The View From Section 241

[Nostical]

I guess it must be our O line--- if you go by how some draft prognosticators view McCombs. He's been rated above Jamison of Rutgers and Poteat of Cincy as a potential 2015 draftee! Production differences have more to do with playcalling and OLines, but based on all the vitriol he's been receiving, this should come as a surprise to many. Incidentally, Lyle is one of only a few RB's who can squat lift over 500 lbs. I like him. Would I prefer occasional relief and a few play action passes to keep D's honest? Sure. But I'll take McCombs gladly and line up against any of our remaining opponents.

2015 Top NFL Draft Prospects: Running Back (updated 9/25/2012)
Giovani Bernard RB 1 North Carolina
De'Anthony Thomas RB 2 Oregon
James Wilder Jr. RB 3 Florida State
Michael Dyer RB 4 Arkansas Baptist
George Atkinson III RB 5 Notre Dame
Malcolm Brown RB 6 Texas
Lyle McCombs RB 7 Connecticut
Tre Mason RB 8 Auburn
Isaiah Crowell RB 9 Alabama State
Lache Seastrunk RB 10 Baylor
Kenny Hilliard RB 11 LSU
Jawan Jamison RB 12 Rutgers
Dillon Baxter RB 13 Baker
Jameel Poteat RB 14 Cincinnati
Malcolm Agnew RB 15 Oregon State

 

[uconndogs]

There is no way LM is the 7th back taken in that NFL draft and no way the kid squats 500 LBs. Does a terrific job for us and a gutsy kid. His pass protection has improved about one million percent. But, he goes down with a stiff breeze, does not have great acceleration or breakaway speed. Very quick feet however and they usually get him in the hole plenty quick.

 

[Nostical]

He absolutely squats 500 lbs.

 

[businesslawyer]

My goodness, how can you criticize Hyppolite for getting stuffed at the LOS and not have the same critique of McCombs? H0w is that fair?

BTW, it's hard for players to play with confidence and enthusiasm when the play calling shows them the coaches are playing not to lose.

When coaches have their teams flat more than the norm, over a long period of time, they're not good coaches. When coches have their teams flat less than the norm, over a long period of time, they are good coaches.

But whether players are flying to the ball and playing with all their heart any particular week is all on them, and there is little the coaches can do about it. If there was, teams would never be flat.

 

[businesslawyer]

You're right Biz - You're not TDH. Way to wordy. But you're starting to see the same UConn offense and coaching staff that I keep telling you is right in front of your eyes. The Huskies over reliance on the run this year and very year since Dan O left is . . . Well running the offense onto the rocks. No passing threat for forever has left UConn with no concept of how to incorporate this into the total game and worse, maybe has scared off players who could make this work. And now . . . Eight and nine man boxes to try stubbornly to make headway against.

UConn entire offense is essentially . . . 1st Down, Lyle McCombs on the carry, 2nd and long.

If you can't distinguish the way we ran the ball under Edsall, where we won 9, 8, 8 and 8 games his last four years and they way we've run it since he left, I don't know how to respond.

 

[ruskin]

When we had Donald Brown, Andre Dixon, Jordan Todman.....everyone in the stadium even the country knew what we were going to do, but we did it anyways because our Oline punched people in the mouth and actually opened up holes for the RB

And calling a conservative running game in the second half a game when you have a 17 point lead isn't curling up in the fetal position, it is good, sound football....burn the clock and expect your defense to put the game away

24 points is more than enough to win

It would be good, sound football. . . .if we had the personnel to execute it. We don't, and the fact that everyone except the guys calling the plays know this is frightening. We have a finesse feature back and a line that can succeed with finesse plays - more trapping, pulling, counters, etc. Like the toss sweep that led to Hyppo's TD. Instead, GD/PP continued to run straight ahead when even they knew there was going to be little chance of success. I applaud PP for his characteristic honesty in saying "we weren't going to take chances" but what PP/GD did from late in the third quarter on was the equivalent of taking a knee, of covering up and taking punches instead of manning up and going for a knockout. If it was 31-7 with 12 minutes to go maybe I could see going to the PP strategy. But this prevent offense very nearly led to the worst defeat in Rent history. Hanging on for dear life at home against a low-level MAC team the week after losing to a mid-level MAC team for the second year in a row? If people don't have higher aspirations for this program than that, well, we're going to have to agree to disagree.

 

[huskysupporter]

It would be good, sound football. . . .if we had the personnel to execute it. We don't, and the fact that everyone except the guys calling the plays know this is frightening. We have a finesse feature back and a line that can succeed with finesse plays - more trapping, pulling, counters, etc. Like the toss sweep that led to Hyppo's TD. Instead, GD/PP continued to run straight ahead when even they knew there was going to be little chance of success. I applaud PP for his characteristic honesty in saying "we weren't going to take chances" but what PP/GD did from late in the third quarter on was the equivalent of taking a knee, of covering up and taking punches instead of manning up and going for a knockout. If it was 31-7 with 12 minutes to go maybe I could see going to the PP strategy. But this prevent offense very nearly led to the worst defeat in Rent history. Hanging on for dear life at home against a low-level MAC team the week after losing to a mid-level MAC team for the second year in a row? If people don't have higher aspirations for this program than that, well, we're going to have to agree to disagree.

We need to be doing more down blocking/pulling, not this zone crap. We don't have the lineman to pull that system off.

What do you do when your interior linemen can't get any straight push off the snap????? You run a trap! Create holes! Pull your linemen! Have the backside lineman down block!!!! So frustrating to watch.

 

[Nostical]

OK , here's another draft evaluator's outlook. And while you note his 40 time, remember that Green Bay's Randall Cobb ran 4.46 at the NFL combine. If he'd been used at KY like McCombs is here, not in space and rammed headlong into a stacked D line--he'd be chuckled about also as a potential NFL draftee. It's time we reconsider just who McCombs is, how he's being (mis) used, and start looking elsewhere for negativity.

Lyle McCombs, DS #7 RB, Connecticut
Name: Lyle McCombs
College: Connecticut Number: 43
Height: 5-08 Weight: 173
Position: RB Pos2: KR
Class/Draft Year: rSo/2015
40 Low: 4.46
Projected Round: N/A
Rated number 7 out of 164 RB's

 

[Jimdish255]

Somebody suggested the players need to have a sit down with th coaches - for f(Cking real? What kind of bs is that. No football player ever goes into a coach's office and tells them what to do.

Of course no football player ever goes into a coach's office and tells them what to do. But these guys have been playing ball for a long time and probably have a pretty good idea when something's not working and why. The coaches might appreciate knowing what the guys are thinking. That was my point. Is it really better to just call out the lineman as pu$$ies and tell them that every play is designed to go for a TD and they suck if it doesn't? Now you've got mutiny on your hands. A conversation is not.

 

[Husky68]

Last week Green Bays Rodgers was sacked 8 times in the 1st half and none in the second. If even in the pros things get so out of wack re blocking and some adjustments can fix it, think there are some coaching adjustments to help out the OL blocking results.

 

[uconnflyer88]

It would be good, sound football. . . .if we had the personnel to execute it. We don't, and the fact that everyone except the guys calling the plays know this is frightening. We have a finesse feature back and a line that can succeed with finesse plays - more trapping, pulling, counters, etc. Like the toss sweep that led to Hyppo's TD. Instead, GD/PP continued to run straight ahead when even they knew there was going to be little chance of success. I applaud PP for his characteristic honesty in saying "we weren't going to take chances" but what PP/GD did from late in the third quarter on was the equivalent of taking a knee, of covering up and taking punches instead of manning up and going for a knockout. If it was 31-7 with 12 minutes to go maybe I could see going to the PP strategy. But this prevent offense very nearly led to the worst defeat in Rent history. Hanging on for dear life at home against a low-level MAC team the week after losing to a mid-level MAC team for the second year in a row? If people don't have higher aspirations for this program than that, well, we're going to have to agree to disagree.

We agree on everything except the one sentence of "If it was 31-7 with 12 minutes to go maybe I could see going to the PP strategy."

My point is we had it 24 - 7, that is enough to say.....okay let's just run the ball and let the clock tick away, I know a lot of college teams like to run the score up ( I think I saw Oklahoma State put 80 points on a team this year).....I totally disagree with that, there is no need to run the score up to 80, and I am not saying that is what you're saying either

A 24 - 7 lead is enough to say "okay defense, time for you to do your job and seal the game up while the offense literally runs the clock down"....and that did not happen on Saturday, so I say the defense deserves more criticism than the offense

My fear is that teams are starting to catch on to Don Browns scheme of blitz the S%&# out of you and we'll hope to get a sack....and they are just going to throw slants and screens to defeat it

That to me is more troublesome whether or not we beat a team (no matter what conference) by 3 or 30

 

[TouchdownHusky]

If you can't distinguish the way we ran the ball under Edsall, where we won 9, 8, 8 and 8 games his last four years and they way we've run it since he left, I don't know how to respond.

I agree with you on this point. . . offense under HCPP & Deleone makes Randy Edsall's offenses look like Leach's when he was at Texas Tech. The offense has absolutely gotten worse under PP, and that's not easy because the bar wasn't set all that high. Best UConn offense in recent times? 2009. Throw the ball to Marcus Easley. Todman run, Dixon run. Throw the ball to Easley . . . and pretty soon #82 was finding space. Todman, Dixon, throw to Easley, throw to Easley again. Much thicker playbook than just 1st Down, Lyle McComb run up the middle, 2nd and long.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

My point is we had it 24 - 7, that is enough to say.....okay let's just run the ball and let the clock tick away, I know a lot of college teams like to run the score up ( I think I saw Oklahoma State put 80 points on a team this year).....I totally disagree with that, there is no need to run the score up to 80, and I am not saying that is what you're saying either

Let's try it just for once. Let's try running up the score (against a decent team though). Score, get the ball back, score again. Let's keep the defense off the field . . . both defenses. Yeah, let's run it up . . . just for once.

 

[Waquoit]

We saw why Hyppolite is the #2 back, and he made some good aggressive runs, but to be fair he didn't seem like he had patience to wait for a hole -- he just got the ball and ran

That's a bad thing? I wish the other guy would try it once in awhile.

 

[Sean]

When coaches have their teams flat more than the norm, over a long period of time, they're not good coaches. When coches have their teams flat less than the norm, over a long period of time, they are good coaches.

But whether players are flying to the ball and playing with all their heart any particular week is all on them, and there is little the coaches can do about it. If there was, teams would never be flat.

I now know why you are so opposed to gambling. You would absolutely lose your house on college sports.

 

[businesslawyer]

My fear is that teams are starting to catch on to Don Browns scheme of blitz the S%&# out of you and we'll hope to get a sack....and they are just going to throw slants and screens to defeat it

That to me is more troublesome whether or not we beat a team (no matter what conference) by 3 or 30

THIS!!!!

 

[businesslawyer]

I now know why you are so opposed to gambling. You would absolutely lose your house on college sports.

Don't see how it's relevant, but I'm not opposed to gambling. I'm opposed to internet gambling.

 

[freescooter]

first off, biz, you did you. He did a solr usual great job on your analysis. I'm not sure I disagree with too much. I have a couple of thoughts on the game after watching it then rewatching the 1st half on SNY.
1. The offense is really not that bad...when they let it go. When it was operating properly, we did a nice job. Whitmer made some nice throws for decent yardage and even some in critical situations in the 1st half and in the 3rd quarter td drive. When we got the ball around mid-field in the 4th, I fully expected us to continue that approach and maybe score a couple more, at least 1 more. Instead, I don't think Whitmer threw another pass to a wide receiver of tight end the rest of the game. I get being conservative, but there's conservative and there's what we did. If it were politics, our play calling over the last 20 minutes or so of that game were like calling the Tea party a bunch of communists. I mean they were putting 8 and 9 men in the box on first and often put 8 in the box on 2nd down. Maybe a play action pass on 1st down???
I actually thought the bootleg call was an interesting one. Credit the Buffalo defenders with staying home. had they not, Whitmer might still be running. That play either works or it doesn't. When it doesn't it looks horrible.

2. People (not you biz) need to stop complaining about McCombs. When he has space he gains yards. He even moved the pile a few times for an extra yard. He caught passes out of the backfield, and did you see the block he threw on the long td run? His block was the one that really sprung Hyppolite and there was another pass play where he took on the linebacker and pretty much cleaned his clock too. If we had 22 guys who played their positions as well as McCombs plays his, we'd be 5-0.

3. Here's my problem with Don Brown's Mad scientist defense. It is very vulnerable to the big play. And I think with the injuries at defensive end we don't have the pass rushers on the front line you need to really make it work. Pruit is a tackle playing DE. did a solid job generally, had a blocked pass, but I suspect he doesn't have the speed you'd ideally look for in that spot and that has hurt us. And for the second year, our d-backs don't seem to know how to tackle. the hook and ladder play was on example. By the way, that play was a lot like the naked boot. Except it happened to work. Shouldn't have gone for a td if we could tackle, but those plays either work or they don't. Rarely a middle ground. When they work they are brilliant, but if the receiver messes up the pitch and UConn recovers the loose ball buffalo fans are talking about how they were desperate so had to try schoolyard stuff.

4. I had the feeling that like the Maryland game, and I think this resembled it in some ways, Pasquoloni didn't think Buffalo could go 80 yards against our defense. So he and DeLeone just decided that they wouldn't risk anything. run the ball, safe passes if you had to pass, punt them back and play defense. I also think P's old school thinking came into play here. We're up 17. Maybe we get another score, maybe not, but don't "run it up." Of course that didn't account for the other guys making a comeback. And once you get into that rythmn it is sometimes difficult to get back to playing your wide open game again.

 

[IMind]

I thought really it was a tale of two halfs. The first half I thought the offense was largely successful. There was at least some variation of the play calling. Granted they still ran the ball on 1st down WAY too much.. the second half not so much.

The fact that this offense never seems to be able to take advantage of a short field really is starting to get annoying, not even a field goal most of the time.

I do actually think that PP was calling out GDL when he said the offense lacked a killer instinct... I agree with pretty much everything people have to say, except I'm not going to write of PP quite yet. I just look at the Shane Day and Don Brown hires... those are IMHO very good hires. I hope he can get past the blind spot and make the right move.

 

[businesslawyer]

One thing that I didn't say that I should have, and just thought of because of another thread. I am fairly certain that Tyler Bullock played the entire game at Center, and I don't think we did any subbing on the OL at all (not counting special teams play). Obviously, that is the right direction to be headed in as we enter conference play.

 

[businesslawyer]

I thought really it was a tale of two halfs. The first half I thought the offense was largely successful. There was at least some variation of the play calling. Granted they still ran the ball on 1st down WAY too much.. the second half not so much.

The fact that this offense never seems to be able to take advantage of a short field really is starting to get annoying, not even a field goal most of the time.

I do actually think that PP was calling out GDL when he said the offense lacked a killer instinct... I agree with pretty much everything people have to say, except I'm not going to write of PP quite yet. I just look at the Shane Day and Don Brown hires... those are IMHO very good hires. I hope he can get past the blind spot and make the right move.

"Calling out" GDL to the public is beyond useless. Order him to do something differently or don't. Demote him or don't. But publicly stating that a direct report didn't get it done is not how you succeed in any business.

 

[IMind]

"Calling out" GDL to the public is beyond useless. Order him to do something differently or don't. Demote him or don't. But publicly stating that a direct report didn't get it done is not how you succeed in any business.

I agree... I think that's the frustrating part with PP. He seems to know where the problems lie.

 

[Excalibur]

That's a bad thing? I wish the other guy would try it once in awhile.

This. I disagree with the poster that said there are no running lanes. I see them (though they admittedly don't last long). Often McCombs is just a hair late in recognizing them.

This is also an indictment of the OLine. In the prior system you would almost always see a lineman 5-8 yards downfield taking out a LB when Brown, Todman or Dixon broke a long run. You almost never see it now. What I see now is linebackers running free to plug holes and a running back who doesn't break tackles.

 

[businesslawyer]

first off, biz, you did you. He did a solr usual great job on your analysis. I'm not sure I disagree with too much. I have a couple of thoughts on the game after watching it then rewatching the 1st half on SNY.
1. The offense is really not that bad...when they let it go. When it was operating properly, we did a nice job. Whitmer made some nice throws for decent yardage and even some in critical situations in the 1st half and in the 3rd quarter td drive. When we got the ball around mid-field in the 4th, I fully expected us to continue that approach and maybe score a couple more, at least 1 more. Instead, I don't think Whitmer threw another pass to a wide receiver of tight end the rest of the game. I get being conservative, but there's conservative and there's what we did. If it were politics, our play calling over the last 20 minutes or so of that game were like calling the Tea party a bunch of communists. I mean they were putting 8 and 9 men in the box on first and often put 8 in the box on 2nd down. Maybe a play action pass on 1st down???
I actually thought the bootleg call was an interesting one. Credit the Buffalo defenders with staying home. had they not, Whitmer might still be running. That play either works or it doesn't. When it doesn't it looks horrible.

2. People (not you biz) need to stop complaining about McCombs. When he has space he gains yards. He even moved the pile a few times for an extra yard. He caught passes out of the backfield, and did you see the block he threw on the long td run? His block was the one that really sprung Hyppolite and there was another pass play where he took on the linebacker and pretty much cleaned his clock too. If we had 22 guys who played their positions as well as McCombs plays his, we'd be 5-0.

3. Here's my problem with Don Brown's Mad scientist defense. It is very vulnerable to the big play. And I think with the injuries at defensive end we don't have the pass rushers on the front line you need to really make it work. Pruit is a tackle playing DE. did a solid job generally, had a blocked pass, but I suspect he doesn't have the speed you'd ideally look for in that spot and that has hurt us. And for the second year, our d-backs don't seem to know how to tackle. the hook and ladder play was on example. By the way, that play was a lot like the naked boot. Except it happened to work. Shouldn't have gone for a td if we could tackle, but those plays either work or they don't. Rarely a middle ground. When they work they are brilliant, but if the receiver messes up the pitch and UConn recovers the loose ball buffalo fans are talking about how they were desperate so had to try schoolyard stuff.

4. I had the feeling that like the Maryland game, and I think this resembled it in some ways, Pasquoloni didn't think Buffalo could go 80 yards against our defense. So he and DeLeone just decided that they wouldn't risk anything. run the ball, safe passes if you had to pass, punt them back and play defense. I also think P's old school thinking came into play here. We're up 17. Maybe we get another score, maybe not, but don't "run it up." Of course that didn't account for the other guys making a comeback. And once you get into that rythmn it is sometimes difficult to get back to playing your wide open game again.

I think there are some good thoughts in here. Let me make two points.

1. In your first paragraph, you have put your finger on why I haven't given up on the season yet despite the lackluster effort I think we gave the last two weeks. I do have hope that our O can be close to average if they open it up more and make the other team respect the throw first without turning it over. And I still hope the D can play with the intensity we saw early in the year and dominate people. Will both these happen? I don't know. maybe the smart money is that it won't. But we went 3-4 in conference last year, and I think that entering into conference play this team has way, way more potential than last year's did.

2. I don't see practices and won't second guess personnel decisions where I haven't seen the player on the field enough to be comfortable that I'm not just talking out of my butt. But I am surprised that we're not seeing either Donohue or Vann getting some snaps at SSDE. Both those guys are not much smaller than either Julius Williams or Greg Lloyd was when they were moved to SSDE, both are supposed to be kids who we think are good football players and they are combining for one series at LB between them. Are they not good enough? Is this staff more reluctant than the last one was to let a better athlete who may be 5 or 10 pounds light move to DE because they want size? Don't know.

 

[Excalibur]

2. I don't see practices and won't second guess personnel decisions where I haven't seen the player on the field enough to be comfortable that I'm not just talking out of my butt. But I am surprised that we're not seeing either Donohue or Vann getting some snaps at SSDE. Both those guys are not much smaller than either Julius Williams or Greg Lloyd was when they were moved to SSDE, both are supposed to be kids who we think are good football players and they are combining for one series at LB between them. Are they not good enough? Is this staff more reluctant than the last one was to let a better athlete who may be 5 or 10 pounds light move to DE because they want size? Don't know.

Our entire defensive scheme is dependent on generating a pass rush. As good as Pruitt was (given his limitations) I think they have to make changes to generate a better pass rush, at least on third down so that we don't have to send the house every time. Perhaps the fact that we've played hurry-up offenses the past two weeks has prevented us from tailoring the personnel. Perhaps . . .

 

[freescooter]

Actually biz, on the defensive end situation I have a sense, don't know but a sense, that Pasqualoni and this staff has its "metrics" and they aren't going to put guys in there who they don't think are big enough right now regardless of whether they are superior athletes. Though I'm ot sure that's exactly fair with respect to Pruit. He's a good athlete. I think they would rather use a guy who is "too big" than one they deem "too small" if faced with a choice. So I think the answer to your question is "Yes, they are reluctant to use a better athlete who may be 5-10 pounds too light." Unlike Edsall who didn't have a problem with smaller quicker lines, Pasqualoni and Brown want big and quick, but if they have to sacrifice one they will err on the side of size.

 

[businesslawyer]

Actually biz, on the defensive end situation I have a sense, don't know but a sense, that Pasqualoni and this staff has its "metrics" and they aren't going to put guys in there who they don't think are big enough right now regardless of whether they are superior athletes. Though I'm ot sure that's exactly fair with respect to Pruit. He's a good athlete. I think they would rather use a guy who is "too big" than one they deem "too small" if faced with a choice. So I think the answer to your question is "Yes, they are reluctant to use a better athlete who may be 5-10 pounds too light." Unlike Edsall who didn't have a problem with smaller quicker lines, Pasqualoni and Brown want big and quick, but if they have to sacrifice one they will err on the side of size.

My instinct is the same.-- that a different coach might move a LB into the breach at DE rather than a DT. I don't care as long as I see results. But to date ....