There is perhaps one position on the UConn football team that could derail their hopes for a Big East title in a hurry. UConn's safety play a year ago was inconsistent and led to big plays on numerous occasions including last second losses at West Virginia and Rutgers among others.
That was before it lost Robert Vaughn to graduation. Currently at safety UConn's most veteran player is Jerome Junior, a promising prospect who was wildly inconsistent last season. On the other side there is converted linebacker Kijuan Dabney, who has spent sparse time at the position. The Huskies have plenty options at safety, but almost no experience there. How they play may determine UConn's season.
As the Huskies kicked off fall camp today UConn coach Randy Edsall put his own neck on the line in regards to the safety play. If they don't improve all Edsall has to do is blame himself. First year secondary coach Daryl Perkins is going to work exclusively with cornerbacks during camp while Edsall is taking over the instruction of the safeties.
This is like taking a CEO and putting him as the foreman on an assembly line. As the Huskies prepare for the season opener Sept. 4 against Michigan, Edsall isn't going to take any risks with the one unit on the team that could be called a serious question.
"Darrell (Perkins) is an excellent coach," Edsall said. " But it would be too much to place on one guy with the youth and inexperience back there. We are going to do it that way.
"As a CEO, president and head coach, you have to take a look at the organization and see how you can be the strongest. It's no indictment of Darrell. He's an outstanding coach. Looking at it, it was too much for one guy to handle because of the youth and inexpereince."The safety play was torched in the spring game with Zach Frazer throwing for four touchdowns passes of over 50 yards. Sophomore Jerome Junior has heard all about the safety play. He knows having Edsall, a defensive backs coach with Jacksonville Jaguars under Tom Coughlin at one time, there means the unit has a lot of work to do. Junior welcomes the head coach's continued attention. He's also confident that the unit can get better.
"I always had coach Edsall on my back about everything, especially last year," Junior said. "He is coaching all the safeties instead of being behind me every play. Coach Edsall is getting in depth and everything. The first meeting I was nervous because it's the head coach, and now he's quizzing me, but I think I am ready for it. It doesn't worry me."
There are things the Huskies can do to help the safeties. They pressured tremendously in the papajohns.com bowl win over South Carolina and that negated the weakness. There is also a lot of coaching up that can help and while the team is in training mode Edsall plans to make the most of it.
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More notes:
That's the quick version. Got to play the bills now.
- *This was perhaps the most relaxed first practice I have ever seen since covering UConn. It was smooth, eerily efficient, and focused. Edsall didn't raise his voice once. They ran it like a machine today. They weren't exactly sharp, but there was a giddy-up in the team's step. Most unusual, and most unexpected. I think it's a good sign.
- * I asked Edsall about Greg Lloyd's situation and Edsall didn't want to force Lloyd into action unless he was comfortable and confident. Lloyd eventually could have ben healthy and contributed, but Edsall could tell Lloyd wasn't comfortable with the rehab and how he fit in coming off an injury. Since Scott Lutrus can play the middle, they are going to give Lloyd, a senior, a redshirt year he never got. On the move of Hyppolite from RB to linebacker. It was a numbers game at running back, but the staff liked him as a linebacker in high school and this is a way to get him on the field quicker. It's a work in progress, but Hyppolite has good size and speed for the position.
- * Talked a bit with left tackle Jimmy Bennett about his coming back from injury. Bennett is massive, and his knee is healthy, but he is rusty as expected. Today was his first contact since last year. The strength, footwork and agility are there for Bennett. Bennett said the key for him was getting his timing. He was actually moving too fast today. Edsall firmly believes Bennett can be the player he thought he could be last year. It's a battle at left tackle, but Bennett looks like he is ready to fight for it against Adam Masters.
Lastly, check out today's story on D.J. Shoemate in today's JI. He is well-spoken and I think a pretty nice guy. I can see why they wanted him on the team. 4.5 40 at his size helped I bet too.
