Miami defensive coordinator Manny Diaz spoke with media after UM's 11th spring practice.
**Diaz said that the first thing that he evaluates in scrimmages is “tackling” and he was very pleased that there was not very many yards after contact. He also said that the run defense was a strong point.
**Defensive end Scott Patchan is doing “technique, fundamental type stuff” during practice at this point. He is not full contact, but Diaz said they expect him to be come fall practice.
**Diaz noted that defensive tackles Anthony Moten and Patrick Bethel have stepped up in their roles on the interior unit of Miami’s line. He wants Moten to “have that urgency to realize that this is it” and “take every spring practice as this is another step towards my last campaign.”
On Bethel, Diaz said, “he’s shown he belongs in there – first play of the scrimmage he might have sacked the quarterback, second play he split a double-team and came off of him .He’s getting double-teamed, but stays in there and gets in on the tackle, so he’s doing some good things.”
**Miami’s weakness defensively at this point appears to be the cornerback spot, but help is on the way in Dee Delaney, Trajan Bandy, and Jhavonte Dean – Diaz let it be known today that nobody has locked up playing time from the current unit.
“Most of the bad things that happened to us on Saturday happened on the outside of the football field,” Diaz said. “But we knew that and for both sides of the ball – I think our wide receiver room will look a lot different as well, and I think our cornerback room will look a lot different in the fall. The guys are getting better, but we tell them - -‘you know, we only have so many reps because we’ve got to figure out what these young guys can do’.”
**Diaz said that the first thing that he evaluates in scrimmages is “tackling” and he was very pleased that there was not very many yards after contact. He also said that the run defense was a strong point.
**Defensive end Scott Patchan is doing “technique, fundamental type stuff” during practice at this point. He is not full contact, but Diaz said they expect him to be come fall practice.
**Diaz noted that defensive tackles Anthony Moten and Patrick Bethel have stepped up in their roles on the interior unit of Miami’s line. He wants Moten to “have that urgency to realize that this is it” and “take every spring practice as this is another step towards my last campaign.”
On Bethel, Diaz said, “he’s shown he belongs in there – first play of the scrimmage he might have sacked the quarterback, second play he split a double-team and came off of him .He’s getting double-teamed, but stays in there and gets in on the tackle, so he’s doing some good things.”
**Miami’s weakness defensively at this point appears to be the cornerback spot, but help is on the way in Dee Delaney, Trajan Bandy, and Jhavonte Dean – Diaz let it be known today that nobody has locked up playing time from the current unit.
“Most of the bad things that happened to us on Saturday happened on the outside of the football field,” Diaz said. “But we knew that and for both sides of the ball – I think our wide receiver room will look a lot different as well, and I think our cornerback room will look a lot different in the fall. The guys are getting better, but we tell them - -‘you know, we only have so many reps because we’ve got to figure out what these young guys can do’.”
