Jeff Jacobs: Searching For Answers As To Why UConn's Defense Is So Bad

[huskymedic]

Jeff Jacobs: Searching For Answers As To Why UConn's Defense Is So Bad

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

It sounds like RE is putting the defensive issues mostly on the players. When he said the freshman had the right attitude, could he have thrown Diaco under the bus further? Nope.

I just hope the Diaco players take this on as a challenge and don't sulk. There could be significant non natural turnover this offseason if RE continues to blame Diaco players. Might not be a bad thing...But it could be painful in the short term.

 

[DoctorWho85]

I don't think the cupboard is bare as some posters like to spew constantly. The problem, at least to these untrained eyes, isn't the 3-3-5 or talent, but it's due to Diaco recruiting size and completely ignoring speed. AAC has a lot of speed at QB and receivers and I think we're playing too soft to prevent the faster receivers from getting behind our dbs. Which leads to receivers and rbs having a ton of space in the middle of the field.

 

[SubbaBub]

Looks like a case of poor fundementals and film study. How can you not know who and how to cover? I don't think it is a speed issue in the secondary. They all look fast enough.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

I don't think the cupboard is bare as some posters like to spew constantly. The problem, at least to these untrained eyes, isn't the 3-3-5 or talent, but it's due to Diaco recruiting size and completely ignoring speed. AAC has a lot of speed at QB and receivers and I think we're playing too soft to prevent the faster receivers from getting behind our dbs. Which leads to receivers and rbs having a ton of space in the middle of the field.

My point was that RE is saying the cupboard is bare. When asked how to fix the defense, he said "recruiting". To me it sounds like he is saying the cupboard is bare.

 

[Exit 4]

I rewatched the first 1/2 of the Memphis game again last night (yes ) and I think the D really did play its best football this season on 1 and 2nd downs. As everyone has said over and over, the 3rd downs were the killer. And in many of those third downs Ferguson threw perfect strikes and often he did so with no one in his face. He did have the one third down conversion with Miller (?) making the amazing one handed grab while under real duress, but most of the time, on third down, we did not pressure the QB and so he was free to make an amazing throw. Compare this with Sherriffs who often has 1/2 of his throwing lanes shut down because of a collapsing pocket. The D needs more pressure on the Qb on third downs and more pressure up front to hinder the throwing lanes and maybe that will induce more punts.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

I rewatched the first 1/2 of the Memphis game again last night (yes ) and I think the D really did play its best football this season on 1 and 2nd downs. As everyone has said over and over, the 3rd downs were the killer. And in many of those third downs Ferguson threw perfect strikes and often he did so with no one in his face. He did have the one third down conversion with Miller (?) making the amazing one handed grab while under real duress, but most of the time, on third down, we did not pressure the QB and so he was free to make an amazing throw. Compare this with Sherriffs who often has 1/2 of his throwing lanes shut down because of a collapsing pocket. The D needs more pressure on the Qb on third downs and more pressure up front to hinder the throwing lanes and maybe that will induce more punts.

He (Ferguson) threw several strikes to well covered receivers while running for his life. Our dbacks had much improved coverage for the most part but don’t play the ball at all and I’m pretty sure 4 or 5 passes we’re an inch or so from hitting Summers in the back of the head.

 

[Exit 4]

He (Ferguson) threw several strikes to well covered receivers while running for his life. Our dbacks had much improved coverage for the most part but don’t play the ball at all and I’m pretty sure 4 or 5 passes we’re an inch or so from hitting Summers in the back of the head.

Agreed about Fergusons accuracy which was astounding, but he seemed to me he was often hurried from the side or rear, but not to his face, so he had a clear view on most of those throws, sans the one amazing throw/catch with Miller for that third down conversion.

If only we had not turned the ball over in this game and managed to convert a few of our own third downs....

 

[J187Money]

I did the math on another thread - we kept 7 starters, but lost our best DBs - where we are getting killed. Not enough experience. I won't go so far as to say not enough talent - time will tell.

 

[SubbaBub]

When you can get 8, 12, 18 yards at will, what you do on 1st and 2nd downs doesn't really matter.

 

[hardcorehusky]

The talent is in the secondary - but it is young talent- mostly freshmen. The defensive front is bare(and next year could be worse unless juco's come in and there is not enough depth at linebacker. But the biggest issue is that these guys don't have the mental toughness to straighten things out when they go bad. Freshmen don't know enough yet an the older guys come from a culture of losing. Recruiting is the lifeblood of every program, so no shock Edsall mentions it. The biggest thing is to see who is a non-senior or can graduate who won't be coming back. Then you will know how deep Edsall has to go.

 

[DoctorWho85]

My point was that RE is saying the cupboard is bare. When asked how to fix the defense, he said "recruiting". To me it sounds like he is saying the cupboard is bare.

I feel like it's too vague a statement to jump to any definitive conclusions like that. Obviously the defenders are one step behind a lot of the time. Is that talent? Maybe. But too me it's more just lack of speed to keep up than being bad players.

 

[Nostical]

I'm not buying this "lack of speed" issue (excuse). There's always somebody faster on any team. What counters that is scheme, technique and, most importantly, timely pressure on the QB. I say it's more about coaching and technique. The players aren't in position to make plays. I'd rather see more press coverage to take away the ridiculous bubble screens and gift passes in open space and be willing to risk that the QB (hopefully with some pressure) won't be as precise on enough deep throws to hurt us.

 

[noeynox]

Randy blaming players when things go bad is Randy being Randy. When things go well expect top hear how proud and how hard the coaches work.

Some of it is true. We need to get better players, but he cant keep saying these players suck. There is a reason he is back at UConn. If he had said we don't have the depth for any other scheme at the moment, that would have sufficed, but that's not Randy.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

Randy blaming players when things go bad is Randy being Randy. When things go well expect top hear how proud and how hard the coaches work.

Some of it is true. We need to get better players, but he cant keep saying these players suck. There is a reason he is back at UConn. If he had said we don't have the depth for any other scheme at the moment, that would have sufficed, but that's not Randy.

True. In the past it was the players didn't execute. Now it's that they aren't the right players.

I do think that answer is a bit of a cop out. Even if UConn has FCS level players, they shouldn't give up 70 points and 700 yards. Like most things, the answer is somewhere in between. Between Nostical and Edsall. Part players...Part scheme.

 

[huskymedic]

Some of it is true. We need to get better players, but he cant keep saying these players suck.

Anthony/Jacobs do a fair job discussing this point in their weekly podcast (18 minute mark moving forward).

 

[Hoophound]

True. In the past it was the players didn't execute. Now it's that they aren't the right players.

I do think that answer is a bit of a cop out. Even if UConn has FCS level players, they shouldn't give up 70 points and 700 yards. Like most things, the answer is somewhere in between. Between Nostical and Edsall. Part players...Part scheme.

Agreed. Even if we have a handful of FCS players out there, we aren't playing Alabama. 70 points!!!

 

[Duncan Idaho]

As a snapshot, watch their last touchdown again. Just not very good...yet.

 

[jdb50]

Luke, Cole and Foley are not going to get pressure against 5 lineman in our league. This is a stupid game plan. This situation is not helped with a delayed blitz. It is too late, the ball is out or the QB is surveying the field while the O-lineman have corralled our 3 rushers into a pile, The coaching staff can talk all they want about the 3-3-5 but we are being screwed by this strategy this year. I am not criticizing the effort of the players.

 

[gopher2]

Luke, Cole and Foley are not going to get pressure against 5 lineman in our league. This is a stupid game plan. This situation is not helped with a delayed blitz. It is too late, the ball is out or the QB is surveying the field while the O-lineman have corralled our 3 rushers into a pile, The coaching staff can talk all they want about the 3-3-5 but we are being screwed by this strategy this year. I am not criticizing the effort of the players.

I can't understand why Crocker doesn't have the blitzing backs just pin their ears back and blast across the LOS at the snap. What have we got to lose? Coming late as they do they are not a factor in getting pressure or defending the pass.

 

[Jimdish255]

Luke, Cole and Foley are not going to get pressure against 5 lineman in our league. This is a stupid game plan. This situation is not helped with a delayed blitz. It is too late, the ball is out or the QB is surveying the field while the O-lineman have corralled our 3 rushers into a pile, The coaching staff can talk all they want about the 3-3-5 but we are being screwed by this strategy this year. I am not criticizing the effort of the players.

I don't really consider 4 guys much of a blitz. 5 or even 6 used to be the deal if you needed a sack. And Foley doesn't sound happy. I want him happy.

 

[BlueMAB]

Edsall's not 100% wrong, but he's gotta take more accountability, and hold Crocker more accountable. Many of us questioned the talent coming in based on other offers. We definitely don't have the same talent we had in the past. And the secondary is extremely young. We do have a depth problem. We do have a talent problem. But these guys were hired to fix these problems, not making excuses for them. With an average defense, we would be discussing which bowl game we prefer to go to.

They need better players, in the meantime, they need to coach better. There's no way 70 points is all on the guys on the field, the guys with the headsets on share the blame too. Who holds more of the blame? Well, we could debate that all season, but we don't have enough info. We don't know what's being taught or what's being called, we don't know who's putting in extra film time. We can see individuals not making plays, but that's not the whole story. I've lost count how many times the LBs haven't gotten deep enough depth on zone coverage leaving the middle of the field wide open, but that's far from the only problem on defense.

I don't know how long Crocker's leash should be, but this isn't like the prior regime where coaches were being hired for positions where they had no experience and almost immediately showed they had no clue. Crocker and Edsall have done a terrible job coaching the defense, but their resume suggests this season is an outlier, not the norm. The best coaches adjust their approach to scheme based on the talent they have. They need to adjust or recruit better than the rest of the league because this program is on life support.

 

[huskymedic]

Edsall's not 100% wrong, but he's gotta take more accountability, and hold Crocker more accountable.

I don’t disagree w/ the majority of what you have have written but what does the above translate to? (Short of the BY and social media norm of “fire everyone”).

Edsall has been pretty clear where the buck stops in regards to the program.

 

[BlueMAB]

I don’t disagree w/ the majority of what you have have written but what does the above translate to? (Short of the BY and social media norm of “fire everyone”).

Edsall has been pretty clear where the buck stops in regards to the program.

I'd start with making it clear that he's holding Crocker accountable. We don't have enough depth for a 4-3. The players were recruited for a 3-4, he should make Crocker available to discuss why he isn't changing the scheme to fit the players. I know Edsall likes to control the narrative, but if the players have to sit there and answer questions on the defense, so should Crocker. I don't think that's an unreasonable request, and I don't believe they can't find a scheme able to yield fewer points than we allowed in the past 120 years.

 

[Exit 4]

I'd start with making it clear that he's holding Crocker accountable. We don't have enough depth for a 4-3. The players were recruited for a 3-4, he should make Crocker available to discuss why he isn't changing the scheme to fit the players. I know Edsall likes to control the narrative, but if the players have to sit there and answer questions on the defense, so should Crocker. I don't think that's an unreasonable request, and I don't believe they can't find a scheme able to yield fewer points than we allowed in the past 120 years.

Sometimes it might make sense for the HC to take his frustrations with his coaches public, but most of the time its probably not the best strategic plan as it certainly would hurt recruiting and leave the defense in a worse place; right?

Edsall is an adult. I am sure he is disappointed in not only the play on the field, but the coaching and play calling on D as well. There is just no good reason to make that public.