Through 5 games, Miami Miami leads the nation in TFL with a whopping 60, over 12 away from the next closest program. After Wednesday’s drills defensive coordinator Manny Diaz gave most of the credit to the front four and how new D-Line coach Jess Simpson has gotten his unit ready to play every week.
“It starts up front,” Diaz said on the TFL stat. “Jess Simpson is doing a great job with our defensive linemen. … We’re attacking blocks up front, our linebackers are very active, we’re experienced at linebacker so guys know how to fit their gaps.”
Facing off against a shaky offensive line on Saturday vs. FSU, UM’s defensive front will surely be licking their chops to add onto their TFL total. However, Diaz is not underestimating the Seminoles’ offense.
“If you really look at the way they played against Louisville, [Deondre] Francois was pretty clean in that game,” Diaz said. “I think they feel like they’re improving. I think we have to go play Miami Hurricanes football. We try to take the things that we think are important for us to win a football game and the way we have to play defense, regardless of opponent. But it’s Miami / Florida State. Everyone is going to play their best on Saturday. It’s going to be a great challenge.”
In preparation for the Noles, Diaz was asked how much cleaning up mistakes in the UNC game factors into this week.
“It’s a huge focus. What the guys understand is it’s everybody doing their job,” Diaz said. “The first play, the defensive end couldn’t play it any better – textbook. We don’t set an edge as a secondary guy. So they run the next play the next drive, and we set a perfect edge in the secondary, but now the defensive end who is worrying about the ball going where it went last time doesn’t do his job. Those are the things that kind of hurt us. It was just a matter of everybody recognizing it’s not a physicality standpoint. It’s just everybody reporting to their appropriate station of duty. When everyone does that, we’re pretty hard to move the ball against.”
How is Diaz approaching defending the Noles?
“The thing that really stands out is just their personnel,” Diaz said. “They have excellent personnel. The quarterback (Deondre Francois) is probably the best we’ll have played in the last two years. Great arm, quick release, can make any throw. Deep balls he puts it right on the money. The emergence of (Tamorrion) Terry to their wide receiving crew, we know about (Nyqwan) Murray, but Terry’s become the deep threat with two deep balls the last two games.
“And the backs, everyone knew going into the year that they had the best backs in the ACC and I don’t think anything’s changed that. (Cam) Akers and (Jacques) Patrick, they have a tight end (Tre’ McKitty) who is making a lot of plays. From a fantasy football standpoint, they have guys at every skill position to make it go. And then they’re going to go at a fast tempo, have a lot of eye deception type plays.”
The bottom-line?
“It’s Miami-Florida State,” Diaz said. “Everyone’s going to play their best on Saturday. So it’s going to be a great challenge.”
On S Jaquan Johnson’s projected return to the lineup: “Jaquan’s our guy,” Diaz said. “When he takes the field he has a presence about him that makes everybody else on the defense feel reassured. He’s the eraser back there. … he is the heartbeat of our defense. Everybody knows that. The guys performed admirably in his absence, but we’re better with Jaquan.”
Diaz is considered the godfather of the Turnover Chain idea, having started the brainstorm session that led to the purchase of the chain.
“We didn’t start the prop business - we have the best one, but we weren’t the first one,” Diaz said.
Did he ever consider a backpack instead of a chain?
“I like the chain,” Diaz said.
“It starts up front,” Diaz said on the TFL stat. “Jess Simpson is doing a great job with our defensive linemen. … We’re attacking blocks up front, our linebackers are very active, we’re experienced at linebacker so guys know how to fit their gaps.”
Facing off against a shaky offensive line on Saturday vs. FSU, UM’s defensive front will surely be licking their chops to add onto their TFL total. However, Diaz is not underestimating the Seminoles’ offense.
“If you really look at the way they played against Louisville, [Deondre] Francois was pretty clean in that game,” Diaz said. “I think they feel like they’re improving. I think we have to go play Miami Hurricanes football. We try to take the things that we think are important for us to win a football game and the way we have to play defense, regardless of opponent. But it’s Miami / Florida State. Everyone is going to play their best on Saturday. It’s going to be a great challenge.”
In preparation for the Noles, Diaz was asked how much cleaning up mistakes in the UNC game factors into this week.
“It’s a huge focus. What the guys understand is it’s everybody doing their job,” Diaz said. “The first play, the defensive end couldn’t play it any better – textbook. We don’t set an edge as a secondary guy. So they run the next play the next drive, and we set a perfect edge in the secondary, but now the defensive end who is worrying about the ball going where it went last time doesn’t do his job. Those are the things that kind of hurt us. It was just a matter of everybody recognizing it’s not a physicality standpoint. It’s just everybody reporting to their appropriate station of duty. When everyone does that, we’re pretty hard to move the ball against.”
How is Diaz approaching defending the Noles?
“The thing that really stands out is just their personnel,” Diaz said. “They have excellent personnel. The quarterback (Deondre Francois) is probably the best we’ll have played in the last two years. Great arm, quick release, can make any throw. Deep balls he puts it right on the money. The emergence of (Tamorrion) Terry to their wide receiving crew, we know about (Nyqwan) Murray, but Terry’s become the deep threat with two deep balls the last two games.
“And the backs, everyone knew going into the year that they had the best backs in the ACC and I don’t think anything’s changed that. (Cam) Akers and (Jacques) Patrick, they have a tight end (Tre’ McKitty) who is making a lot of plays. From a fantasy football standpoint, they have guys at every skill position to make it go. And then they’re going to go at a fast tempo, have a lot of eye deception type plays.”
The bottom-line?
“It’s Miami-Florida State,” Diaz said. “Everyone’s going to play their best on Saturday. So it’s going to be a great challenge.”
On S Jaquan Johnson’s projected return to the lineup: “Jaquan’s our guy,” Diaz said. “When he takes the field he has a presence about him that makes everybody else on the defense feel reassured. He’s the eraser back there. … he is the heartbeat of our defense. Everybody knows that. The guys performed admirably in his absence, but we’re better with Jaquan.”
Diaz is considered the godfather of the Turnover Chain idea, having started the brainstorm session that led to the purchase of the chain.
“We didn’t start the prop business - we have the best one, but we weren’t the first one,” Diaz said.
Did he ever consider a backpack instead of a chain?
“I like the chain,” Diaz said.
