Here is everything Miami Hurricanes head football coach Mario Cristobal had to say in the 38-10 win over the Syracuse Orange:
Opening statement...
"I am proud of the way our guys showed up to work on Monday with the right attitude and the right energy. Offensively, we got off to a slow start, but the defense was really playing big. Once we got it going, we got it going. I think we were 0-for-4 on our first four drives, and then after that we went 4-for-4 as we were ignited by Daylyn Upshaw's play and Keionte Scott's interception, which helped give us momentum and take control of the game."
On what Miami proved against Syracuse…
"We showed in spurts what a really good football team we are. We also showed that in college football, through the course of four quarters, there is back and forth and stagnant moments. That is why you keep playing and that is why the game is four quarters. Then we showed some of our young players are playing well. We were down six or seven starters and a lot of guys got burn. We have a chance to keep improving and play another great football team next Saturday."
On creating separation before halftime…
"We have been really good in the middle eight for a while. It is important to close out the half and start fast the next half. Keionte's interception and the fumble recovery were huge. The players attacked the opportunities, and there was a lot of energy. We finally just cut it loose. I think it is that simple. I think we called it more freely, played it more freely, cut it loose, and stopped worrying about the outcome, focusing instead on the process."
On the defensive performances...
"We did a good job of stopping the run outside of a couple. We covered really well and mixed up our coverages, playing man and zone. We took away some of the back-shoulder stuff and some of the man beaters. We kept the pressure on the quarterback. He had to make some throws on the run, and we kept them off schedule. Their punter did a fantastic job of flipping the field and negated our punt return. As the game wore on, we just took more and more control."
On Malachi Toney...
"He is okay. It was a knee-to-knee shot. It is more of a bruise than anything else. Credit to his high school because those passing plays were in there, and he has been doing that for a while. He commands a lot of attention. Getting him the ball is difficult in the drop-back passing game because of the attention he gets now."
On the next-man-up mentality…
"I think some guys played really well, and some guys are kicking themselves in the butt on that last drive. They got to play. You get to correct some things after a win, and that is a positive. The energy and enthusiasm these guys come to work with is important. I told them I really appreciate them. Jadais Richard and Ryan Mack played their first snaps since ACL surgery, and that is really big. That is worth noting. We cut down our offensive pre-snap penalties. Also, Francis scored a touchdown, which was a promise I made to him in recruiting."
On the rushing attack without Mark Fletcher…
"We are still finding our way. Some of the runs were muddy. Some we have to make a guy miss and some we have to block longer. As the game wore on, we started breaking free a little bit more. We had an opportunity to fix it and get better at it. We work hard and grind. We have to continue to find ways to gain yards and score points. Proud of our guys for not diving into anxiety. So many games start slow or end slow and you just have to keep playing as hard as you can for your teammates and your team."
On Girard Pringle Jr.
"He has great eyes. He sees it really well. He is very explosive. He has a different gear. He kicked into high gear on the outside run. He was out-leveraged, but he went to another gear and got it. He had some tough yards as well. He has some power to him, and he broke some tackles. He was effective at pass protection, but I have to watch the tape."
On the team’s mindset after the slow start…
"I think there was a positive sense on the sideline. You can get frustrated, but you can't get discouraged. It is a resilient bunch that knows what we are. We are a good football team that has shot itself in the foot a couple times. When Miami is on, we are one of the better teams. We have to do it on a more consistent basis."
On the mindset down the stretch…
"We are always trying to play as well as we possibly can. Toward the end of this game, we were really banged up. I don't want to count the starters that were down or pulled. You reach a point where you have to decide what is going to be a factor in the final five minutes of football. I feel good about pulling guys due to the games still to be played. As a player or coach, you know about the outside. You know about the big picture and the chaos. It still boils down to us taking care of our business and that is what we intend to do."
Opening statement...
"I am proud of the way our guys showed up to work on Monday with the right attitude and the right energy. Offensively, we got off to a slow start, but the defense was really playing big. Once we got it going, we got it going. I think we were 0-for-4 on our first four drives, and then after that we went 4-for-4 as we were ignited by Daylyn Upshaw's play and Keionte Scott's interception, which helped give us momentum and take control of the game."
On what Miami proved against Syracuse…
"We showed in spurts what a really good football team we are. We also showed that in college football, through the course of four quarters, there is back and forth and stagnant moments. That is why you keep playing and that is why the game is four quarters. Then we showed some of our young players are playing well. We were down six or seven starters and a lot of guys got burn. We have a chance to keep improving and play another great football team next Saturday."
On creating separation before halftime…
"We have been really good in the middle eight for a while. It is important to close out the half and start fast the next half. Keionte's interception and the fumble recovery were huge. The players attacked the opportunities, and there was a lot of energy. We finally just cut it loose. I think it is that simple. I think we called it more freely, played it more freely, cut it loose, and stopped worrying about the outcome, focusing instead on the process."
On the defensive performances...
"We did a good job of stopping the run outside of a couple. We covered really well and mixed up our coverages, playing man and zone. We took away some of the back-shoulder stuff and some of the man beaters. We kept the pressure on the quarterback. He had to make some throws on the run, and we kept them off schedule. Their punter did a fantastic job of flipping the field and negated our punt return. As the game wore on, we just took more and more control."
On Malachi Toney...
"He is okay. It was a knee-to-knee shot. It is more of a bruise than anything else. Credit to his high school because those passing plays were in there, and he has been doing that for a while. He commands a lot of attention. Getting him the ball is difficult in the drop-back passing game because of the attention he gets now."
On the next-man-up mentality…
"I think some guys played really well, and some guys are kicking themselves in the butt on that last drive. They got to play. You get to correct some things after a win, and that is a positive. The energy and enthusiasm these guys come to work with is important. I told them I really appreciate them. Jadais Richard and Ryan Mack played their first snaps since ACL surgery, and that is really big. That is worth noting. We cut down our offensive pre-snap penalties. Also, Francis scored a touchdown, which was a promise I made to him in recruiting."
On the rushing attack without Mark Fletcher…
"We are still finding our way. Some of the runs were muddy. Some we have to make a guy miss and some we have to block longer. As the game wore on, we started breaking free a little bit more. We had an opportunity to fix it and get better at it. We work hard and grind. We have to continue to find ways to gain yards and score points. Proud of our guys for not diving into anxiety. So many games start slow or end slow and you just have to keep playing as hard as you can for your teammates and your team."
On Girard Pringle Jr.
"He has great eyes. He sees it really well. He is very explosive. He has a different gear. He kicked into high gear on the outside run. He was out-leveraged, but he went to another gear and got it. He had some tough yards as well. He has some power to him, and he broke some tackles. He was effective at pass protection, but I have to watch the tape."
On the team’s mindset after the slow start…
"I think there was a positive sense on the sideline. You can get frustrated, but you can't get discouraged. It is a resilient bunch that knows what we are. We are a good football team that has shot itself in the foot a couple times. When Miami is on, we are one of the better teams. We have to do it on a more consistent basis."
On the mindset down the stretch…
"We are always trying to play as well as we possibly can. Toward the end of this game, we were really banged up. I don't want to count the starters that were down or pulled. You reach a point where you have to decide what is going to be a factor in the final five minutes of football. I feel good about pulling guys due to the games still to be played. As a player or coach, you know about the outside. You know about the big picture and the chaos. It still boils down to us taking care of our business and that is what we intend to do."
