Senior QB Malik Rosier was benched for redshirt freshman N’Kosi Perry as the starter for the North Carolina game late last month. Three weeks later, after thinking his playing career was over, Rosier again holds the title of starting QB.
“I came to a realization that football was going to end someday, and I thought it was going to end for me,” Rosier said. “Luckily it didn’t. … I’m just thankful every day I come out and practice with these guys.”
When he got the news that he would not be starting for UNC, Rosier texted Mark Richt to plan a time for a meeting.
“When I sat down with coach Richt - and I understand I hadn’t been playing the greatest - like I told him, Toledo I scored five touchdowns, FIU I come in, was two-for-three,” Rosier said. “I was like personally I feel like I didn’t do enough to lose my job, if you think the kid is better than (me) I understand. I just need a reason why.
“And he was like, `We want to give the kid a chance, he’s been getting better.’ Which obviously he has, he’s been getting so much better, especially with just dissecting a defense and knowing where the coverages are. (Richt) kind of broke it down to me that the guy was getting better, that they thought he could lead the team. It was one of those tough, real life talks we had to have.”
Perry struggled in Miami’s last game in the road at Virginia, and Richt decided the team needed a veteran presence to lead it through the rest of the game and inserted Rosier. A few days after, Richt again named Rosier the starter for Friday night’s game at Boston College.
“It’s been a lot - you find out who is really here for you and who is not,” Rosier said. “There’s people I haven’t talked to in forever that hit me up, had a lot of players behind my back like Mike Jackson and Deejay Dallas, they said `We’ve got your back no matter what.’”
Even though Rosier is opening the game, Richt has said that the plan is to get Perry into the game for some snaps at some point.
“We don’t know who is going to play how much,” Rosier said. “I talked to coaches multiple times about it - N’Kosi is going to play at some point, I know that. When he’s in, I’ll help him as much as I can.”
With Rosier leading the one unit again, he said he’s noticed an improvement for the offense in recent weeks during practice.
“It’s been good as a whole. I think the big thing we learned is we have to come out and execute every play,” Rosier said. “The last two weeks, the ones, twos, and even the threes (on offense) have been dominating, coach (Manny) Diaz has been yelling and screaming at the defense for the first time in a long time for just us throwing touchdowns, us doing a good job with our progression.”
Going on the road against Boston College on Friday, what does Miami have to do to secure a win?
“The big thing for us is to go in there and shut them (the crowd) up early,” Rosier said. “Because when you’re in an away game and their crowd gets into it it’s so much of a different feeling. I think that’s the biggest thing for us - we have to score, and score early.”
This Friday when the Canes come to town is BC's annual “Red Bandanna” game, played in honor of former Boston College lacrosse player Welles Crowther. Crowther died trying to save people in the World Trade Center on 9/11, and the people he saved remembered his red bandanna he wore. The game holds an emotional significance for the BC community and, as a result, Rosier knows the atmosphere of this game will be just a little more charged up on Friday.
“I know since they’ve been doing this game they haven’t lost,” Rosier said. “So for them, it’s almost like a pride thing. As it is, it’s hard to go in someone else’s house and beat them, and you add this it’s a very emotional game for them. They’re going to come out fired up.”
With temperatures expected to be in the 30’s on game day, Rosier said that he doesn’t see the weather being much of a factor.
"For me, I don't think cold is the biggest issue. I played in a little bit of cold weather,” Rosier said. “I feel the biggest issue is sometimes when you're up in northern areas it's dry air so the ball gets slick. ... Coach Richt has done a great job - we're going to wear tights, have had warmers, heated benches. So we have no excuses why cold should be a factor."
“I came to a realization that football was going to end someday, and I thought it was going to end for me,” Rosier said. “Luckily it didn’t. … I’m just thankful every day I come out and practice with these guys.”
When he got the news that he would not be starting for UNC, Rosier texted Mark Richt to plan a time for a meeting.
“When I sat down with coach Richt - and I understand I hadn’t been playing the greatest - like I told him, Toledo I scored five touchdowns, FIU I come in, was two-for-three,” Rosier said. “I was like personally I feel like I didn’t do enough to lose my job, if you think the kid is better than (me) I understand. I just need a reason why.
“And he was like, `We want to give the kid a chance, he’s been getting better.’ Which obviously he has, he’s been getting so much better, especially with just dissecting a defense and knowing where the coverages are. (Richt) kind of broke it down to me that the guy was getting better, that they thought he could lead the team. It was one of those tough, real life talks we had to have.”
Perry struggled in Miami’s last game in the road at Virginia, and Richt decided the team needed a veteran presence to lead it through the rest of the game and inserted Rosier. A few days after, Richt again named Rosier the starter for Friday night’s game at Boston College.
“It’s been a lot - you find out who is really here for you and who is not,” Rosier said. “There’s people I haven’t talked to in forever that hit me up, had a lot of players behind my back like Mike Jackson and Deejay Dallas, they said `We’ve got your back no matter what.’”
Even though Rosier is opening the game, Richt has said that the plan is to get Perry into the game for some snaps at some point.
“We don’t know who is going to play how much,” Rosier said. “I talked to coaches multiple times about it - N’Kosi is going to play at some point, I know that. When he’s in, I’ll help him as much as I can.”
With Rosier leading the one unit again, he said he’s noticed an improvement for the offense in recent weeks during practice.
“It’s been good as a whole. I think the big thing we learned is we have to come out and execute every play,” Rosier said. “The last two weeks, the ones, twos, and even the threes (on offense) have been dominating, coach (Manny) Diaz has been yelling and screaming at the defense for the first time in a long time for just us throwing touchdowns, us doing a good job with our progression.”
Going on the road against Boston College on Friday, what does Miami have to do to secure a win?
“The big thing for us is to go in there and shut them (the crowd) up early,” Rosier said. “Because when you’re in an away game and their crowd gets into it it’s so much of a different feeling. I think that’s the biggest thing for us - we have to score, and score early.”
This Friday when the Canes come to town is BC's annual “Red Bandanna” game, played in honor of former Boston College lacrosse player Welles Crowther. Crowther died trying to save people in the World Trade Center on 9/11, and the people he saved remembered his red bandanna he wore. The game holds an emotional significance for the BC community and, as a result, Rosier knows the atmosphere of this game will be just a little more charged up on Friday.
“I know since they’ve been doing this game they haven’t lost,” Rosier said. “So for them, it’s almost like a pride thing. As it is, it’s hard to go in someone else’s house and beat them, and you add this it’s a very emotional game for them. They’re going to come out fired up.”
With temperatures expected to be in the 30’s on game day, Rosier said that he doesn’t see the weather being much of a factor.
"For me, I don't think cold is the biggest issue. I played in a little bit of cold weather,” Rosier said. “I feel the biggest issue is sometimes when you're up in northern areas it's dry air so the ball gets slick. ... Coach Richt has done a great job - we're going to wear tights, have had warmers, heated benches. So we have no excuses why cold should be a factor."
