Robinson accounted for 383 total yards
Randy Edsall and the UConn staff had nine months to prepare for Denard Robinson and Rich Rodriguez’s spread. In fact, Randy Edsall had six years to prepare for this game and still the Huskies’ defense looked ill-equipped and ill-prepared.
The Huskies first ran into Rodriguez and his spread in 2004, when the Huskies allowed West Virginia’s Rasheed Marshall to carry 18 times for 110 yards in a 31-19 loss. In 2005 Pat White rushed 12 times for 63 yards in a 45-13 loss. In 2006 White carried 15 times for 102 yards in a 37-11 drubbing. I see a pattern forming. In 2007, in the de facto Big East Championship White carried 16 times for 186 yards in a 66-21 embarrassment of a football game. In 2008, although Rich Rod was at Michigan, White again ran wild. 21 carries for 109 in a 35-13 win.
Yesterday was more of the same as Michigan’s Denard Robinson carried 29 times for 197 yards, setting the Michigan record for rushing yards by a quarterback in a game. Robinson had open lanes to run in all day, and when he wasn’t running he was throwing to open receivers…19 of 22 on the day for an additional 186 yards. Yikes. I think it’s fair to say that Randy Edsall and Todd Orlando have yet to figure out how to beat Rodriguez’s spread. In fact, I think it’s fair to say that they’ve yet to figure out how not to be embarrassed by it.
One couldn’t help be reminded of Pat White when late in the third quarter Robinson scampered for 16 yards on a 3rd and 15 play that broke the Huskies back. The Huskies were down 24-10, and D.J. Shoemate had just fumbled a 4th and 1 carry which would have given the Huskies a first and goal from inside the five. Disheartening, but the Huskies still had time if they could get a quick stop and quick score. So Robinson, from his own 6 yard line, broke off a 16 yarder that put the nail in the coffin. You may remember back in 2008 when Pat White, on a 3rd and goal from the UConn 24, rushed for a touchdown. There was no excuse for that play, and there was no excuse for what we saw from the defense yesterday.
Late last season I took exception to someone asking me whether or not Todd Orlando was the right guy for the defensive coordinator position which he currently holds. Orlando traditionally has had very good defenses after all (source uconnhuskies.com) :
In his first year as defensive coordinator, UConn led the BIG EAST in total defense in 2006, ranking seventhin the nation. The team’s 297.1 yards per game average for total defense was the program’s best since 1979. His second season, 2007, saw UConnclaim the BIG EAST Championship behind the nation’s 10th-ranked passing efficiency defense and the 14th best scoring defense at 19.0 points allowed per game.
In 2008, the UConn defense was ranked sixth in the country andamongthe national leaders in most major categories – including ninth in passing defense, 15th in interceptions and 22nd in scoring defense.
You may notice they left out the 2009 season, when the Huskies fell to 62 nationally in total defense (368+ yards per game), 88th in pass defense (236 ypg), and 48th in scoring defense (23.62 ppg). So what changed? For starters Darius Butler, Cody Brown and Julius Williams all departed for the NFL, and the Jasper Howard tragedy certainly took it’s toll, but is something else going on? The defense we saw yesterday looked much like the defense we saw for most of last season. Swiss Cheese.
This season the Huskies entered with higher expectations than ever before, and why not? Four wins in a row, returning starters all over the place, a favorable schedule, the case could certainly be made. If yesterday was any indication of how the defense is going to perform, you can put all of that talk aside. It’s just one game, and teams traditionally improve the most between games one and two, but what we saw yesterday was scary. Higher expectations means accountability when things go awry, and from where I’m sitting Coach Todd Orlando has some explaining to do. Is it personnel? Scheme? Was yesterday’s performance an aberration and nothing to worry about? Time will tell, but make no mistake, if this team is to challenge for the Big East title, like some are expecting, they must get better play from the defense, and better coaching from the defensive staff.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Well keep in mind that in the 2007 season in which Uconn ranked 14th in the nation in defense they were still torn a new one by Rich Rodriguez and Pat White's mountaineers where they scored 66 points even though Uconn looked shaky saturday I still saw some good things from their defense and predict that few other teams in the country could give their defense the trouble that Michigan did, none of which belong to the big east
Not a great week for the Big East. Pitt loses to Utah and Cincinnati to Fresno State.
How about Robinson ripping off over 500 at Notre Dame (ND) in South Bend? Not to mention that ND has 10 starters on defense returning. Uconn's defense is always good. How about coach Orlando's defense completely shutting down South Carolina in the Bowl game last year and embarrasing Steve Spurrier's Offensive? Give me a break with this article!
Jack, I did point out that Robinson tore up Notre Dame : http://uchuskies.com/2010/09/12/game-notes-todman…
Jack, UConn's defense is not always good. It was terrible last season, and has never slowed down Rich Rod's spread. It allowed 66 points in the Big East Championship game in 2007. Jack, I am a huge UConn fan, as you obviously are, but saying that the UConn defense is always good is overstating it. They've had very good performances, and have been stronger in the past, but the defensive effort vs Michigan was terrible…Heisman candidate or not. You don't let a guy go 19/22 AND rush for 200 yards. Even the defense said they played terrible, it's not really a point to be argued. Also, the point of the article is highlighting that Orlando and Edsall can't figure out how to defend the spread…you think they have?