Three Keys to Winning tomorrow

[businesslawyer]

Why only three? Because I expect old-time UConn style smashmouth football.

1. Turnovers. We beat Syracuse despite a -2 turnover differential. I don't expect to win any more games that way this year. LV plays a lot like us, and the team that commits the fewest turnovers is very likely to win the game.

2. Blidi Wreh-Wilson. Before he got hurt, this looked like a team that may be able to play dominating defense. After he got hurt, not so much because we couldn't defend the pass, which made Brown dial way, way back on his blitzing (and even then most games we can't defend the pass). We will stop LV from running consistently. We can't give up 250 yards passing to this team, which prefers to play it close to the vest. Blidi being back improves us at three positions: his corner, Safety, where Byron Jones can slide back to; and nickel back, where Brown, Junior and Jones can play Safety and Agbor and Wilburn can, with all due respect, stay on the bench.

3. Our OL. The run blocking has clearly been improving as the new line has settled in together and they've become more comfortable with the new offense and schemes. The pass blocking has given up a lot of sacks, but I think many of them are more about the QB and WR than the OL. The OL got physically abused by the LV front 7 last year. We need to control our offensive line of scrimmage, allowing McCummings and the running game to stay on the field for long stretches of time. The fewer passes we throw, the better off we will be. With all due respect to my friend TDH, I think we only threw the ball 5 times in the second half last game and we produced three relatively long TD drives.

It's game day tomorrow, and this board is so quiet I don't even know what Coach Cap is serving at his tailgate yet.

 

[PolisHusky]

Agreed, but another huge factor is not allowing bridgewater to roll-out of that pocket. Jesse Joseph and Trevardo have to lock-down on him and not allow him to break out into open space. I have to give bridgewater a lot of credit for getting to the edge and throwing on the run. I wish jmac would do that instead of lock-up like a fourth grader with stage fright. If we minimize his roll-outs and get him to toss the ball away, we can either intercept or make three-and-out situations all day. The corners need to be aggressive, yet anticipate bridgewater on the move so they down get caught cheating. Flustering bridgewater and owning the trenches are key also.

 

[PUPPY4]

I think redzone efficiency will play a factor also, TD's not FG's!

 

[BugsyCT]

Gotta avoid the turnover bug. And it'll be interesting to see if McCummings gets as many or more reps as he did vs. Cuse. Guess it will depend on which JMac shows up tomorrow, and what works & doesn't work against the 'Ville's D as the game progresses.

Seems like ages since the 'Cuse game. I think this team will be ready to go and put together a solid performance tomorrow.

 

[Gate97]

Based on the comments from Coach P yesterday (http://www.courant.com/sports/uconn-football/hc-uconn-football-1118-20111117,0,1070368.story) and the precedent that this staff has set being ultra conservative with injured kids (Joseph, Shoemate, Hyppolite) I'm making an educated guess that Blidi won't see the field tomorrow. It will be a pleasant surprise to me and a bonus to the team if he is out there, even for some nickel or dime situations.

That said, Jones and Brown have progressed to the point where I'm not too concerned - if Blidi needs one more week, we'll manage without him tomorrow.

 

[Sean]

I think redzone efficiency will play a factor also, TD's not FG's!

Truth. Of course, if BL's point 3, OLine pans out, the Red Zone success will come.

 

[businesslawyer]

Truth. Of course, if BL's point 3, OLine pans out, the Red Zone success will come.

True and true.

 

[metsfan2323]

Crowd noise. We need to bring our A game tomorrow.

 

[Huskyfan990411]

Crowd noise. We need to bring our A game tomorrow.

This...

We are the only Big East team that has an undefeated record at home in Big East play. We may have a "small" stadium but I think that plays to our advantage in that our 35-40k is packed in and not spread out in a giant stadium like most other Big East teams. This allows our crowd to be a major factor at home.

I just came down with a sinus infection but I plan on being as loud as ever for this game and I expect the rest of the place to rocking with me.

 

[PUPPY4]

Crowd noise. We need to bring our A game tomorrow.

There's no A in U-C-O-N-N!

 

[jdb50]

Our DE's can't get upfield past the QB on pass rush giving him lanes to breakout in the offtackle hole. I haven't studied L-ville's passing tendencies but it may make sense for us to rush 4 and keep a spy at linebacker level to account for QB run's. This would have to be someone that has speed and can tackle (Sio?). Our punter had a big impact in the Cuse game and it's time for Nick to take a return to the house. This part of our game can't dropoff if we are to make the most out of the opportunity that is there with our 3 remaining games. The O-line has to be there so we can run which would make passing possible. We are who they thought we were, a run oriented team. I don't think we are at the stage where we can come out throwing to fool the defense like the 49er's did against the Giants. L-ville will try and eliminate the run so we win this battle and the Huskies are going to be hard to stop at home.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Key to winning the game? Touchdowns. Preferably by the offense (seeing that it's their primary job and all). Take 'em any way they can get them, but get all conservative and one-dimensional (run, run, run) and they'll be hard pressed to score at all. Got to force 'Ville to defend the entire field. Can't let them load up in the box.

 

[Chief00]

McCummings, McCummings and McCummings.