Diaz talks kicking game, injuries, and missed tackles after GT loss

Stefan Adams
5 min read
After falling in OT to Georgia Tech this weekend, Miami head coach Manny Diaz addressed the mindset of the team in his Monday afternoon presser.

“Obviously still disappointed in the result on Saturday,” Diaz said. “The team came in yesterday, we had a good practice last night. We had a good meeting where we kind of assessed where we were, and what’s going on, and the things that we believe in. I think we feel confident that we’ll be able to put that performance behind us and play much better this weekend against an outstanding Pitt team.”

In their 28-21 victory over UM, Georgia Tech was able to find ways to scrape out a win, while Miami seemed to do whatever necessary to lose. Now at 3-4 and 1-3 in the ACC, the Canes are likely out of the Coastal race and are simply playing for bowl eligibility at this point.

“Here’s what our football team knows: We’re four plays away from being 7-0, and we believe that,” Diaz said. “But we’re not. We understand the mistakes that have got us to where we are. Regardless of what our record says, it’s about what we do today. We have an opportunity to win today. We have an opportunity to win on Saturday.

“We need to learn what it takes to win a football game. Sometimes, that comes down to learning what it takes to lose a football game. Giving up a strip-sack on the first drive of the game. Giving up a fake punt and then giving up a long pass. Those are ways that, in a game that – otherwise, play-by-play – you’re showing off to be the more dominant team… missing three chip shot field goals. That’s how these upsets occur. There’s no hidden formula to that.”

What will it take to turn these close losses into wins for Miami?

“Number one, we have to have the will to persist regardless of the short-term outcomes,” Diaz said. “Number two, as a coaching staff we have to continue to get the execution to win the games. And then, Number three, we have to continue to recruit at a high level to add depth, add players that we need.”

With both Bubba Baxa and Turner Davidson combining to go 0-3 on FG attempts vs. GT, Diaz didn’t rule out using walk-on Camden Price to kick for the Pitt game this weekend.

“We for sure don’t know who will kick against Pitt, but Camden Price is going to be in the mix this week,” Diaz said. “It has been good to have him back and getting more practice, where we feel like he’ll be game-ready to go in.”

While Diaz said it isn’t ideal numbers-wise, he said he would be willing to have two scholarship kickers on the roster and take a 2020 kicker in this class.

“We’ll address our issues,” Diaz said. “Look what it did in the punting game. You play the season out and then address your issues… From my standpoint, you have to understand what your issues are and be working to solve your issues. We’re working as hard as we can to solve our issues… We're aware our kicking issues have cost us. To me, you have numbers you want, but you have to address critical issues."

UM suffered a rash of injuries this weekend, as DeeJay Dallas, Michael Pinckney, and Trajan Bandy all left the game at various points on Saturday. However, Diaz said he did not yet know if the trio would be ready to play for Miami’s upcoming matchup against Pitt, adding that Zach McCloud could possibly see time if Pinckney is not available despite McCloud’s desire to redshirt this season.

“All of that’s coming in throughout the course of the day,” Diaz said. “All of those guys are coming in based off their class schedules on treatments. We’ll meet this afternoon at 3:30 and I may know a little bit more, but probably more tomorrow after practice.”

Diaz also noted he did not have a status update on Jeff Thomas, who missed the GT game with a suspension.

On the OL, John Campbell notably split time with Navaughn Donaldson at LG against Georgia Tech.

“We think John Campbell is getting better, is a guy that can function as a tackle, as a guard,” Diaz said.

Against Georgia Tech, Miami’s run defense collapsed in the second half, allowing the Yellow Jackets to shorten the game and control the clock. A big culprit? Missed tackles and third down deficiencies according to Diaz.

"What we're trying to address is the inconsistent nature," Diaz said. "There are guys lacking attention to detail. That comes back to me, and I have to get it fixed.

“We were so high in the way we target our tackles, that’s usually why we miss our tackles. Defensively we pride ourselves in our ability to tackle… Our tackling was very poor.”
 

Comments (46)

Yo he needs to stop with this “we’re 4 plays away from being 7-0 BS” even if those 4 plays happened, this team is still poorly coached and playing like garbage, fan base would still be unhappy because we see this for what this is.
Also, those 4 plays didn’t happen. So stop saying it, we’re 3-4, face it manny.
 
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“Here’s what our football team knows: We’re four plays away from being 7-0, and we believe that,” Diaz said.

This is the most asinine corch speak I've ever heard. There were so many coaching problems that anyone with at least 1 eye and a brain could see that need to be addressed, and he comes out with "look we're 4 plays away from being undefeated"?

I've seen Saban completely rip his coaches and players a new ******* after winning by 20 because he was so irritated with how the game went. It doesn't matter that they won by 20, people weren't doing their ******* jobs. But our coach wants to get up here and talk about 4 plays instead of 4 quarters of mediocrity against a team we should have beaten by 50. Unbelievable. GTFO.
 
“Here’s what our football team knows: We’re four plays away from being 7-0, and we believe that,” Diaz said.

Im so tired of seeing this bs *** comment. Losers are always x amount of plays away from winning that’s the difference between winning and losing.

And nobody is looking at the teams we lost to like they are capable of blowing us out especially when we were the favorite in every game except Florida.
 
After falling in OT to Georgia Tech this weekend, Miami head coach Manny Diaz addressed the mindset of the team in his Monday afternoon presser.

“Obviously still disappointed in the result on Saturday,” Diaz said. “The team came in yesterday, we had a good practice last night. We had a good meeting where we kind of assessed where we were, and what’s going on, and the things that we believe in. I think we feel confident that we’ll be able to put that performance behind us and play much better this weekend against an outstanding Pitt team.”

In their 28-21 victory over UM, Georgia Tech was able to find ways to scrape out a win, while Miami seemed to do whatever necessary to lose. Now at 3-4 and 1-3 in the ACC, the Canes are likely out of the Coastal race and are simply playing for bowl eligibility at this point.

“Here’s what our football team knows: We’re four plays away from being 7-0, and we believe that,” Diaz said. “But we’re not. We understand the mistakes that have got us to where we are. Regardless of what our record says, it’s about what we do today. We have an opportunity to win today. We have an opportunity to win on Saturday.

“We need to learn what it takes to win a football game. Sometimes, that comes down to learning what it takes to lose a football game. Giving up a strip-sack on the first drive of the game. Giving up a fake punt and then giving up a long pass. Those are ways that, in a game that – otherwise, play-by-play – you’re showing off to be the more dominant team… missing three chip shot field goals. That’s how these upsets occur. There’s no hidden formula to that.”

What will it take to turn these close losses into wins for Miami?

“Number one, we have to have the will to persist regardless of the short-term outcomes,” Diaz said. “Number two, as a coaching staff we have to continue to get the execution to win the games. And then, Number three, we have to continue to recruit at a high level to add depth, add players that we need.”

With both Bubba Baxa and Turner Davidson combining to go 0-3 on FG attempts vs. GT, Diaz didn’t rule out using walk-on Camden Price to kick for the Pitt game this weekend.

“We for sure don’t know who will kick against Pitt, but Camden Price is going to be in the mix this week,” Diaz said. “It has been good to have him back and getting more practice, where we feel like he’ll be game-ready to go in.”

While Diaz said it isn’t ideal numbers-wise, he said he would be willing to have two scholarship kickers on the roster and take a 2020 kicker in this class.

“We’ll address our issues,” Diaz said. “Look what it did in the punting game. You play the season out and then address your issues… From my standpoint, you have to understand what your issues are and be working to solve your issues. We’re working as hard as we can to solve our issues… We're aware our kicking issues have cost us. To me, you have numbers you want, but you have to address critical issues."

UM suffered a rash of injuries this weekend, as DeeJay Dallas, Michael Pinckney, and Trajan Bandy all left the game at various points on Saturday. However, Diaz said he did not yet know if the trio would be ready to play for Miami’s upcoming matchup against Pitt, adding that Zach McCloud could possibly see time if Pinckney is not available despite McCloud’s desire to redshirt this season.

“All of that’s coming in throughout the course of the day,” Diaz said. “All of those guys are coming in based off their class schedules on treatments. We’ll meet this afternoon at 3:30 and I may know a little bit more, but probably more tomorrow after practice.”

Diaz also noted he did not have a status update on Jeff Thomas, who missed the GT game with a suspension.

On the OL, John Campbell notably split time with Navaughn Donaldson at LG against Georgia Tech.

“We think John Campbell is getting better, is a guy that can function as a tackle, as a guard,” Diaz said.

Against Georgia Tech, Miami’s run defense collapsed in the second half, allowing the Yellow Jackets to shorten the game and control the clock. A big culprit? Missed tackles and third down deficiencies according to Diaz.

"What we're trying to address is the inconsistent nature," Diaz said. "There are guys lacking attention to detail. That comes back to me, and I have to get it fixed.

“We were so high in the way we target our tackles, that’s usually why we miss our tackles. Defensively we pride ourselves in our ability to tackle… Our tackling was very poor.”
“Here’s what our football team knows: We’re four plays away from being 7-0, and we believe that,” Diaz said.

I'm calling Bullsh!t. Let's start with 29 missed tackles vs. GT. 29>4
 
Here's what our fans knows: We've had several opportunities, post Coker, to make a solid hire that will get the program headed in the right direction and the powers that be have only failed four times.


Honestly - the thread title should ha e been "Diaz talks", because that's all this phucking clown does.
 
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I've never been more proud of this fanbase, that's the only bright spot in the season. A majority of fans recognize that Diaz is in way over his head and recognize through his BS period. And we also recognize that Blake James is a larger part of the problem than Diaz himself. Job well done, gents!
 
Baxa is not good enough to play here. Blake the cuck should put in Patke’s termination papers that he must take Bubba with him.
 
They should be 7-0 on talent alone! (Maybe besides Florida which is probably even)... Besides them we slaughter everybody with just pure talent!
 
Diaz is an idiot. 4 plays away from being undefeated? He lets the team believe that BS??? How about this, we are ONE PLAY away from being 2-5. Maybe 2-3 plays from being 1-6.

Forget calling him Shanny Diaz, or Manny Shannon. He's Charmin Diaz. Soft as a baby's butt.

And as for playing a new kicker... Said it before and I'll say it again. I seriously doubt Baxa goes 0-3 if he's allowed to kick all three. Dude is in a funk, for sure, but if anyone here thinks the other kickers have more ability, they are crazy. Help the kid get his mind right and he'll be fine. Playing tough guy with kickers and ******** with their heads is a really bad idea. Also, Charmin needs to figure out the importance of centering the ball for kicks when he knows full well the kickers are struggling. Yeah, they SHOULD be able to hit from an angle, but ****, I have seen teams take delay of game penalties to help their kicker get a better angle. It's really that important. Enos and Charmin do NOTHING to center the ball for their kickers. It just shows their level of incompetence.
 
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1. A lot of teams can say they're a few plays from being X-0. They're not u defeated because they're not good enough to have made enough plays to win.

2. He then cited strip-sacks, fake punts, and long passes. All things that could've been prevented if he and the staff he hired prepared this team better/were better coaches/made smarter personnel moves or schematic decisions.

3. I see this coward is now working in the recruiting better and building depth excuse angle-- pathetic. Apparently his roster, which has averaged a recruiting class rank of 17 the last 4 years, isn't talented enough to beat 1-5 GT at home with their new coach and their last 4 class average ranking of 50.


This is prime Al Golden territory, especially the bullshlt about needing time to recruit better.

What a spineless coward. Mandy go find the nearest dlck and cram it up your disgusting ***.
 
No disrespect to the OP but if Shanny trots Ivey out there again then I know he's full of ****. Ivey is Feagles level BAD
 
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No wonder this team plays like a wet noodle.
 
I was really surprised to see this Ragone dude playing over a guy like Sam Brooks. In garbage time he has laid the wood. I'd like to see Sam over Zach McCloud. It's not like we are competing for much this year anyway.
 
Diaz is an idiot. 4 plays away from being undefeated? He lets the team believe that BS??? How about this, we are ONE PLAY away from being 2-5. Maybe 2-3 plays from being 1-6.

Forget calling him Shanny Diaz, or Manny Shannon. He's Charmin Diaz. Soft as a baby's butt.

And as for playing a new kicker... Said it before and I'll say it again. I seriously doubt Baxa goes 0-3 if he's allowed to kick all three. Dude is in a funk, for sure, but if anyone here thinks the other kickers have more ability, they are crazy. Help the kid get his mind right and he'll be fine. Playing tough guy with kickers and ******** with their heads is a really bad idea. Also, Charmin needs to figure out the importance of centering the ball for kicks when he knows full well the kickers are struggling. Yeah, they SHOULD be able to hit from an angle, but ****, I have seen teams take delay of game penalties to help their kicker get a better angle. It's really that important. Enos and Charmin do NOTHING to center the ball for their kickers. It just shows their level of incompetence.

I disagree with your Baxa comment. He's Feagles bad. He sucked in highschool too. Not salvageable.
 
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