UConn has faced tough offenses the past 2 years

[UConnJim]

The defense has been tough to watch this year, but the offenses that UConn has faced the past two seasons are much better than what UConn faced in the past. Throw in the youth on defense, and it has been a tough two years. Here are the Total Offense rankings of the FBS teams that UConn has played this year:

6. UCF
8. Memphis
11. USF
16. Boise St.
19. Syracuse
33. Cincinnati

Average = 15.5

Here are the Total Offense rankings that UConn has faced in the past 10 years:

2018: 15.5
2017: 45.1
2016: 72.5
2015: 76.0
2014: 73.7
2013: 71.4
2012: 48.0
2011: 67.5
2010: 73.9
2009: 72.2

What has changed? The offenses in the AAC are much better now than they were in the past and the offenses in the AAC are better than the offenses in the Big East. Look how much UCF's offense has improved over the past few years:

UCF's Total Offense ranking:

2018: 6
2017: 5
2016: 113
2015: 128
2014: 103

In my opinion, when defending the high powered offenses UConn is facing now, a defensive scheme shift needed to happen which is why Crocker was brought in. You need more speed and more DBs on the field. Nobody is stopping the high powered offenses in college football, but you have to get some stops and turnovers. AND, you need an offense to keep up with the other team's scoring.

The remaining 5 teams on the schedule do not have offenses of the same caliber that UConn has faced this season:

57. UMass
100. Tulsa
111. SMU
61. ECU
90. Temple

I think UConn will be more competitive in the next 5 games then they have been so far this year.

 

[Palatine]

Playing us helps offenses look better. Chicken and the egg.

 

[jbdphi]

Playing us helps offenses look better. Chicken and the egg.

More like 1/6 of an egg as facing us only accounts for a fraction of the games they play, but I don't want to stop you from being you.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

This actually makes me more nervous. The one offense in the old BE that RE couldn't stop was WVU. And that was with good defensive teams. The AAC is filled with WVUs.

Uh oh.

 

[UConnJim]

This actually makes me more nervous. The one offense in the old BE that RE couldn't stop was WVU. And that was with good defensive teams. The AAC is filled with WVUs.

Uh oh.

That is why the way UConn played defense during Edsall 1.0 will not work in the AAC. Too many explosive offenses. You need 5 DBs, a pass rush, and athletic LBs. You need to get some stops to get the offense off the field and you need an offense that is capable of putting up points.

Here's another stat. Top 30 offenses faced by year:

2018: 5
2017: 5
2016: 2
2015: 1
2014: 4
2013: 2
2012: 0
2011: 3
2010: 1
2009: 2

As it stand right now, UConn faces 3 teams in 2019 that have top 30 offenses this year. OOC, we replace 19 Syracuse and 16 Boise St with 59 Indiana and 94 Illinois.