Miami head coach Mario Cristobal met with the press on Monday. He shared his thoughts on the loss, team morale, the upcoming game, the injury status and the senior class. And more!
On his overall mood…
“Certainly coming off the bye week, a week of some really good work, getting some guys healed up a little bit. We're nursing and some injuries and just really working hard as a staff to improve every aspect of our program as we head into our final home game. Twenty-seven (27) seniors that will be honored, conference game, most important game of the year, and the great opportunity against a really good football team that's got some good players and is very well coached.”
Making changes after a loss…
"I think everybody's behind the way we go and about our way here. I don't think you change who you are and your approach to football. I don't think you as a coach all of a sudden want to change your intensity levels and try to be macho, tough guy. We go hard and we're intense and we're physical and we don't fake. We don't like fakes, we don't like phonies. We don't like BS. We like real deal, people that get after it. Like hard asses, pardon of my language.
“And I think this team, the staff took that loss hard. Without getting into any of the generic, what do you say? Wake up calls, all those taglines and what not. It increases your awareness of the fact that college football is difficult. Winning is difficult, and that when you have 10 games, 11 games on tape, if you have things that you need to correct, and you're not all the way there. You're going to get hit on that week after week. So that's why the bye week has been so valuable. We've had time to work on communication number one, which is critically important, alignments and assignment. All those things done well, provide confidence. Let you play fast, let you play hard. And we've had to do a better job coaching it. I think we have. Players have done a better job learning it. I think they have. And we're looking forward to putting that to action on Saturday.”
On the value of a bye week…
It's a long season. It's not like the NFL. I know there's a lot of talk about roster size changes and everything else and people say, 'Well, the NFL has, I don't even, I'm not even following the NFL. I guess, 53 man roster, 46 on Sundays and a practice roster. But if you look at the year for an NFL team, they cycle through 120 plus players, and it's ready-made, players as players on the on the waiver wire, right? They have played football, that have had played multiple years of football, that understand the game— technique, fundamentals. And in college football, you don't because 30 plus of those guys are new guys, that are learning systems, that are learning processes. So it's the value of the repetition, the value of time invested getting guys in play, experience on your roster — it's monumental. You know, it's about as important as it gets.”
On Senior Day…
"Always the most valuable part. They're the core. And they have an experience that's very unique. I'm talking about the guys that have been here for a little bit. They've seen change, they've endured hardship, they've seen some tough times. They've gone through struggles. I mean, it's an education that is priceless. The class that just walked in has had a very different path, and I would say educational piece to their development as compared to the ones that we're talking about. The guys like Elijah Arroyo and guys like Xavier Restrepo. Guys that have been here and still, you know, some have time, some don't, but it's it's really unique, what they've done, what they've gone through, and I think it's made them more callous, in a good way, certainly has grown their resilience and has helped others understand the importance and their urgency as it relates to every day right? As it relates to every part of your preparation, as it relates to, you know, everything 1-0.”
Miami will host the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on Saturday at the “Rock.” Kickoff is set for 12:00 p.m. ET. Coverage will be provided by ESPN and WQAM-560.
GO CANES!
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