After a breakout game against Rutgers, it’s no shock that Redshirt Freshman RB Donald Brown has supplanted Senior Terry Caulley. Officially, it is because Caulley is not 100 percent from an ankle injury. Reality is that Brown ran for 198 yards against Rutgers. Production on the field matters a lot more then being a team captain and the all-time leading rusher (for now) at UConn. Brown of course, is ready for the job.
As if that isn’t enough of a reason to beg, plead and scream to Coach Wannstedt and DC Rhoads to stuff the box against UConn’s offense, surely the fact that D.J. Hernandez was named the starting QB should.
But even with all of Brown’s athletic ability and promise, the Huskies still need some semblance of a passing attack to win and keep their fading bowl hopes alive. D.J. Hernandez, named starter for the second time this season prior to the Rutgers game, was again ineffective in completing 8 of 17 passes for just 67 yards, an interception and a fumble.
Hernandez’s dismal statistics were all but lost in the euphoria over Brown’s breakout game. He needs to get better, Edsall said Tuesday. Hernandez agreed, saying the problems stem from a combination of miscommunication with the receivers and his own occasional lack of patience.
“Sometimes it’s breakdowns, sometimes it’s me not securing the ball,” Hernandez said. “It’s a little bit of both. Whether there’s route confusion or myself not holding onto the ball and protecting the ball. Sometimes I try to stay in pocket a little bit too long, and go through my reads when things are opening up.”
The game plan against Pittsburgh (6-3, 2-2) will still be a heavy dose of Brown, with Caulley, if recovered from an ankle injury that sidelined him against Rutgers in the first place, and Lou Allen spelling him at times.
But as any coach knows, a team needs to be able to throw to keep defenses honest. Even though Brown churned out several big runs against Rutgers, he was limited in the fourth quarter because Hernandez wasn’t throwing well, and the Scarlet Knights loaded against the run.
Will it be a shock to anyone to know that UConn has the 7th worst passing offense in the Big East, and 112th overall.
Seriously, when you see those numbers, know you have a bad QB who hasn’t started much, and that the whole offensive game plan for the opponent is to run. How does any sane HC and DC not just say, “Okay, we have a good secondary so we’ll let them go one-on-one. We’ll bring up the safeties. Bring the linebackers closer. The focus is not just on stopping the run, but stuffing and forcing them to throw.”
I’m not talking about blitzing, I’m talking about lining up to stop the run. That’s it. I really don’t know how or why that red herring of blitzes keeps getting tossed out there whenever someone questions the defensive strategy, and somehow it works. It’s like people in Pittsburgh are so conditioned by the Steelers about blitzing, that it simply mentioning “blitz” confuses and distracts them from anything else.
UConn also has lousy punting. Blocked punts in three games this year.
It seems to me that Session, Bryant, Campbell & others are out of position too often. These guys seem to be more concerned about making big hits or forcing fumbles and less concerned about being in the proper position and not missing tackles.
In my opinion, it is more desirable to be in position and make all of the tackles instead of occasionally coming up with a big play but consistently not being in the proper position to make all of the routine plays.
With a 6-1 start, a 6-6 season is a major step backwards.
Yes you are right about the 7 win bar, but after the 6-1 start a 7 win season will be viewed by many as a disappointment.
To lose to MSU in the way they did was bad, MSU ran all over them, the D just stood around and really seemed confused when MSU ran the option. The lack of defensive adjustments cost us this game.
The Rutgers game hinged on a few plays that we did not make, but, all and all it was a loss, I think we all thought we could have won that game but we didn’t, credit Rutgers they made the plays when they had too.
The USF loss was very devastating, if Pitt lays an egg in the next three games the football program could easily regress and lose potential players.
I agree, if Pitt can win versus UConn and pull an upset the bandwagon will fill up.
I have been following Pitt football since 1965, I have seen the highs and lows. I hope W can bring the program back somewhat to level of the mid 70’s and early 80’s. Pitt has not cracked the 10 win mark since Marino was a junior (1981 season) thats a long time ago.
2008 will be W’s year of judgement by the Pitt administration and hopefully this is when all the pieces are in place to break into a 10 win season.
I hope we can beat UConn, as Chas mentioned they are one dimensional.
Do you think we can devise some type of game plan to stop the run and make them throw?
Hell I hope so because I am going to pick them to win 24-13.
I want to see them win as bad as anyone else who participates on this blog, hopefully w is the guy to lead them on.
Another thing I am sick of hearing about the “lack of talent”. It can’t be good for the morale of the team to have the coaches using that excuse all season long the kids may start to believe that they do indeed suck and it’s not the coaches lack of a gameplan on either side of the ball.