Want to hear from Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal one more time before the team takes on the Central Michigan Chippewas? Check out his interview down below with Joe Zagacki.
On the win over Wake Forest: Good to go on the road against a conference opponent and a good conference opponent, and get that 1-0. And you come out of there with things that you feel you can build upon and other things that you have to improve upon.
On the defense finishing strong against Wake Forest: Their last four drives, first they force a safety, then a turnover on downs, another turnover on downs, and then seal off the game with an interception. So, especially at a time where we're having a tough time moving the ball, just an unbelievable example of complementary football.
On the defense setting the tone after Wake Forest’s first drive: Yeah, and you know what, the levels of execution and physicality really showed up in some of those drives, and on other ones there's a lot of stuff there to correct as well. So, you come out of a game like this feeling, hey, we got the 1-0. It was against a conference opponent on the road. That has a lot of value, and then we found a way to gut it out when we had lost some momentum, which I think is critically important for a team, because these games are going to get harder and harder as the season goes on.
On the offense’s ability to put together long opening drives on the road: Yeah, we feel very confident in our players and the way that we call the game, and we've been executing at a high level, and we're looking forward to getting back on the field and picking up more in that type of execution level because we know we're a very capable offense. We've shown it, and that we just want to play a ballgame.
On Darian Mensah’s leadership and what makes him so contagious: Energy, hard worker, completely invested, wants his teammates to do great, and he's got a great supporting cast. I mean, they all work well together. They all want to do well by each other and for each other, and that's the magic, the work that they put out there on GreenTree every single week. By the time the game rolls around, those guys are confident and they're excited to play.
On Mark Fletcher’s 17-yard run and its impact on the team: Yeah, that type of physicality, it sends a message. It does, that I want to be hard to tackle. I'm not going to be brought down by the first person or the second person, and I'm going to be joined by all my brothers, pushing the pile and finding a way to get extra yards. That's a DNA that you want, and we need that to show up more consistently from the entire group.
On playing through momentum swings against a well-coached Wake Forest team: Well, part of our growth and development, that aspect of, hey, you're up 31-7, there's six minutes to go in the third quarter. You got a chance here to force a fumble, take the ball again, and add to that margin, make that separation even bigger. We got to get that done. You know, because the level of strain, the level of effort that it takes against teams that are unwilling to give, and mind you, all these are playoff games. When you play in a conference, they are all playoff games. No one's going to roll over. No one's going to say, ah, it's okay, just continue to separate. You got to keep going, and your levels have to get higher and stronger as the game goes on.
On Elija Lofton: It was, and he is getting healthier. He's a great player, and a great human being, a team player. With the ball in his hands, he does a lot of really neat things. You saw the hurdle. We see it all the time, all the time, and just a really talented guy that is very, I mean, under, not underestimated or undervalued, because we value him, but in the run game, extremely effective as well. So a guy that you can count on to be a big-time player for the University of Miami.
On complementary football building trust across the team: It does, and maybe complementary football is not the best term to describe that, because we were falling short at that point on offense. But we were really good on offense earlier. It was one of those, hey, it's time for this side has got to now go the extra mile, because we're just not really performing at a high level on one side, like it was earlier when it was 7-7. So I think the level of trust amongst the players grows, and I think we also found out about ourselves that, okay, we can win in many different ways, and this was another, I believe, a trial, a way to test ourselves as to, hey, we're going to have to dig ourselves out of these momentum swings, and you got to do it in a hurry.
On Damon Wilson: Yeah, he's getting more and more physical, obviously a really explosive guy, plays hard, and made some really impactful plays. His best football is all ahead of him. Really, really happy that he's here with us as a Hurricane and looking forward to more great moments from him.
On Ethan O'Connor: Defensive player of the game for us, a really strong performance for Ethan. We're all glad to see it. We all know the potential is there. He is a good person and is continuing to grow and develop, and we're going to push him harder than ever because when you have that size, that length, that speed, and that skill set, you really, you got to find a way to squeeze the absolute best out of him all the time, and I say that in a positive way, and he's going to be a great player.
On managing the snap count and getting more players meaningful reps: It did. Those first two games, we had, I mean, most of our starters played about 30 snaps, maybe 35, for the most, at one period of time. So all of a sudden, snap 50, snap 60, snap 70. It's like, well, body might feel a little different or whatnot. Look, that's what comes with those first couple of games if you find yourself with a wide margin. You got to ask yourself, okay, you have to, obviously do what's best from a health standpoint, but a health standpoint must also include your levels of conditioning, which you try to get out of practice every day when you're running a certain amount of plays plus the end periods and everything else. So again, it was good to go deep into that game and still be out there and compete and still be able to come out of there with a two-score victory.
On pushing players: Perhaps you see what they can be before they do. Is that one of the more satisfying things for you? I mean, we all need great mentorship and someone to push us and check us and coaches, and I thought that was great about our coaches here at the University of Miami. They saw the potential in us before maybe we did, and they took us to extreme levels of push. And, like, you don't get it until way after the fact, maybe after years go by, and that's all right. I mean, I think it's the greatest form of respect when you can confront the man, the best out of somebody, because trust, and believe that they can be so much more than what they're showing. And as long as there's an agreement there and mutual respect, the sky's the limit, and we see that happening with a lot of players. We got to get that from everybody. We got to get immature players to get mature quickly, to understand that, you know what, you just don't inherit positions because guys are banged up. You got to work for it. So the work never stops. It's the awesome, most awesome part about coaching football, especially at the University of Miami.
On Malachi Toney: He's never ever satisfied. In the running game as well, there's just a lot, you know. And if we block it correctly on that sweep, he had a chance to really go a long, long ways as well. So again, there's so many areas where we can improve upon, and I think everybody walked out of our meetings and our assessments and our walkthroughs and training sessions as, okay, let's turn this thing up. We can do better.
On Miami’s aggressive defense and creating pressure up front: Yeah, we do our own grading here at the University of Miami. I'm sure there's a lot of shows and grading systems out there, and to each his own. But in terms of what we saw on film, we saw growth. We saw growth. We saw development. We saw improved play, and we saw, like always, a lot of areas to improve upon. And you're going to get that every single week from us. It's going to be, okay, yeah, I see that, but this has got to get better for us to achieve our goals. So that's really the only train of thought for us right now, and the directive is for everyone in the building to find ways to get better.
On Greentree practices preparing Miami for game day performance: Speed on speed, physicality on physicality, and do it in a smart way. As the season goes on, it's do your best always to stay up. If you could stay up and not be on the ground, you're going to have a chance to have a healthy football team. So that's why you see coaches, like, running around like lunatics whenever somebody ends up on the ground, because that's when guys usually get hurt. So, but that practice regimen, the ability to go against each other three to four periods a day, where it's good on good, that type of speed on speed, that certainly is, that's more valuable than anything else we do in preparation for a team.
On JJ Dunnigan: Yeah, he's playing as good or better than anyone. He really is. But again, aside from the fact that he's uber talented, is the fact that if you walk the hallways at daytime or the nighttime, he's in there, and that has to be more and more contagious. You know, we're getting more and more of that. You want it to be at completely optimal levels, okay? There's no hedging. The process is to be a great football player, right? You got to be in here at all hours just dissecting your film and the opponent film. He understands that at a very, very early age, and he is all in on that. So glad to see him have the success he's had.
Check out the full interview down below:
On the win over Wake Forest: Good to go on the road against a conference opponent and a good conference opponent, and get that 1-0. And you come out of there with things that you feel you can build upon and other things that you have to improve upon.
On the defense finishing strong against Wake Forest: Their last four drives, first they force a safety, then a turnover on downs, another turnover on downs, and then seal off the game with an interception. So, especially at a time where we're having a tough time moving the ball, just an unbelievable example of complementary football.
On the defense setting the tone after Wake Forest’s first drive: Yeah, and you know what, the levels of execution and physicality really showed up in some of those drives, and on other ones there's a lot of stuff there to correct as well. So, you come out of a game like this feeling, hey, we got the 1-0. It was against a conference opponent on the road. That has a lot of value, and then we found a way to gut it out when we had lost some momentum, which I think is critically important for a team, because these games are going to get harder and harder as the season goes on.
On the offense’s ability to put together long opening drives on the road: Yeah, we feel very confident in our players and the way that we call the game, and we've been executing at a high level, and we're looking forward to getting back on the field and picking up more in that type of execution level because we know we're a very capable offense. We've shown it, and that we just want to play a ballgame.
On Darian Mensah’s leadership and what makes him so contagious: Energy, hard worker, completely invested, wants his teammates to do great, and he's got a great supporting cast. I mean, they all work well together. They all want to do well by each other and for each other, and that's the magic, the work that they put out there on GreenTree every single week. By the time the game rolls around, those guys are confident and they're excited to play.
On Mark Fletcher’s 17-yard run and its impact on the team: Yeah, that type of physicality, it sends a message. It does, that I want to be hard to tackle. I'm not going to be brought down by the first person or the second person, and I'm going to be joined by all my brothers, pushing the pile and finding a way to get extra yards. That's a DNA that you want, and we need that to show up more consistently from the entire group.
On playing through momentum swings against a well-coached Wake Forest team: Well, part of our growth and development, that aspect of, hey, you're up 31-7, there's six minutes to go in the third quarter. You got a chance here to force a fumble, take the ball again, and add to that margin, make that separation even bigger. We got to get that done. You know, because the level of strain, the level of effort that it takes against teams that are unwilling to give, and mind you, all these are playoff games. When you play in a conference, they are all playoff games. No one's going to roll over. No one's going to say, ah, it's okay, just continue to separate. You got to keep going, and your levels have to get higher and stronger as the game goes on.
On Elija Lofton: It was, and he is getting healthier. He's a great player, and a great human being, a team player. With the ball in his hands, he does a lot of really neat things. You saw the hurdle. We see it all the time, all the time, and just a really talented guy that is very, I mean, under, not underestimated or undervalued, because we value him, but in the run game, extremely effective as well. So a guy that you can count on to be a big-time player for the University of Miami.
On complementary football building trust across the team: It does, and maybe complementary football is not the best term to describe that, because we were falling short at that point on offense. But we were really good on offense earlier. It was one of those, hey, it's time for this side has got to now go the extra mile, because we're just not really performing at a high level on one side, like it was earlier when it was 7-7. So I think the level of trust amongst the players grows, and I think we also found out about ourselves that, okay, we can win in many different ways, and this was another, I believe, a trial, a way to test ourselves as to, hey, we're going to have to dig ourselves out of these momentum swings, and you got to do it in a hurry.
On Damon Wilson: Yeah, he's getting more and more physical, obviously a really explosive guy, plays hard, and made some really impactful plays. His best football is all ahead of him. Really, really happy that he's here with us as a Hurricane and looking forward to more great moments from him.
On Ethan O'Connor: Defensive player of the game for us, a really strong performance for Ethan. We're all glad to see it. We all know the potential is there. He is a good person and is continuing to grow and develop, and we're going to push him harder than ever because when you have that size, that length, that speed, and that skill set, you really, you got to find a way to squeeze the absolute best out of him all the time, and I say that in a positive way, and he's going to be a great player.
On managing the snap count and getting more players meaningful reps: It did. Those first two games, we had, I mean, most of our starters played about 30 snaps, maybe 35, for the most, at one period of time. So all of a sudden, snap 50, snap 60, snap 70. It's like, well, body might feel a little different or whatnot. Look, that's what comes with those first couple of games if you find yourself with a wide margin. You got to ask yourself, okay, you have to, obviously do what's best from a health standpoint, but a health standpoint must also include your levels of conditioning, which you try to get out of practice every day when you're running a certain amount of plays plus the end periods and everything else. So again, it was good to go deep into that game and still be out there and compete and still be able to come out of there with a two-score victory.
On pushing players: Perhaps you see what they can be before they do. Is that one of the more satisfying things for you? I mean, we all need great mentorship and someone to push us and check us and coaches, and I thought that was great about our coaches here at the University of Miami. They saw the potential in us before maybe we did, and they took us to extreme levels of push. And, like, you don't get it until way after the fact, maybe after years go by, and that's all right. I mean, I think it's the greatest form of respect when you can confront the man, the best out of somebody, because trust, and believe that they can be so much more than what they're showing. And as long as there's an agreement there and mutual respect, the sky's the limit, and we see that happening with a lot of players. We got to get that from everybody. We got to get immature players to get mature quickly, to understand that, you know what, you just don't inherit positions because guys are banged up. You got to work for it. So the work never stops. It's the awesome, most awesome part about coaching football, especially at the University of Miami.
On Malachi Toney: He's never ever satisfied. In the running game as well, there's just a lot, you know. And if we block it correctly on that sweep, he had a chance to really go a long, long ways as well. So again, there's so many areas where we can improve upon, and I think everybody walked out of our meetings and our assessments and our walkthroughs and training sessions as, okay, let's turn this thing up. We can do better.
On Miami’s aggressive defense and creating pressure up front: Yeah, we do our own grading here at the University of Miami. I'm sure there's a lot of shows and grading systems out there, and to each his own. But in terms of what we saw on film, we saw growth. We saw growth. We saw development. We saw improved play, and we saw, like always, a lot of areas to improve upon. And you're going to get that every single week from us. It's going to be, okay, yeah, I see that, but this has got to get better for us to achieve our goals. So that's really the only train of thought for us right now, and the directive is for everyone in the building to find ways to get better.
On Greentree practices preparing Miami for game day performance: Speed on speed, physicality on physicality, and do it in a smart way. As the season goes on, it's do your best always to stay up. If you could stay up and not be on the ground, you're going to have a chance to have a healthy football team. So that's why you see coaches, like, running around like lunatics whenever somebody ends up on the ground, because that's when guys usually get hurt. So, but that practice regimen, the ability to go against each other three to four periods a day, where it's good on good, that type of speed on speed, that certainly is, that's more valuable than anything else we do in preparation for a team.
On JJ Dunnigan: Yeah, he's playing as good or better than anyone. He really is. But again, aside from the fact that he's uber talented, is the fact that if you walk the hallways at daytime or the nighttime, he's in there, and that has to be more and more contagious. You know, we're getting more and more of that. You want it to be at completely optimal levels, okay? There's no hedging. The process is to be a great football player, right? You got to be in here at all hours just dissecting your film and the opponent film. He understands that at a very, very early age, and he is all in on that. So glad to see him have the success he's had.
Check out the full interview down below:
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