Canes' Defense Excited to Face Florida State
By David Villavicencio
HurricaneSports.com
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Miami’s defense is ferocious.
The Hurricanes lead the country in tackles for loss, averaging 12.0 per game, and 3rddown percentage defense (17 % conversion rate). Miami also leads the ACC and ranks third nationally in defensive touchdowns and fourth in the NCAA in turnovers gained.
“We try to hold them to a standard for individuals, and we know we have some goals in our linebacker room for how many tackles for loss we want to get,” Miami defensive coordinator Manny Diaz said. “We’re competitive. We’re looking at different guys across the country and certainly as a team. But we don’t do it just to make ourselves feel good. We do it because negative plays kill drives. Negative plays create third-and-longs, and third-and-longs get our offense back on the field, which is ultimately winning football.”
But the Hurricanes will face a tough test on Saturday, as the rival Florida State Seminoles come to Hard Rock Stadium for the annual tilt between the two college football powers. While No. 17 Miami enters the game on a four-game winning streak, they know the Seminoles have the talent and depth to pose a major threat when the game kicks off at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.
“There’s what they do schematically, but the thing that really stands out is just their personnel,” Diaz said. “They have excellent personnel. Their quarterback is probably the best we’ll play in the last two years. Great arm. Quick release. Can make any throw. Deep balls, puts it right on the money. The emergence of [Tamorrion] Terry to their wide receiver crew. We obviously know about [Nyqwan] Murray, but Terry has really become a deep threat with two deep balls in the last two games. And then the backs. Everyone knew going into the year that they had the best backs in the ACC, and I don’t think anything has changed that, with [Cam] Akers and [Jacques] Patrick. They’ve got a tight end who is making a lot of plays. From a fantasy football standpoint, they have guys at every skill position to make it go. They’re going to go at a fast tempo. They have a lot of eye deception-type plays. They’re going to force your eyes to be in the right spot and for you to make the right decision every time.”
Miami’s defense knows Florida State is loaded with playmaking talent on offense, but stopping quarterback Deondre Francois will be a major focus this week. Francois, who leads the ACC in passing yards, is a dynamic player that elevates the Seminoles’ offense.
“He definitely came back and added additions to the offense that they didn’t have last year,” linebacker Michael Pinckney said. “But I think I think he’s a great player. I think we got to come out, we got to lock in, and we got to do what we got to do.”
The Hurricanes’ menacing front seven will look to pressure Francois all afternoon on Saturday and pundits believe Miami can dominate the line of scrimmage when the Seminoles have the football. But Diaz sees an improving FSU offensive line that will be motivated to protect their quarterback against Miami’s vaunted defense.
“If you really look at the way they played against Louisville, [Deondre] Francois was pretty clean in that game,” Diaz said. “I think they feel like they’re improving. I think we have to go play Miami Hurricanes football. We try to take the things that we think are important for us to win a football game and the way we have to play defense, regardless of opponent. But it’s Miami / Florida State. Everyone is going to play their best on Saturday. It’s going to be a great challenge.”
The Florida State offensive line will look to open holes for the dangerous rushing duo of Akers and Patrick. A year ago, that pair combined for 212 rushing yards against the Hurricanes. Miami struggled to stop the run a week ago, allowing North Carolina to amass 215 yards on the ground, but linebacker Zach McCloud believes the Canes will be much better stopping the run this week.
“It’s always a huge focus that’s why I think over the years we have been doing very well with it,” McCloud said. “But, you know, it’s something that’s mentioned and that we have to tighten up on but the standard remains the same. Last week, it just didn’t show in the game, but this week we are planning on showing a difference in that.”
The emphasis on stopping the run should pay immediate dividends for the Hurricanes as they look to limit the ways Florida State can attack. Pinckney believes Miami’s fast, aggressive defense will be ready to dominate behind the line of scrimmage when the two teams line up on Saturday.
“We’re all chasing the ball, we all pride ourselves on TFLs,” Pinckney said. “We got great guys on the defensive line and linebackers. Gerald Willis…Those guys getting upfield; All of us are getting upfield. We pride ourselves on those things. That changes the game. That changes the momentum. We take plays out of their playbook, we get TFLs. It’s an opportunity just to shut them down and get the offense back on the field so we can score.”
The Hurricanes have been an imposing defense ever since Diaz and his staff took over ahead of the 2016 season. Senior defensive back Sheldrick Redwine knows the Canes have plenty of potential to be even better going forward.
“We all are just coming together,” Redwine said. “I had an interview a couple weeks ago and I said if we pull it all together, we could have a great defense. I think as the season is going on we are meshing and coming together more.”
A week ago, Miami forced six turnovers and scored three defensive touchdowns – tying school records in both categories. Pinckney and the Canes’ defense would love to continue that defensive success this weekend against the Seminoles.
“Any team will tell you that a scoring defense is a good defense,” Pinckney said. “You keep your offense off the field, you keep them fresh so you got younger guys like N’Kosi [Perry], he doesn’t have to do too much. The whole team is in a better position.”
The 4-1 Hurricanes are aware that the 3-2 Seminoles have not gotten off to the start they wanted in their first season under head coach Willie Taggart. But Miami knows Florida State will always come ready to play and bring their best effort when they are going to face off against the Canes.
“FSU comes to our house and they want to play us like they are winning a championship that year,” McCloud said. “Every game that FSU plays Miami, no matter where the two teams stand, it’s a battle, it’s a war. I think it’s going to be the same every year. We have to strap it up just like they do and we have to go out there and hit just like they do.”
