Sophomore defensive end Jonathan Garvin has been a huge part of a defensive front that has led the nation in TFL this season with 35. So far, Garvin has racked up 6 TFL and 1 sack among his 18 tackles, which is second-most on the team.
“It means we’re doing what we’re supposed to do because that’s a goal we set and we’re achieving it,” Garvin said. “All we have to do is keep being in our playbook, being in film study, and keep doing what we’re supposed to do so we can make it happen.”
After recording 3 TFL in the first game against LSU, Garvin says he, along with Gerald Willis, have begun seeing double-teams the past two weeks.
“What everyone likes to do is not leave any of us with one-on-one matchups since the first game,” Garvin said. “Since the first game, they did that once and regretted it. It won’t just be double teams on (Willis).”
While Willis has been the leader in production for this Miami defensive line through 3 games, he has also been a leader off the field for the young guys like Garvin.
“We talk to each other and basically teach each other and take from each other’s game,” Garvin said on Willis. “We sit there and talk and to see him asking questions in meetings, it really encourages us, especially the young guys including me, to ask questions and learn what we need to do so when we go in the game we know what we need to do.”
When talking about the change in Willis from past years, Garvin points to his “attitude and personality.”
“I haven’t really known him as long as everyone else, but you can see it clearly,” Garvin said. “Each day it was dramatic improvements and he became from whatever he was to a model citizen from what I can see… I can see the sincerity in what he was doing and the changes he was trying to make. He was trying to be great and it’s pretty cool to see somebody achieve what they were trying to achieve.”
Garvin will be part of the UM defense trying to slow down an FIU offense that just recorded a program record in points in a game (63).
“They scored a lot of points last game and we’re going to take it just as serious as we take any other game. No different,” Garvin said. “I think we’re all just going to go out there, play as hard as we can, and have a good time. I think the fans are going to enjoy it, as well.”
**Sophomore corner Trajan Bandy was part of a UM secondary that, for the most part, played well against a high-powered Toledo air attack last week. However, after senior safety Jaquan Johnson left the game last week with a hamstring injury near the end of the first half, Toledo’s passing offense took off a bit, scoring on 4 straight drives before Miami’s defense clamped down in the fourth quarter.
“Well, I feel like somebody has to speak up,” Bandy said on the mid-game hiccup. “And you have to fight through adversity. Things weren’t going our way in the first half, you know, we let up a couple balls. But the second half, we needed guys to be more vocal. And speak up. That was good for us, I think we spoke up well and we responded well.”
When asked who has been a vocal leader in the secondary this season, Bandy pointed to himself.
“I have been the guy in the game when things were going wrong,” Bandy said. “I was trying to get the energy going, letting the guys know that we are still in this; we still got more ball to play. Right now, I feel like everybody is in practice just being more vocal.”
Being a local kid, Bandy will know more than a few players on the other side when Miami takes on FIU on Saturday. However, to Bandy, matching up against the Panthers is no different than last week’s game against the Rockets.
“I don’t really get too much into that stuff. I just go out there and play my game,” Bandy said on FIU. “It is just another team, just another opponent. And we just have to go out here and do what we have been doing in practice. It is our preparation in practice that determines the outcome of a game. So that is what we are going to do. Just go out there and play our game.”
On FIU’s wide receivers: “Well, those guys are good. You know, they are fast. They are just like every other team. Just another matchup for us to go out there and play hard. They’ve got some guys that can really get the ball.”
**After Wednesday’s practice, junior DT Patrick Bethel said leading the nation in tackles for loss is “just a testament to the entire defense. Whether it’s the coaches calling the plays and stuff like that or all of us on the defensive side are playing together like that and stopping dudes before they get to the line, that’s always a big deal. And being able to lead the country is huge. We will try to keep that up.”
As Miami’s #2 DT, Bethel has recorded 6 total tackles, along with 0.5 sacks/TFL so far in 2018.
“I think I have played good,” Bethel said. “But, you know, there is always room for improvement. I got to do better each and every play. You’ve got to try and get better on your last play. And if you can do that we got a team full of monsters.”
Bethel also knocked down a pass at the line last week against Toledo and expanded on the idea of impacting the game in different ways.
“They call it competitive excellence here,” Bethel said. “One of the things coach [Todd] Hartley always says in the special team meetings is, ‘Will you make the play when your number is called?’ You don’t know whose number is going to be called on what play. But you have got to be in a position to make the play. You have got to be in position, that you are doing your job, doing it well. And you know, what happens, happens. Whoever makes that play is whose number was called.”
UM’s #1 DT Gerald Willis has had something of a breakout season this year and was named a captain for the FIU game for the second time this season.
“He earned it. That is what that captain title, that ‘C’ on the jersey, means,” Bethel said on Willis. “He earned that completely; 100-percent.”
With a team-leading 7 TFL and 2 sacks, Willis’ performance inspires Bethel and the rest of the D-Line to make plays throughout the game each week.
“That is my brother, and I enjoy every time I get to go out there,” Bethel said. “You know, seeing him snap like that, pushes everybody else to go even harder. And I just enjoy playing, with not just him, but all of them.
“We make it a big part (of the game)… especially on the D-line, to kind of fire each other up. And you know, guys seeing him do that is like, ‘okay, I got to get him now. I have got to compete with him now.’ And I think that is a big part about pushing each other.”
“It means we’re doing what we’re supposed to do because that’s a goal we set and we’re achieving it,” Garvin said. “All we have to do is keep being in our playbook, being in film study, and keep doing what we’re supposed to do so we can make it happen.”
After recording 3 TFL in the first game against LSU, Garvin says he, along with Gerald Willis, have begun seeing double-teams the past two weeks.
“What everyone likes to do is not leave any of us with one-on-one matchups since the first game,” Garvin said. “Since the first game, they did that once and regretted it. It won’t just be double teams on (Willis).”
While Willis has been the leader in production for this Miami defensive line through 3 games, he has also been a leader off the field for the young guys like Garvin.
“We talk to each other and basically teach each other and take from each other’s game,” Garvin said on Willis. “We sit there and talk and to see him asking questions in meetings, it really encourages us, especially the young guys including me, to ask questions and learn what we need to do so when we go in the game we know what we need to do.”
When talking about the change in Willis from past years, Garvin points to his “attitude and personality.”
“I haven’t really known him as long as everyone else, but you can see it clearly,” Garvin said. “Each day it was dramatic improvements and he became from whatever he was to a model citizen from what I can see… I can see the sincerity in what he was doing and the changes he was trying to make. He was trying to be great and it’s pretty cool to see somebody achieve what they were trying to achieve.”
Garvin will be part of the UM defense trying to slow down an FIU offense that just recorded a program record in points in a game (63).
“They scored a lot of points last game and we’re going to take it just as serious as we take any other game. No different,” Garvin said. “I think we’re all just going to go out there, play as hard as we can, and have a good time. I think the fans are going to enjoy it, as well.”
**Sophomore corner Trajan Bandy was part of a UM secondary that, for the most part, played well against a high-powered Toledo air attack last week. However, after senior safety Jaquan Johnson left the game last week with a hamstring injury near the end of the first half, Toledo’s passing offense took off a bit, scoring on 4 straight drives before Miami’s defense clamped down in the fourth quarter.
“Well, I feel like somebody has to speak up,” Bandy said on the mid-game hiccup. “And you have to fight through adversity. Things weren’t going our way in the first half, you know, we let up a couple balls. But the second half, we needed guys to be more vocal. And speak up. That was good for us, I think we spoke up well and we responded well.”
When asked who has been a vocal leader in the secondary this season, Bandy pointed to himself.
“I have been the guy in the game when things were going wrong,” Bandy said. “I was trying to get the energy going, letting the guys know that we are still in this; we still got more ball to play. Right now, I feel like everybody is in practice just being more vocal.”
Being a local kid, Bandy will know more than a few players on the other side when Miami takes on FIU on Saturday. However, to Bandy, matching up against the Panthers is no different than last week’s game against the Rockets.
“I don’t really get too much into that stuff. I just go out there and play my game,” Bandy said on FIU. “It is just another team, just another opponent. And we just have to go out here and do what we have been doing in practice. It is our preparation in practice that determines the outcome of a game. So that is what we are going to do. Just go out there and play our game.”
On FIU’s wide receivers: “Well, those guys are good. You know, they are fast. They are just like every other team. Just another matchup for us to go out there and play hard. They’ve got some guys that can really get the ball.”
**After Wednesday’s practice, junior DT Patrick Bethel said leading the nation in tackles for loss is “just a testament to the entire defense. Whether it’s the coaches calling the plays and stuff like that or all of us on the defensive side are playing together like that and stopping dudes before they get to the line, that’s always a big deal. And being able to lead the country is huge. We will try to keep that up.”
As Miami’s #2 DT, Bethel has recorded 6 total tackles, along with 0.5 sacks/TFL so far in 2018.
“I think I have played good,” Bethel said. “But, you know, there is always room for improvement. I got to do better each and every play. You’ve got to try and get better on your last play. And if you can do that we got a team full of monsters.”
Bethel also knocked down a pass at the line last week against Toledo and expanded on the idea of impacting the game in different ways.
“They call it competitive excellence here,” Bethel said. “One of the things coach [Todd] Hartley always says in the special team meetings is, ‘Will you make the play when your number is called?’ You don’t know whose number is going to be called on what play. But you have got to be in a position to make the play. You have got to be in position, that you are doing your job, doing it well. And you know, what happens, happens. Whoever makes that play is whose number was called.”
UM’s #1 DT Gerald Willis has had something of a breakout season this year and was named a captain for the FIU game for the second time this season.
“He earned it. That is what that captain title, that ‘C’ on the jersey, means,” Bethel said on Willis. “He earned that completely; 100-percent.”
With a team-leading 7 TFL and 2 sacks, Willis’ performance inspires Bethel and the rest of the D-Line to make plays throughout the game each week.
“That is my brother, and I enjoy every time I get to go out there,” Bethel said. “You know, seeing him snap like that, pushes everybody else to go even harder. And I just enjoy playing, with not just him, but all of them.
“We make it a big part (of the game)… especially on the D-line, to kind of fire each other up. And you know, guys seeing him do that is like, ‘okay, I got to get him now. I have got to compete with him now.’ And I think that is a big part about pushing each other.”
