Edsall Sees Potential
Coach Highlights Small Improvements Vs. South Florida
In watching the video of UConn’s 38-30 loss to No. 21 South Florida on Saturday, coach Randy Edsall didn’t find an overarching secret to the Huskies’ improved performance. Instead, he found a collection of small positive signs that added up to his team’s strongest performance of the year.
For example, Edsall said he was impressed with the way offensive linemen Ryan Crozier and Nino Leone confronted South Florida players after a violent hit on UConn quarterback David Pindell was flagged as a personal foul.
“I thought that was great,” Edsall said Sunday. “And I thought they did a good job of doing what they needed to do, but then showing restraint over there on their side of the bench and not doing anything more than what they did. I was kind of proud of that.”
In another example of a small thing that got Edsall’s attention, the coach praised safety Omar Fortt for his technique on a first-quarter intercep- tion. Fortt didn’t do anything special, Edsall said. He merely executed his responsibility and wound up with a big play to show for it.
“When you do it the right way, those are the things that happen,” Edsall said. “He was right with his guy. He was in good position, and then he turned at the right time to look at the ball, got his head around and made a really nice interception.”
Edsall also said he was pleased with the team’s blocking on offense,
which helped the Huskies rack up 322 rushing yards. Junior tackle Matthew Peart and senior center Crozier had particularly strong games, Edsall said, while sophomore tackle Cam DeGeorge submitted his best performance yet.
But the capable blocking didn’t stop with the offensive line. Edsall noted that the team’s tight ends and receivers had also stepped up, specifically praising sophomore tight end Jay Rose, who played more than he had in previous games.
Defensively, UConn substituted more than usual and experimented with some different formations, sometimes having three safeties on the field at once. Edsall said that he thought redshirt freshman safety Robert P. King III did well in his most extensive playing time of the season and that safeties Tyler Coyle and Oneil Robinson made for a strong pairing.
Aside from starting cornerbacks Tahj Herring-Wilson and Ryan Carroll, every UConn defensive player was subbed out for a significant stretch at one point or another. Edsall said eight defensive linemen played between 20 and 39 snaps.
“Whatever personnel groupings we have to employ, we’ll do that in order to give us that best opportunity to try to win,” the coach said.
Of course, the Huskies’ performance Saturday was far from perfect. Edsall pointed to Hergy Mayala’s offside penalty on a late-game onside kick as an example of a small mistake that cost the team.
“Those are the little things that will prevent you from having the opportunity to win,” Edsall said. “We had a guy on the outside who should never be offside because he’s the guy who can see the kicker the best. … You tell the guys all the time, you practice it, but that’s just attention to detail.”
Edsall was asked Sunday how far along UConn is right now in terms of doing “the little things” that will help the Huskies win.
“We’re probably 50-50, right in the middle right now,” he said. “And that’s not good enough.”