Rational Thoughts

[jdb50]

So true. We got the safety and I figured it was off to the races. Nope
And why don't we throw to the TE's ? Feel bad for Bloom and Myers.
They were loyal soldiers totally misused by both RedPants amd RE/Lashlee.

Shirreffs overthrow was to Bloom in the first Q .

 

[Alum86]

Shirreffs overthrow was to Bloom in the first Q .

. The TE's get a max 3 play calls a game.

 

[Bubba1957]

A couple of observations:
Our seats are right behind the bench. Tunstall and Holmes have this synchronized dance routine that they usually do before the game gets out of hand. Pretty impressive agility for a couple of very big guys. Does anyone have any information regarding how they look in practice?

Rose physically looks like he could play for anyone. Yet, he gets no snaps. Is the thought that he is not showing enough in practice or are they being loyal to a couple of seniors who seem to be very good guys?

Regarding how far off the DBs play, what I saw was a failure to close, then tackle. Several times they would close, then hesitate, then response. That's where all the extra yards come from. The hesitation would allow the receiver to make their move up the field. They need to react more like a heat seeking missile, with no hesitation. I think that is part of what Randy is referring to when he talks about their confidence to just go.

For some of these young players, the game will start slowing down and they will start making plays. Unfortunately that might not occur until next year and it won't happen for all of them.

 

[Excalibur]

It will only happen without Crocker. This clown can't even figure out that you don't line your DBs up 10 yards off the LOS and expect them to cover anybody. Rinse and repeat, over and over again, until 2-5 teams are torching your D.

That's not Crocker.

 

[freescooter]

A couple of observations:
Our seats are right behind the bench. Tunstall and Holmes have this synchronized dance routine that they usually do before the game gets out of hand. Pretty impressive agility for a couple of very big guys. Does anyone have any information regarding how they look in practice?


Regarding how far off the DBs play, what I saw was a failure to close, then tackle. Several times they would close, then hesitate, then response. That's where all the extra yards come from. The hesitation would allow the receiver to make their move up the field. They need to react more like a heat seeking missile, with no hesitation. I think that is part of what Randy is referring to when he talks about their confidence to just go.
.

This is the best discription of the problem with our pass defense I’ve read this season.

 

[BlueDogs]

That's not Crocker.

Do we have an mystery DC? Whoever that guy is, he's failing at epic levels.

 

[Excalibur]

Do we have an mystery DC? Whoever that guy is, he's failing at epic levels.

At Nova, his defenses were aggressive, with DBs playing up on receivers, particularly on passing downs. What changed? The guy he's working for.


Here they are vs. SoDakSt. last year:

 

[whaler11]

At Nova, his defenses were aggressive, with DBs playing up on receivers, particularly on passing downs. What changed? The guy he's working for.


Here they are vs. SoDakSt. last year:

View attachment 25768

What changed is that at Villanova he had personnel that was as good as the teams they played.

I get watching being picked apart sucks.

What also sucks is just getting beat for long TDs on one play.

 

[Exit 4]

Could it be that Crocker and Edsall just missed last year with their late push for DB recruiting? Maybe what they inherited was a miss and their couple of January recruits are also misses.

This whole turn around will largely be built upon this 2018 class. They can't afford to miss with this next group.

They are determined to bring in enough guys to not miss on a rebuilt O Line. We got QBs now. On the D recruiting, we'll just have to believe that Carroll, Banks, Lazarus and Morrisons are not misses - but hits....because if they are misses - then....

 

[Nostical]

Feel bad for Bloom and Myers.
They were loyal soldiers totally misused by both RedPants amd RE/Lashlee.

Agree with that but I've been told that these days you don't have to play a lot to be noticed. The NFL gurus know who has the frame and the moves. In fact, a school of thought exists that getting overused in college isn't the best recipe for future success and longevity. It will be interesting to see us surprised again by the number of our players who get invited to NFL camps.

 

[businesslawyer]

Without Sherriffs they have zero wins.

As much credit as you’d like to give to Lashlee this year - you have to ignore the fact you’ve ever seen Pindell play. That they gave him a scholarship and named him the starter is the single scariest thing we’ve seen this season.

Donovan Williams has to scratch his head trying to figure out how he got moved and Pindell started.

No as to the last part. You're forgetting how Donovan Williams looked.

 

[TRest]

Agree with that but I've been told that these days you don't have to play a lot to be noticed. The NFL gurus know who has the frame and the moves. In fact, a school of thought exists that getting overused in college isn't the best recipe for future success and longevity. It will be interesting to see us surprised again by the number of our players who get invited to NFL camps.

I will certainly be surprised.

 

[businesslawyer]

What changed is that at Villanova he had personnel that was as good as the teams they played.

I get watching being picked apart sucks.

What also sucks is just getting beat for long TDs on one play.

Sometimes it's hard to believe people think the way they do. Does anyone have a rational theory for the coaches not understanding that we were getting picked apart on short sideline throws and doing something about it? Other than the obvious one which is they didn't believe we could cover the WRs deep if we were up on the line of scrimmage?

 

[Nostical]

Sometimes it's hard to believe people think the way they do. Does anyone have a rational theory for the coaches not understanding that we were getting picked apart on short sideline throws and doing something about it? Other than the obvious one which is they didn't believe we could cover the WRs deep if we were up on the line of scrimmage?

As the King of Siam said to Anna, "its a puzzlement". The puzzlement is Crocker concluding that the tradeoff of a"guaranteed" rate of success by our opponents in completing sideline throws for five or more gifted yards on play after play was worth it based on the "potential" of our DB's getting beat on streak plays downfield if they pressed too close. Never mind that it's conclusivly tougher to complete long passes, that help from our safeties might have an impact, and that it simply takes longer for those plays to develop, allowing us a greater opportunity to pressure and disrupt the QB. As a candidate once said to a constituency group, "what do you have to lose?" Indeed.

 

[tduconn]

What changed is that at Villanova he had personnel that was as good as the teams they played.

I get watching being picked apart sucks.

What also sucks is just getting beat for long TDs on one play.

That's what makes any system successful.......having the personnel that can perform.

UConn D was torched plenty of times last year ........ a lot of the same personnel, different scheme.......same results.

Didn't the likes of Houston, USF score 28 points in a quarter?

When coaching personnel changes, you think the head coach or AD thinks.......lets get the best position coach we can "who doesn't know how to coach" and has a history of failures at other schools? Rediculous! By the time an athlete gets to college ball, why should they have to be told to "turn around" when defending a pass.

The problems UConn has is the recruitment of quite a few players with no other offers, or maybe "an interest" from other schools. You can't coach up players that don't have a base line of skills inherited from pop warner through HS or junior college ball. I'm not suggesting UConn's recruits aren't trying.......rather their base line of abilities and understanding of positional play is less than those on teams UConn play.

The coaches we have exhibit a degree of success at other schools before coming to UConn. The problem may be that (1) a number of players have a low skill ceiling (2) a number of players can't or won't take direction from coaches.