No other way to put it, the interior line did not play well against Wake Forest.

Mario said it himself on the Joe Rose Show, center was fine, tackles were fine, guards were "hit or miss." When a coach uses a phrase like that, it means more down than up.

Rewatching the tape and talking to people inside the building, here's the read: this isn't a "these are our five" situation. It's fluid. Nobody's job is safe except maybe McCoy and Samson, who've earned it. Everybody else is auditioning.

Ahmmon watched the tape multiple times and here were his biggest gripes.

Darian Mensah getting drilled on free runs - A safety got a free release from eight yards out and hit Mensah full speed, untouched, right in the ribs. Ahmmon's blunt about it: that cannot happen. Mensah is one of the best quarterbacks in college football, and you can't let him play scared or uncomfortable in the pocket because the interior can't communicate. That's on the guards, not on him.

He wants to see the guards fight back, literally - He doesn't see any "nasty streak" from the interior. Guys get put on the ground and just stay there instead of getting up and looking for the next rep to make right. He compared it to watching a street fight where one guy won't swing back. He's not saying these guys lack toughness as people, he's saying it's not showing up on gameday yet.

The screen-heavy second half wasn't Dawson being scared; it was self-preservation - Ahmmon defended the play-calling shift. If your interior can't create push and your quarterback keeps getting popped, you check the ball down and get it out fast. Wake Forest sensed the O-line couldn't handle stunts and mug looks in the interior and they just kept living there. Every team left on the schedule saw that tape too, and they're going to do the same thing until Miami proves it can block it.

The tackles have been the opposite of the preseason question mark - Coming out of camp, the concern was whether Samson could hold up and how McCoy would handle tackle. Instead, the tackles have been "lights out" and it's the interior that's been the problem. Mark Fletcher will hit a 15-20 yard run on a good rep and then the next snap is a two-yard loss. That inconsistency, Ahmmon says, is the O-line's Achilles heel right now, and it has to get fixed by finding a way to string together at least a couple of consistent quarters before we ask for more.

Cantwell's spring hype was real, and so is the adjustment - Ahmmon owns some of the offseason praise. Cantwell was performing at left tackle in the spring, blocking one-on-ones cleanly. But practice reps against the same D-linemen every day aren't the same as a live game against a new opponent who's scouted your weaknesses and is going to attack them for four quarters. Guard is also a new position for him, and there's a mental adjustment that comes with that on top of a completely different level of competition.

He wants Cantwell on the field even knowing the risk - Ahmmon's honest that this could go either way. If Cantwell has three great series and then gets exposed once, the fanbase reaction could get ugly fast for a true freshman, especially with the money attached to his recruitment. But his take is you don't develop a player by keeping him on the bench. Put him in, let him take his lumps, and he'll learn by doing.

Putting it plainly: patience is not the same thing as satisfaction. We're not there yet up front, and everybody in that building knows it.

Check out the full breakdown on YouTube:

 

If the backups are no better, portal should’ve been utilized. Blame has to fall somewhere.

 

That tweet may have been an indication he received bad news.

Good!

 

That tweet may have been an indication he received bad news.

at the very least, a C in English.

 

With the lack of false starts thus far (knock on wood this stays that way and hopefully it is just better discipline) I think a more likely reason is the the OL l, specifically IOL, is letting the opposing DL attack them first instead of them starting the push. Rewatching the WF game I saw an IOL in the 2nd half that looked lazy and let WF stand them straight up almost immediately. I don’t know what is going to change but there’s no doubt Mario & Mirabel are going to figure it out in my opinion. Will this be a championship caliber OL by end of season? I have doubts on that but they will get better. This is a more Finesse offense than Power so the staff needs to realize that and adjust accordingly.

 

The question is who tf recruited this mfer to come here.

 

Just when I thought Mario was done being stubborn

 

The question is who tf recruited this mfer to come here.

He was recruited to be a Center. He's got the size and athleticism to be a Center. He does not have the size to be a Guard. He's playing out of position, which is an indictment on the staff because, only 1 of 2 things can be true:

1. He's a good center, or perhaps going to be a good center, but someone is ahead of him who is better right now
2. He's not a good center, so he's a bust

Neither of those situations result in him playing Guard. The fact that, in Year 5, we don't have a better Guard than him is definitely a failure by the staff. He's not good enough to play Guard here. It was cute to try to think so in camp, but he's tiny. We all just watched Anez Cooper, Samson, McCoy, Rivers etc. etc play guard here for the last several years. This dude looks like an infant next to every single one of those kids.

I really don't think this kid is dominating Ahmad Moten and Justin Scott and Keona Davis in practice, although maybe I'm wrong. I'd be shocked if I am. So, the staff sees that, and yet they believe this is the best option we have, which is terrifying. They're not playing him there because they're "stubborn", they're playing him there because they feel he gives them the best option they have to win games. Which is, again, terrifying.

Last thing, he was a very highly ranked recruit. So it's not like we pulled this kid out of the kitchen as Islas Canarias. But he was recruited to play a position he's not playing now. He can't play the position he's being asked to play now. He's a midget (relatively speaking for what that position calls for at this level).

 

@DMoney
Love the callout of the sensitive “adults” today.

 

He was recruited to be a Center. He's got the size and athleticism to be a Center. He does not have the size to be a Guard. He's playing out of position, which is an indictment on the staff because, only 1 of 2 things can be true:

1. He's a good center, or perhaps going to be a good center, but someone is ahead of him who is better right now
2. He's not a good center, so he's a bust

Neither of those situations result in him playing Guard. The fact that, in Year 5, we don't have a better Guard than him is definitely a failure by the staff. He's not good enough to play Guard here. It was cute to try to think so in camp, but he's tiny. We all just watched Anez Cooper, Samson, McCoy, Rivers etc. etc play guard here for the last several years. This dude looks like an infant next to every single one of those kids.

I really don't think this kid is dominating Ahmad Moten and Justin Scott and Keona Davis in practice, although maybe I'm wrong. I'd be shocked if I am. So, the staff sees that, and yet they believe this is the best option we have, which is terrifying. They're not playing him there because they're "stubborn", they're playing him there because they feel he gives them the best option they have to win games. Which is, again, terrifying.

Last thing, he was a very highly ranked recruit. So it's not like we pulled this kid out of the kitchen as Islas Canarias. But he was recruited to play a position he's not playing now. He can't play the position he's being asked to play now. He's a midget (relatively speaking for what that position calls for at this level).

If i'm not mistaken, based on what @DMoney said, the cute part is rotating Cantwell and Cogdon at LG all camp and then starting SJ.

 

With Francis, even with his struggles freshman year you can see quickly how he flashed. I don’t see any of that with Buchanan, SJ or Ryan.

 

The question is who tf recruited this mfer to come here.

He was recruited to be a Center. He's got the size and athleticism to be a Center. He does not have the size to be a Guard. He's playing out of position, which is an indictment on the staff because, only 1 of 2 things can be true:

1. He's a good center, or perhaps going to be a good center, but someone is ahead of him who is better right now
2. He's not a good center, so he's a bust

Neither of those situations result in him playing Guard. The fact that, in Year 5, we don't have a better Guard than him is definitely a failure by the staff. He's not good enough to play Guard here. It was cute to try to think so in camp, but he's tiny. We all just watched Anez Cooper, Samson, McCoy, Rivers etc. etc play guard here for the last several years. This dude looks like an infant next to every single one of those kids.

I really don't think this kid is dominating Ahmad Moten and Justin Scott and Keona Davis in practice, although maybe I'm wrong. I'd be shocked if I am. So, the staff sees that, and yet they believe this is the best option we have, which is terrifying. They're not playing him there because they're "stubborn", they're playing him there because they feel he gives them the best option they have to win games. Which is, again, terrifying.

Last thing, he was a very highly ranked recruit. So it's not like we pulled this kid out of the kitchen as Islas Canarias. But he was recruited to play a position he's not playing now. He can't play the position he's being asked to play now. He's a midget (relatively speaking for what that position calls for at this level).

But he never played center that’s just a projection based on his size. So you have a guy who appears to can’t play guard and reportedly still has work to do as a center

 

He was recruited to be a Center. He's got the size and athleticism to be a Center. He does not have the size to be a Guard. He's playing out of position, which is an indictment on the staff because, only 1 of 2 things can be true:

1. He's a good center, or perhaps going to be a good center, but someone is ahead of him who is better right now
2. He's not a good center, so he's a bust

Neither of those situations result in him playing Guard. The fact that, in Year 5, we don't have a better Guard than him is definitely a failure by the staff. He's not good enough to play Guard here. It was cute to try to think so in camp, but he's tiny. We all just watched Anez Cooper, Samson, McCoy, Rivers etc. etc play guard here for the last several years. This dude looks like an infant next to every single one of those kids.

I really don't think this kid is dominating Ahmad Moten and Justin Scott and Keona Davis in practice, although maybe I'm wrong. I'd be shocked if I am. So, the staff sees that, and yet they believe this is the best option we have, which is terrifying. They're not playing him there because they're "stubborn", they're playing him there because they feel he gives them the best option they have to win games. Which is, again, terrifying.

Last thing, he was a very highly ranked recruit. So it's not like we pulled this kid out of the kitchen as Islas Canarias. But he was recruited to play a position he's not playing now. He can't play the position he's being asked to play now. He's a midget (relatively speaking for what that position calls for at this level).

This. And it will cost us games this year. Every team we play from here on out is going to key on this guy. WF second half gave the blueprint. And the fact that this kid apparently can't snap the ball, and thus can't play center, is ******* astounding and malpractice by Mirabal. He has had several years to learn how to snap at this level.

 

I hate to be so simple, but if the starters are not good, and the backups can’t beat out the starters, then we have a huge problem. And Mario has no problem playing young players

 

We see this all the time. Porsters thinking they know better than the coaches anointing players on the bench when in actuality they don’t know their *** from a hole in the ground.

How can anyone seriously think Mario and Mirabal are playing players that are worse than ones sitting on the bench. That narrative is as dumb as it gets.

Wasn’t ok to question Mario and Mirabal’s HS OL evaluations from ‘24 and ‘25, but here we are…

And now everyone wants to freak out. The pendulum always swings in both directions too hard. The truth lies somewhere in the middle - although as we’ve seen time and time again, this staff plays vets over young guys just to reward seniority too. There’s politics just like at other programs.

And I think that’s going on in this case. How long will it go on? We’ll see.

 

With Francis, even with his struggles freshman year you can see quickly how he flashed. I don’t see any of that with Buchanan, SJ or Ryan.

Francis is an entirely different level of athlete than any of those 3. We might not see another one like him for a bit. He's still dominating in NY.

 

Francis was not perfect his TF season. He allowed 23 pressures and was penalized 9 times, by far the most on the team. But we all remember the block he had against Louisville in space, how he improved with each game and series.

Point is, even the 5-star OL will have growing pains. No one should care if Cantwell struggles here and there. But like Ahmmon said, he cannot take lumps or learn to adjust on the fly if he’s riding pine.

Start him.

cantwell is not in mauigoa's league as a freshman

 

We see this all the time. Porsters thinking they know better than the coaches anointing players on the bench when in actuality they don’t know their *** from a hole in the ground.

How can anyone seriously think Mario and Mirabal are playing players that are worse than ones sitting on the bench. That narrative is as dumb as it gets.

idk clearly happens at LB, TE, and McCoy started every game last season over Samson. Damari?… sometimes they absolutely do just that

 

I love AR and I love the show now. I listen to it every day. One thing I would respectfully disagree with is the idea that we have to be considerate of McCoy’s new position and the fact that he wants to play that position. At the end of the day, these guys are all highly paid athletes now. This is professional sports. It would be better for him to be at guard and for Cantwell to be at tackle. I just hope the coaches make that decision because, at the very least, it gives you two powerful players up front, and you have to assume Cantwell can be powerful in the run game. I don’t know, man. A bad interior offensive line can make every game close and can ruin a season. So my hope is that they figure something out here.

this ... it almost feels like we're held hostage because he doesn't want to kick inside

 

I said it week 1 in the gameday thread that I didn’t like the DL or IOL play. DL is finding its legs. IOL has not, and if it can’t, we will drop some games we have no business dropping. Things need to get fixed in a hurry.

wilson alluded to getting better rhythm because they played longer

 

I genuinely don't understand.

And I'll even acknowledge that, maybe you're completely out to lunch and you think you know how to identify talent better than college football coaches, so go ahead and say the kids on the bench should be playing more. You're VERY likely wrong, but I have no problem with that. Go nuts.

But saying the coaches know the kids on the bench are better and don't play them because they're "stubborn" (this is my new least favorite word, it's gone from "meddling" to this), is the dumbest ******* thing I've ever heard.

Lmao.

It’s alsways funny to me when posters defend coaches starting KNOWN BELOW AVERAGE TO BAD players and don’t even try to play the others because of “potential mistakes”.

This has been the case more than any at LB specificallly. But make absolutely zero mistake Mario and Mirabal want things at OL and the run game done THEIR WAY. And they absolutely are predisposed to have “their guys” or vets be the ones playing.

We have seen all last yr SJ missed literally every single block as a TE/FB. We knew his absolute outlier size at Guard, and that he should only ever have received A SINGLE SNAP at center. And then we see what he did on game day and it was ***.

So what is more likely, staff didn’t know SJ was a known commodity, or they stilll chose to play him anyways? They have a habit of playing a handful of players no matter what.

If a player is KNOWN to be bad, bs the possibility of the next guy in line but with clearly more upside also making mistakes, it’s obvious who you should go with. Especially so in CFB where young more talented players can develop fast with more PT. I will say I get OLine being more conservative with having to play the super younger players, but they definitely make these decisions all the time at other positions, and it’s obvious. It doesn’t matter what a guy like Bauman or Chase Smith actually does on the field, they won’t lose snaps….