On Tuesday afternoon, Miami edge rusher Damon Wilson, defensive back Zechariah Poyser, and tight end Elija Lofton spoke with the media to recap the Hurricanes win over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and their focus on Central Michigan. Check out everything they had to say down below:
EDGE Damon Wilson
On the biggest adjustment with the defense: I would say just overall versatility, the ability to play three-tech, edge, field end, rush, drop into coverage. My school I didn't really do much besides just rush. So here you have to learn a little bit of everything, which is a good thing.
On what changed with the pass rush: I mean, I feel like this team came out trying to actually win the game, not just play to go home. And it was also, like, the first game where the starters were able to play a full four quarters instead of just one half. So just the ability to get in groove, be able to rush, just gel together, I think that just gives everybody a better chance of producing more plays.
On improving the tackling: I think the emphasis this week is just details. So whether it be meetings, the classroom, whatever. But for us, for tackling-wise, it's got to be more detail: tagging through the hips, eyes to the hips. Just don't let the practice just get boring. So it's really just get back to the details, basics, the principles of football. Just drill that over, and I think we'll be fine, man. It's a long season. Mistakes happen, growth and development.
On Central Michigan option attack: Never a challenge, only opportunities. I mean, we're the Hurricanes, so we got to come and play our best ball, but, right now we're really just focused on getting us better. I mean, we just got to play great defense, be violent, be physical. I think all that stuff gets knocked out the way when you're just a violent team. So I think if we just play Miami Hurricane Football, you can run anything you want to run, we're going to be okay.
DB Zechariah Poyser
On creating more turnovers: Really just taking one that they give us, you know, watching the tape, watching the film. Yeah, we had a lot of opportunities. That just, that come with practice and, you know, trying to, you know, even if that's punching the ball or just stripping the ball out of the air, I feel like we have to do that way better as a defense. That's something we've been practicing every day, so that's something that Coach has really been on us about, been on us heavily about, and I think we'll see more turnovers as the season goes on.
On the communication in the defensive back group: I mean, it's been okay. Of course, it has to be better, but I think that's coming along. Of course, it's just hardening that them boys are gone, but I think overall, I think it's been okay. You know, that's something we're getting better at, you know, with moving pieces and stuff like that. But, you know, we've been practicing that once again, and I think it's getting better. Like today we had a great day of communication, and that's something they've been on our head about, so I think it's getting better.
On Ethan O'Connor: I'm so proud of him, man. That's my roommate. We have a lot of talks about dreams and goals, so to see him make plays and be that dog out there. I been knew that was him. I had faith in him, and that's definitely my guy. I'm so proud of him. I'm so proud of how he's been performing, and I've been seeing great things out of him. And he's one of those guys that no matter what, he's always positive about anything. No matter what's going on, he's always the one that's keeping us up, keeping the energy up, and that's my guy.
On improving missed tackles: That's out there. That's definitely Coach has been on our head about that as well. I think that's just taking preparation and just trusting the system. A lot of times, you know, we try to go out there and panic and do our own things, but I think, you know, we just trust the system. The times we do trust the system, we look great. You know, the times we don't, the times we fall off. So, I mean, I think that just comes with practice. We've been practicing that, you know, our technique, being low, stuff like that, just the technical things, and I think that just comes with practice, and that's something we have to get better at for sure.
On swarming to the ball: That's a topic every day for us, you know, from day one. You know, that's trusting the system as well. You know, that's taking a shot and trusting your guys that they're going to be there for you even if you miss the tackle. So I think that's been, that's a topic every day. You know, that's something that we're getting better at every day.
On defending Wake Forest’s pass-heavy attack: Wake Forest is a great team. Hats off to the coaches. But I think that goes back to us as a team, just trying to execute what Coach calls. A lot of stuff, a lot of stuff that happened, that was something that we did. Once again, credit to Wake Forest. That's a great team. With a great coach. They play hard. And I feel like we just have to finish games. We came out hot, and that's something we cannot relax. We have to stay to that standard every quarter, every play. So that's really on us.
TE Elija Lofton
On how his off-season improvements transitioned: Being lighter. Like, Coach Cristobal said you play at an championship weight, so getting down to the best weight I can play at, that was the main goal of mine this offseason, and just going out there and being confident and going out there and showing the game plan, showing my process down so I can be elite and go do my job and my assignment.
On his improve blocking: Practicing my technique. I have a great coach, Coach Viti. He helps me a lot. He's a good guy to be around. He helps me. He's helped me get to the next level, helps me grind every day, and it's being patient and being a sponge and soaking up what I can learn to add to my game to be able to do my job and be able to make plays and go 1-0.
On what techniques he has improved on: Blocking, being patient, using my hands, being violent at the point of attack, and knowing what the D-liners are going to do before the ball is snapped, and evaluating and building my game up.
On what he takes more pride in: receiving or blocking: Me personally, I just care about going 1-0. It's not about the personal stats. It's about the team. It's about being a team. It's about being a unit. It's about going 1-0 every game we can, no matter if I have zero catches, no matter what I do in the game. As long as I'm doing my job and we go 1-0, I could care less about what my stats look like.
On Darian Mensah: A great leader, a great person to be around. He's an alpha dog. He wants to be out there. He's a dog, so he gets us in line. We got to be a dog right along him. So he brings that energy to us, and he brings that competitiveness every game. So I just got to get in line and follow.
On fixing the offensive struggles late against Wake Forest: We just got to play harder. We got to just stay honest, be consistent, play at a level. Every game is keep playing at a high standard. Like, we got high standards. We got to continue to be playing at a high standard. We can't lower any lower than that. We got high standards for each position group, each unit, and as a team. So we got to just live by that high standard and continue to attack. No matter who we play, no matter what the score, we got to go out there and execute at a high level.
EDGE Damon Wilson
On the biggest adjustment with the defense: I would say just overall versatility, the ability to play three-tech, edge, field end, rush, drop into coverage. My school I didn't really do much besides just rush. So here you have to learn a little bit of everything, which is a good thing.
On what changed with the pass rush: I mean, I feel like this team came out trying to actually win the game, not just play to go home. And it was also, like, the first game where the starters were able to play a full four quarters instead of just one half. So just the ability to get in groove, be able to rush, just gel together, I think that just gives everybody a better chance of producing more plays.
On improving the tackling: I think the emphasis this week is just details. So whether it be meetings, the classroom, whatever. But for us, for tackling-wise, it's got to be more detail: tagging through the hips, eyes to the hips. Just don't let the practice just get boring. So it's really just get back to the details, basics, the principles of football. Just drill that over, and I think we'll be fine, man. It's a long season. Mistakes happen, growth and development.
On Central Michigan option attack: Never a challenge, only opportunities. I mean, we're the Hurricanes, so we got to come and play our best ball, but, right now we're really just focused on getting us better. I mean, we just got to play great defense, be violent, be physical. I think all that stuff gets knocked out the way when you're just a violent team. So I think if we just play Miami Hurricane Football, you can run anything you want to run, we're going to be okay.
DB Zechariah Poyser
On creating more turnovers: Really just taking one that they give us, you know, watching the tape, watching the film. Yeah, we had a lot of opportunities. That just, that come with practice and, you know, trying to, you know, even if that's punching the ball or just stripping the ball out of the air, I feel like we have to do that way better as a defense. That's something we've been practicing every day, so that's something that Coach has really been on us about, been on us heavily about, and I think we'll see more turnovers as the season goes on.
On the communication in the defensive back group: I mean, it's been okay. Of course, it has to be better, but I think that's coming along. Of course, it's just hardening that them boys are gone, but I think overall, I think it's been okay. You know, that's something we're getting better at, you know, with moving pieces and stuff like that. But, you know, we've been practicing that once again, and I think it's getting better. Like today we had a great day of communication, and that's something they've been on our head about, so I think it's getting better.
On Ethan O'Connor: I'm so proud of him, man. That's my roommate. We have a lot of talks about dreams and goals, so to see him make plays and be that dog out there. I been knew that was him. I had faith in him, and that's definitely my guy. I'm so proud of him. I'm so proud of how he's been performing, and I've been seeing great things out of him. And he's one of those guys that no matter what, he's always positive about anything. No matter what's going on, he's always the one that's keeping us up, keeping the energy up, and that's my guy.
On improving missed tackles: That's out there. That's definitely Coach has been on our head about that as well. I think that's just taking preparation and just trusting the system. A lot of times, you know, we try to go out there and panic and do our own things, but I think, you know, we just trust the system. The times we do trust the system, we look great. You know, the times we don't, the times we fall off. So, I mean, I think that just comes with practice. We've been practicing that, you know, our technique, being low, stuff like that, just the technical things, and I think that just comes with practice, and that's something we have to get better at for sure.
On swarming to the ball: That's a topic every day for us, you know, from day one. You know, that's trusting the system as well. You know, that's taking a shot and trusting your guys that they're going to be there for you even if you miss the tackle. So I think that's been, that's a topic every day. You know, that's something that we're getting better at every day.
On defending Wake Forest’s pass-heavy attack: Wake Forest is a great team. Hats off to the coaches. But I think that goes back to us as a team, just trying to execute what Coach calls. A lot of stuff, a lot of stuff that happened, that was something that we did. Once again, credit to Wake Forest. That's a great team. With a great coach. They play hard. And I feel like we just have to finish games. We came out hot, and that's something we cannot relax. We have to stay to that standard every quarter, every play. So that's really on us.
TE Elija Lofton
On how his off-season improvements transitioned: Being lighter. Like, Coach Cristobal said you play at an championship weight, so getting down to the best weight I can play at, that was the main goal of mine this offseason, and just going out there and being confident and going out there and showing the game plan, showing my process down so I can be elite and go do my job and my assignment.
On his improve blocking: Practicing my technique. I have a great coach, Coach Viti. He helps me a lot. He's a good guy to be around. He helps me. He's helped me get to the next level, helps me grind every day, and it's being patient and being a sponge and soaking up what I can learn to add to my game to be able to do my job and be able to make plays and go 1-0.
On what techniques he has improved on: Blocking, being patient, using my hands, being violent at the point of attack, and knowing what the D-liners are going to do before the ball is snapped, and evaluating and building my game up.
On what he takes more pride in: receiving or blocking: Me personally, I just care about going 1-0. It's not about the personal stats. It's about the team. It's about being a team. It's about being a unit. It's about going 1-0 every game we can, no matter if I have zero catches, no matter what I do in the game. As long as I'm doing my job and we go 1-0, I could care less about what my stats look like.
On Darian Mensah: A great leader, a great person to be around. He's an alpha dog. He wants to be out there. He's a dog, so he gets us in line. We got to be a dog right along him. So he brings that energy to us, and he brings that competitiveness every game. So I just got to get in line and follow.
On fixing the offensive struggles late against Wake Forest: We just got to play harder. We got to just stay honest, be consistent, play at a level. Every game is keep playing at a high standard. Like, we got high standards. We got to continue to be playing at a high standard. We can't lower any lower than that. We got high standards for each position group, each unit, and as a team. So we got to just live by that high standard and continue to attack. No matter who we play, no matter what the score, we got to go out there and execute at a high level.
