Randy Edsall was finishing up his comments at Tuesday's weekly media lunch when he was asked about his defensive players' reactions to his harsh comments a week ago.
Following the Huskies' 52-7 stomping of Rhode Island in the season opener on Aug. 31, Edsall blasted the effort of the defense, which he said lacked discipline and focus.
On Tuesday, Edsall explained he isn't worried about hurting people's feelings, only about getting the most out of his players each week.
"If you have thin skin, football's not the game you should be playing," Edsall said. "There's Tiddlywinks. There's bowling. There's plenty of other sports you can play. To me, I'm just trying to say how it is. If I offend people, then do something about it so I don't have to call you out. That's the bottom line."
Edsall then looked to his left, where junior linebacker Danny Lansanah, scheduled to answer questions next, had entered a side door. It was perfect timing. Lansanah heard everything Edsall had just said.
"Here's one of the guys who got called out," Edsall said. "Danny? Did I say anything that wasn't the truth?"
"No, sir," Lansanah replied sheepishly.
"OK, then," Edsall boomed, grinning widely as he exited the room to laughter.
Is there reason for concern on defense after an otherwise dominating effort against Division I-AA Rhode Island? Probably not. There were no changes to the depth chart, aside from junior middle linebacker Ryan Henegan returning to a backup slot after missing most of preseason camp with a hamstring injury.
But Edsall and the defense know Saturday's opponent, Wake Forest, is no Rhode Island. The Demon Deacons, though not a power in the Atlantic Coast Conference, have already defeated Syracuse and Duke, and will provide a much stiffer test.
All Edsall is looking for is cohesiveness, something the defense lacked in the opener.
"Sometimes guys tried to take on too much," senior defensive tackle and co-captain Rhema Fuller said. "We have to do our own jobs, pay attention to details and be assignment perfect. If we all do our own jobs, the defense will be fine."
Rhode Island provided problems with its option attack, something teams don't see very often in college football. The Huskies tended to stray from their assignments to make plays and were burned.
Wake Forest, while not an option team, has another offense that revolves around the run. Since coach Jim Grobe took over six years ago, the Demon Deacons have consistently been the top running team in the ACC and one of the top rushing teams in the nation from a Bowl Championship Series conference.
"We have to be ready for Wake Forest," Lansanah said. "We're striving to be one of the best defenses in the nation, and their offensive line is one of the best in the ACC. We took a lot of mental reps to work on the stuff we messed up on last game."
UConn has established itself as one of the top defenses in the Big East each of the last two seasons. But as Edsall pointed out after the Rhode Island game, this year's edition isn't the 2004 or 2005 defense. The 2006 defense understands the stripes have to be earned.
As for being lambasted in the media, it's something the Huskies' defense also understands. There were no hurt feelings. Certainly, no one is ready to hang them up for the lucrative Tiddlywinks circuit.
"It was taken more as a challenge," Fuller said. "Any time you get called out by a coach for being the weak link, you have to take it as a challenge."
Following the Huskies' 52-7 stomping of Rhode Island in the season opener on Aug. 31, Edsall blasted the effort of the defense, which he said lacked discipline and focus.
On Tuesday, Edsall explained he isn't worried about hurting people's feelings, only about getting the most out of his players each week.
"If you have thin skin, football's not the game you should be playing," Edsall said. "There's Tiddlywinks. There's bowling. There's plenty of other sports you can play. To me, I'm just trying to say how it is. If I offend people, then do something about it so I don't have to call you out. That's the bottom line."
Edsall then looked to his left, where junior linebacker Danny Lansanah, scheduled to answer questions next, had entered a side door. It was perfect timing. Lansanah heard everything Edsall had just said.
"Here's one of the guys who got called out," Edsall said. "Danny? Did I say anything that wasn't the truth?"
"No, sir," Lansanah replied sheepishly.
"OK, then," Edsall boomed, grinning widely as he exited the room to laughter.
Is there reason for concern on defense after an otherwise dominating effort against Division I-AA Rhode Island? Probably not. There were no changes to the depth chart, aside from junior middle linebacker Ryan Henegan returning to a backup slot after missing most of preseason camp with a hamstring injury.
But Edsall and the defense know Saturday's opponent, Wake Forest, is no Rhode Island. The Demon Deacons, though not a power in the Atlantic Coast Conference, have already defeated Syracuse and Duke, and will provide a much stiffer test.
All Edsall is looking for is cohesiveness, something the defense lacked in the opener.
"Sometimes guys tried to take on too much," senior defensive tackle and co-captain Rhema Fuller said. "We have to do our own jobs, pay attention to details and be assignment perfect. If we all do our own jobs, the defense will be fine."
Rhode Island provided problems with its option attack, something teams don't see very often in college football. The Huskies tended to stray from their assignments to make plays and were burned.
Wake Forest, while not an option team, has another offense that revolves around the run. Since coach Jim Grobe took over six years ago, the Demon Deacons have consistently been the top running team in the ACC and one of the top rushing teams in the nation from a Bowl Championship Series conference.
"We have to be ready for Wake Forest," Lansanah said. "We're striving to be one of the best defenses in the nation, and their offensive line is one of the best in the ACC. We took a lot of mental reps to work on the stuff we messed up on last game."
UConn has established itself as one of the top defenses in the Big East each of the last two seasons. But as Edsall pointed out after the Rhode Island game, this year's edition isn't the 2004 or 2005 defense. The 2006 defense understands the stripes have to be earned.
As for being lambasted in the media, it's something the Huskies' defense also understands. There were no hurt feelings. Certainly, no one is ready to hang them up for the lucrative Tiddlywinks circuit.
"It was taken more as a challenge," Fuller said. "Any time you get called out by a coach for being the weak link, you have to take it as a challenge."
