After coming off the bench and leading the Canes to a comeback victory over Pitt last week, Jarren Williams was named the starting quarterback by head coach Manny Diaz today for the rivalry road match-up vs. FSU on Saturday.
"My head is clear, I’m feeling good," Williams said. "I feel like we had a good week of preparation, I know the guys have that feeling that this is a different week. The focus and intensity is different."
This will be Williams’ first start after throwing 3 interceptions vs. Virginia Tech and subsequently taking a back seat to N’Kosi Perry for the past 3 games. However, Williams says he’s more than ready to be QB1 again and that playing in the Miami-FSU rivalry has been on his mind for a while now.
“I think about it all the time,” Williams said of going against the Noles. “It’s a business trip. I’m fired up. It’s going to be a physical battle. I feel that everyone knows we’re going against a very talented team.”
Although Williams was named the starting QB today, Diaz alluded to Williams being outworked off the field by Perry the past few weeks, which led to the original change in the first place. What has Williams learned about himself this season?
“I’m far from perfect,” Williams said. “I’ve had some things I can learn from - getting the ball out of my hands, being able to use my feet a little more to help the offense move the ball down the field.”
Williams was absent from practice last Wednesday, and not long after, there was a players-only meeting on Thursday to express some of the discord going on in the locker room after Miami’s then 3-4 start.
"When it comes from the heart, you really feel that," Williams said. "I feel like it brought us all closer."
In the three games where he wasn’t the starter, Williams said he never lost faith that he would eventually regain the job.
“I wasn’t concerned, I have high expectations for myself,” Williams said. “No matter how I’m feeling, I don’t throw three interceptions. That’s not something I’ve ever done… I had to just learn from it, see where I went wrong… Just have to be smarter with the ball.”
Former Hurricanes starting QB’s Gino Torretta and Malik Rosier have privately shown support for Williams over the last few weeks and both have taken the time to talk to the young gunslinger.
“They just tell me stay positive, keep going, keep grinding,” Williams said.
"My head is clear, I’m feeling good," Williams said. "I feel like we had a good week of preparation, I know the guys have that feeling that this is a different week. The focus and intensity is different."
This will be Williams’ first start after throwing 3 interceptions vs. Virginia Tech and subsequently taking a back seat to N’Kosi Perry for the past 3 games. However, Williams says he’s more than ready to be QB1 again and that playing in the Miami-FSU rivalry has been on his mind for a while now.
“I think about it all the time,” Williams said of going against the Noles. “It’s a business trip. I’m fired up. It’s going to be a physical battle. I feel that everyone knows we’re going against a very talented team.”
Although Williams was named the starting QB today, Diaz alluded to Williams being outworked off the field by Perry the past few weeks, which led to the original change in the first place. What has Williams learned about himself this season?
“I’m far from perfect,” Williams said. “I’ve had some things I can learn from - getting the ball out of my hands, being able to use my feet a little more to help the offense move the ball down the field.”
Williams was absent from practice last Wednesday, and not long after, there was a players-only meeting on Thursday to express some of the discord going on in the locker room after Miami’s then 3-4 start.
"When it comes from the heart, you really feel that," Williams said. "I feel like it brought us all closer."
In the three games where he wasn’t the starter, Williams said he never lost faith that he would eventually regain the job.
“I wasn’t concerned, I have high expectations for myself,” Williams said. “No matter how I’m feeling, I don’t throw three interceptions. That’s not something I’ve ever done… I had to just learn from it, see where I went wrong… Just have to be smarter with the ball.”
Former Hurricanes starting QB’s Gino Torretta and Malik Rosier have privately shown support for Williams over the last few weeks and both have taken the time to talk to the young gunslinger.
“They just tell me stay positive, keep going, keep grinding,” Williams said.
![crossover22[]_[]](https://data.canesinsight.com/avatars/s/2/2075.jpg?1518149361){kind=avatar}
