In a recent press conference on Monday, Miami defensive coordinator Lance Guidry shed light on the intricacies of his team's performance and preparations. With insights into the team's strategy, execution, and assessment of upcoming challenges, Guidry's candid remarks provide a deeper understanding of the coaching philosophy behind the scenes.
On Facing Bobby Petrino and The Challenge of His Offense
When asked about Bobby Petrino, a seasoned play caller, Coach Guidry said, "I think he's evolved as a play caller over the years. He's not stuck in his ways. I think he's a student of the game, and he's been successful where he's been. A lot of respect to him, really good football coach."The challenge doesn't end there. Guidry pointed out what makes Petrino's offense difficult to defend: "I think he knows how to get the players the football...I think he does a good job of putting the guys in spots to make plays."
On A&M QB Conner Weigman
Guidry shared his observations on the Aggies' quarterback, Conner Weigman, describing him as "athletic" and drawing parallels to a wide receiver in his running style. He acknowledged Wegman's talent, highlighting his arm strength and release, saying “he looks like a five-star" prospect.
Asked how he believes his cornerbacks will match up with A&M’s wide receivers, Guidry's cautious optimism shone through. "That’s why you play the game,” Guidry said with a smile. “You don't know how your guys are gonna play till you get out there. You gotta give them the best information you can and know what to expect. Sometimes when you get in the game, people start doing a lot of different wrinkles and it becomes one-on-one battles. But we will fight.”
Defensive Challenges and Clarity
"I thought the guys that went out there early on played really hard, it was sound. I thought we ran to the football, we tackled well. I thought that was really big. You really don't know how you're going to tackle in game one, but I thought we played with a lot of great effort and guys ran to the ball and even when a guy missed another one was there. So I thought we were pretty clean for the most part."
Guidry emphasized that the challenge this week would be "big boy ball."
On Leonard Taylor
Guidry was asked about the limited snaps that projected first-round pick Leonard Taylor played against Miami (OH).
“Well, we're in a rotation right now, and you get in the game and you rotate guys and put different guys in, you don't know how long the series will last, but we played him about as much as we needed him, the player wanted him to play the other night. Still getting in shape to where he can last throughout games, so through the course of the season his rep count will go up. And we need Leonard to play well because Leonard can really be a force inside."
Rushing the Passer
Guidry gave his thoughts on the pass rush performance against Miami (OH) and explained why he did not have his unit teeing off at full force.
“We really challenged those guys to really stay in their rush lanes and cage the quarterback because probably the scariest thing was him getting out and creating plays with his feet and he's a small guy and we were scared that we wouldn't be able to see him. So all week we were saying cage him, cage him, cage him. You know, keep him in the cage. We didn't really want to rush past him. I thought we did that for the most part. We got a sack on the first series. We got one later then he just started trying to get the ball out of his hand really fast and he started scrambling a little bit and throwing it away. So we ended up getting three sacks on the day, we probably missed one, we should have got. Probably should have been around four or five, but I thought we did a good job of rushing the passer."
Safeties and Their Role
Guidry discussed the roles of his safeties, praising their performance in the game. He acknowledged the challenges posed by speedier opponents, hinting at potential adjustments and increased involvement in the game plan. The safeties' roles are expected to expand as the season progresses.
“Kam didn't get a lot of action, but he had two really big hits ran the alley well. James had a good pressure one time – James probably should have blitzed and switched with the other defensive back, he didn't, but I thought they played they were sound. They'll get challenged a lot more this week, there'll be a lot more speed on the field and we'll have a lot more in the game plan probably this week so their role will pick up probably a lot."
On Davonte and Damari Brown
Miami’s defensive coordinator was asked about the Canes debut of the Brown brothers at cornerback, and explained that it will continue to be a position with tons of rotation.
“They did good. The young guy (Damari) kind of got his first taste of college football – he didn’t look back for the ball one time, but he’ll get better. He didn't look spooked or scared by any means so the more he plays, the better he’s going to play. His brother (Davonte) played more snaps than him. I’m excited we’ve got a bunch of guys we can plug in and play whoever is hot, so we will continue to play a bunch of guys. “
