Defense

[nycscooby]

Going in to today’s game, we ranked #100 in total defense having given up 29 offensive TDs to our opponents in 8 games and giving up 405 yards of offense per game. I just can’t understand how we are where we are on that aide of the ball with a defensive coach like HCJM and the defensive improvement we showed last season? I think this is what disappoints me the most, how ineffective we have been as a defense. How many big plays we give up? How poor our tackling is on a consistent basis? Sure, we lack team speed especially in the secondary but what is HCJM doing exactly to make us a sound defensive team? It’s not just TN that is lighting us up, I just don’t get it. So disheartening and for the players much more so.

 

[Palatine]

The offense gave up 21 points.

 

[Alum86]

The offense gave up 21 points.

The start of the second half was comical. Kickoff, pick 6. Kickoff, what 2-3 plays, pick 6. Kickoff. That kicker must be gassed.

 

[nycscooby]

The offense gave up 21 points.

My post was about the whole season’s effort but are you saying that you are satisfied with our defensive effort today?

 

[NHRich]

The defense did what they could. You can’t coach speed. That team is full of players rated higher than 3 stars. Totally different talent level.

 

[uchusky32]

Has been porous. Terribly porous.

 

[NHRich]

What do you expect when the talent level is so out of balance? They were just a lot better at most if not all positions.

 

[NHRich]

UConn football needs to be in a conference. No top conference will take in a member that doesn’t make them more money. Forget the big boy conferences, they are moving away from weaker teams.

 

[KryHavok]

The start of the second half was comical. Kickoff, pick 6. Kickoff, what 2-3 plays, pick 6. Kickoff. That kicker must be gassed.

Cripes, I didn't realize it was that bad. So much for trying to surprise Tennessee. At least it was a close game, then the coin toss happened, and it kinda went a bit sideways. Still, over 200 yards passing again, so we know there is something resembling a vertical game.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Are the defensive players afraid of contact? Their tackling wouldn't be acceptable at the Pop Warner level. It's that abysmal, almost like they are scared of contact.

Part of the problem may be that they don't practice tackling like in the old days. One player with the ball with a 4-6 "alley" running as hard as he can into a defender who is running as hard as he can to smash the ball carrier.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Cripes, I didn't realize it was that bad. So much for trying to surprise Tennessee. At least it was a close game, then the coin toss happened, and it kinda went a bit sideways. Still, over 200 yards passing again, so we know there is something resembling a vertical game.

Don't get fooled, the passing game was ineffective save for a couple big plays. Dropped passes, balls thrown behind receivers, and a line that let the UConn QB get harrassed all game.

 

[Tdaley]

For me, our defense has been more disappointing this year than our offense. I had higher expectations than I should have for the unit. We were worried about our 2 outside linebackers going into the season with good reason. However, I didn't expect our safeties play to be so poor. Both the pass coverage and the run stoppage was been worse than expected all season long. Lastly, the expected improved pass rush this year over last year never materialized. We need infusion of better talent in plenty of our positions on defense. Isiah Davis, Langston Hardy and Lee Molette III are all undergraduates who are starting to get more playing time. Its hard to tell if they have a higher upside over the players that start in front of them but they certainly don't look any worse than our starters. Still, my guess is that we will still need many transfers in the offseason to improve our defense for next year.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

What do you expect when the talent level is so out of balance? They were just a lot better at most if not all positions.

You're correct. Don't think most of UConn players could even make the Tennessee team. Maybe a few could be "preferred walk ons". The speed differential alone was overwhelmingly in favor of Tennessee.

 

[Palatine]

Don't get fooled, the passing game was ineffective save for a couple big plays. Dropped passes, balls thrown behind receivers, and a line that let the UConn QB get harrassed all game.

I don't think any of that is true. Roberson had time. He was mildly effective. The receivers were catching most of the throws. Many of the play designs had guys open. Our screen passes actually worked well.

We never threw deep to loosen the defense. They crowded the line and were never punished for it. And all of drives were of the 70, 80 yard variety. Way too many short passes were for losses.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

My post was about the whole season’s effort but are you saying that you are satisfied with our defensive effort today?

Just shut up. He gotcha, OK.

 

[giddyup]

The D line wasn’t bad. I thought they held their own for the most part. Everything behind it however plain out sucked. Jackson was terrible. Out of position, bad reads, deer in the headlights and could not get off blocks, could not drop into coverage fast enough. The other LBs were nonexistent. The DBs and safeties were clueless. Even if slow, the broken coverages and inability to keep receivers in front of them was just inexplicably bad prep or scheme. I expected a whoopin but I expected some semblance of a fight. This is a 21 ranked team not a top 5 team. We should acquit ourselves much better than what happened today.

 

[businesslawyer]

Going in to today’s game, we ranked #100 in total defense having given up 29 offensive TDs to our opponents in 8 games and giving up 405 yards of offense per game. I just can’t understand how we are where we are on that aide of the ball with a defensive coach like HCJM and the defensive improvement we showed last season? I think this is what disappoints me the most, how ineffective we have been as a defense. How many big plays we give up? How poor our tackling is on a consistent basis? Sure, we lack team speed especially in the secondary but what is HCJM doing exactly to make us a sound defensive team? It’s not just TN that is lighting us up, I just don’t get it. So disheartening and for the players much more so.

Add to that the fact that we returned EIGHT OR NINE defensive starters (depending on whether you count Shearin as the nickel, who played far more than half the snaps the second half of last year).

 

[businesslawyer]

The D line wasn’t bad. I thought they held their own for the most part. Everything behind it however plain out sucked. Jackson was terrible. Out of position, bad reads, deer in the headlights and could not get off blocks, could not drop into coverage fast enough. The other LBs were nonexistent. The DBs and safeties were clueless. Even if slow, the broken coverages and inability to keep receivers in front of them was just inexplicably bad prep or scheme. I expected a whoopin but I expected some semblance of a fight. This is a 21 ranked team not a top 5 team. We should acquit ourselves much better than what happened today.

I agree with this. The defensive backfield was God awful, and neither Jones nor Dixon Williams look anywhere near the players they were last year. Not just yesterday.

 

[KryHavok]

USC fired their DC today.
USC, Riley fire DC Grinch after 52-42 loss to UW

"Grinch, who was Oklahoma's defensive coordinator from 2019 to 2021 before leaving for USC alongside Riley, led a unit that allowed an average of 34.5 points per game this season and was in the bottom 30 in the country in nearly every statistical category, including 120th in rushing defense and 107th against the pass."

Sooo, in hindsight, our defense isn't so different from a "successful" P4/5 team. Silver lining here is that our problems aren't unique.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

USC fired their DC today.
USC, Riley fire DC Grinch after 52-42 loss to UW

"Grinch, who was Oklahoma's defensive coordinator from 2019 to 2021 before leaving for USC alongside Riley, led a unit that allowed an average of 34.5 points per game this season and was in the bottom 30 in the country in nearly every statistical category, including 120th in rushing defense and 107th against the pass."

Sooo, in hindsight, our defense isn't so different from a "successful" P4/5 team. Silver lining here is that our problems aren't unique.

But did you not see the 42 USC put on the board? Made for an exciting competitive game. So much better than the BS 3 pts UConn put on the board.

The defense did what they could. You can’t coach speed. That team is full of players rated higher than 3 stars. Totally different talent level.

No disagreement with what you posted. I gotta laugh though, years ago when the BE was a really good conference, there were a handful of posters, myself included, that posted that UConn had to start getting higher rated recruits. The outcry then was deafening: "stars don't mean anything", "recruit ratings were useless", etc. My favorite was "Randy will find "under the radar" players.

Now all of this was true to an extent. Especially with the success of some of the "under the radars" that ended up playing for UConn. However, it did result in a totally different talent level over the long haul.

 

[UCan3]

Don't get fooled, the passing game was ineffective save for a couple big plays. Dropped passes, balls thrown behind receivers, and a line that let the UConn QB get harrassed all game.

At this level we need a dual-threat QB because we won't be able to protect pocket passer like they need to be successful.

 

[ktuck911]

We need more help at the 2nd level on defense... We need a few heat seaking missles that can help slow down running plays... Hopefully during this upcoming cycle we can get a legit portal kid as well as a legit JUCO kid to help out there...

 

[Milo65]

At this level we need a dual-threat QB because we won't be able to protect pocket passer like they need to be successful.

I agree. If we are to compete with P4 schools,, then we need to have schemes that give us an advantage. Running straight 4-3 defense and a pro-set offense pits our speed/strength against others. The service academies have run an option offense for years as it plays to their strengths, not their opponents.

 

[SubbaBub]

Going in to today’s game, we ranked #100 in total defense having given up 29 offensive TDs to our opponents in 8 games and giving up 405 yards of offense per game. I just can’t understand how we are where we are on that aide of the ball with a defensive coach like HCJM and the defensive improvement we showed last season? I think this is what disappoints me the most, how ineffective we have been as a defense. How many big plays we give up? How poor our tackling is on a consistent basis? Sure, we lack team speed especially in the secondary but what is HCJM doing exactly to make us a sound defensive team? It’s not just TN that is lighting us up, I just don’t get it. So disheartening and for the players much more so.

A car with 3 good tires doesn't go very far. A defense with a glaring weakness doesn't stop good offenses.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

I don't think any of that is true. Roberson had time. He was mildly effective. The receivers were catching most of the throws. Many of the play designs had guys open. Our screen passes actually worked well.

We never threw deep to loosen the defense. They crowded the line and were never punished for it. And all of drives were of the 70, 80 yard variety. Way too many short passes were for losses.

We NEVER throw deep, for yea re s now. At least with any effectiveness. Only time they do is when everyone in the stadium knows they have to because it's 3rd or 4th and very long. UConn still playing 1960's football: try to find some daylight to run to and try to win with a bend don't attack defense.