Canes Compete in First Camp Scrimmage
By David Villavicencio
HurricaneSports.com
MIAMI – Head coach Manny Diaz has emphasized the importance of competition ever since he took over the Hurricane football program.
On Sunday night, the Canes held their first of three fall camp scrimmages and the first year head coach was pleased with the competitive fire the Hurricanes displayed.
“We needed it,” Diaz said. “I thought our guys competed hard, but just in terms of the game day – getting in and out of the huddle, getting the plays called in, substitution – you can just tell the little differences between a practice when coaches have been in a player’s ear as opposed to when they have to go out here and show what they really know. So between this day and when we scrimmage next Saturday, we’ll be looking for a lot improvement in those areas.”
Miami is searching for a starting quarterback and N’Kosi Perry, Tate Martell and Jarren Williams all displayed signs that they should be the man under center when the season kicks off on Aug. 24 against Florida.
“Collectively, I was pleased,” Diaz said. “We rotated the three guys with the ones [first string] and twos [second] evenly. Combined they completed 71 percent of their passes, which is encouraging. All three guys led a touchdown drive, which was very encouraging for me. The battle rages on. There’s a lot of stuff mechanically and organizationally we need to correct, but all three guys left with something to be proud of.”
The Hurricanes had success on the ground and in the air on Sunday. There were some impressive runs by backs like DeeJay Dallas and Robert Burns, while several receivers and tight ends made noteworthy catches for big gains. While there were several offensive standouts on Sunday night, Diaz highlighted two juniors who shined brightest.
“DeeJay Dallas, I thought, ran the ball really well,” Diaz said. “Also caught a touchdown pass. Really versatile guy, which we’ve already known. I thought, in terms of his day running the ball, it was his best day of training camp. In the back end, down the field, Mike Harley looked really dynamic running routes, dynamic when he had the ball in his hands and had some really good runs after the catch. Other guys did some things too, but those two guys stood out.”
Speaking of dynamic playmakers, there were several on Miami’s menacing defense. Robert Knowles led all Hurricanes with nine tackles, but it was fellow defensive back Gurvan Hall who may have been the defensive MVP. The sophomore had four stops and picked up a pair of passes, returning one interception for a touchdown.
“Defensively, any time you scrimmage first, it’s your first time tackling,” Diaz said. “Can we tackle? Can we get guys down in the open field? I didn’t see any long explosive plays break out due to missed tackles, so I thought that was a positive. We’re looking for some guys to step up in the secondary, so seeing a guy like Gurvan Hall with two interceptions – one was on a pick, the other was on an outstanding break where he made an outstanding play, that we think he’s that type of guy – was really encouraging. Up front, we have to be a disruptive defense. A guy like Mike Pinckney, you see him popping through with a couple tackles for loss, which is right up his alley.”
While Sunday’s scrimmage featured several highlights on both sides of the ball, it is in the past. Diaz wants his players focused on the week ahead, as Miami will look to establish its two-deep over the next six days.
“This is the most important week of their 2019,” Diaz said. “That’s what we’ve told them. Everything they trained for – every weight they lifted, every sprint they’ve run, everything they’ve done – has been for this six-day period between right now and next Saturday. Because after next Saturday, we have to set sail on the 2019 season and not everyone is invited on the boat. If you want to be on the boat, you’ve got to step up this week. You really have to bring it. You have to compete all week. This is going to be a hard week, intentionally. We told them it’s going to be hard. We have to find out…this is really our last evaluation of separating the ones who like it from the ones who love it.”