Roster make up

[UConnfan4ever]

Did you mean WR WAS a need? We need wideouts that can get off the line, create space, and catch the ball, while creating YAC. One of the challenges to our run game is our inability to scare D coordinators with our passing game.

Good to see bandwagon fans back on board

 

[ktuck911]

Perhaps the most interesting defensive player sitting on the redshirt shelf from last season. Excited to see what he can do.

I'm excited about Brouse as well... His HS tape showed how he had a nice burst up field from the DT position...

 

[Pudge]

For me ... (with a disclaimer on some HCRE faults) ... this was what I always thought about Edsall

In fact, when Pasqualoni came in and we did not see a New QB and he went with McEntee, I thought ... woah. He did not fight for Robbie Frey. Edsall, every year, went into his roster and made strong correction at the margin. He brought in a Larry Taylor or another PR. He would bring a touch every year to incrementally build. I do not think we will only have 1 P and 1 K on scholarship. I do think we are not done here.

 

[businesslawyer]

For me .... (with a disclaimer on some HCRE faults) .... this was what I always thought about Edsall

In fact, when Pasqualoni came in and we did not see a New QB and he went with McEntee, I thought .... woah. He did not fight for Robbie Frey. Edsall, every year, went into his roster and made strong correction at the margin. He brought in a Larry Taylor or another PR. He would bring a touch every year to incrementally build. I do not think we will only have 1 P and 1 K on scholarship. I do think we are not done here.

Tarbutt will be a sophomore next year. I can't see them bringing in another schollie kicker for at least one year, if not two, because good kickers don't want to wait their turn for more than 2 years. I think this year, the goal is to make sure you have a walk on who can be competent (if without the range) if he gets hurt.

You do not need a second schollie punter, unless he's redshirting behind a senior. It's not nearly as difficult to have a decent backup from the rest of your roster.

 

[Palatine]

Having loyally yet painfully (last 6 years) followed the Huskies since 2002, like many of you, I am excited about the mix of recruits and new staff. in particular a couple of quotes from ED DAIGNEAULT's article in today's REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN stand out to me as evidence of the incredible fresh changes in philosophy and are reasons to believe we will be watching Way more exciting football at the Rent next fall! We've read them before but they are worth repeating because it's truly a long overdue change in philosophy.

EDSALL on OFFENSE and of course Rhett Lashlee but it's the change in Edsall approach to the game that impresses me the most.

“The game has changed,” Edsall said the day his hiring was announced. “It’s almost all predicated on spread offenses and speed. That’s what the game dictates. We’re going to be a multiple offense and we’re going to run the ball, but I think the days of running the way we did when I was here the first time, you’re probably not going to see much of that anywhere in the game anymore.”

“I’m a firm believer it all starts under center,” Edsall said. “We signed three young men who will provide tremendous competition for what we want to do. We needed to upgrade the team speed and I think we did that at wide receiver.”

BILLY CROCKER'S DEFENSE

On the defensive side, Edsall hired Connecticut native Billy Crocker to direct things. Crocker’s defenses at Villanova were, simply put, hellraisers. Crocker uses a 3-3-5 concept that puts a lot of pressure on linebackers and defensive backs. The whole plan is to use speed to blow up offenses before plays have a chance to come together.

That is a decided departure from the 4-3 defense Edsall typically employed during his first run with the Huskies. Those were some great defenses, but they were largely reliant on linemen to blow up plays and linebackers to clean up things.

Crocker’s defense is usually pure mayhem, using speed to combat speed. There are four defensive backs and two linebackers in Edsall’s recruiting class. Unlike in 1999 when Edsall said he recruited mostly athletes who could play backup roles as the Huskies made the jump up, Edsall this time tailored the recruiting class to fit the plans of his coordinators.

Here's the thing, we have heard it all before. The words mean very little. It sounds great. But we know Edsall's default position. Run the ball, bend but don't break on defense.

Edsall hired Joe Moorhead then handcuffed his offense. We know Edsall changes very slowly. It took him ten years of having punts blocks to finally realize that the problem was scheme not execution.

So it all sounds great. But we'll see.

 

[sdhusky]

Here's the thing, we have heard it all before. The words mean very little. It sounds great. But we know Edsall's default position. Run the ball, bend but don't break on defense.

Edsall hired Joe Moorhead then handcuffed his offense. We know Edsall changes very slowly. It took him ten years of having punts blocks to finally realize that the problem was scheme not execution.

So it all sounds great. But we'll see.

You seem to forget the offense he ran in MD.

Purposeful or just ignorant?

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Here's the thing, we have heard it all before. The words mean very little. It sounds great. But we know Edsall's default position. Run the ball, bend but don't break on defense.

Edsall hired Joe Moorhead then handcuffed his offense. We know Edsall changes very slowly. It took him ten years of having punts blocks to finally realize that the problem was scheme not execution.

So it all sounds great. But we'll see.

Yeah Lashlee took a pay cut to come here from Auburn to get handcuffed by RE.

We had our best non Orlovsky offensive year with Moorhead running the offense in 2009. Feel free to continue to make up your own alternative facts though.

 

[Palatine]

Yeah Lashlee took a pay cut to come here from Auburn to get handcuffed by RE.

We had our best non Orlovsky offensive year with Moorhead running the offense in 2009. Feel free to continue to make up your own alternative facts though.

LOL. We were pretty even in 2009 - by UConn standards. But this was a run first team that had two thousand yard rushers. The next year, 2010, we ran the legs off of Jordan Todman with over 330 carries. We didn't change our identity a wit in those seasons with Moorhead as OC.

But feel free to post first and think second.

I didn't say that Edsall can't learn. He did eventually change the punt protection after a decade. At Maryland he was on the hot seat immediately after going 2-10 in his run heavy first season. (Unlike Diaco). His control of the program was heavily scrutinized from above after that. Hard to say how much control he really had. He was a PR nightmare for the Terps and his lease was short.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

LOL. We were pretty even in 2009 - by UConn standards. But this was a run first team that had two thousand yard rushers. The next year, 2010, we ran the legs off of Jordan Todman with over 330 carries. We didn't change our identity a wit in those seasons with Moorhead as OC.

But feel free to post first and think second.

I didn't say that Edsall can't learn. He did eventually change the punt protection after a decade. At Maryland he was on the hot seat immediately after going 2-10 in his run heavy first season. (Unlike Diaco). His control of the program was heavily scrutinized from above after that. Hard to say how much control he really had. He was a PR nightmare for the Terps and his lease was short.

What the hell are you babbling about now? I made no mention at all about the run/pass differential. I simply stated that we had our best offensive production as a team that didn't have Dan O at QB. The second half of 2009 our offense was very difficult to stop. And gee golly, with a road paving OL, Frazier at QB, and Todman at RB it's shocking that we'd be a run first offense. But I guess you know better. You probably think our offense in 2009 would've been even better if Randy didn't handcuff poor Joe Moorhead. Some of the stupid on here is too strong for words

 

[Confident Carl]

Here's the thing, we have heard it all before. The words mean very little. It sounds great. But we know Edsall's default position. Run the ball, bend but don't break on defense.

Edsall hired Joe Moorhead then handcuffed his offense. We know Edsall changes very slowly. It took him ten years of having punts blocks to finally realize that the problem was scheme not execution.

So it all sounds great. But we'll see.

I hear you and what you say makes sense. I would probably lean more towards your viewpoint if it weren't for the hiring of Rhett Lashly. I'm pretty sure he's going to be given
Autonomy on running the offense. Crocker's defense albeit at the FCS level finished tops in two key categories.

1st in Total defense with 259.8 YPG
RANK TEAM G PLAYS YDS YDS/PLAY OFF TDS OPP TDS YPG
1 ...........Nova...13...769 ......3377 ...4.39 ..............21 ..............25.....259.8

And 1st in scoring Defense at 15 PPG
RANK TEAM G TDS OPP XP 2PT OPP DXP OPP FGM OPP SAF PTS AVG
1............Nova.. 13...25 .......22........1...........0...................7.................0.........195 ...15.0

They also finished 3rd in the country in Red Zone D and tied for 5th in interceptions.

Because of the 3-4 or 3-5 defense it may not have the attack style you want to see but then again our personnel may not be condusive. If we can hold opposing teams to 15 ppg we should have an excellent year.

 

[sdhusky]

What the hell are you babbling about now? I made no mention at all about the run/pass differential. I simply stated that we had our best offensive production as a team that didn't have Dan O at QB. The second half of 2009 our offense was very difficult to stop. And gee golly, with a road paving OL, Frazier at QB, and Todman at RB it's shocking that we'd be a run first offense. But I guess you know better. You probably think our offense in 2009 would've been even better if Randy didn't handcuff poor Joe Moorhead. Some of the stupid on here is too strong for words

@Palatine won't make any predictions - only take shots.

I think its a daddy issue.

 

[Husky25]

You seem to forget the offense he ran in MD.

Purposeful or just ignorant?

A bit of both.

 

[Husky25]

LOL. We were pretty even in 2009 - by UConn standards. But this was a run first team that had two thousand yard rushers. The next year, 2010, we ran the legs off of Jordan Todman with over 330 carries. We didn't change our identity a wit in those seasons with Moorhead as OC.

But feel free to post first and think second.

I didn't say that Edsall can't learn. He did eventually change the punt protection after a decade. At Maryland he was on the hot seat immediately after going 2-10 in his run heavy first season. (Unlike Diaco). His control of the program was heavily scrutinized from above after that. Hard to say how much control he really had. He was a PR nightmare for the Terps and his lease was short.

If last year's Auburn team is any indication, UConn's offense is going to be a run-first/heavy under Lashlee. It just won't be out of the "Detroit" personnel packages like it was in the late aughts.

Whether he ran them off or attrition by injury, Edsall didn't have a legitimate QB in his first year at Maryland.

Context matters.