Streaking Canes Focused on ACC Road Opener
By David Villavicencio
HurricaneSports.com
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The Miami Hurricanes are feeling good.
Fresh off a thrilling 28-27 victory over rival Florida State that saw the Canes come back from a 20-point deficit to earn a win, No. 16/15 Miami has won five consecutive games and is 2-0 in the ACC. But the Hurricanes have another tough test this weekend as they travel to Virginia for their first ACC road game of the season.
“We have got a great challenge ahead of us,” Miami head coach Mark Richt said. “We’re going into their house. It’s going to be at night. Their fans will be riled up, I’m sure. They’ll be well-rested, because they had an open date. We had an emotional ballgame and had to turn around pretty quick to get ready for this. Hopefully that won’t come into play by the end of it.”
The Cavaliers (3-2, 1-1 ACC) gave Miami all it could handle a season ago, leading by 14 points in the second half before the Hurricanes battled back and ran away with a 44-28 win. Saturday’s game will serve as homecoming for Virginia and the Cavaliers might be extra motivated to face the Canes at Scott Stadium.
“The homecoming part, I don’t really care about that,” Miami offensive coordinator Thomas Brown said. “That might be more for those guys than for us. I think we can use that from a motivational standpoint from them scheduling us for their homecoming, but who cares? Who cares what the scenario is? We can play them in the parking lot or we can play them in Virginia, we still have to show up and do a good job of executing. I’m worried about us staying demanding on our guys, continue to stay focused and focus for those guys to start holding each other accountable and being a more played-led football team.”
There were lots of signs of leadership following Miami’s practice on Tuesday, as the offensive line was putting in extra work after practice on the blocking sleds.
“We got our tails kicked most of the game against FSU,” senior center Tyler Gauthier said. “We came back at the end because the defense helped us. We came out here and we played like we’re going to get our tails kicked again and I do not want that to happen. That will not happen around here.”
Gauthier and Hayden Mahoney were among the leaders on the line, while sophomore running back DeeJay Dallas also came out to work the sleds with his teammates.
“Everybody is holding each other accountable,” Dallas said. “I feel like I let my teammates down a little bit on Saturday. I just had to go over there and reassure them that I still have their back. I just feel like I didn’t perform and play to the standard of Miami.”
While the offensive line had a tough day on the Greentree Practice Fields, Richt was happy to see his players taking accountability and working to improve on their own.
“The big thing today that wasn’t good was just flinching,” Richt said. “Self-inflicted wounds, of not being able to hang in there on the cadence. We have to vary our cadence. If we don’t vary our cadence, then the defense gets off on the line of scrimmage as quick or quicker than us, so we’re always working on changing that cadence and once in a while, a guy will flinch. When that happens, he takes a lap around the field and comes back and loses his chance to get better for a couple of plays. That was a little bit of an issue. Coach [Stacy] Searels holds them accountable, Tyler Gauthier is a great leader. [Hayden] Mahoney got voted a captain this week. He’s a very good leader for these guys. And then a guy like DeeJay Dallas – that’s who he his. He loves this team and he wants to do whatever he can to help everybody be great. He’s the most positive motivator we have on the team.”
Gauthier knows the importance of beating the rival Seminoles, but he also understands that Virginia will come ready to play on Saturday and he is making sure his teammates will be prepared for a talented and excited Cavaliers team.
“After a big game, you have to understand that that’s a game, but you have another one,” Gauthier said. “Yes, celebrate that night, but you come in Sunday to do film and workouts and practice, you have to learn how to play another team. You do not get a break. It’s a long season and you have to learn how to do it. I do not believe in that trap games because you are suppose to take everything seriously, you’re supposed to take every team like it is. We should play Savannah State just like we played Florida State. We’re working on it. We’re going to get it right.”
Just seven days after beating the Seminoles, redshirt freshman N’Kosi Perry will make his first career start away from Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday. The comeback victory helped boost the confidence for Perry, who threw a career-best four touchdowns, and his Miami teammates.
“It is a huge confidence builder for me and I feel like for the team, because we have been through it, we overcame it and now I feel like we are ready for whatever comes at us,” Perry said.
Brown and the rest of Miami’s offensive coaching staff are working to prepare Perry for his first road start. They want to see Perry continue to show the poise and maturity that he has over the past few weeks as he gets ready to face a tough opponent away from home.
“It’s important for us this week to know what we should be doing,” Brown said. “They’re coming off a bye week. They’re already somewhat of a confusing defense and very smart guys, get lined up very well and disguise very well. Trying to make stuff simple for him so he can play full speed, have confidence and execute.”
Perry has yet to take a meaningful snap on the road, only appearing at quarterback in Miami’s victory formation at Toledo on Sept. 15. But the redshirt freshman expects Virginia’s fans to try and rattle him and his teammates and they hope to respond accordingly.
“I know the crowd is not going to be on our side, for the most part,” Perry said. “But hopefully we can silence them and do what we got to do.”
Miami’s offensive coordinator believes the young quarterback, who is set to make his third start and play in just his sixth game as a college football player, is going to continue to grow and improve with every practice and game.
“I think he just scratched the surface,” Brown said. “I think the sky’s the limit for him. One thing I love about N’Kosi is that he’s normally pretty poised, confident guy. I wouldn’t say laidback because he’s got some really good juice, great energy, pushes the tempo well, encourages guys and he’s obviously super accurate. He throws a really good ball and can also escape out of the pocket, as well.”
With a talented quarterback, a bevy of playmakers surrounding him and a dedicated offensive line paving the way up front, Miami knows it has the pieces in place to continue its success on the field.
“Just focus on us and play Miami football,” Dallas said. “That’s just what we have to do. We have to go on the road. It’s their homecoming, they’re going to be juiced up. We’ve just have to go in there and, like I said in Toledo, crush dreams.”
