On Monday afternoon, Miami Hurricanes offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson spoke with the media, recapping the long bye week the Hurricanes had and the upcoming game against Florida State. Check out everything he had to say down below:
On Javian Mallory: He's hard to tackle. We wouldn't be putting him in that position if we didn't trust him, first of all. So he's earned our trust through the camp practices, and obviously he's done his job on GreenTree. And so, I mean, running back is a lot of things go in. You got protections, not always easy because some of the stuff that third downs throw at you. So he has a high capacity for all that. And when you get him the ball, he's hard to tackle. He's built the right way, and, he plays with the right pad leverage and all the rest that you like to see at running back. And he's good at catching the ball out of the backfield too. So we're lucky to have a running back room that's got a lot of talented guys, so we can roll through and put the next one in there if we need to.
On finding its identity in the run game: Yeah, when you get in that situation, it's nice to be able to do that. And it's, you know, when it works out, it's great. And sometimes, there's been times in the past where, you know, where the end of the games don't typically go that way. So we have found our groove in the sense of figuring out our identity as far as in the run game, and we feel good about where we're at right now. And then when that situation arose in the game, the first thing is you got to have some success early in the drive, right? And so we were getting chunk plays in the run game, and when we're getting chunk plays in the run game, then I'm going to stick with it in that situation. Because ultimately, our defense the first half had played a lot of snaps. I don't forget what exactly it was, but they were on the field for a long time. So we were trying to eat up as much clock as we could to play complementary football. And I think we ate up like eight or nine minutes right there. So that was a good thing.
On Miami’s offensive game planning and why he sticks with what the Hurricanes do best: Yeah, I mean, actually that's a very good question, not a dumb question. And so there is a part of when you're game planning, you're watching film, you're watching what other teams are doing successful against a certain team. And if it fits, right? So what you're trying to do is you're trying to figure out, hey, like I know what we're good at what parts of the stuff that we're good at are we going to implement in this game plan? So a couple things go into it. Like you want to keep building through the course of the year. So the stuff you put on tape, you're revisiting that to see if, okay, like there's certain movements we did that we could do this off of. And so you're building on things that you've done, and you're trying to figure out, like other things to do to be successful against them. So I do think there's problems going too far with that. Like there are people out there, in my opinion, that like just take the plays that worked on tape. That's fine if you're good at those plays. It's really fine if you're good at those plays. But if you're not good at those plays and it's not something that you do, me personally, I'm pretty careful with that. I like to do things that we do well and we have a lot of bank reps at. But there's always going to be probably things you bring into the game that are specific for that team. And so all that goes into it for sure.
On preparing for Florida State's defense: Yeah, you watch defenses and you figure out what their strengths and weaknesses are, but I know the defense that we're going to face on Saturday, and typically the one we face is not always the one everybody else faces. And so, and I watch their personnel pretty close, and they got really good players, and they move around. They're built the right way. Their scheme is complicated. You know, they can line up in a lot of different ways with a lot of different personnel groupings, and so that presents its own challenges. And so we know that the team that we're going to face and the defense that we're going to face is going to be a certain way, and so we got to prepare for that.
On SJ Alofaituli stepping up at guard and Miami’s offensive line depth: As the season goes, you're going to need more and more guys to step up. And I think the off week is very important because you got to keep developing your room through the course of the season. I know Coach Cristobal preaches that to us and has alluded to it with you guys too, but it's very important. You don't know what the next play is going to look like as far as, like, injuries or whatever. So guys that are sitting there, you want to make sure those guys that aren't necessarily maybe have a huge role right now, you got to make sure those guys aren't comfortable and that they're keep progressing, and you got guys in your room that are ready to step up if unfortunate things happen. And so, and every team faces the same challenges. It's not like we're any different than every other team out there. And so it's nice to have guys step up when people go down and take on that role. And it's a testament to the coaches and just the way that we practice and the way we prepare too, because it isn't just about the guys that are starting. It can't be. And so you better keep developing your room because you don't know what's going to happen next.
On the intensity surrounding Miami-FSU week: I mean, everybody, you want to say that you focus on the next team you play, right? And that's true to an extent. And then when these games come up, the intensity is going to rise on both sides. You know, the fans are a little bit different. The history of the two teams obviously is a little different, and you're going to get their best effort, and you want to make sure that you put your best foot forward too. And so, I do think that people know who we're playing this week, and I would venture to guess in their building it's probably the same way. I's no different than, two weeks ago I told the unit, this is why you come to this place, and you come to this place to play in games like this. And so we're excited for the challenge for sure.
On Miami using more two-back personnel this season: It balances out the defense. I think that, and part of it too, I mean, there's probably two ways to think about it: one is it balances out the defense, and two is we have a lot of running backs that are talented, so I like trying to get those guys on the field. It's probably a lot more to do with who's on the field than what it does to the defense. I think there's some byproducts of that, of course, but I've always liked 20 personnel. I just thought two backs in the game balanced out the defense, and they don't really know which way you're going and settles them down a little bit. So, I probably don't use it as much as I probably should, but there's times when we go to it, and it's been very successful for us this year, and it probably has a lot to do with the people that are in the game.
On how he thought the receivers did against man coverage: I thought we did good at times, they won some for sure, and we won some. I was more probably disappointed in, not to say the matchup stuff, but we were not in the place we were supposed to be in a few times that we could have had some big plays, and that was more so the frustration in that game, is like we had some opportunities to really put a couple more scores on the board, and we didn't, and that was frustrating. I mean, the one that Mali caught down the middle, that's unfortunate. We had a little bit of a miscommunication that would have been another touchdown, and it's easy to see. And so we have to clean those things up, because those things can really cost you if the game is tight.
On Elija Lofton recent improvement: The guy's hard to tackle with the ball in his hand, and so trying to do some things to get the ball in his hand early is important, but ultimately too, there's a level of trust that Mensah is starting to develop with him in his downfield route running that's really good, and I just think he's improved. He keeps improving every week, watch him block. He's really doing a heck of a job blocking the C-gap and doing all the things we ask him to do in the run game, and his pass game is really coming along too. I thought the Clemson game, I thought he played really, really physical. I thought he played really, really good, and some of the things I'm seeing in practice with him is very, very encouraging as far as some down-the-field stuff. So that's just going to continue coming.
On Javian Mallory: He's hard to tackle. We wouldn't be putting him in that position if we didn't trust him, first of all. So he's earned our trust through the camp practices, and obviously he's done his job on GreenTree. And so, I mean, running back is a lot of things go in. You got protections, not always easy because some of the stuff that third downs throw at you. So he has a high capacity for all that. And when you get him the ball, he's hard to tackle. He's built the right way, and, he plays with the right pad leverage and all the rest that you like to see at running back. And he's good at catching the ball out of the backfield too. So we're lucky to have a running back room that's got a lot of talented guys, so we can roll through and put the next one in there if we need to.
On finding its identity in the run game: Yeah, when you get in that situation, it's nice to be able to do that. And it's, you know, when it works out, it's great. And sometimes, there's been times in the past where, you know, where the end of the games don't typically go that way. So we have found our groove in the sense of figuring out our identity as far as in the run game, and we feel good about where we're at right now. And then when that situation arose in the game, the first thing is you got to have some success early in the drive, right? And so we were getting chunk plays in the run game, and when we're getting chunk plays in the run game, then I'm going to stick with it in that situation. Because ultimately, our defense the first half had played a lot of snaps. I don't forget what exactly it was, but they were on the field for a long time. So we were trying to eat up as much clock as we could to play complementary football. And I think we ate up like eight or nine minutes right there. So that was a good thing.
On Miami’s offensive game planning and why he sticks with what the Hurricanes do best: Yeah, I mean, actually that's a very good question, not a dumb question. And so there is a part of when you're game planning, you're watching film, you're watching what other teams are doing successful against a certain team. And if it fits, right? So what you're trying to do is you're trying to figure out, hey, like I know what we're good at what parts of the stuff that we're good at are we going to implement in this game plan? So a couple things go into it. Like you want to keep building through the course of the year. So the stuff you put on tape, you're revisiting that to see if, okay, like there's certain movements we did that we could do this off of. And so you're building on things that you've done, and you're trying to figure out, like other things to do to be successful against them. So I do think there's problems going too far with that. Like there are people out there, in my opinion, that like just take the plays that worked on tape. That's fine if you're good at those plays. It's really fine if you're good at those plays. But if you're not good at those plays and it's not something that you do, me personally, I'm pretty careful with that. I like to do things that we do well and we have a lot of bank reps at. But there's always going to be probably things you bring into the game that are specific for that team. And so all that goes into it for sure.
On preparing for Florida State's defense: Yeah, you watch defenses and you figure out what their strengths and weaknesses are, but I know the defense that we're going to face on Saturday, and typically the one we face is not always the one everybody else faces. And so, and I watch their personnel pretty close, and they got really good players, and they move around. They're built the right way. Their scheme is complicated. You know, they can line up in a lot of different ways with a lot of different personnel groupings, and so that presents its own challenges. And so we know that the team that we're going to face and the defense that we're going to face is going to be a certain way, and so we got to prepare for that.
On SJ Alofaituli stepping up at guard and Miami’s offensive line depth: As the season goes, you're going to need more and more guys to step up. And I think the off week is very important because you got to keep developing your room through the course of the season. I know Coach Cristobal preaches that to us and has alluded to it with you guys too, but it's very important. You don't know what the next play is going to look like as far as, like, injuries or whatever. So guys that are sitting there, you want to make sure those guys that aren't necessarily maybe have a huge role right now, you got to make sure those guys aren't comfortable and that they're keep progressing, and you got guys in your room that are ready to step up if unfortunate things happen. And so, and every team faces the same challenges. It's not like we're any different than every other team out there. And so it's nice to have guys step up when people go down and take on that role. And it's a testament to the coaches and just the way that we practice and the way we prepare too, because it isn't just about the guys that are starting. It can't be. And so you better keep developing your room because you don't know what's going to happen next.
On the intensity surrounding Miami-FSU week: I mean, everybody, you want to say that you focus on the next team you play, right? And that's true to an extent. And then when these games come up, the intensity is going to rise on both sides. You know, the fans are a little bit different. The history of the two teams obviously is a little different, and you're going to get their best effort, and you want to make sure that you put your best foot forward too. And so, I do think that people know who we're playing this week, and I would venture to guess in their building it's probably the same way. I's no different than, two weeks ago I told the unit, this is why you come to this place, and you come to this place to play in games like this. And so we're excited for the challenge for sure.
On Miami using more two-back personnel this season: It balances out the defense. I think that, and part of it too, I mean, there's probably two ways to think about it: one is it balances out the defense, and two is we have a lot of running backs that are talented, so I like trying to get those guys on the field. It's probably a lot more to do with who's on the field than what it does to the defense. I think there's some byproducts of that, of course, but I've always liked 20 personnel. I just thought two backs in the game balanced out the defense, and they don't really know which way you're going and settles them down a little bit. So, I probably don't use it as much as I probably should, but there's times when we go to it, and it's been very successful for us this year, and it probably has a lot to do with the people that are in the game.
On how he thought the receivers did against man coverage: I thought we did good at times, they won some for sure, and we won some. I was more probably disappointed in, not to say the matchup stuff, but we were not in the place we were supposed to be in a few times that we could have had some big plays, and that was more so the frustration in that game, is like we had some opportunities to really put a couple more scores on the board, and we didn't, and that was frustrating. I mean, the one that Mali caught down the middle, that's unfortunate. We had a little bit of a miscommunication that would have been another touchdown, and it's easy to see. And so we have to clean those things up, because those things can really cost you if the game is tight.
On Elija Lofton recent improvement: The guy's hard to tackle with the ball in his hand, and so trying to do some things to get the ball in his hand early is important, but ultimately too, there's a level of trust that Mensah is starting to develop with him in his downfield route running that's really good, and I just think he's improved. He keeps improving every week, watch him block. He's really doing a heck of a job blocking the C-gap and doing all the things we ask him to do in the run game, and his pass game is really coming along too. I thought the Clemson game, I thought he played really, really physical. I thought he played really, really good, and some of the things I'm seeing in practice with him is very, very encouraging as far as some down-the-field stuff. So that's just going to continue coming.
