Something is out of whack with our defense

[freescooter]

While they are very aggressive, it hasn't resulted in turnovers. We have 2 inteceptions and 2 fumble recoveries. That's it. For a defense that is that aggressive it sure seems those numbers should be higher. I think we're -6 in turnovers for the season to date. You would think a defense that plays this style would be seeing a lot more turnovers. Through the first 4 games of 2010, with Edsall's bend don't break style, we had 7 picks and 2 fumble recoveries on 4 forced fumbles.Last year through 4 gamse, 7 picks and 1 fumble recoveries on 1 forced fumble. This year only 2 picks, 2 fumble recoveries. Teams don't gain a lot of yardage, but this defense also hasn't made a lot of game changing plays. I think that needs to change going forward.

 

[VAHuskyFan]

While they are very aggressive, it hasn't resulted in turnovers. We have 2 inteceptions and 2 fumble recoveries. That's it. For a defense that is that aggressive it sure seems those numbers should be higher. I think we're -6 in turnovers for the season to date. You would think a defense that plays this style would be seeing a lot more turnovers. Through the first 4 games of 2010, with Edsall's bend don't break style, we had 7 picks and 2 fumble recoveries on 4 forced fumbles.Last year through 4 gamse, 7 picks and 1 fumble recoveries on 1 forced fumble. This year only 2 picks, 2 fumble recoveries. Teams don't gain a lot of yardage, but this defense also hasn't made a lot of game changing plays. I think that needs to change going forward.

You omitted the part where we are 6th in the country in sacks and 8th in the country in tackles-for-loss.

Those are both definitely a product of our defensive aggressiveness. And both can indeed be game-changing. We won at Maryland in large part because our defense put together two TFLs on MD's final series of downs to knock them out of field goal range. If we go bend-don't-break there, we're playing in OT.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Turnovers, are key, and yes, getting more is an area where the D can improve, but to say that the defense is not making game changing plays, is simply false.

 

[freescooter]

Turnovers, are key, and yes, getting more is an area where the D can improve, but to say that the defense is not making game changing plays, is simply false.

Game changing plays is perhaps the wrong term, but sacks and tfls aren't the same as takeaways. TFLs in particular are only occassionally game changers though. Hitting a running back for a 1 or 2 yard loss on 1st and 10 isn't the same as a pick at the goal line or a pick on the other guy's side of the 50. You need only look back at UConn's 2010 run to see the difference. 20 picks for 5 tds and 25 yard average return and 11 fumble recoveries is a huge reason UConn played in the Fiesta. Those change momentum in a way sacks and tfls just don't. here's the way to think of it. A turn over is the difference between the other guy punting you back into your end and you starting on his side of the 50. And it eliminates the possibility that he can recover. With a struggling offense I'd sure rather be trying to go from the opponent's 35 than my 35.

I'm not knocking the things we do well, but really just pointing out the thing that we need to be a completely dominant d, and something I think is a bit of an anomoly, as well. You would expect a team that plays defense like we play defense would have much better numbers in takeaways.

 

[Dann]

jesse joseph hurts more than u think. were still a top 25 d.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

The first bit of good news for the D is that Buffalo's starting TB is likely out tomorrow. The second bit of good news is that it's Buffalo.

We're going to dominate defensively. Maybe not to the level that we dominated UMass, but I expect the D to give up less than 250 yards and less than 10 points.

 

[businesslawyer]

Our D has, overall, been very strong. It shows statistically in total yardage, tackles for losses and some other stats. But it has not produced takeaways and, as I said earlier in the week, our %age of holding teams to FGs when they reach our 20 is poor also.

Making improvement in those two areas would, obviously be huge.

 

[Dann]

The first bit of good news for the D is that Buffalo's starting TB is likely out tomorrow. The second bit of good news is that it's Buffalo.

We're going to dominate defensively. Maybe not to the level that we dominated UMass, but I expect the D to give up less than 250 yards and less than 10 points.

hes traveling with the team and will be a game time decision now..

 

[freescooter]

Our D has, overall, been very strong. It shows statistically in total yardage, tackles for losses and some other stats. But it has not produced takeaways and, as I said earlier in the week, our %age of holding teams to FGs when they reach our 20 is poor also.

Making improvement in those two areas would, obviously be huge.

The red zone defense issue is the other part of the equation that seems to be missing. I'm not sure but I wonder if that might be a result of the high risk approach. When a team is on their 30, if you do happen to give up 1 play, you usually have a few chances to make up for it. When you're in the red zone, not so much. I don't exactly know but I suspect. And as I say, I do have some concern with the turnovers. One would expect a quarterback under pressure and forced to pass to be careless with the football. Either they aren't or we aren't making plays in the defensive backfield.

 

[sportsart]

hes traveling with the team and will be a game time decision now..

hes traveling with the team and will be a game time decision now..

Should I wait till tmorrow before I place my bet in case the spread changes?

 

[whaler11]

Might be a good sign. Probably some regression to the mean coming which will lead to more in the near term.

 

[Doggie Style]

jesse joseph hurts more than u think. were still a top 25 d.

Huge! Losing his reps can't b matched. It's going to have a big impact in the 3/4 qtr of games moving forward. I think we've seen the best of our D unless we can get someone to step up on the line.

 

[UConnDan97]

Has anyone heard if there has been any progress on Jesse Joseph being granted a medical redshirt for this year? It really sucks to not have him this year, but it would suck even more if this is how his UConn career ends...

 

[whaler11]

Has anyone heard if there has been any progress on Jesse Joseph being granted a medical redshirt for this year? It really sucks to not have him this year, but it would suck even more if this is how his UConn career ends...

He should be fine based on how they usually apply but I don't think they can do anything about it until the offseason.

Jennings is probably screwed.

 

[UConnDan97]

He should be fine based on how they usually apply but I don't think they can do anything about it until the offseason.

Jennings is probably screwed.

Yeah, I figured the Jennings situation was unworkable, since he'd already taken one. The thing that irritates me is that the NCAA waits until the season is over to make that determination for Jesse. This kid might have already chosen his classes for next semester by then! If he knows earlier that he will be here next year, he might be able to spread out the classes and improve his GPA in his chosen field (if it isn't football), but then again, that would require the NCAA to think about the student...

 

[Chief00]

It's called film.