I had a nice elaborate blog post that I lost, so you are getting the cliff notes version off my thoughts from a disastrous 24-21 loss to Pittsburgh.
Pitt is the better team, but when you get a 15 point lead in the second half, and have a defense like UConn's you have to close it out.
Huskies have problems closing and no one can figure out why. Taking out the Rhode Island game, the Huskies have been outscored 40-10 in the fourth quarter. Other stats that hurt, UConn has had double digit second half leads in every game, but are 3-2. They have blown 10 points and 15 point leads in their losses. UConn should be 5-0.
Here is Edsall on the collapses and trouble in the fourth quarter.
“I can’t explain it I wish I could. In those situations you want the ball running at you or the ball at your guys so you can make plays," Edsall said. "We got young guys that are in there. We aren’t the same team as the year before.”
What's going on? Take Andre Dixon, the most perceptive player in the offense.
"It’s about having more want at the end of the game. Teams that have outplayed us at the end of the game wanted it more. As you saw from the play out there, they sustained drives we didn’t. They made the plays and we didn’t."
“We need to finish games. It comes down to want to. The preparation was perfect. It’s more want to finish games.”
Interesting that Dixon felt that. Here is Greg Lloyd. The young players need to perhaps up the level a notch.
“We came with high intensity and were doing a good job up until that fourth quarter. You got to be able to finish," Lloyd said. If you start with high intensity, and you get someone to get all the way to the third quarter and be up to finish that. They came with a better mind set then we did. They came to win and our energy dropped off.”
Did the Huskies get tired in the fourth? Lloyd says not physically
“More mental toughness than physical toughness was the thing out there,"Lloyd said Big plays when we should have had them stopped. It gets tiring on the body, bt that is not what it is. It’s mindset.”
No one was more shocked than Dixon at what transpired in the fourth quarter and second half when Pittsburgh did what it wanted offensively.
“I was surprised even to see runs being broken like that," Dixon said. "Everyone is going to get a couple of plays against you, that comes with the game, but to see that many plays broken at you – not to point fingers – I was shocked and a little surprised we usually holed people under 100 yards and stop the big plays. I was a little shocked.”
Huskies need to find a way to close or they aren't going to last too long in Big East play. Closing games should be the mantra for this team.
Other notes:
*Lot's of discussion about Edsall not ceding the touchdown there late in the game and allowing Pitt to run out the clock inside the 5-yard line and kick an 18 yard field goal to win the game. I was vehemently against doing what Edsall did, but in the intervening hours I am waffling. Why? Well, first off I just saw a kicker miss a 23 yard kick in the Florida-LSU game. Second, I can't remember an instance where a coach ceded the game. When was the last game-winning score scored uncontested? The chances are remote, but there could be a fumble, botched snap or even a missed field goal. There could be many things that could go wrong. Edsall said he never considered it.
*Don't expect to see Lutrus for a long long time. A second stinger injury, and he missed 4 weeks with the first. He couldn't make it through a half. It's Jory Johnson's job at linebacker now. This hurts a lot in the passing game because MLB Greg Lloyd is really deficient in these situations. Lutrus used to take his spot. Bad break for Lutrus, crossing finger he is ok.
*Cody Endres had a solid game and made some terrific throws. I don't think Zach Frazer is going to be able to break back in in practice. More on that in the coming days.
“I really didn’t (consider allowing Pitt to score) in that situation," Edsall said. "If you try and let someone score, then you have to drive the other end of the field with no timeouts. To do that is very very difficult.”
Still may have left Pitt score. But I am not positive now.
1 comment:
I had no problem with UConn making Pitt kick the field goal. In the pros, maybe its different, but Ive seen a ton of chipshot field goals missed in college games. The problem was not getting the stop on the 3rd down at the 5 with 2 minutes left.
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