Blocking and tackling.

[Carl Spackler]

Well, it's homecoming. Temple. We're 3-3. I will be in the stands, once again, cheering as loud as I can, for my team. Homecoming 2012.

I had a long thing written out. NEver mind. The players on this team, to paraphrase anothe poster, deserve every bit of fan support, energy and enthusiasm that we that really love this program and want to see it succeed - can give. They will get it, from the fans that trully care.

THe time for bitching about coaching, nothing but unneeded, bad distraction, for the players that want more than anything to succeed.

Why? B/c it's ficking simple.

The tackling part of the game is working.

THe blocking part sucks and is failing.

So it's got to be back to fundamentals. BLocking 101 of offense.

Coach P better frigging hogtie Deleone and dumb the play book down to a handful of plays,that are geared for our best blockers, and they're #63, 77, and 89 lined up on the right, and we better get those frigging plays working god damn right on offense this week.

THe next two games are huge, Temple on Sat, and Cuse Friday night, travel-away, on a short week.

No more ducking around on offense.

I have not seen a UConn offensive unit block as poorly as a team, as this 2012 squad, in a very long time. That's all 10 of them. THere are a couple reliable, and I pointed them out, but the others all would be riding pine for freshmen, if I had my way for what I"ve seen on the field when it comes to blocking.

If the coaches can't fix this, and we can't win these next two games, and save this season, then, there will be things to talk about soon enough by December. Temple at home, and we god damn better find a way to put a travel squad together that can bring enough energy and desire, and ability to beat syracuse.

Blcoking and tackling,

 

[Dann]

coach p and d are sleeping

 

[Carl Spackler]

I don't know wtf is going on with our offense dan. I know Rutgers has a pretty good run D, but I stood in my living room on Saturday, and it's a good thing my kids weren't in the house, when it came to what I saw from many, many of our blockers on offense - and that includes pretty much everybody, except the three numbers I wrote.

I can tell you that, when I did play, where and when I did, that if I had blocked the way I've seen many of our players block so far this year on O, I would have been pulled off the field, for somebody else.

How our freshmen, aren't playing right now on O, I don't know. I expect wholesale changes this week on offense, starting with the playcalling, and on down. P has got to get this thing under control.

We need guys that are willing and able, to put (cking hat on somebody on offense, and drive their blocks downfield, until the whistle, and they need the opportunity to do it, and we need a RB behind them that can do somethign with the pig in his hands.

These guys may not have the luxury of seeing if the players they brought in can do it.

I expect some changes on the LOS - I think our LG needs to ride the bench, and I think we need a need a new fullback, and I think we need to see the freshmen carrying the ball.

I also think we need to put no more than three different plays in the game plan for running the ball next week, and we need to make them simple, and we need to put these guys on the field, and see if they can play.

And when the season is over, we can talk about Deleone and Pasqualoni all we want.

We come out and there are no changes in the lineup? And we keep runnign the same plays were a singleLG, or WR, or FB, or TE that can't block destroys the entire play?

I'm going to blow a gasket, and that's when I'll start getting on the information network to warde - to find out WTF is going on with this offense.

THat's it for now, have a great Columbus day everyone.

I hope to see a really nice crowd and atmosphere for homecoming on Sat.

 

[Dann]

carl, i have been in the past prob more ok with p and where he was trying to take us than anyone on this board. i looked past some things and valued others that ppl here didn't as much. after getting out of class saturday, rushing home to watch the tape i was just bats crazy in my living room. i was fooling myself thinking progress was being made. others here saw it alot earlier than i did. the end of the half told me that was it for P and D. I was off the D train but i held P to a higher standard. He didn't come thru and his comments about it later just made me want to puke.

i will never stop supporting the kids but something has to be done. before $ and fan issues happen i think media blitz is the way to go but it will only work if everyone goes all in.

in my view we CAN NOT wait until the end of the season
-BC will be looking for coaches
-Temple may be looking for coaches (combination of SA mving up or getting fired considering the off the field year the players are having)
-Cuse may be looking for a coach, tho this is looking less likely

bottom line is a school like BC has league level over us, we would put ourselves in a no win situation. recruiting wise waiting that late could really hurt us.

Fire P and D on Monday. DB to HC, Hank to DC and SD to OC. lets see what happens the rest of the season then look for oc/dc's iff needed....these guys staying on keep our recruiting together and offer a friendly transition if needed this winter to new dc/oc's...

 

[Carl Spackler]

Blocking and tackling.

It's not a complicated game. It's only complicated, if you make it complicated. I want to see fundamental football on that field on Saturday, and every Saturday thereafter.

It's that simple. We'll see what happens w/ the two deep - should be out tomorrow I guess. That will be the first sign. THen we'll see what kind of offense we put out on Saturday. I don't want to see any trick garbage. I want a handful of plays, that everybody nails their blocks, and they playmakers either make the play with the ball, or they force the D to make a play.

I want the D to continue to tackle, and the kickign gamesto do the extra to win.

If I hear about anoher "prototype" body on offense, I"m going to be pissed off. I want football players. On offense, that means guys that can block.

 

[RedSoloCup]

Blocking and tackling.

It's not a complicated game. It's only complicated, if you make it complicated. I want to see fundamental football on that field on Saturday, and every Saturday thereafter.

It's that simple. We'll see what happens w/ the two deep - should be out tomorrow I guess. That will be the first sign. THen we'll see what kind of offense we put out on Saturday. I don't want to see any trick garbage. I want a handful of plays, that everybody nails their blocks, and they playmakers either make the play with the ball, or they force the D to make a play.

I want the D to continue to tackle, and the kickign gamesto do the extra to win.

If I hear about anoher "prototype" body on offense, I"m going to be pissed off. I want football players. On offense, that means guys that can block.

Just a thought, they guy teaching them the scheme, is he at fault? I think so.

The guys playing the line, they are trying. Give them a scheme they can take to heart.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Just a thought, they guy teaching them the scheme, is he at fault? I think so.

The guys playing the line, they are trying. Give them a scheme they can take to heart.

This is exactly what I want to see. We've got a couple of very capable players on offense I think. Put them in position to succeed. I've seen TOO many plays blown a part, because we get 10 guys moving into open space on offense and one guy blows a block. We clearly aren't stocked enough on offense to play this way yet.

Run strong side right, find a fullback that can block a LB, and put the rookie in at left guard, so fire out and seal the backside, and go and put the hats on the D and run the ball. We need to generate positive yards on the ground, on O, and this team needs to get it's identity back, for us to make a run in the second half of this season.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

I stopped posting at halftime because I was just too pissed to be rational after the TO debacle and I only posted a few times last night because I was still seething about the whole thing. The lackluster performance, the inability of our coaching staff to recognize when to use TO's, the disgrace of letting McCombs on the bus, the whole damn thing.

But what I've seen in the anger directed at the staff (and rightfully so, btw) is that the players are almost given a free pass because the schemes suck. The players deserve some a good portion of the blame here folks.

Carl, I have been saying since last year that DeLeone needs to dumb down the playbook and let our guys do things the way Foley taught and ran his OL. In 2011 we saw a dramatic dropoff in production from the OL when Foley tried to teach them DeLeone's offense. The conclusion that P made was that DeLeone had to take over the OL in order for them to be productive again. And it's gotten worse. Not a little worse, significantly worse. Our offense has no idea or identity and is completely and utterly unwatchable. I don't generally think cutting ties with coaches in the middle of the season is smart, but I think I'd make an exception for DeLeone right now. Sometimes you have to recognize a dumpster fire when you see one. Houston and Wisconsin did.

We need a new OC in place now. Not in December. Now.

 

[Waquoit]

Blaming the OC addressing the symptom and not the cause. P's in charge. It's on him. Forget blocking, this O struggles to call a play and snap the ball. That's coaching.

 

[huskysupporter]

I think alot of it is adjustments as well. You can absolutely adjust the blocking schemes in game, it's not difficult. Frustrating that GDL is up in the booth (which I completely agree with, gives him a great view of the whole field) yet appears to refuse to change the blocking schemes in game.

If Rutgers is slanting hard inside, stop with the freaking zone block!!!!!! Make Rutgers adjust!!!!!

There has to be communication from everyone, including the players. If a guard or center sees that the Rutgers D Lineman is doing something they are not accustomed to seeing, they need to get word to DeLeone.

 

[Carl Spackler]

I stopped posting at halftime because I was just too pissed to be rational after the TO debacle and I only posted a few times last night because I was still seething about the whole thing. The lackluster performance, the inability of our coaching staff to recognize when to use TO's, the disgrace of letting McCombs on the bus, the whole damn thing.

But what I've seen in the anger directed at the staff (and rightfully so, btw) is that the players are almost given a free pass because the schemes suck. The players deserve some a good portion of the blame here folks.

Carl, I have been saying since last year that DeLeone needs to dumb down the playbook and let our guys do things the way Foley taught and ran his OL. In 2011 we saw a dramatic dropoff in production from the OL when Foley tried to teach them DeLeone's offense. The conclusion that P made was that DeLeone had to take over the OL in order for them to be productive again. And it's gotten worse. Not a little worse, significantly worse. Our offense has no idea or identity and is completely and utterly unwatchable. I don't generally think cutting ties with coaches in the middle of the season is smart, but I think I'd make an exception for DeLeone right now. Sometimes you have to recognize a dumpster fire when you see one. Houston and Wisconsin did.

We need a new OC in place now. Not in December. Now.

FWIW - you can see the play calls develop, and if the entire offensive unit nails their blocks, and/or does what they're supposed to do, we could have a very high scoring, fast moving offense. It's there on film.

We could have put this game away, in the first quarter, and then again at the goal line, on offense.

We actually play action pass, on first down, and Griffin simply breaks off a route in the middle of the field, without a defender within 10 yards, and a clear path, no body in front down the seam at the hashmarks to the end zone - same thing we did against buffalo. Ball goes down the hashmarks, and into the grass. WHo ducked up? I don't know.

We run a sweep left in the first quarter, get the thing lined up to be blocked perfectly, two OL out ready to open up a lane, that would go at least 30 yards downfield, WR blocks,, TE blocks. THe FB - has simply to get his hands on the CB, that has come into the backfield and push him, not even push him, just get in the way. The fullback, that prototype body, bigger than that DB by a lot, DIVES!! duckING DIVES!!! inside the DB, the DB does a quick sidestep, FB comes up with a faceful of grass and nothing else, and the DB blows the play up. TFL. I don't ever recall seeing a UConn fullback turn down a block like that. As that's happening, the Left tackle has gotten tossed onto his ass, but at least he was in the way, and had the FB let the TB get out of the backfield, the lane was there.

THat wishbone from last week? Play call that made me nuts in the fourth quarter last week, only play call that bothered me. Of course it shows up this week, with McCummings this time, at the goal line. Play ends up with a completed pass, except Hyppolite's foot is two feet out of bounds in the end zone. WHY? Because one person missed a block and the spacing and timing was blown.

We're lined up at other points early in the game, with the QB flanked by two backs - and a pass rush comes hard off the edge outside the tackle. The two lineman are blockign down on the inside rush - the back - does waht? dives insided to help on the defenders that are already blocked, outside rush - that should be the first thing he's looking for back there, comes free. Play blown up.

Another run play left, early, everybody gets their blocks, except the LG who gets driven back into the play, and the play gets strung out to the sidelines - no gain.

We run a play up the middle, off the right side blocking, with another back, and the back runs right up the center and guards' back, instead of hitting the lane in EITHER direction, that was about 5 yards wide.

The defense plays great, but that one drive happens, where the other team O moves the ball and puts points up, and the game is essentially over in the middle of the third quarter, because our offensive confidence is shot to hell, and we're reduced to a freshmen QB forcing the ball against a defense that's just ripe for picking it off because we can't get a first down because every time we run, we go nowhere,a dn then the D is teed off for the pass.

It's practice. That's all this is. I don't need to see the practices,to know that we aren't practicing properly on offense, and that's on the coaches. THere is a HUGE disconnect between what's happening at the line of scrimmage, and what's happening with the backfield in running plays. There are two many people that are in isolation in space, required to make a block, or a play won't work, adn they're not making them. You don't do that in a game, if you're doing it day after day correctly in practice.

I really wouldn't mind seeing a couple of new young players injected into this offense this week, and I certainly wouldn't mind if Deleone had his wings clipped. I want to see this offense run a couple of plays, and run them successfully, repeatedly.

Not the same plays, that have the potential to be successful, but only work 1/10th of the time because somebody screwed up. I want to see this offense run some plays, with all 11 guys, actually knowing what they're supposed to do, and then doing it.

If the opposition has better players, then they've got better players, but at least we didn't lose a game, because our offensive players "weren't on the same page".

 

[Carl Spackler]

Blaming the OC addressing the symptom and not the cause. P's in charge. It's on him. Forget blocking, this O struggles to call a play and snap the ball. That's coaching.

I agree. It's frustrating as hell. The coaching has to change, they've got to install some confidence into this offense.

 

[freescooter]

I waited until today to post my thoughts on that mess on Saturday. But here they are...

1. We lost a close game to a good football team. And much as it pains me to say it, Rutgers is a good football team. In may respects they are what I hoped we would be. Tough D, grinding offense. Our game plan wasn't actually horrible this week, but it was poorly executed.
2. The say that games are won or lost in the trenches, and that is a huge problem for us on the offensive side of the football. Whether it is personnel or schemes or what we just are not very good at blocking the other guys. I tend to think it is a scheme thing, because I have a hard time believing that after all the lines we've had, suddenly we can't block anyone. But it is hard to say for sure.
3. It is hard to really criticize the defense after the way they really kept us in the game. But for a defense that is so aggressive, they don't get turnovers. I don't know if it is technique or something about the schemes, or again, personnel but turnovers can really change the complexion of a game, maybe even get the offense untracked if they have a short field. But this is a fundamental element of most pressure defenses and it is missing from ours.
4. As far as Running back goes we have McCombs and that's about it. The other two guys are situational backs only. At this level, when you get your chance, you have to go out and grab it. Nobody did that on Saturday. Nobody pulled a Brockington...
5. The quarterback situation hasn't helped matters. While I do think that the last interception was as much a case of trying to make something happen I also think that Whitmer throws too damned many interceptions. You can do that if you also throw 40 times for 4 touchdowns. I had high hopes for him this year but again, whether it is scheme or the player, it has been mostly disappointing.
6. If the coaches aren't out hunting down a stud receiver the need to fired right now. When you look at our guys compared with Rutgers' or even Western Michigan's we just don't cut it. This is the one position where I truly believe that our personnel is just not up to par. If you are a defensive coordinator, who among our wides scares you? We have a bunch of possession-type guys but no real serious threats. On a better team, these guys would all be fighting it out to see who was the #2 and who was #3.

Bottom line is that this offense has real problems. I think the situation is magnified by an offensive philosophy that doesn't take advantage of what it does have. I'm inclined to think the offensive line is mostly scheme, while the receivers are just not that good as a group.

In the end I am not sure how much of our problems are solvable this year. It is almost too late to change schemes...and as far as personnel, If someone was better than the guy playing I have to think he'd already be in there...

 

[gioff23]

To be honest - I was on the P train w/HfD, but the lack of effort and energy we are seeing consistently is not UConn football. We've never outclassed opponents, but we frigging let them know they were in a battle. This team does not have the level of energy, enthusiasm, and effort we have grown accustomed to and should rightfully expect. At this point, I think Masters, Friend, et. al. need to take a long look in the mirror because right now they are playing at the 2 star level at which they were recruited. This line can't open a hole for the smallest RB in the league but opens lanes for huge DL and blitzing LBs with regularity. Frigging hit somebnody and try driving your legs after initial contact. I can take a lack of a vertical threat and an unimaginative playbook - I've done it for a decade. And D, sorry, but step up when the team really needs you, like when the opposing O is on the 1 in a 1 score game. The effort I am seeing is anything but UConn football. You want to put fans in the seats and have them cheer on the boys just because - how about having those same boys put on a blue helemt and wear it proudly and stop going thru the motions.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Look, when things are going wrong on a football team, you have to simplify. it's not rocket science. You find what works, and you build on it. From what I see, we need to be a right handed team. I think our strongest blockers are Masters, Friend and Delahunt. WE need to run strong side, loaded up over Masters, Friend and Delahunt, with a FB coming in behind them, and a flanker/Y coming in to crackback (legally of course) and a Z out there blockign downfield.

Put Masters into the role of making the adjustments, b/c the D will adjust their angles to stop it, and our C, will learn from Masters how to make the adjustments at the line, so that when the D lines up to shoot gaps and change leverage, how to adjust it at the line, so that the play can still go where it's supposed to go.

Keep the defense honest by leaking out receivers to the weakside and running play action passes. And you run the same 1 page playbook in practices until everybody's got it down, and if somebody can't make the blocks, you put somebody else in that can.

I"m really done, with seeing odd ball play calls and formations on the field, and seeing plays get blown up for losses and no gains becuase we're spread out across the field, and one person doesn't get the job done.

Edsall was very good at squeezing out wins, by disguising our weaknesses, by packing everybody tight on offense, and by playing strict drop back zone on defense.

Our defense is doing well with a new scheme, but we clearly don't have the players on offense yet, to be opening up the field wide open on offense. Pack em in tight, and get the defense blocked, and grind out the yardage and the frist downs, and take your shots down field.

We actually have a QB now, that can throw a decent ball, we can take advantage of that, if we could just run a power running play for 4 yards on average.

 

[businesslawyer]

I didn't note it in 241, but I thought that a good receiver easily comes down with his feet in the field on the goal line pass to Hyppolite. I think he took a big jump for no reason other than inexperience when a more experienced player gets to the line and plants a foot inbounds.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Most quarterbacks will struggle when they must throw against a good defense. Deleone kept running and running and running so UConn kept finding itself in positions where it had to pass. Mixing up the play calling makes both the run and the pass more effective.

 

[Carl Spackler]

I didn't note it in 241, but I thought that a good receiver easily comes down with his feet in the field on the goal line pass to Hyppolite. I think he took a big jump for no reason other than inexperience when a more experienced player gets to the line and plants a foot inbounds.

No argument from me.

I'll add though, that I think that if we had a bread and butter runnign play over the right side, Hyppolite can carry the ball into the endzone and not worry about toeing the line, because he's a senior RB with a dozen or so career carries, not a clutch receiver.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Most quarterbacks will struggle when they must throw against a good defense. Deleone kept running and running and running so UConn kept finding itself in positions where it had to pass. Mixing up the play calling makes both the run and the pass more effective.

FOr the record, I have no problem whatsoever with the repeated running on first downs, and the play calling patterns. What I have a problem with, is that we're running plays - specifically runnign plays, that don't seem to be designed for our best blockers, adn are forcing our players into roles that aren't their strengths.

I think we are sorely missing the quality of center and fullback play that we have had on this offense for a long time, and we are asking more out of those two positions, than we ever did before.

 

[businesslawyer]

No argument from me.

I'll add though, that I think that if we had a bread and butter runnign play over the right side, Hyppolite can carry the ball into the endzone and not worry about toeing the line, because he's a senior RB with a dozen or so career carries, not a clutch receiver.

Not blaming him -- just something I noted

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I didn't note it in 241, but I thought that a good receiver easily comes down with his feet in the field on the goal line pass to Hyppolite. I think he took a big jump for no reason other than inexperience when a more experienced player gets to the line and plants a foot inbounds.

My biggest issue with that play was we ran it when moving to his right (which I imagine is the only direction McCummings can throw from at the moment) was towards the short end of the field. We gave oruselves too small of a margin for error with a QB who needs a large margin for error when passing the ball.

 

[Carl Spackler]

My biggest issue with that play was we ran it when moving to his right (which I imagine is the only direction McCummings can throw from at the moment) was towards the short end of the field. We gave oruselves too small of a margin for error with a QB who needs a large margin for error when passing the ball.

My biggest issue, is that we ran the same formation last week, and as any defense is going to do on a wishbone play, the DB is supposed to hang out on the edge, stay at home and defend against the option toss, but the option, is never an option in our offense, and defenses know it, so the DB goes straight for the QB, and beats not one, but splits TWO blockers, and hurries McCummings throw, who lofts his pass, like he always does. I don't think Hyppolite was the #1 option on this play, I think the ball was supposed to go to the TE coming across the back of the formation, but a DB beat two blockers and blew it up.

 

[Waquoit]

My biggest issue with that play was we ran it when moving to his right (which I imagine is the only direction McCummings can throw from at the moment) was towards the short end of the field. We gave oruselves too small of a margin for error with a QB who needs a large margin for error when passing the ball.

He had plenty margin for error and he still went over it. Horrible throw, you can't blame the receiver there.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

He had plenty margin for error and he still went over it. Horrible throw, you can't blame the receiver there.

I didn't blame the receiver. My point of view is that if I am aware enough of the QB's shortcomings the memebrs of the coaching staff who call the plays should be even more aware of them. If they liked that play (and yes, under the right conditions it could have worked ) they should have tried to get the ball on the left hashmark with the prior play.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Blaming the OC addressing the symptom and not the cause. P's in charge. It's on him. Forget blocking, this O struggles to call a play and snap the ball. That's coaching.

We can deal with P in December.