Former Cane WR Ahmmon Richards joined the CanesInSight Podcast to explain why he likes the Fiesta Bowl matchup for Miami. Below is a summary of everything he was talking about:
Q: You’ve been confident about this team for months. What does it mean to be here now, in the semifinals?
Ahmmon Richards: “It feels good to know we’ve been saying it and we’re not crazy. Sometimes you’ve got to trust what you see. I know the fan base may be traumatized from the past, but I’m going based off what I’m seeing right now. Since camp, the team has championship-level talent. Most years it’s one side dominating and the other struggling. This year, it’s finally balanced. We don’t have Cam Ward, but the defense looks completely different, and that balance has been enough to win a lot of games. Now here we are in the semifinals.”
Q: Miami’s gone from underdog fuel to being the favorite. Do you worry about the mental shift?
Richards: “I don’t really think the guys look at it like that. You can still lose whether you’re favored or not—we’ve been favored by double digits and lost before. At this point, playing in the semifinals is enough motivation. If you need the underdog label to get up for this game, you shouldn’t even be playing in it. I think the guys are ready and appreciative of the moment.”
Q: Ole Miss’ tempo keeps getting compared to SMU. Is the tempo threat being overblown?
Richards: “Ole Miss has a great offense, a really good scheme, and talented enough players to get the ball to the perimeter and make plays. But when I look at our defense and the mobile quarterbacks and tempo offenses we’ve seen all year, we’ve been tested. People want to dismiss USF, but at the time they had just knocked off Florida. They came in trying to tempo, and we weathered it. I do think Ole Miss’ quarterback is the most talented dual-threat quarterback we’ve faced in terms of being an accurate passer while also being able to move. But the questions about the defense—we’ve answered them all year. I think Hetherman will have a great plan.”
Q: If not tempo, what do you think is the true key to the game?
Richards: “The key more than the defense stopping tempo is our offense controlling time of possession and maximizing each drive. That’s what gets tempo teams out of rhythm. If you can keep them on the sideline for seven or eight minutes and keep them from stacking opportunities, you force them into a different kind of game. You do it by picking up first downs, converting third downs, making long drives, and scoring. If you get them off their rhythm, you’ll see a different offense.”
Q: Miami’s receiver room has been hit by injuries and portal exits. Does that matter this late?
Richards: “At this point in the season you have your guys who are going to get the majority of the reps. It hurts practice prep, though—having enough bodies for scout looks, getting through your routine, that matters. The workload isn’t fall camp workload, but practice reps still matter. The portal windows make it crazy—being in the semifinals and having guys leaving because they almost have to is unfortunate. The timeline needs to be fixed so playoff teams can have full rosters until the national title game.”
Q: Chambliss has great numbers, but he’s had turnover-worthy throws. What’s your read on him?
Richards: “He’s a good quarterback. He takes shots down the field, so you’re going to see some of that. But what I think matters is this: this is the first different defense he has to really game prep for in a while. Tulane they already played. Georgia they already played. That’s easier prep because you’ve already seen it. Now you’re playing a defense with two arguably first-round edges, and a secondary that can actually bump and run with anybody. And Miami doesn’t run as much man coverage as people think. Mobile quarterbacks can kill man coverage because when the play breaks down, everybody’s chasing and then somebody comes open. I think we’ll give him different looks that make it unfamiliar and it’ll take him time to adjust.”
Q: What do you think about Ole Miss’ wideouts compared to what Miami has faced recently?
Richards: “I like their outside guys. Stribling is my favorite. When he hit the portal, I wanted him. You could see his speed pop on tape at Oklahoma State. He’s a real matchup guy—size and speed. But it’s hard to be consistently productive when you’ve got Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor on your back all game. People downplay them, then the game starts and it’s, ‘Hold on, those dudes are legit.’ Ole Miss can say their left tackle hasn’t given up a sack, but that can happen when your quarterback avoids sacks. How many missed sacks are there because he slipped out? That matters.”
Q: Do you expect a Malachi Toney playoff breakout?
Richards: “There’s opportunity because their pass defense isn’t elite. They run a lot of Cover 4, so there are shots there—posts, go routes, and if it’s three-by-one you can get man on the backside. I’m not saying Beck needs 400 yards. But it’s going to be about what’s hot in the game. If Toney is clicking, you lean into it. If they can’t stop the run and Fletcher is picking up six or seven, you lean into that. They’re not great at stopping either the run or the pass, so it’s going to be about game flow.”
Q: Are you concerned about the recent fumbles?
Richards: “I’m not worried because we won the football game and we didn’t turn those into turnovers. Ball security gets emphasized every practice. But the hits mattered—Caleb Downs is low, violent, and he got under him. That’s two NFL-type collisions. It was good-on-good and Downs won the rep. I do think it’ll be a hyperfocus going forward because even Fletcher had a couple that almost popped. But we’ll be fine.”
Q: If a defense has a ‘Waldo’—a guy teams can pick on—do offenses build the plan around attacking him?
Richards: “You never want to be Waldo on defense. In game planning, you identify the stars you must account for, and then you identify who you can target—who’s stiff, who’s late, who’s out of position. Georgia found a young corner and went at him. But when I look at Miami’s defense, I don’t see that Waldo. We don’t play a lot of pure man; we play a lot of combo and zone. So I’m curious how Ole Miss plans for a team that lives in zone rules.”
Q: How big is the threat of Kewan Lacy, especially with Miami’s run defense?
Richards: “He’s a really good running back. He looks like a long strider, plays tough, plays physical. But our defense takes away what you do well. We’ve been one of the best at stopping the run. The way we tackle is intriguing—we’re cutting off angles and trusting the swarm. You might see a missed tackle, but then three guys rally and the averages stay low. Can Lacy hit a 20 or 30? Eventually, probably. But we contain backs well. And with 300 carries, how does his body hold up when he’s taking shots from safeties, run support, and the front? Late in games, guys start feeling it. We’ll see if he wants four quarters of that.”
Q: You played in an offense that changed midseason to play quicker and protect the line (2016). How do you view Ole Miss’ quick-release approach against Miami’s pass rush?
Richards: “Quick game is a fix when you’re facing a great pass rush or your line isn’t great in protection. It’s fun because you’re getting it to playmakers, getting rid of it, and staying ahead of the chains. In 2016 we adjusted into that and it helped us. With Ole Miss, it’s a lot of predetermined reads—hand it off if the safety moves, get it out quick, that kind of thing. I’m curious how Hetherman speeds up his clock by changing the picture pre-snap, sending nickel pressures, showing different looks. How does the quarterback respond when the edges keep contain and don’t give him free lanes? Florida did some good things containing him. LSU had a good plan too. There are ways to attack weaknesses.”
Q: What’s your message to fans watching a game like this where Ole Miss will complete some passes?
Richards: “When he completes a 10-yard pass, don’t freak out. Sometimes our fan base acts like the world ends on a routine completion. Keep them out of second-and-short and third-and-1. If you force second-and-long and third-and-long, you knock them out of what they do best. Tempo has pros and cons too—if they go three-and-out in two minutes, their defense is right back out there, and their defense statistically isn’t the best. There are tradeoffs.”
Q: You’ve said you don’t think Ole Miss gets over 21. What’s your final score prediction?
Richards: “I’ve got us winning 28-16. I don’t see them getting over 21. Outside of one or two coverage busts a game, our guys are in great coverage. We don’t give up the big play down the field often. You can get your five-yard outs, but quarterbacks don’t want to live like that for four quarters. They eventually want to push it, they hold the ball, and that’s when our guys get home. Defense wins championships. Offense is great, but I like watching our defense get three-and-outs and create turnovers. And in the playoffs you keep seeing it—great defenses are what survive.”
Q: What do you believe ultimately decides a game like this?
Richards: “The trenches win. And we have it on both sides. It’s two games left for everything. You can lay your body on the line for two games. We’ve answered challenges all year and this is another one. I don’t think they’re ready for the physicality and the style we play with.”
Q: You’ve been confident about this team for months. What does it mean to be here now, in the semifinals?
Ahmmon Richards: “It feels good to know we’ve been saying it and we’re not crazy. Sometimes you’ve got to trust what you see. I know the fan base may be traumatized from the past, but I’m going based off what I’m seeing right now. Since camp, the team has championship-level talent. Most years it’s one side dominating and the other struggling. This year, it’s finally balanced. We don’t have Cam Ward, but the defense looks completely different, and that balance has been enough to win a lot of games. Now here we are in the semifinals.”
Q: Miami’s gone from underdog fuel to being the favorite. Do you worry about the mental shift?
Richards: “I don’t really think the guys look at it like that. You can still lose whether you’re favored or not—we’ve been favored by double digits and lost before. At this point, playing in the semifinals is enough motivation. If you need the underdog label to get up for this game, you shouldn’t even be playing in it. I think the guys are ready and appreciative of the moment.”
Q: Ole Miss’ tempo keeps getting compared to SMU. Is the tempo threat being overblown?
Richards: “Ole Miss has a great offense, a really good scheme, and talented enough players to get the ball to the perimeter and make plays. But when I look at our defense and the mobile quarterbacks and tempo offenses we’ve seen all year, we’ve been tested. People want to dismiss USF, but at the time they had just knocked off Florida. They came in trying to tempo, and we weathered it. I do think Ole Miss’ quarterback is the most talented dual-threat quarterback we’ve faced in terms of being an accurate passer while also being able to move. But the questions about the defense—we’ve answered them all year. I think Hetherman will have a great plan.”
Q: If not tempo, what do you think is the true key to the game?
Richards: “The key more than the defense stopping tempo is our offense controlling time of possession and maximizing each drive. That’s what gets tempo teams out of rhythm. If you can keep them on the sideline for seven or eight minutes and keep them from stacking opportunities, you force them into a different kind of game. You do it by picking up first downs, converting third downs, making long drives, and scoring. If you get them off their rhythm, you’ll see a different offense.”
Q: Miami’s receiver room has been hit by injuries and portal exits. Does that matter this late?
Richards: “At this point in the season you have your guys who are going to get the majority of the reps. It hurts practice prep, though—having enough bodies for scout looks, getting through your routine, that matters. The workload isn’t fall camp workload, but practice reps still matter. The portal windows make it crazy—being in the semifinals and having guys leaving because they almost have to is unfortunate. The timeline needs to be fixed so playoff teams can have full rosters until the national title game.”
Q: Chambliss has great numbers, but he’s had turnover-worthy throws. What’s your read on him?
Richards: “He’s a good quarterback. He takes shots down the field, so you’re going to see some of that. But what I think matters is this: this is the first different defense he has to really game prep for in a while. Tulane they already played. Georgia they already played. That’s easier prep because you’ve already seen it. Now you’re playing a defense with two arguably first-round edges, and a secondary that can actually bump and run with anybody. And Miami doesn’t run as much man coverage as people think. Mobile quarterbacks can kill man coverage because when the play breaks down, everybody’s chasing and then somebody comes open. I think we’ll give him different looks that make it unfamiliar and it’ll take him time to adjust.”
Q: What do you think about Ole Miss’ wideouts compared to what Miami has faced recently?
Richards: “I like their outside guys. Stribling is my favorite. When he hit the portal, I wanted him. You could see his speed pop on tape at Oklahoma State. He’s a real matchup guy—size and speed. But it’s hard to be consistently productive when you’ve got Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor on your back all game. People downplay them, then the game starts and it’s, ‘Hold on, those dudes are legit.’ Ole Miss can say their left tackle hasn’t given up a sack, but that can happen when your quarterback avoids sacks. How many missed sacks are there because he slipped out? That matters.”
Q: Do you expect a Malachi Toney playoff breakout?
Richards: “There’s opportunity because their pass defense isn’t elite. They run a lot of Cover 4, so there are shots there—posts, go routes, and if it’s three-by-one you can get man on the backside. I’m not saying Beck needs 400 yards. But it’s going to be about what’s hot in the game. If Toney is clicking, you lean into it. If they can’t stop the run and Fletcher is picking up six or seven, you lean into that. They’re not great at stopping either the run or the pass, so it’s going to be about game flow.”
Q: Are you concerned about the recent fumbles?
Richards: “I’m not worried because we won the football game and we didn’t turn those into turnovers. Ball security gets emphasized every practice. But the hits mattered—Caleb Downs is low, violent, and he got under him. That’s two NFL-type collisions. It was good-on-good and Downs won the rep. I do think it’ll be a hyperfocus going forward because even Fletcher had a couple that almost popped. But we’ll be fine.”
Q: If a defense has a ‘Waldo’—a guy teams can pick on—do offenses build the plan around attacking him?
Richards: “You never want to be Waldo on defense. In game planning, you identify the stars you must account for, and then you identify who you can target—who’s stiff, who’s late, who’s out of position. Georgia found a young corner and went at him. But when I look at Miami’s defense, I don’t see that Waldo. We don’t play a lot of pure man; we play a lot of combo and zone. So I’m curious how Ole Miss plans for a team that lives in zone rules.”
Q: How big is the threat of Kewan Lacy, especially with Miami’s run defense?
Richards: “He’s a really good running back. He looks like a long strider, plays tough, plays physical. But our defense takes away what you do well. We’ve been one of the best at stopping the run. The way we tackle is intriguing—we’re cutting off angles and trusting the swarm. You might see a missed tackle, but then three guys rally and the averages stay low. Can Lacy hit a 20 or 30? Eventually, probably. But we contain backs well. And with 300 carries, how does his body hold up when he’s taking shots from safeties, run support, and the front? Late in games, guys start feeling it. We’ll see if he wants four quarters of that.”
Q: You played in an offense that changed midseason to play quicker and protect the line (2016). How do you view Ole Miss’ quick-release approach against Miami’s pass rush?
Richards: “Quick game is a fix when you’re facing a great pass rush or your line isn’t great in protection. It’s fun because you’re getting it to playmakers, getting rid of it, and staying ahead of the chains. In 2016 we adjusted into that and it helped us. With Ole Miss, it’s a lot of predetermined reads—hand it off if the safety moves, get it out quick, that kind of thing. I’m curious how Hetherman speeds up his clock by changing the picture pre-snap, sending nickel pressures, showing different looks. How does the quarterback respond when the edges keep contain and don’t give him free lanes? Florida did some good things containing him. LSU had a good plan too. There are ways to attack weaknesses.”
Q: What’s your message to fans watching a game like this where Ole Miss will complete some passes?
Richards: “When he completes a 10-yard pass, don’t freak out. Sometimes our fan base acts like the world ends on a routine completion. Keep them out of second-and-short and third-and-1. If you force second-and-long and third-and-long, you knock them out of what they do best. Tempo has pros and cons too—if they go three-and-out in two minutes, their defense is right back out there, and their defense statistically isn’t the best. There are tradeoffs.”
Q: You’ve said you don’t think Ole Miss gets over 21. What’s your final score prediction?
Richards: “I’ve got us winning 28-16. I don’t see them getting over 21. Outside of one or two coverage busts a game, our guys are in great coverage. We don’t give up the big play down the field often. You can get your five-yard outs, but quarterbacks don’t want to live like that for four quarters. They eventually want to push it, they hold the ball, and that’s when our guys get home. Defense wins championships. Offense is great, but I like watching our defense get three-and-outs and create turnovers. And in the playoffs you keep seeing it—great defenses are what survive.”
Q: What do you believe ultimately decides a game like this?
Richards: “The trenches win. And we have it on both sides. It’s two games left for everything. You can lay your body on the line for two games. We’ve answered challenges all year and this is another one. I don’t think they’re ready for the physicality and the style we play with.”
