

http://www.uconnhuskies.com/sports/m-footbl/stats/2011-2012/teamcume.html#TEAM.IND

Nebrich has gained 27 yards rushing and lost 20. His NET rushing total is 7 yards on the year.

 

[businesslawyer]

I prefer not to speak badly about any player that puts everything they've got on the field for my blue and white.

But I do wish that we could have a passing game with that most important piece on the chess board able to compelte passes at a decent clip. We've been stuck at right around 50% completions out of the QB position for many years now. This is not something new to this year.

The issue with JM is not once the ball leaves his hands. He throws the ball basically as well as any one since Dan O left (single exception of the few games when Cody got hot in '09). The problem with JM is everything that happens prior to his release. His footwork. His decisionmaking. His fear of and inability to avoid the pass rush. None of this is unusual for someone who is not only a first year starter, but wasn't groomed to be one before taking over. But it is problematic.

 

[NutmegState]

The throwing off the back foot into coverage stuff is nonsense. It has to stop.

 

[Carl Spackler]

The issue with JM is not once the ball leaves his hands. He throws the ball basically as well as any one since Dan O left (single exception of the few games when Cody got hot in '09). The problem with JM is everything that happens prior to his release. His footwork. His decisionmaking. His fear of and inability to avoid the pass rush. None of this is unusual for someone who is not only a first year starter, but wasn't groomed to be one before taking over. But it is problematic.

I agree with most of that, not the fear part, and not the inability to avoid the rush part, the rest of it I agree.

I alwasy go back to the three basics of QBs. Toughness. Leadership. Accuracy.

the perception of a QB in fear comes from teh toughness aspect of being a QB, mentally and physically tough. It's not easy, not easy at all, to keep your eyes and mental attention on what's happening down field and ignore the 10-12 300 lb monsters fighting all around you, and understand that you're going to get leveled at any moment, and need to get back up again.

Johnny has gotten rolled in the dirt a bunch of times, and he's shown signs of taking that focus off what happens down field. Totally expected from a frist year QB, that probably ahsn't had any real physical harm done to him by a defense in 4 yaers. That said, he's got to keep the eyes and brain downfield, and be tough.

as for leadership, I don't think there's a question as to that. Johnny Mac is the team's guy, and they got his back too. That's something that has a lot to do with being an upperclassman and all that other stuff that happens on football teams. Becoming that leader for a team takes time and circumstance.

Accuracy. McEntee's problem is not being accurate, it's being CONSISTENTLY accurate. McCummings? Accuracy is the issue.

We haven't had a QB put all three together consistently on the field of play during games in a very, very long time.

Johnny Mac has all three qualities, I think. In fact I'm sure he's got all three, or he wouldn't be the starter.

The problem is taht he's not putting all three together consistently. I hope to see a consistently good Mac in all three qualities of a QB, for 4 quarters on saturday.

 

[rich1122]

We always overestimate what freshman can do. We see a new face and we immediately think that he is the savior. Already folks have Dobbs penciled in to start with McCombs. Highly doubt that and I would not be surprised if he red shirts, despite the the prep year.

 

[freescooter]

We always overestimate what freshman can do. We see a new face and we immediately think that he is the savior. Already folks have Dobbs penciled in to start with McCombs. Highly doubt that and I would not be surprised if he red shirts, despite the the prep year.

Some people have him starting ahead of McCombs...of course they also have Cochran starting next season, too, and if Nebrich is the starter next September, I wonder how many games it will be before palatine tells us that if Cochran was playing we'd be #1? As the old saying goes, the best player on any team is the back up quarterback.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

We always overestimate what freshman can do. We see a new face and we immediately think that he is the savior. Already folks have Dobbs penciled in to start with McCombs. Highly doubt that and I would not be surprised if he red shirts, despite the the prep year.

You mean like what Rutgers did with Huggins?

 

[mattp]

Where are you getting your stats from? I saw Nebrich gain 10 yards on just one carry, after he saw his receivers were all covered, AND get a 1st down in the process, and that was the last time I saw him play in a UCONN game. The kid is an excellent runner, and yes...LIGHT YEARS ahead of McEntee (aka Stephen Hawling).

http://www.uconnhuskies.com/sports/m-footbl/stats/2011-2012/teamcume.html#TEAM.IND
i got them from UConn's website, which are the same stats as CBS. like i said earlier, i think stats are overrated, but the numbers are what they are. he had 27 positive yards rushing minus 20 negative yards rushing. voila 7 yards on 6 carries. i don't want to come off like i'm against Nebrich b/c aside from Grant i was probably his biggest fan as a recruit, but nothing's happened on the field to indicate he's any better than our other options at this point in time.

to be honest, McEntee's production at QB has been in the ballpark of what we've gotten from any of our QBs over the last few years. we'd all like it to be better of course, and some times he really blows what should be an easy play, but i'm used to that from years of watching (insert name of any UConn QB since DanO). i think the bright side is that we're getting it from someone that was never intended to see the field, and we have some young options that look to push him for time next season.

 

[NutmegState]

In college, sacks are counted against the QB's rushing yards...

 

[rich1122]

You mean like what Rutgers did with Huggins?

Whose Huggins? Bobby Huggins?

 

[freescooter]

You mean like what Rutgers did with Huggins?

You guys do this stuff all the time. On occassion there is a freshman who is ready to step in and be a regular, even a star as a true freshman. For the most part, though those guys are rare. How many true freshmen are starting for Big East teams and making an impact? Huggins. Maybe the Rutgers quarterback, though he is back on the bench last I looked. Maybe there's a wideout somewhere since that's a position where you can get away with it if you have skills. but I bet there aren't 100 true freshmen (that would be about 6% of all starters on both sides of the football)starting in the BCS leagues this year. And I bet you can count quarterbacks and running backs on one hand.

 

[NutmegState]

http://7220report.com/2011/08/16/by-the-numbers-true-freshman-quarterbacks/
"how have true freshman starting quaterbacks fared the past few seasons in college football?
These stats were accumilated from the official NCAA website for the 2009 and 2010 seasons and here is how the numbers look:"