Miami Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal and player reaction post-Florida State

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MARIO CRISTOBAL

Opening statement…

“Obviously a poor performance by our program. As a head coach, you have to take responsibility for that. Our entire program has to take it head-on and go back to work, and build. That’s where we are. We all have work to do.”

On the offensive struggles…

“They didn’t get it going. I felt like there was a spark down there in the second half. We snapped the ball early and it got away. Aside from that first drive, when we drove it down and had to settle for a field goal. After that, I believe it was the second or third drive, after a punt, Tyler [Van Dyke] got hurt so we tried to get some things going with a combination of Jacurri [Brown] and Jake [Garcia]. That resulted in very little.”

On the play of QB Jacurri Brown…

“We felt like he could throw the ball well. We felt a combination of him, making them respect the quarterback run and trying to get the running game going, would give us a chance to work our way into the game. We weren’t getting the type of production in the running game that we thought could put us in second-and-manageable and third-and-short. A couple times, early in the game, we got stopped on a third-and-short and ended up punting around the 29-yard line. Those are the things we thought we could generate with him in there. We didn’t do it to the level we thought we could.”

On the status of QB Tyler Van Dyke and if he knows his status moving forward…

“I don’t. I know he looked good this week in practice, the latter part of practice. He looked good to start the game. And it went south.”

On the status of OL Jalen Rivers…

“He was hurt pretty good. He went down, so we went with Laurance Seymore at guard.”

On the biggest issue defensively…

“Big plays. We played counter really well [this season]. They ran counter right up the gut and we didn’t stop it very well. A big part of it was tackling. Another part of it was being able to spill the first puller, hold the point of a double team and then just getting in there. We’ve done really well all year, we’ve been able to stop the run. We didn’t do those things, technically, well enough. Obviously we need to teach it better. Call it better. All those things that go with it. I thought we had a chance to get off the field right away to start the game, and we got hit with a pass interference. They came back with counter-pass and threw it over the top for a big play. Big plays were the story. I think they had five plays for over 240 or 250 yards. We have to work to do. We have to build. We have to build. I knew it, but we have to build. Stuff like this, it just ain’t it.”

On the offensive struggles and what can be done…

“We have to find ways. We have to tweak stuff. We have to find ways to produce. Obviously we came in here with a plan. I think Coach Gattis runs a great offense. It ran really well at Michigan and was very successful in the things he was involved with at Alabama. We’re not there yet, from a development standpoint. So we have to find ways to generate yards, first downs and points. We’re trying to uncover every stone to try to do that, and we haven’t. It starts with the run game.”

On the sellout crowd…

“They were awesome. Place was electric to start off [the game]. I have to apologize to them – because that’s what we want. It’s what we want. It’s what we’re building to be and building to do. Trust me. No one feels this more than I do. I hate it for our people. I hate it for our fans. I hate it for our players. We’re in a building process. We’re laying a foundation and have to go to work. It ain’t fun. Days like this are really painful. There is no excuse, no side-stepping it or sugarcoating it. That’s why I came here. We have to go to work. We have to do lots of it.”

On if he thought Florida State was running up the score…

“I don’t care about that stuff. It’s their job to score and our job to stop them. One day we’ll switch shoes.”

On if this is ‘rock bottom’…

“You guys speak in those terms. I don’t talk about rock bottom. I don’t talk like that, I don’t think like that. I very well knew what we had to do here, and we had to go to work. That’s the bottom line. That’s how we approach it, and that’s what we’re doing.  They’re all learning lessons, use every bit of it. Good and bad.”

On the slow starts for offense…

“We’re trying to work through everything. We’re trying to work through every bit that comes with this. That’s definitely one of the things.”

Florida State HC Mike Norvell

Opening statement…

“I’m just so proud of our football team. The way they prepared this week, we knew it was a big game. It means so much to our program, so much to our fanbase, to these players. We talked about this opportunity—you get a chance to leave a legacy because everybody will remember this game. To be able to go out there and see the way that they prepared throughout the week and the way that they applied tat for 60 minutes. We didn’t play a perfect game, but the thing I was so proud of was just the physicality, the toughness. We were able to dominate that game with the true character of what this team is all about and I thought that was something that really just showed throughout.

“It was a dominant performance from our defense. They did a great job. They gave up a couple of big plays, just a mistake here and there. But I loved how they responded and to be able to hold the team to just a field goal, it was something I’m so very proud of—the work they put in, the confidence that they showed in the plan and continuing to be able to execute it throughout the course of the game. Offensively, it all started up front. It’s a talented defensive front that we went against. It’s a team that was just coming off a really good game there defensively and our guys embraced the challenge. And I thought our offensive line, tight ends, running backs, Jordan [Travis] when he ran the ball, there was a real sense of toughness that was put on display. My receivers were blocking their tails off. That’s what makes this team so fun to coach because they are an unselfish group. For our receivers, I don’t know how many teams we threw the ball tonight, but I know it was maybe 11 or 12 times going into the fourth quarter. And I love going to see our receivers; they’re excited to go block, they’re excited to be able to create an opportunity for somebody else and that’s what makes teams grow. That’s what makes programs continue to develop. Everybody wants to be the best they can be, but there’s that unselfishness because they care about each other and they want to see that ultimate success. I thought our guys did a wonderful job there, really in all three phases. I thought we showed up big tonight and that’s what you have to do in this game because this is one that, yes, will be remembered and that one that these guys will get to talk about for the rest of their lives—when we came to Miami and showed up and we showed up and played the way Florida State Seminoles are supposed to play. That’s something that they’re going to get to remember for this opportunity and this game. It was a great night. I’m really proud of our coaches. I’m really proud of all of our players, our strength staff, coach [John] Storms. You saw that tonight. You saw toughness. You saw training. You saw all the work that gone into the offseason and continued growth throughout the season. Just really pleased of each phase and everybody that was a part of what showed up tonight.”

On returning to Miami after losing by 42 the last time here and now winning by 42…

“We’re taking steps. That was one of the hardest nights of my life that I’ve had to go through, watching on television, seeing a team that was just at the beginning and there were so many other things that were going on. We were in such a weird and strange place, just for outside circumstance. Just to watch them have to go through that without—I wanted to be here more than anything, even just for the experience. Because, through it, you learn from each of them and you get an opportunity to come back and work, continue to believe, continue to formulate and understand the things you need to overcome. And two years ago when we were here, it was a pretty terrible night. But, between then and now, it’s given us an opportunity to have a night like this. That’s what makes this game special. We’ve talked about it with our players, every person we recruit. We’re looking for the right fit for Florida State that can come in and help build this program back to what it’s supposed to be. You see the investment from our players, you see the growth, you see the commitment. It’s remarkable to have this experience because it means so much to our program. And to see our players and the joy that they had, just the way that they were able to go play—it was a big night for us.”

On the emotions of the team before the game…

“That was one of the things we talked about throughout the course of this week is we need to show emotional maturity. And it’s something we’ve talked through. When we got back in January, we looked back and reflected to a couple games last year where we didn’t show that and games where there was a lot of passion and a lot of energy. Because there was passion in that locker room, I think that showed up for 60 minutes. But to be under control of what we control and what we do in our response, make sure we’re focused on the fundamentals, make sure we’re focused on the assignment, communication and going out there and executing it, that was a big step for us. The first thing I talked about for our keys to victory were focus and poise. Because if you can have focus and poise with all the emotion and all the hype—I don’t downplay this game. This game is freaking important to our program and we build for it all throughout the year so that we can come and play our best tonight. But then when you get in the moment, you can’t let a feeling take you out of what you’re here to do. And I thought our guys did a remarkable job of showing that maturity and showing some of that growth because we’ve had to learn from some experiences in the past where we didn’t put that on display like we could.”

On the defensive performance…

“It was awesome. Our guys, they’ve worked really hard. We talked about wanting to create three-and-outs tonight. We wanted to get the ball back for the offense as many times as we could. I think we might’ve ended with seven or eight on the night. We were able to create takeaways. That’s something that we’ve been really harping on throughout the last three or four weeks and, really, for a season that we’ve been working on it. But we’d hit a little dry spell and to see that show up in the moment tonight [was great]. Guys were playing fast, they were playing physical and they continued to respond, even when they were back on the goal line having to make a play. They got another stop and they, obviously, they had the snap and then great pursuit, great effort. We got the ball and it ended the drive. All those things matter. I was just really pleased. I thought coach [Adam] Fuller and our defensive staff did an extraordinary job. Our players were the ones that went out there and they took hold to it and they made sure to do the things necessary to keep them to whatever it was today.”

On the performance of Trey Benson and the running backs…

“He was extraordinary. He’s been a great back for us this year. You see the growth. He’s a great picture of where we are in the program. He’s such a very talented young man that’s growing and with his confidence in each play. He’s tough, he’s physical. I don’t know how many tackles he broke tonight. The o-line did a great job of giving him seams to run behind. But he ran determined. Treshaun Ward, we pushed. He did a great job throughout the course of the week trying to get himself in position, but just wasn’t ultimately ready there going into the game. It put a bigger load there on Trey and LT [Lawrence Toafili], and I thought those guys did an extraordinary job in how they played. Just, coach [David] Johnson has done such a wonderful job with those backs. You see their versatility, you see their explosiveness, all the things that they do. And then to couple it with that type of performance is big in a game like this.”

On contributions from the newcomers and getting better … 

“I love that about this team. You look at guys that come in as newcomers, and whether it’s a transfer that’s come in and made an immediate impact, or Patrick Peyton, Josh Farmer, I can go through so many guys that came in those first couple classes. We were so specific on what we were looking for, and we wanted the biggest, tallest, fastest, but they had to be the right fit for Florida State. They had to be guys that truly, truly love the process of work, and with that they cared about people. That’s what you see tonight, it’s just a team that likes playing with each other. You guys see at practice, these guys love to compete with each other. They have each other’s back in good and bad. Obviously, we’ve lost three close games this year, it hasn’t been perfect for us, but even through those experiences, it builds you for a night like tonight. That’s what makes this team great, and I can promise you tomorrow night when we get back to Tallahassee, we’re going to work, we’re going to get better, and we’re going to continue to improve. Now, we’re going to celebrate every moment from now until we get back to Tallahassee because it’s great to see these young men have that joy and that emotion. We’ve been through good and bad, but we’ve gotten better with each experience we have had to go through.”

  

On the meaning of being bowl eligible… 

“I really didn’t talk to the team too much about that leading up because it’s about us just continuing to get better. To know that I get to coach this year’s team at least one more game, it means the world. Obviously, you want to see progression, you want to see progress in a program. From where we were through that first year and all the stuff that we had to deal with, and to get to the next year, starting 0-4 was tough. Yet, they never let up, they never pulled back, they continued to push. Even through this year, you have three straight games where you come up short against ranked teams. All of those, you look back and say, ‘Man, if we would have been a little cleaner here or a little better there.’ To see that progression and that continued belief, and to know that we’re going to get a bowl game with these guys, is definitely something that we’re going to celebrate, but we have a lot more work before we get to that point.”

  

On improving on issues such as redzone/end of half… 

“Things came together really well tonight, and we’ve been working on a lot of those situations leading up to games. In prior games. we maybe had a mistake here or a mistake there, and that’s when you have to go back, learn the lessons and apply the corrections. I thought our application tonight of the things that we have been doing on the practice field, on a big stage, national television, huge rivalry game, with all the things that surround it, our guys went out and executed so I’m really proud of them for that.”

On the play of South Florida guys in their hometown…

“This is a special game and to be able to come down, back home for so many guys that are on our team, and we saw them play well. Guys that come from South Florida, they come up to Florida State, they grow and develop, and they do what they did tonight. That’s exciting for them to be able to put that on display and it’s exciting for us in recruiting. You sit there and talk about a vision, but Patrick Peyton had to believe in the process of what we were going to do as a program, and to see him out there, redshirt freshman, flying around at home, it’s awesome. It’s great for all of our players but especially the guys down in South Florida whose families get to enjoy this and talk about this for the next year. It means so much because it’s a game they will remember forever.”

On the team’s capabilities now that they know what to do…

“I’ve already told them, and you can tell somebody what they can do, we’ve had enough examples throughout where you see the flashes, but tonight it was consistent. It wasn’t perfect but they played really well for 60 minutes. They took a lot of those lessons, and they were able to go and prepare great, and beforehand in the locker room there was a purpose. There was no yelling or screaming, it was just, ‘We are here to do something. We are to go and be the best we can be tonight, for this moment, in this game.’ That was a special game, and I’m proud of them for it.”