TRANSCRIPT: Everything Mario Cristobal Said After Win Over No. 6 Notre Dame

Here is a full transcript on what coach Mario Cristobal had to say to the media after following a 27-24 victory over the No. 6 team in the land versus the Notre Dame Fighting Irish:



Opening Statements:

I want to thank everyone who came out tonight and made that place electric. It was a different level of impact for us and for our players. They were all about it, and that’s what college football is all about. Our student section was packed, and there were so many alumni. This game is for everybody. I got to see Coach Jimmy Johnson. I’m proud of this team—the resiliency, the complementary football. There were a couple of hiccups, but overall it was an awesome night.

On opening the season in a big game:​

Our offseason training camp is becoming legendary because of the adversity we put our guys through, and it helps us get off to a great start every year in every place that we have been. Do we feel good about it? Absolutely. We felt that if we got that field goal and they then had to go down the field, our pass rush could take advantage of our offensive line.

Thoughts on the battle up front:

It was a muddy and bloody night. All night, it felt like Rock’em Sock’em Robots. First of all, hats off to Coach Freeman and his team — he’s got an unbelievably talented and competitive group with a great coaching staff. He’s done an awesome job. We knew this game was going to come down to who had one more shot in them, who was willing to go out there and not let anything get in the way of doing their job. Everything was about the players and doing our jobs on every single snap. They took on that challenge and ate it up. They got after it all the way to the end, and sometimes domination comes on the final play of the game — and that’s exactly what happened.

On the final drive:

We started the game well, but had an issue with the field goal. Then our middle eight was awesome — we scored going into the half, scored coming out of the half, and then we stalled. The defense came up with a big play, got the turnover, and Rueben returned it. We settled for a field goal after that. In practice, he hits from 55-plus and even made 63-yarders, so we’ve got a lot of confidence in him. It’s what we practiced, and our preparation turned into game reality

On Rueben Bain​

Time flies. We’re in year four, and I remember sitting outside of Hard Rock with Rueben. The starting point was very low — we were getting our butts kicked all over the place. I sat there for hours after the cars were gone and told him, ‘Give the Canes a shot. At the end, if you come here with the other guys, we’ll be playing in big-time games and looking the way Miami should look.’ Tonight, that became a reality.

On Carson Beck​

I think he did a great job. That’s one of the top defenses in the country. They play man coverage as well as anybody, they disguise their looks, and they’re really good up front. We got called for a holding penalty and gave up a sack, but Carson Beck made some unbelievable throws, got out of the pocket, and picked up chunk yards with his legs. At the end of the day, he got us down there. For game one, I thought he did a great job.

On CJ Daniels​

I have been chasing CJ for two years. Every time he entered the portal, I missed him. I finally got him and what a play he made. Unbelievable. When he got here, his foot was banged up and it was a while. He was an exceptional leader in that room. He took over that room and established regimen and culture. He had those guys in there in the early hours watching film and taking care of their bodies and teaching those guys how to track the ball and play the game at a higher level as it relates to coverages and finding the soft spots. CJ Daniels is an absolute pro. As we left the locker room, he told me, we are just getting started. He epitomizes what you want as a team player."

On Mark Fletcher Jr.​

Mark Fletcher is made of the right stuff. He was raised awesome by mom and dad, may he rest in peace. What doesn't he do? He blocks. He runs the ball extremely well. He is a tremendous supporter of his teammates when he is not in there. He brings the juice and he brings the energy. He is physical as all get-out. He can get the tough yards. I know he always looks up to the sky for his dad and he had the best seat in the house tonight along with my mom, it was her birthday tonight, may she rest in peace.

On Corey Hetherman​

Yeah he is hard to prepare for with how he mixes things up. I will tell you what, if we do not bust, our defense is elite. And that is ok. We knew that playing at home, there was going to be a ton of noise and for the most part, we were able to communicate. We got caught on one bust and his level of teaching, communication, scheme, and intensity—he was a game changer for us today. He makes everybody better.