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After Wednesday’s practice, Miami Hurricanes head coach Manny Diaz was asked the status of TE Brevin Jordan, who missed last weekend’s game vs. Pitt with a shoulder injury.
“Brevin is still the one that’s most limited in terms of his ability to help us out right now, but I’m not ruling him out,” Diaz said.
Starting RT Jarrid Williams also sat out vs. Pitt last weekend, but was available on an emergency basis and has practiced more this week according to Diaz.
“He has been taking more reps than a week ago, which will be good for us up front,” Diaz said.
A big emphasis in practice this week has been finding WR’s that can make plays for the offense after the group has struggled through 5 games.
“This afternoon, I’ll talk with Rhett (Lashlee) and Rob (Likens) and get a sense on what they’re doing,” Diaz said. “Everyone has to be playing with great effort, which some of the young guys are still learning. It’s putting what is happening on Greentree into the context of the game. Things we don’t do in practice that are showing up in the game, eliminate that.
“You have to remember these guys didn’t get scrimmages in the spring, a non-conference schedule to work out the kinks. And the other part is just making a play. We’ve had chances on down the field throws. We’re always looking to increase our explosiveness without having to manufacture it schematically.”
Another focus in practice this week has been on the offense staying out of 3rd and ling situations, as the UM attack has struggled in third down situations the last 2 games (8-28 combined past 2 games) after a strong start to the season.
“We make a big deal about the first play of a drive, because when you win it, it gives you a great chance to get the first first-down,” Diaz said. “All the data says, once you get that first first-down, the tempo gets rolling and off you go. Staying out of third and long is what every offense wants to do. Usually the better you are in efficiency, the better off you’ll be.”
The Canes will be facing off against a struggling 1-3 Virginia this week, but Diaz has spent extra effort to make sure his team does not look too far into that record.
“Every game, we have to be aware the gravity of mediocrity is so strong if you’re not fighting, scratching, and clawing against it, it’ll just suck you back into the mediocre middle,” Diaz said. “We talk about it each week. No one’s record walks onto the field. It’s Miami-Virginia.”
As UVA starting QB Brennan Armstrong is in the concussion protocol and is questionable for Saturday’s game, the Cavaliers rotated through three different backup QB’s last week vs. Wake Forest, which has made preparing for the UVA offense slightly more challenging for UM this week.
“They do change a little bit with those other guys in there, but that’s a small sample size,” Diaz said. “They could change the package with those other QB’s that went in. One a true freshman, one a transfer, his role is increasing. We have to prepare for the Virginia offense we’ve seen in the last five years, what they showed at Wake Forest, and anticipate how they can expand those guys’ package. We will have to adjust during the game.”
With the NCAA allowing all athletes an extra year of eligibility due to complications caused by COVID-19 this season, Diaz addressed the scholarship situation at Miami heading into the future.
“I haven’t dared to touch that, that is quite an undertaking to say the least,” Diaz said. “It’s so hard because you’re first and foremost under the assumption everyone would come back, not just in the senior class, but draft-eligible juniors… I think all coaches are looking for a little direction. We’re trying to figure out if we sign more than 25, a way to get initial (counters) back. It is such an unknown frontier that we’re venturing toward, it’s hard to have a concrete plan going forward. I don’t know if anyone knows what it’s going to be like.”
UM has had issues in recent years with draft-eligible juniors leaving school early and going undrafted, but Diaz said he does not use undrafted junior players from the past as cautionary tales when advising his current players on whether to stay or leave.
“Well, what we do is we always show our players the facts every year,” Diaz said. “We show all of our guys where they go, what their contacts are like, how an NFL contract really breaks down to try and arm them with as much information as possible. We have data on how many early entrants get drafted. And pretty much everything in terms of raw data we can show them. But it still is their personal choice and it’s hard to make a wide-sweeping decision on it. You cannot unpack in each of these individual cases the financial realities of these families. Our job is to be nothing but a mentor and to provide information. We always say no matter what they choose, they have to make their decision. And so we root for all of our guys when they leave the program.”
“Brevin is still the one that’s most limited in terms of his ability to help us out right now, but I’m not ruling him out,” Diaz said.
Starting RT Jarrid Williams also sat out vs. Pitt last weekend, but was available on an emergency basis and has practiced more this week according to Diaz.
“He has been taking more reps than a week ago, which will be good for us up front,” Diaz said.
A big emphasis in practice this week has been finding WR’s that can make plays for the offense after the group has struggled through 5 games.
“This afternoon, I’ll talk with Rhett (Lashlee) and Rob (Likens) and get a sense on what they’re doing,” Diaz said. “Everyone has to be playing with great effort, which some of the young guys are still learning. It’s putting what is happening on Greentree into the context of the game. Things we don’t do in practice that are showing up in the game, eliminate that.
“You have to remember these guys didn’t get scrimmages in the spring, a non-conference schedule to work out the kinks. And the other part is just making a play. We’ve had chances on down the field throws. We’re always looking to increase our explosiveness without having to manufacture it schematically.”
Another focus in practice this week has been on the offense staying out of 3rd and ling situations, as the UM attack has struggled in third down situations the last 2 games (8-28 combined past 2 games) after a strong start to the season.
“We make a big deal about the first play of a drive, because when you win it, it gives you a great chance to get the first first-down,” Diaz said. “All the data says, once you get that first first-down, the tempo gets rolling and off you go. Staying out of third and long is what every offense wants to do. Usually the better you are in efficiency, the better off you’ll be.”
The Canes will be facing off against a struggling 1-3 Virginia this week, but Diaz has spent extra effort to make sure his team does not look too far into that record.
“Every game, we have to be aware the gravity of mediocrity is so strong if you’re not fighting, scratching, and clawing against it, it’ll just suck you back into the mediocre middle,” Diaz said. “We talk about it each week. No one’s record walks onto the field. It’s Miami-Virginia.”
As UVA starting QB Brennan Armstrong is in the concussion protocol and is questionable for Saturday’s game, the Cavaliers rotated through three different backup QB’s last week vs. Wake Forest, which has made preparing for the UVA offense slightly more challenging for UM this week.
“They do change a little bit with those other guys in there, but that’s a small sample size,” Diaz said. “They could change the package with those other QB’s that went in. One a true freshman, one a transfer, his role is increasing. We have to prepare for the Virginia offense we’ve seen in the last five years, what they showed at Wake Forest, and anticipate how they can expand those guys’ package. We will have to adjust during the game.”
With the NCAA allowing all athletes an extra year of eligibility due to complications caused by COVID-19 this season, Diaz addressed the scholarship situation at Miami heading into the future.
“I haven’t dared to touch that, that is quite an undertaking to say the least,” Diaz said. “It’s so hard because you’re first and foremost under the assumption everyone would come back, not just in the senior class, but draft-eligible juniors… I think all coaches are looking for a little direction. We’re trying to figure out if we sign more than 25, a way to get initial (counters) back. It is such an unknown frontier that we’re venturing toward, it’s hard to have a concrete plan going forward. I don’t know if anyone knows what it’s going to be like.”
UM has had issues in recent years with draft-eligible juniors leaving school early and going undrafted, but Diaz said he does not use undrafted junior players from the past as cautionary tales when advising his current players on whether to stay or leave.
“Well, what we do is we always show our players the facts every year,” Diaz said. “We show all of our guys where they go, what their contacts are like, how an NFL contract really breaks down to try and arm them with as much information as possible. We have data on how many early entrants get drafted. And pretty much everything in terms of raw data we can show them. But it still is their personal choice and it’s hard to make a wide-sweeping decision on it. You cannot unpack in each of these individual cases the financial realities of these families. Our job is to be nothing but a mentor and to provide information. We always say no matter what they choose, they have to make their decision. And so we root for all of our guys when they leave the program.”
