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 I were sitting in Mario’s shoes today, this is what I would do.

I would have a meeting with the OL room, and them only. I’d explain that the interior simply isn’t good enough to win a championship, and changes have to be made. Cantwell looked great at LT in camp, we all saw it, so he’s at LT now. Pancake takes one for the team and slides inside beside him (Pancake has shown more than enough on tape to prove he’s an elite tackle or guard, he’s a 1st round lock). Interior line instantly gets a huge boost. Rodriguez keeps his job for now, but he’s informed he’s on a short leash. Get your **** together, or Woodrow is taking your spot. Congdon takes over for Buchanan because he has better bend than Cantwell currently, so he’s the RG. McCoy stays at RT.

I’ll probably get flamed for this one, but I’m simply saying that’s the gamble I would take, and yes, it’s a massive gamble. But what else can we do? We just can’t keep trotting out SJ and Max inside and expect different results. They’ve more than proven they aren’t ready to play, and may never be good enough to start for this program. The standard has changed, folks. We expect playoff runs and championships now, which is exactly what the expectation should have always been. And if we want any shot at going all the way, this is the change that has to be made right away, in my humble opinion. I’d like to see that lineup Saturday just to see what it looks like, at least.

 

Agree with Ahmmon in his criticism of the IOL's toughness.

They play with zero mean streak at the moment.

Beyond skill, we are missing Anez's and Cici's attitude and straight belligerence.

 

If I were sitting in Mario’s shoes today, this is what I would do.

I would have a meeting with the OL room, and them only. I’d explain that the interior simply isn’t good enough to win a championship, and changes have to be made. Cantwell looked great at LT in camp, we all saw it, so he’s at LT now. Pancake takes one for the team and slides inside beside him (Pancake has shown more than enough on tape to prove he’s an elite tackle or guard, he’s a 1st round lock). Interior line instantly gets a huge boost. Rodriguez keeps his job for now, but he’s informed he’s on a short leash. Get your **** together, or Woodrow is taking your spot. Congdon takes over for Buchanan because he has better bend than Cantwell currently, so he’s the RG. McCoy stays at RT.

I’ll probably get flamed for this one, but I’m simply saying that’s the gamble I would take, and yes, it’s a massive gamble. But what else can we do? We just can’t keep trotting out SJ and Max inside and expect different results. They’ve more than proven they aren’t ready to play, and may never be good enough to start for this program. The standard has changed, folks. We expect playoff runs and championships now, which is exactly what the expectation should have always been. And if we want any shot at going all the way, this is the change that has to be made right away, in my humble opinion. I’d like to see that lineup Saturday just to see what it looks like, at least.

McCoy inside Cantwell to RT, Samson stays at LT. Congdon rotates with Max, RR rotates with Woodrow. This should have been the plan from week 1

 

If I were sitting in Mario’s shoes today, this is what I would do.

I would have a meeting with the OL room, and them only. I’d explain that the interior simply isn’t good enough to win a championship, and changes have to be made. Cantwell looked great at LT in camp, we all saw it, so he’s at LT now. Pancake takes one for the team and slides inside beside him (Pancake has shown more than enough on tape to prove he’s an elite tackle or guard, he’s a 1st round lock). Interior line instantly gets a huge boost. Rodriguez keeps his job for now, but he’s informed he’s on a short leash. Get your **** together, or Woodrow is taking your spot. Congdon takes over for Buchanan because he has better bend than Cantwell currently, so he’s the RG. McCoy stays at RT.

I’ll probably get flamed for this one, but I’m simply saying that’s the gamble I would take, and yes, it’s a massive gamble. But what else can we do? We just can’t keep trotting out SJ and Max inside and expect different results. They’ve more than proven they aren’t ready to play, and may never be good enough to start for this program. The standard has changed, folks. We expect playoff runs and championships now, which is exactly what the expectation should have always been. And if we want any shot at going all the way, this is the change that has to be made right away, in my humble opinion. I’d like to see that lineup Saturday just to see what it looks like, at least.

McCoy inside Cantwell to RT, Samson stays at LT. Congdon rotates with Max, RR rotates with Woodrow. This should have been the plan from week 1

I could go for this also.

 

I could go for this also.

I feel like this is the only way the line can have the appropriate mass and girth to get nasty.

Pause, I eat *** @Confidence1000

 

Soo annoying how we didn’t go get more help in The portal. Not having the second portal window prob played a big part

 

I could go for this also.

I feel like this is the only way the line can have the appropriate mass and girth to get nasty.

Pause, I eat *** @Confidence1000

I also think moving RR to guard, along with McCoy would solidify things inside. RR isn’t athletic enough to play center at a high level but I believe Woodrow is, and can. But do we trust a freshman snapping the ball and making line calls? Or maybe you just let Mensah do line calls? **** it, all I can do is speculate on what will be done and what should be done. I know the coaches see what I see on film. It couldn’t be more obvious where the problem is. How you go about fixing it is a completely different story, and they’ll have a chance to prove to us once again they’re the best in the business at developing the OL. It’s not gonna happen by Saturday. It’ll probably be a little better by the Clemson game. I expect to see a significant change/improvement after we get back from the bye week to play the Semenholes.

 

McCoy inside Cantwell to RT, Samson stays at LT. Congdon rotates with Max, RR rotates with Woodrow. This should have been the plan from week 1

I’d do backflips if this happened and eventually Woodrow takes over as full time C.

 

Soo annoying how we didn’t go get more help in The portal. Not having the second portal window prob played a big part

You don’t get anywhere without an OL and 3/5 of it are useless right now.

 

I’ve always been a huge OL guy and preaching how important it is if you want to make a run for a title, etc. That’s why I’m so frustrated with this group not named McCoy and Samson because those two have been solid so far.

I knew Rodriguez wasn’t the answer when they decided to not pursue a C in the portal and I was willing to give SJ and Buchanan a fair shake. Especially when Mario is a OL guru and Alex is one of the best in the business. But the stubbornness from those two not seeing what us fans see makes me scratch my balls. I have no idea why there hasn’t been more of a rotation inside.

 

Put Cantwell in the lineup at tackle, left or right whichever one he's most comfortable with, and put McCoy or Sampson back at guard. I think Cantwell can play tackle better than SJ can play guard, and McCoy and Sampson can do it all.

 

Yeah, I dunno but I’m feeling a little mopey

 

Yeah, I dunno but I’m feeling a little mopey

I’m just ****y about the OL, LBs (Specifically 2 people) and Damari Brown. Marty Brown and Josh Moore being out for the year doesn’t help my mood either.

 

There are a lot of reasons that go into whether a player gets PT or not. Maybe the other guys don’t understand the scheme, they are not holding up the standards off the field, prone to penalties, prone to missing assignments, communication, etc.

If we are talking from a pure physical standpoint, there’s no way the behemoths from the 2025 class…Minaya, Wilkerson, or Campbell can perform the same or better considering the amount of whiffs and lack of technique we are seeing from SJ and Buchanan. I understand if they are dealing with injuries, but I’ve watched the film, every single one of those dudes are big, pause, and can move.

Size matters, pause . I can guarantee if they just put some size and athleticism on the OL, they will see an improvement from a physical standpoint.

I’m certain if they went out there with a lineup of
Samson-Wilkerson-RR-McCoy-Cantwell, the push will be significantly better.

 

McCoy wasn’t a very good OG last year. He actually a better tackle than guard and it’s not even close

This is what happens when you recruit tackle types for a couple of years and have players hit the portal. Would plazz or kinsler put one of the two starting Gs on the bench?

As for someone else playing for SJ….can it really get that much worse?

 

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.

It's funny how Fitzgerald had absolutely no problem moving to corner, even though he's our best Safety.

 

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

All that can be said to that is this, he better be practicing his snapping every single day moving forward because that’s his only chance to play here on the field, is at center.

 

If I were sitting in Mario’s shoes today, this is what I would do.

I would have a meeting with the OL room, and them only. I’d explain that the interior simply isn’t good enough to win a championship, and changes have to be made. Cantwell looked great at LT in camp, we all saw it, so he’s at LT now. Pancake takes one for the team and slides inside beside him (Pancake has shown more than enough on tape to prove he’s an elite tackle or guard, he’s a 1st round lock). Interior line instantly gets a huge boost. Rodriguez keeps his job for now, but he’s informed he’s on a short leash. Get your **** together, or Woodrow is taking your spot. Congdon takes over for Buchanan because he has better bend than Cantwell currently, so he’s the RG. McCoy stays at RT.

I’ll probably get flamed for this one, but I’m simply saying that’s the gamble I would take, and yes, it’s a massive gamble. But what else can we do? We just can’t keep trotting out SJ and Max inside and expect different results. They’ve more than proven they aren’t ready to play, and may never be good enough to start for this program. The standard has changed, folks. We expect playoff runs and championships now, which is exactly what the expectation should have always been. And if we want any shot at going all the way, this is the change that has to be made right away, in my humble opinion. I’d like to see that lineup Saturday just to see what it looks like, at least.

I stopped reading once you said you’re going to move our best offensive lineman, pancake off the most important position on the offensive line for a freshman! Lol get real dude, get real. SMH

 

McCoy inside Cantwell to RT, Samson stays at LT. Congdon rotates with Max, RR rotates with Woodrow. This should have been the plan from week 1

Now this right here, is the way and I agree, should’ve been done from the start.

 

Sisi as a true freshman looked miles better than Cantwell does currently, to my eyes. Literally not even close.

Makes sense, too. Sisi had elite coaching and training and practiced/played against some of the best players in the country every single day. Cantwell is from a one-stoplight town in Bum****, Earth. He obviously has the size and strength, but the technique, fluidity, decisiveness, confidence....just doesn't look anywhere close to how Sisi looked that first month of 2023, and yes he was taking his lumps back then.

IMO Cantwell should absolutely be playing, and should have been once the game got to be 31-13 last week, but he's not a startable player right now. He plays way too high and is way too robotic.

Agree with all this, but regardless of Cantwells limitations right now, he is still better than SJ at any position on that line. He needs to be on there in his place stat!