Let’s get the obvious out of the way: UConn sucks! Shocker, I know. So far this season, though, the Huskies defense has been so unbelievably inefficient, it’s almost indescribable. Really, only numbers do it justice.
Through four games, the Huskies rank 129 out of 129 programs among scoring defenses at 54.5 points allowed per game; they rank dead last in yards allowed per game at 664.0, which is 124 yards more than No. 128 Ohio; they are No. 127 in terms of opposing third-down conversion rate at 51.4 percent. The only genuine compliment anyone other than their grandparents can throw their way is that they don’t commit that many penalties.
There is a case to be made that, in addition to losing a ton of starters over the offseason, this is a product of UConn facing UCF, Boise State, and a surprisingly hot Syracuse squad to open the year, all of whom boast top-15 scoring offenses. That is fair. However, that does not explain the Week 3 outing against Rhode Island, an FCS program. Against the Rams, UConn allowed 550 total yards, including 351 yards and four scores through the air; it was by the grace of God that they escaped with a 56-49 win, one that will likely be the sole victory of head coach Randy Edsall’s second go-round in his return to Storrs if things stay the course. The rough early schedule also does not explain last year’s similarly godawful performance, in which UConn finished No. 122 among scoring defenses.
So then, it would, and did, make total sense when at Tuesday’s press conference a reporter asked—admittedly in an annoyingly roundabout way—whether Edsall has considered firing defensive coordinator Billy Crocker. This was Edsall’s totally normal and reasonable response:
Edsall might be done for today, but unfortunately for those poor wretches that identify as fans of UConn football, he and Crocker still have another eight games to lose.