Todays Practice

[UConnRock]

This may be a bit of a reach, but the perception of the OL being a bit small may be directly related to the increase in size of UConn' DL. Edsall was known for his undersized and quick DTs and played DE like Whitten and Williams when they were below 220 lbs. In an up close look at a practice the OL would look huge compared to the current DL which is dominated by 300+ pound DTs and 250+ pound DE. Guys like Stephens (6'5 317 lbs), Pruitt (6'3 296), and Knappe (6'9 280) will not be dwarfed by any OL. Joseph, Jennings and Pruitt are all approx. 260 lb DEs.

 

[Palatine]

Size is overvalued on the Boneyard.

 

[ruskin]

Good one Pal. Seriously, Trev Williams is 'undersized' but if things go well could be BE Def Player of the Year

wouldnt worry about our OLs size. We're not Wisconsin but we're not at a disadvantage there, either. Experience/chemistry is the biggest unknown.

 

[uconndogs]

This is a transition. Under Edsall this team ran the ball and dared defenses to stop it. We won a lot of games simply phyiscally beating the snott our of folks with our OL Think ND, Pitt in 2010, Baylor. During the Int'l Bowl a pretty good Buffalo team went through a stretch where the couldn't keep defenders on the field in the second half of that game. Guys like Hurd, Ryan, Petrus where just very physial guys.

I don't know enough football to know exactly what P and Deleone are up to with the OL, but it surely has to do with better balance to he offense. Blocking schemes are clearly going to be more involved than they were under Edsall when so much of the offense was geared towards establishing a power running game. I suspect it's the right thing to do, alhtough we won a lot of games b simply pushing folks around.

Clearly a lot of the fanbase and a lot of posters on this board did not like the offense under Edsall's regime. Only time will tell if the changes afoot will be for the long-term better interest of the program.

 

[Waquoit]

Only time will tell if the changes afoot will be for the long-term better interest of the program.

I disagree. No doubt the changes will be for the better long-term interest of the program. The old way had a ceiling which we probably came close to reaching. If you believe in the program, you have to figure there was a better way.

 

[B1GEast]

I disagree. No doubt the changes will be for the better long-term interest of the program. The old way had a ceiling which we probably came close to reaching. If you believe in the program, you have to figure there was a better way.

Edsall was the limiting factor, he hit the ceiling, not the team or program, which is why he bolted.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

Sounds like a great day! Thanks for posting.

I love that helmet in your profile pic