STORRS – The UConn football team has played high-level offense through three games this season … for the most part.
The Huskies are averaging 40 points per game, they rank 12th in passing yards nationally, 46th in rushing and 12th in total yards, all without a fumble or an interception. But in short-yardage situations with the game on the line the Huskies have come up short in back-to-back weeks.
At Syracuse, it was a 4th-and-goal from the 3-yard line in overtime when Joe Fagnano’s quick pass to tight end Juice Vereen was batted away. The Huskies went for a 4th-and-2 on their final drive in regulation last week at Delaware when Fagnano found tight end Lou Hansen in the flat, but he was only able to get one yard and the ball was turned over on downs. They went for a similar play on 2nd-and-2 in overtime, but the throw to Hansen was off and Fagnano was sacked on the next play, leaving the Huskies to settle for a field goal.
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“There’s a lot more consistency on offense, but now we have to finish and have consistency as a team,” coach Jim Mora said Tuesday. “You’ve got to be able to get a dirty yard if you’re the running back and it’s a running play, or convert and execute a short throw and catch. It’s those little things that just get you. … You’ve just gotta keep drilling it. It’s repetition, it’s going out and it’s doing it over and over again.
“You know that saying: Average people do it until they get it right, champions do it until they can’t get it wrong. It’s kind of adopting that mindset.”
UConn practices its two-minute drill every day in practice. In a game, as the Huskies know as well as anyone, it’s the difference between winning and losing.
“It’s a matter of some stuff we’ve worked on and going out there and executing. It’s nothing different than what we’ve seen in practice,” receiver Reymello Murphy said. “We’re not giving up on anything. It’s kind of motivation. It’s one of those things where your back’s against the wall and you don’t want it any other way because it forces us to be in an uncomfortable position and push forward.”
The UConn coaching staff splits the load when it comes to offensive game-planning each week. Certain coaches are responsible for specific areas of the plan and then they all come together in a group effort to put on the final touches.
“We have a certain coach that is going to dig really hard into 3rd-down stuff, 1st- and 2nd-down stuff, pressure stuff, short yardage stuff, goal line stuff, things like that. And then we try to come up with the best play to put our players in position to make a play. You can always go back when you fail and look at it and say, ‘We should’ve called this, should’ve emphasized this.’ It just eats you alive,” Mora said. “We had a 44-minute flight home and I think every coach on our staff had watched the film at least twice before the wheels hit the ground at (Bradley). That’s how obsessed you become.
“But if you want to be successful, you have to be obsessed with what you’re doing. And then your actions and your decisions have to match that obsession. You can have an obsession, but if you don’t have the actions and decision-making to match your goals, you’re not obsessed. I think this is a team and a staff that’s obsessed with digging our way out of this and reaching what we believe our potential is.”
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Consistency on defense
Since the third quarter ended at Syracuse, the UConn defensive performance has been disheartening. The Huskies gave up touchdowns on each of Delaware’s first three possessions and allowed 512 total yards of offense. They never made a stop on three separate 4th-down chances and, again, hurt themselves with undisciplined mistakes down the stretch.
Mora couldn’t say he wasn’t disappointed, but he made sure to correct himself when he said he was discouraged.
“We have not found that (consistency in effort and execution) to the level that we need to be a good defense like we’ve shown in spurts,” he said. “It’s that level of consistency that we’re working toward and it’s being really demanding on ourselves and them on themselves, and exacting and precise in how we teach and coach. And it’s them taking good notes, watching extra film and then in those critical moments in games, having the discipline, the mental toughness to stay right where they’re supposed to be and do exactly what they’re supposed to do.
“We just haven’t been able to find that yet and that’s disappointing, especially because it’s a mature group. So maybe some of that is not being as familiar with the system as we would like them to be as new guys coming in, but I think it’s just we have to continue to emphasize consistency.”
The Huskies should have some assistance in the defensive secondary in the form of safety Malachi McLean, who was injured in the season-opener and missed the last two weeks. McLean was top 10 on the team in tackles last season with 44 and also had four passes defended.
“We’ve just got to keep working and doing the basics, doing what our coaches tell us and doing our job,” said linebacker Bryun Parham, the Washington transfer who is leading the team with 24 tackles and five sacks. “We’ve just got to hustle more, run to the ball more, be more hungry for a victory, that’s what we gotta do, we’ve got to want it more.”
