AMHERST — Two games into the season, it looked like the problems that plagued the UMass defense in 2016 were back for another go in 2017 despite some new players, a new coordinator and a new system.
But obscured by the Minutemen’s 0-5 start is that the defense has actually improved since that second game as the players have gained comfort and confidence in new defensive coordinator Ed Pinkham’s system.
“In the first two weeks, not everybody fully committed themselves to the defense. When one person missed their assignment somebody else thought they had to make up for them,” senior Da’Sean Downey said. “That’s when they got out of their gap and we started giving up chunk plays and touchdowns. Now I feel like everybody is 100 percent committed to their job. They trust Coach Pinkham and everybody is ready to play.”
Against Hawaii and Coastal Carolina, UMass allowed 452.0 yards per game. In the three games since, arguably against better opponents, the Minutemen have allowed just 357.3 yards per game, including just 319 against Tennessee. They’ll try to continue the trend Saturday at 3:30 p.m. against Ohio at McGuirk Stadium.
“We had a bunch of mental errors against Hawaii and Coastal,” defensive lineman Joe Previte said. “Now we’re used to playing with each other.”
Pinkham said watching the mistakes from the first two games sped the learning process along.
“They’ve gained confidence from seeing when they execute properly what the results are. We’ve been able to show video of the results when you do it well vs. when you might freelance,” Pinkham said. “Sometimes when things aren’t going well you abandon the scheme and think I’m going to tackle the guy with the ball as hard as I can. That doesn’t work. Slowly they’re appreciating the value of playing within the scheme. As they do that they develop more confidence. We’ve gotten to the point where they’re playing a disciplined team brand of football.”
Pinkham said junior linebacker Bryton Barr, a transfer from Towson, has been a key.
“Bryton Barr is executing well. He’s doing what we ask him to do and he’s taken on a leadership role and he’s doing it with an intensity. It’s fun to see,” he said. “When he hits a gap, he puts a dent in the front.”
Added linebacker Steve Casali, a senior captain, “There’s definitely increased confidence. But there’s still room for improvement. We’re working for that.”
Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. Get UMass coverage delivered in your Facebook news feed at www.facebook.com/GazetteUMassCoverage