Canes Camp Report: Aug. 17
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The Hurricanes were back in action Monday on the Greentree Practice Fields as the third week of preseason camp kicked off at Miami.
After practice, head coach Mario Cristobal, running back Mark Fletcher Jr., quarterback Darian Mensah and linebacker Mohamed Toure spoke with reporters and to share their thoughts on the day’s session, how camp is progressing and more.
Here are some of their best quotes from Monday’s practice as Miami moves one step closer to its Sept. 4 opener at Stanford.
Head coach Mario Cristobal
On how he feels the team has progressed through the first weeks of camp and after last week’s scrimmage:
“Well, I think it’s a team that likes to compete and whatever work we throw at them, they attack it. I do think there’s plenty of work to be done in the area of execution, of physicality, of pre-snap discipline, post-snap composure … I would say in chasing and finishing, which has always been a really good and strong aspect of our programs, our good teams.
“And I think camp is running its course and that we’re getting more and more of it. But we’d like to see it more in Play 68, Play 78, Play 92 of the scrimmage, as opposed to [just] the early parts. So, that’s a challenge to the team, making sure [they know] that we’re going to go to the edge. That’s our job. In a safe manner, we’re going to push them to the edge and always work to get ourselves a breakthrough. And we’re getting closer and closer to getting that, but there’s no magic way to get there. We have to work it into existence, and we have to get in really, really good shape. That’s probably the biggest challenge right now, making sure that we are running everywhere, max effort, everything. Chasing the ball, running on and off the field, just the simple fundamentals of a strong culture will naturally help you get in better condition.”
On redshirt freshman quarterback Luke Nickel:
“Luke’s gotten better and still needs to get a whole hell of a lot better. But what we’ve seen so far is what we saw in high school. A guy that can operate and really master a system and has the ability to make every throw. He has a really good pocket presence. He understands the game really well. Just a very natural football player; gets it, can take off with the ball too, can really run, can extend plays and just needs reps. Just consistently getting more and more reps and not to sit back and wait. And the same thing for the other quarterbacks. I think the biggest mistake any player can make is wait your turn. You don’t wait a turn. You make your opportunity when you’re not a starter or when you’re not contributing. And you have to make that happen every day.”
On offensive lineman Seuseu “SJ” Alofaituli:
“He’s not the 6-[foot]-6 guy, but he does have the length of a 6’4”, 6’5” guy. Real long, real large wingspan and extensive arm length and extremely twitchy and powerful. He is anywhere between 298 and 302 [pounds]. So, he does play with a lot of power and leverage. Comes from a program where that’s demanded every single day. Natural culture fit, and he performs at a really high level. I think his versatility at both center and guard is really, really valuable to us. And he’s playing really good football. He’s blocking all shapes and sizes. He handles snaps really well. There’s nothing we’ve thrown at him that takes him off of what comes with being versatile not only at center, and at guard. You saw him last year, he played fullback. He played tight end. He played extra tackle. So, really fired up about the guy. He has all the things that you want.”
On the importance of testing coaches, as well as players:
“I think it’s just as important, quite honestly. I guess I’ve mentioned, maybe overmentioned, that these players have been reading press clippings for a long time and hearing all the praise. Well, so have the coaches. All of us have. So, we’ve got to test ourselves and check ourselves. And that means, you know what? You’ve got to coach with detail. You’ve got to coach with intensity. You’ve got to make sure that every single day, you’re bringing your absolute best to make your position group better and understand that you know what…there are no egos here. As a player or a coach, you’re going to get tested. You’re going to get pushed and the best is going to be demanded of you. That’s the only way to get better.
“When you lose really good players, the coaching test should have been taking place the previous couple of years. Intensity in coaching the frontline player to the fourth-team guy should never be compromised. In this industry, football itself isn’t overly complicated. But people are. If people are on the same page and people are willing to just put away egos and get to work for the betterment of one thing and one thing only – the University of Miami and the University of Miami football program – it works. Lucky for us, we have guys that do that, but we’re going to get after each other’s butts out there and we’re going to go to the edge with the coaches, too.”
On the play of the offensive line in the scrimmage and through the first weeks of camp:
“I think solid. I think they had their good moments, and they had their moments where the defense got after them. And we’re trying to string together consecutive series, drives, quarters and then halves and entire games. That’s how you want your offensive line to play. And I think it’s very similar to every year where there’s a lot of back and forth. I love the fact that we’re playing against a really good defensive line, so the progress is real, but there’s a lot of progress still to be made. Excited, and ready to work.”
On making sure the team stays focused and does not get caught up in preseason rankings or excitement:
“Well, you know what made it easy? I think 12 of the preseason top 25 last year ended up unranked. Is that accurate? Something like that, right? I mean, there’s statistical data to last you a lifetime. … So, the best way to approach that in our opinion, and we don’t have all the answers and we don’t judge, but every day you battle for their minds. That space between their ears is the most important part that we need to affect during training camp and the best way to affect that is with real-deal work, the right type of truth telling and confrontation to make sure that we get the best out of everybody and not letting things slip as it relates to culture, to discipline, to doing things the right way and never coming off it, even if you don’t get the right result.
“We’ve had some unbelievable progress over the last four-and-a-half years. … It’s not always perfect, but you know what? We never come off of it because that attitude, that approach, that level of intensity and effort will get you the better result more times than not. So, we get on it and stay on it. And that place out there, Greentree Practice Field, that’s a real thing. And for us to accomplish what we want to accomplish, the work out there, the discipline out there, the conditioning out there, the physicality, playing with violence on the field, right? All those things, that’s what you pack when you go to Hard Rock [Stadium] or when you get on a plane and you go and play wherever you’re going to play … so, that’s a way we combat it. Again, that’s our opinion and we think it’s been valuable for us, but I guess let’s go find out, right?”
Running back Mark Fletcher Jr.
On how freshman running back Javian Mallory has adapted to the college game:
“I feel like a thing that starts [challenging] young running backs is definitely the pass [protection] and he loves blocking and that’s what’s going to get him on the field. He loves blocking, loves protecting the quarterback. We all know he can run, but that’s the part that a lot of colleges, a lot of just people want to see with young running backs, so, I’m just happy that he’s getting up to speed with that.”
On the importance of chemistry and strong bonds in a deep position room:
“I feel like it’s extremely important and I love it here because we care so much about each other. We know it can only be one or two people out there at a time, but that just makes the competition out here on Greentree so much greater. We push each other. We always compete in everything we do, [like the] weight room. We try to beat each other in the film room. It’s just all such a healthy competition because we want to be great, so it’s extremely important.”
On what he’d like to see the offense do during the last portion of camp:
“We’ve just got to continue to work hard, continue to push. We’ve got to continue to just take it one day at a time, continue to just lock in and focus. Focus.”
On how he thinks he’s developed and grown during his time at Miami:
“I think I’ve developed in two ways. One, as a man, definitely developed just being a leader, growing up and pushing people to their best ability and me staying consistent on that. And then as a football player, [I’ve] just continued to get faster, more physical and stronger and just learning the techniques and just being a true student of the game.”
Quarterback Darian Mensah
On Friday’s scrimmage:
“It went great. I think that to get out and play in that stadium for the first time, it was pretty awesome. [We] did some situational stuff, went live for the first time, so, a lot of fun, but a lot to work on as well.”
On how he thinks he’s been pushed the most during camp:
“I think [Defensive coordinator Corey] Hetherman kind of pushes me the most. His defense and just the way he schemes stuff up, he does some really good stuff on that side of the ball. So, I think just trying to go out and be successful as an offense is probably the most challenging thing against his defense. …
“It just makes you that much better [as a quarterback] for sure. And I think practicing every day against and elite defense will make it easy when it comes to game time. I don’t think you’ll see a lot of defenses who can play like ours, so, yeah, it’ll just make you that much better.”
On staying focused amidst preseason expectations:
“Yeah, I think it’s just having an elite process and then, an elite routine. Just stay grounded. Try not to look at the opinions of others, even though it’s kind of hard. In this day and age, everybody’s got a phone, everybody’s got an opinion. But [have] an elite process and just stick to your routine and not let anything outside of this building creep in.”
Linebacker Mohamed Toure
On the performance of Miami’s younger linebackers during last week’s scrimmage:
“Looked good. First time playing live out there, so, just getting the feel of the game full speed: really having to do things full speed, set the edge full speed, tackle full speed. They’re definitely getting accustomed to it, though.”
On what he thinks the defense is doing well in camp:
“We’re communicating a lot better. And I feel like that was one of the big things we needed to work on, communication because we brought in a lot of new guys. But I feel like we’ve been communicating a lot very well, talking through things as we play. We’re playing fast, we’re talking through things, setting things up, sorting things out.”
On how the pass rush has looked in camp:
“It’s looking good, looking good. We’ve got dogs across the board. You all are probably going to get tired of saying that. We’ve got dogs everywhere. You’ve got guys off the edge. You’ve got guys inside that can rush and just watching their game develop under [defensive line coach Jason Taylor] and even the linebackers, we’ve got some guys that go off the edge a couple times and they’re perfecting their craft and getting better at that, too.”
