Miami Hurricanes quarterback Darian Mensah has been rolling this season, leading the country in completion percentage (84.2%). He has the Hurricanes sitting at 5-0 on the season after defeating Stanford, FAMU, Wake Forest, Central Michigan, and Clemson.
Mensah spoke with the media ahead of Miami's in-state rivalry game against the Florida State Seminoles. Check out everything had to say down below:
On if it's difficult to resist throwing the ball downfield instead of sticking with the quick game:
"Not at all. I'm about just moving the chains and trying to execute that play. So if the play call is quick game, I'm trying to execute that to the best of my ability. If the defense gives me a different look, then I could, obviously get to something else, I'm just trying to execute each and every play."
On if he had to develop into doing that:
"Not necessarily. Maybe when I was younger, like everybody wants to see the big play, but when I was in college, it really just depends on how much your OC calls quick game and your comfortability with it, which I'm very comfortable with that. So, and a stable of my offense is just put the ball in play because we got playmakers all over the field."
On the offensive line growth and losing Max Buchanan:
"Yeah, that's what football is all about. You've got to have guys who can step up and play different roles, and I think our line has done an excellent job at that. But I have full trust in my guys up front. I think they've done an excellent job all year, and I think they'll continue to do that."
On the offensive identity:
"I'd say our identity is just to be the more physical team. And if we're physical on the perimeter, inside, with our releases, all around, if we're the more physical team, I think we're gonna be all right on offense. And I think that we're so multiple that I don't know if we have a true identity. I think we can do it all, and it really just depends on how we want to attack the teams each week. So I think we're multiple."
On the Miami-FSU rivalry:
"Yeah, obviously it's a storied game. Super excited to be a part of it. And I think with rivalry games, you know, it's no matter how high-ranked one team is and, you know, the disparity between the teams, like it's always going to be a dogfight. And, we've prepared ourselves for that this week during practice. We know it's going to be a war out there, I'm super excited to be a part of the rivalry."
On what makes Ryan Rodriguez unique:
"That's a good question. I'd say his attention to detail and his preparation is A1. And to play center under Coach Mirabal is, you've got to be a special player, and he is that. And he's done an excellent job preparing each and every week, and then he's just been on point with the calls, and I feel super protected when he's out there with me. So it's a blessing to have him as my center."
On what stands out about FSU defense:
"I'd say they're physical, and they play super fast. They got playmakers all over the field. Number 10 stands out. He's a ball player for sure, and the corners are also super physical too. Overall a talented group. They could have a few more wins on their record if they played right. I think that they're a talented squad."
On what has impressed him about the offense and what can be done better:
"I wouldn't really say I'm impressed. I just think that we do our job out there and we execute, which is the goal of this offense when I'm out there. But I think we could get better at just overall communication, whether that's with my line or my receivers, if I'm checking a play or signals, like just overall our communication could be better. That's the biggest thing I'd say we could work on right now."
On staying sharp despite a bye week:
"We've got to find it back in practice. Coach Cristobal has been preaching all week, like we cannot come out here and have a lull. We can't, wait until the second quarter this weekend until we start playing. And so our intensity has been kicked up this week in practice, and I think that's how you bring that to game days."
On if the energy of a rivalry game feels different:
"Since I haven't played in this game, like I'm kind of just approaching it as every other game, but I know that rivalry games, it's always close, and, they're going to come out fired. They have been all year. They play really well in the first quarter. And so we just got to match their energy, and it'll be a test for us, for our guys to just have our energy up from the start because we're coming off a bye."
On building trust with Elija Lofton:
"Yeah, to be honest, it's been a work in progress. At practice, I feel like I would miss him on a lot of throws, and he's been open to just hearing me and the way I want certain routes ran. And I think it shows up on the field. Everything starts at practice and with reps, and so we've been repping it before or after practice, and I think he's been doing an excellent job, and I think his role will start to expand as well."
Mensah spoke with the media ahead of Miami's in-state rivalry game against the Florida State Seminoles. Check out everything had to say down below:
On if it's difficult to resist throwing the ball downfield instead of sticking with the quick game:
"Not at all. I'm about just moving the chains and trying to execute that play. So if the play call is quick game, I'm trying to execute that to the best of my ability. If the defense gives me a different look, then I could, obviously get to something else, I'm just trying to execute each and every play."
On if he had to develop into doing that:
"Not necessarily. Maybe when I was younger, like everybody wants to see the big play, but when I was in college, it really just depends on how much your OC calls quick game and your comfortability with it, which I'm very comfortable with that. So, and a stable of my offense is just put the ball in play because we got playmakers all over the field."
On the offensive line growth and losing Max Buchanan:
"Yeah, that's what football is all about. You've got to have guys who can step up and play different roles, and I think our line has done an excellent job at that. But I have full trust in my guys up front. I think they've done an excellent job all year, and I think they'll continue to do that."
On the offensive identity:
"I'd say our identity is just to be the more physical team. And if we're physical on the perimeter, inside, with our releases, all around, if we're the more physical team, I think we're gonna be all right on offense. And I think that we're so multiple that I don't know if we have a true identity. I think we can do it all, and it really just depends on how we want to attack the teams each week. So I think we're multiple."
On the Miami-FSU rivalry:
"Yeah, obviously it's a storied game. Super excited to be a part of it. And I think with rivalry games, you know, it's no matter how high-ranked one team is and, you know, the disparity between the teams, like it's always going to be a dogfight. And, we've prepared ourselves for that this week during practice. We know it's going to be a war out there, I'm super excited to be a part of the rivalry."
On what makes Ryan Rodriguez unique:
"That's a good question. I'd say his attention to detail and his preparation is A1. And to play center under Coach Mirabal is, you've got to be a special player, and he is that. And he's done an excellent job preparing each and every week, and then he's just been on point with the calls, and I feel super protected when he's out there with me. So it's a blessing to have him as my center."
On what stands out about FSU defense:
"I'd say they're physical, and they play super fast. They got playmakers all over the field. Number 10 stands out. He's a ball player for sure, and the corners are also super physical too. Overall a talented group. They could have a few more wins on their record if they played right. I think that they're a talented squad."
On what has impressed him about the offense and what can be done better:
"I wouldn't really say I'm impressed. I just think that we do our job out there and we execute, which is the goal of this offense when I'm out there. But I think we could get better at just overall communication, whether that's with my line or my receivers, if I'm checking a play or signals, like just overall our communication could be better. That's the biggest thing I'd say we could work on right now."
On staying sharp despite a bye week:
"We've got to find it back in practice. Coach Cristobal has been preaching all week, like we cannot come out here and have a lull. We can't, wait until the second quarter this weekend until we start playing. And so our intensity has been kicked up this week in practice, and I think that's how you bring that to game days."
On if the energy of a rivalry game feels different:
"Since I haven't played in this game, like I'm kind of just approaching it as every other game, but I know that rivalry games, it's always close, and, they're going to come out fired. They have been all year. They play really well in the first quarter. And so we just got to match their energy, and it'll be a test for us, for our guys to just have our energy up from the start because we're coming off a bye."
On building trust with Elija Lofton:
"Yeah, to be honest, it's been a work in progress. At practice, I feel like I would miss him on a lot of throws, and he's been open to just hearing me and the way I want certain routes ran. And I think it shows up on the field. Everything starts at practice and with reps, and so we've been repping it before or after practice, and I think he's been doing an excellent job, and I think his role will start to expand as well."
