In a postgame press conference, head coach Mario Cristobal gave his take on Miami's performance against Miami (Ohio). It was a solid 38-3 win, and while the team showed promise, Cristobal emphasized that there is much to improve upon.
Pressure on Offense, Solid Drives
Cristobal began by pointing out the initial pressure the team exerted on the Miami (Ohio) offense. "We put a lot of pressure on their offense and got us some really good field position early," Cristobal noted. Despite not capitalizing at all times, he praised his offense for piecing together "a couple of good drives."Stumbling a bit in the red zone, Miami managed to pull together for a field goal before halftime. "That one field goal before halftime brought a lot of momentum," Cristobal said, highlighting the offense's efforts.
A New Wrinkle in the Offensive Scheme
When asked about the seven-man blocking schemes, a noticeable change from last year, Cristobal explained, "What we had showed last year was just different body types executing them, so they didn't look as clean. It's a little bit of everybody [contributing this year]."Room for Improvement
Cristobal said, "Coach Guidry again,you know how highly we think of him. Being able to put it together, but if you watch film with him, he's not going to be completely happy. He's going to find a lot of stuff to fix, but he is going to be happy with the effort. He is going to be, I would say, enthused and encouraged by the progress of this defense and some of the things that we can get better at."The Rushing Attack
Racking up 350 yards in total, the team's rushing core was a major focus. "Well, it's kind of what Tim Harris was talking about all week. They've all been competing hard," Cristobal said, naming Henry Parrish, Don Chaney, Jr, Ajay Allen, and Mark Fletcher as contributors. "When Miami's been really good, you remember those running back rooms. We intend to keep that competition going."Promising Freshmen
Freshmen also had their moments under the spotlight, and Cristobal felt positively about their performance. ""They don't look like normal freshmen, that's what we thought. I was just messing with Francis; it's like, last year we were doing o-line d-line warm-ups before the game, and he’s on the side. I'm thinking, 'man, how can I get this guy in pads so he could play?' We just had to wait a year, and, you know, just a massive difference."In Conclusion
"It's hard to win," Cristobal concluded, acknowledging the challenges that come with any victory. He praised his team for acknowledging that they can "be a lot better," citing it as the "sign of a good football team."According to Cristobal, the game was a solid performance but underscored the room for improvement as the team looks to their next match. "All in all, just again solid performance, a lot to work on and grow upon," he said, leaving fans both hopeful and expectant for what's to come this season.
