"No."
That was Steve Kim's whole answer when we asked whether, based on Notre Dame, our trenches are good enough to win a national championship.
Then he explained: "We are not the more physical team on either side of the line of scrimmage," he said.
Nine games in, that's changed.
He didn't expect this group to be as good as last year's, which had four NFL players, but his belief is that a good program and a good system give you a floor every year. Individual talents like Francis Mauigoa and Markel Bell give you the ceiling, and the ceiling moves. A culture that recruits well keeps the baseline from dropping.
"The disappointing part about this year's offensive line is the floor has been lowered," Steve said. "It's not as good as I thought it needed to be, and it's not as good as we want it to be."
Steve wants some context too. If Tommy Kinsler IV doesn't leave in the portal and Max Buchanan doesn't get hurt, the line looks different.
Three of the last four games didn't look like a championship team: FSU, North Carolina and Notre Dame. We won two of them, and that's the good news. But he doesn't want to hear a single Miami fan say we could drop one of the last three.
"You got to start setting good habits," he said. "It's not even about the score. It's not about the result. You got to start to look the part as you make this playoff push."
What carries over from South Bend is the temperament. The tackling and swarming on the perimeter was night and day from UNC and FSU. Keep that edge against Duke and the results follow.
Mensah had no Toney, a ton of adversity and poor protection. He couldn't lean on the run game, we were in a hole and had to throw. His receivers weren't getting open the first couple of drives and he still balled and gave us a chance to win.
"If we get in a tournament with Cam Ward, we got a chance to win," Steve said, recalling 2024. "Mensah's playing at that Cam Ward level, to me, and the team overall is better."
Damon Wilson took most of the criticism after the game, but he was on the field for only 29 snaps. He wasn't amazing, but he got a couple of pressures. Lightfoot played poorly, and Armondo Blount's pass rush just isn't there on the edge. Pair Wilson and Lightfoot more and give up a little in the run game to get more pressure.
Steve agrees Blount bull-rushes almost exclusively. There's no rip, no real dip and no explosive first step. He might be better as a three-technique using his leverage. Steve's view is that Blount is an NFL multimillionaire defensive tackle. He just doesn't see it on the outside.
He also explained why Wilson wears it. He was a pricey transfer, and he missed the sack on CJ Carr that Steve thinks was the pivotal moment of the game. Make that sack or run Carr out of bounds and it's 10-3. Instead, 90 seconds later, it's 17-3.
Neither of us wants to scapegoat him. Wilson was trending up all the way to Clemson. He made big plays, played well in the second half at Wake and was good against Central Michigan.
"Last time I checked, there is no waiver wire in college football," Steve said.
Any improvement has to come from inside the building. Blount looks banged up. Lightfoot has been the best of the group but didn't play well against Notre Dame. Steve doesn't see Herbert Scroggins III as the answer yet.
Steve's bigger theory: pass rushers are like punchers in boxing. They're born, not made. That burst, that bend, that first step is mostly God-given, and he isn't sure how many of those guys we have right now. That's why recruits like DJ Jacobs and Jaiden Bryant are vital.
Press and reroute. If you play press bail, it's death by a thousand cuts. Steve wants more press and more hands on receivers early. Teams are getting the ball out fast, and we keep giving free releases while long, delayed blitzes come from the third level. That's how you give up eight-yard hitches and 10-yard outs all day.
Blitz the linebackers, not the safeties. Mohamed Toure made his reputation wrecking backfields on pressures. Chase Smith is tall with a lot of range, and he's good when he comes. Steve wants to see those second-level blitzes and less of the third-level safety blitz. It worked on the first drive against UNC, when we hit Billy Edwards. Otherwise, offenses have figured it out.
Fitzgerald at safety. In the last quarter and a half at Notre Dame, Bryce Fitzgerald was almost exclusively at safety. Steve thought he did an admirable job taking one for the team at corner, but if Xavier Lucas and Damari Brown are available, put him at his natural position.
Damari Brown made a statement. He's not the most durable, but talent has never been the question. He had a big pass breakup in man coverage and brings a physical presence on the perimeter, something we badly lacked against UNC.
Stop covering grass. Steve's line on our zone drops: "Our guys do a great job at covering grass, not necessarily human beings."
Keep giving free releases and the defense lives on the field, and the offense gets about 25 minutes a game.
We're also thin. Steve is starting to think we shouldn't count on OJ Frederique coming back, and he hopes Ja'Boree Antoine can get past whatever he's dealing with.
What he wants most is a defensive identity that's relatively simple and lets our guys play fast.
Steve's answer was about role and fit. He brought up Bill Parcells' belief that good players are at their best when you ask them to do things they can actually do. Thornton is not a single-high safety, and he won't be effective following guys in man coverage.
But as a box player, coming forward in contained areas where you're asking him to be physical and violent, Steve thinks he can absolutely be effective.
Mensah is good enough to cover a lot of flaws, and a team that tackles, presses and pressures the way it did in the second half at Notre Dame can grow into something real by December. That starts at noon against Duke.
We went much deeper, including the offense and the Duke preview, on the full show. Watch it on the CanesInsight YouTube channel, subscribe and turn on notifications for game week.
That was Steve Kim's whole answer when we asked whether, based on Notre Dame, our trenches are good enough to win a national championship.
Then he explained: "We are not the more physical team on either side of the line of scrimmage," he said.
The floor got lower
In the offseason, Steve told people he wasn't concerned about Alex Mirabal's offensive line. Curious, but not concerned.Nine games in, that's changed.
He didn't expect this group to be as good as last year's, which had four NFL players, but his belief is that a good program and a good system give you a floor every year. Individual talents like Francis Mauigoa and Markel Bell give you the ceiling, and the ceiling moves. A culture that recruits well keeps the baseline from dropping.
"The disappointing part about this year's offensive line is the floor has been lowered," Steve said. "It's not as good as I thought it needed to be, and it's not as good as we want it to be."
Steve wants some context too. If Tommy Kinsler IV doesn't leave in the portal and Max Buchanan doesn't get hurt, the line looks different.
Look the part, starting Saturday
Here's where Steve was hardest on this team.Three of the last four games didn't look like a championship team: FSU, North Carolina and Notre Dame. We won two of them, and that's the good news. But he doesn't want to hear a single Miami fan say we could drop one of the last three.
"You got to start setting good habits," he said. "It's not even about the score. It's not about the result. You got to start to look the part as you make this playoff push."
What carries over from South Bend is the temperament. The tackling and swarming on the perimeter was night and day from UNC and FSU. Keep that edge against Duke and the results follow.
Why we can still win it
Steve's big takeaway, and the reason he thinks we can still win the whole thing, is Darian Mensah.Mensah had no Toney, a ton of adversity and poor protection. He couldn't lean on the run game, we were in a hole and had to throw. His receivers weren't getting open the first couple of drives and he still balled and gave us a chance to win.
"If we get in a tournament with Cam Ward, we got a chance to win," Steve said, recalling 2024. "Mensah's playing at that Cam Ward level, to me, and the team overall is better."
The defensive ends
This is the spot that's been a disappointment.Damon Wilson took most of the criticism after the game, but he was on the field for only 29 snaps. He wasn't amazing, but he got a couple of pressures. Lightfoot played poorly, and Armondo Blount's pass rush just isn't there on the edge. Pair Wilson and Lightfoot more and give up a little in the run game to get more pressure.
Steve agrees Blount bull-rushes almost exclusively. There's no rip, no real dip and no explosive first step. He might be better as a three-technique using his leverage. Steve's view is that Blount is an NFL multimillionaire defensive tackle. He just doesn't see it on the outside.
He also explained why Wilson wears it. He was a pricey transfer, and he missed the sack on CJ Carr that Steve thinks was the pivotal moment of the game. Make that sack or run Carr out of bounds and it's 10-3. Instead, 90 seconds later, it's 17-3.
Neither of us wants to scapegoat him. Wilson was trending up all the way to Clemson. He made big plays, played well in the second half at Wake and was good against Central Michigan.
"Last time I checked, there is no waiver wire in college football," Steve said.
Any improvement has to come from inside the building. Blount looks banged up. Lightfoot has been the best of the group but didn't play well against Notre Dame. Steve doesn't see Herbert Scroggins III as the answer yet.
Steve's bigger theory: pass rushers are like punchers in boxing. They're born, not made. That burst, that bend, that first step is mostly God-given, and he isn't sure how many of those guys we have right now. That's why recruits like DJ Jacobs and Jaiden Bryant are vital.
Simplify the defense
Steve has a clear vision for the back seven.Press and reroute. If you play press bail, it's death by a thousand cuts. Steve wants more press and more hands on receivers early. Teams are getting the ball out fast, and we keep giving free releases while long, delayed blitzes come from the third level. That's how you give up eight-yard hitches and 10-yard outs all day.
Blitz the linebackers, not the safeties. Mohamed Toure made his reputation wrecking backfields on pressures. Chase Smith is tall with a lot of range, and he's good when he comes. Steve wants to see those second-level blitzes and less of the third-level safety blitz. It worked on the first drive against UNC, when we hit Billy Edwards. Otherwise, offenses have figured it out.
Fitzgerald at safety. In the last quarter and a half at Notre Dame, Bryce Fitzgerald was almost exclusively at safety. Steve thought he did an admirable job taking one for the team at corner, but if Xavier Lucas and Damari Brown are available, put him at his natural position.
Damari Brown made a statement. He's not the most durable, but talent has never been the question. He had a big pass breakup in man coverage and brings a physical presence on the perimeter, something we badly lacked against UNC.
Stop covering grass. Steve's line on our zone drops: "Our guys do a great job at covering grass, not necessarily human beings."
Keep giving free releases and the defense lives on the field, and the offense gets about 25 minutes a game.
We're also thin. Steve is starting to think we shouldn't count on OJ Frederique coming back, and he hopes Ja'Boree Antoine can get past whatever he's dealing with.
What he wants most is a defensive identity that's relatively simple and lets our guys play fast.
What about Omar Thornton?
Is it time for more Omar Thornton? He can get to the passer, and we need to be faster and more physical.Steve's answer was about role and fit. He brought up Bill Parcells' belief that good players are at their best when you ask them to do things they can actually do. Thornton is not a single-high safety, and he won't be effective following guys in man coverage.
But as a box player, coming forward in contained areas where you're asking him to be physical and violent, Steve thinks he can absolutely be effective.
The habits start now
Steve's challenge is to stop grading the scoreboard and start grading the play. The trenches won't transform in three weeks.Mensah is good enough to cover a lot of flaws, and a team that tackles, presses and pressures the way it did in the second half at Notre Dame can grow into something real by December. That starts at noon against Duke.
We went much deeper, including the offense and the Duke preview, on the full show. Watch it on the CanesInsight YouTube channel, subscribe and turn on notifications for game week.
