Let's examine the 3-3-5

[BlueDogs]

Is this team 91 places worse than last year? Because that the numbers of spots the defense has dropped in the defensive ratings.

Really nice calling our kids toilet water. Classy.

Exactly... it's not possible to fall off the table like this without a basic problem that is more than personnel talent. I don't care how relatively slow we are. We are not that slow. When there is no pressure up front because you have no size and strength plus quickness (not speed), I don't care how good we cover if it has to be maintained indefinitely. It's a formula for disaster. Two QBs have picked a part 5 DBs everywhere on the field - long, short, mid ... inside and out. If we are that slow in the back, then you better get personnel on the field that can apply effective pressure. I'd rather have an LB stunting or blitzing than a DB or small cross-over player almost any time because DBs get chipped by bigger lineman and are neutralized quickly unless they have a clear path.... at least you get some offsetting size and strength with more speed with LBs and DEs. We are going to have to give up some big plays but bring real pressure and jump the short and mid routes. This D in its current personnel configuration and scheme is by objective performance numbers not cutting it. Crocker is a crock, not our boys.

 

[JMick]

Exactly... it's not possible to fall off the table like this without a basic problem that is more than personnel talent. I don't care how relatively slow we are. We are not that slow. When there is no pressure up front because you have no size and strength plus quickness (not speed), I don't care how good we cover if it has to be maintained indefinitely. It's a formula for disaster. Two QBs have picked a part 5 DBs everywhere on the field - long, short, mid ... inside and out. If we are that slow in the back, then you better get personnel on the field that can apply effective pressure. I'd rather have an LB stunting or blitzing than a DB or small cross-over player almost any time because DBs get chipped by bigger lineman and are neutralized quickly unless they have a clear path.... at least you get some offsetting size and strength with more speed with LBs and DEs. We are going to have to give up some big plays but bring real pressure and jump the short and mid routes. This D in its current personnel configuration and scheme is by objective performance numbers not cutting it. Crocker is a crock, not our boys.

hahahahaha. two games in and you're calling crocker a "crock." you people are pathetic.

 

[kemba]

Exactly... it's not possible to fall off the table like this without a basic problem that is more than personnel talent.

How is it not possible? Our last 2 coaches were pathetic. We lost good players from last year and have injuries. It's certainly possible.

 

[RSTuthill]

This is the opposite of how the game works.

Either you fire Crocker or you live with the 3-3-5 growing pains.

Make no mistake: if you call for something other than the 3-3-5 you are calling for replacing the defensive coordinator.

Huh? So Crocker is a one trick pony? That's all he knows? I just cannot believe that.

 

[RSTuthill]

hahahahaha. two games in and you're calling crocker a "crock." you people are pathetic.

We are data driven and the data say that two very very mediocre offenses lit up the UConn D bigtime. Even with an extra week to teach the new D and fix the problems.

 

[JMick]

We are data driven and the data say that two very very mediocre offenses lit up the UConn D bigtime. Even with an extra week to teach the new D and fix the problems.

It's been two games...

 

[Jimdish255]

A couple of DB's looked pretty slow out there to me. Without pressure that gets magnified. The scheme is probably here regardless but a couple of players need to shape up this week or take a seat. The coaches needed more game film not an early bye week.

 

[JMick]

A couple of DB's looked pretty slow out there to me. Without pressure that gets magnified. The scheme is probably here regardless but a couple of players need to shape up this week or take a seat. The coaches needed more game film not an early bye week.

I won't be surprised if we see more redshirts get burned next week

 

[ibleedhuskyblue]

Can we all slow down and remember how terrible we looked in Don Brown's first year as DC ? It was so bad !

Now, he's regarded as a deity here, and very highly thought of at Michigan, along with everywhere else he's been.

Slow down. It's been 2 games, and 1 offseason of practice.

 

[RSTuthill]

It's been two games...

Fair enough. I think we have seen enough but if you see light at the end of the tunnel (sorry, just watched PBS), give it another game. So what's the over-under for total yards allowed to ECU? 450? 500?

 

[huskymedic]

So what's the over-under for total yards allowed to ECU? 450? 500?

Doesn't really make a difference to me as long as we have more points on the board than they do at the end of the game.

To be honest - at this point, I want to see a shoot out with both teams scoring in the mid 40's! I want the kids to have fun and build confidence.

 

[UConnDan97]

Doesn't really make a difference to me as long as we have more points on the board than they do at the end of the game.

To be honest - at this point, I want to see a shoot out with both teams scoring in the mid 40's! I want the kids to have fun and build confidence.

I hear what you're saying in your second point, but it would be nice to see the defense put up a fantastic game against ECU. They need a confidence boost in my opinion, and I'd love for it to come sooner rather than later.

But definitely let's just win, no matter what the score is...

 

[BlueDogs]

hahahahaha. two games in and you're calling crocker a "crock." you people are pathetic.

What's pathetic is implying the kids are a bunch of no talent losers beyond help. I'll lay it on staff over throwing the kids under a bus... if they are out alignment then that's on staff not getting them ready. If they are too slow then it's on the staff for not putting them in positions that maximize their skills and minimizing their deficiencies.

So, yeah, after 2 games (one a midling 1AA squad and the other being below average FBS), giving up 500 plus is a crock under any System. At least, some of us have enough confidence to believe we have players that can compete.

 

[Stainmaster]

What's pathetic is implying the kids are a bunch of no talent losers beyond help. I'll lay it on staff over throwing the kids under a bus... if they are out alignment then that's on staff not getting them ready. If they are too slow then it's on the staff for not putting them in positions that maximize their skills and minimizing their deficiencies.

So, yeah, after 2 games (one a midling 1AA squad and the other being below average FBS), giving up 500 plus is a crock under any System. At least, some of us have enough confidence to believe we have players that can compete.

There is no logical reason to completely absolve player skill from the equation, only emotional frustration.

 

[JMick]

What's pathetic is implying the kids are a bunch of no talent losers beyond help. I'll lay it on staff over throwing the kids under a bus... if they are out alignment then that's on staff not getting them ready. If they are too slow then it's on the staff for not putting them in positions that maximize their skills and minimizing their deficiencies.

So, yeah, after 2 games (one a midling 1AA squad and the other being below average FBS), giving up 500 plus is a crock under any System. At least, some of us have enough confidence to believe we have players that can compete.

or maybe we hired Crocker because he has had success with his defense and Randy liked what he saw/heard. And just maybe we don't have the players that fit that scheme right now but they're giving them much needed opportunity and playing time to work through issues. it's also giving the staff plenty of film to evaluate on.

players win games. that's why recruiting is important. to ignore that is childish; but I'm not surprised the poster who is still upset that a RB coach was derided for telling his players they had to believe in jesus has the mental capacity of a 12 year old

 

[Chief00]

I agree on the lack of speed and poor tackling. The one guy I have been impressed with other than Swain on special teams is Rose - he had a pancake block - against UVA, which I haven't seen by our OL. Maybe he should play LB.

 

[Stainmaster]

I agree on the lack of speed and poor tackling. The one guy I have been impressed with other than Swain on special teams is Rose - he had a pancake block - against UVA, which I haven't seen by our OL. Maybe he should play LB.

Nope. Only other TE on roster next year will be a Diaco special with no other offers.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

My only issue with this defense is that DT is one of the few areas that we can recruit reasonably well in the northeast. Good linebackers and defensive backs are a different story. Why give up a strength just to get more little people on the field?

I don't know why more teams don't run 4-2-5 defenses. Linebacker is the position becoming obsolete, not defensive tackle.

 

[TitleTown]

They really don't have much to work with. Diaco left this program completely barren of talent. Honestly, I think it will take at least 3 recruiting classes to get the right athletes needed to run this defense effectively. There was a lot of excitement at the beginning of this year because of all the changes in the program but success is not going to come overnight. We have to be patient and "trust the process" and allow RE and company to recruit the right players.

 

[Excalibur]

I love people touting our total defense ranking from last year, as if we're going to pretend that our offense sitting on the ball every possession and draining the play clock on every play had nothing to do with it . . .

Our defense was average last year. OK against the run, not good against the pass (yards per completion and attempt were in the bottom third of FBS). From that D we lost our best run stuffing DT, our two best defensive backs, and the fastest LB.

 

[Excalibur]

My only issue with this defense is that DT is one of the few areas that we can recruit reasonably well in the northeast. Good linebackers and defensive backs are a different story. Why give up a strength just to get more little people on the field?

I don't know why more teams don't run 4-2-5 defenses. Linebacker is the position becoming obsolete, not defensive tackle.

What is this, opposite day? DT is probably the toughest position to recruit outside of the P5, and in the northeast in particular.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

What is this, opposite day? DT is probably the toughest position to recruit outside of the P5, and in the northeast in particular.

We have a pretty good track record at that position. Our track record at corner is not as good, and our track record at safety is not very good at all.

 

[Excalibur]

We've had adequate DT's like Fuller, Martin, Myers, and Campenni, and a couple of stars in Stephen and Reyes (one of whom was recruited as a 225 lb linebacker).

At corner we've produced NFL talent over three separate coaching staffs. Butler, McClain, Branch, Gratz, Wilson, Jones . . . . Our second tier of corners includes guys like Justin Perkins and Jhavon Williams.

Safety hasn't been a position of great strength, but like at DT, we've been adequate (Deleston, Vaughan, Junior, TyMeer Brown) and had a couple of very good players or stars like Adams and Melinfonwu.

 

[Exit 4]

I'm not sure there are many things that can get done this year to change the defensive situation. I guess my shortlist would be:

i) Continue to look for a DB that can "quarterback" the defensive set ups. Need a vocal leader on D that can set things up to help minimize the coverage lapses. I have no idea who that person is at this point.
ii) Need more creative QB blitzes. Might need to uncork two or three corner blitzes a game. I would like to see Santana Sterling get some serious reps at LB in the next game.
iii) They have already burned many redshirts. Maybe Tahj Wilson should see some reps at corner for spell Bell in the next game. Maybe Swann gets out there too. I don't think our problems in the secondary are strictly scheme related, we need both better tacklers and faster guys. Of the freshman class, I was of the impression that Brown is maybe the fastest, then Swann, Swenson and Olaniyan. Coyle is suppose to be our fastest sophomore, but so far I haven't really seen it on the field, although his speed on the field thus far may be hampered by having to think rather than just play.

Overall, doesn't seem like there is many things the staff can do to really change it up aside from getting guys like Sterling on the field at LB and some shifting in the secondary, like giving a few series to the next man up behind Bell.

All the DBs on the Roster -

NO NAME HT/WT POSITION YR/CLASS HOMETOWN HIGH SCHOOL
25 Tyler Coyle 6-1/202 Defensive Back RS FR Windsor, Conn. Windsor
39 Chris Jean-Pierre 5-11/205 Defensive Back RS SO Deep River, Conn., Valley Regional
29 Anthony Watkins 5-10/197 Defensive Back RS JR Fort Meade, Md. Lawrenceville (N.J.)
36 Brayden Brown 6-1/192 Defensive Back FR Cumberland, Md. Fort Hill
41 Marshé Terry 6-4/212 Defensive Back RS SO Columbus, N.J. North Burlington
20 Robert P. King III 6-0/167 Defensive Back FR Philadelphia, Pa. Father Judge
44 Ian Swenson 6-1/197 Defensive Back FR Wilmette, Ill. Loyola Academy
30 Jordan Swann 5-10/180 Defensive Back FR Baltimore, Md. St. Frances Academy
21 Jamar Summers 6-0/190 Defensive Back SR Orange, N.J. Orange
37 Kyle Williams 5-7/170 Defensive Back SO Hamden, Conn. Hamden Hall
31 John Robinson IV 6-2/195 Defensive Back RS SO Englewood, N.J. Dwight Morrow
1 Tre Bell 5-11/175 Defensive Back RS SR Union, N.J. St. Peter's Prep
27 Omar Fortt 6-1/190 Defensive Back FR Stamford, Conn. St. Luke's High School
32 Aaron Garland 5-11/193 Defensive Back RS SO Oak Park, Ill. Fenwick
18 Abiola Olaniyan 6-1/186 Defensive Back FR Woodberry Forest, Va. Woodberry Forest
6 Eddie Hahn 6-3/205 Defensive Back RS FR Port Monmouth, N.J. Red Bank Catholic
14 Tahj Herring-Wilson 6-1/190 Defensive Back RS FR Hartford, Conn. Suffield Academy

 

[Jimdish255]

Brown's Senior Highlights. Not saying he's ready but he looked like the best athlete on a State Championship squad. OL did a nice job as well but he really did everything for them. Smooth acceleration as opposed to a burst of speed and shows tight coverage and the ability to track the ball well on D late in video. We need to start looking at options imo if things don't drastically change. Slow, slow, slow. BTW there are D1 guys that continue to run track in college. They tend to be pretty good players. I haven't seen us do that ever.