Monday with Mario: Miami Hurricanes coach shares more off scrimmage, gives shout out to players stepping up

Miami Hurricanes Fall Camp Comprehensive Coverage

Two days after his team’s second fall scrimmage, coach Mario Cristobal shared his thoughts on this Miami Hurricanes team that is now less than two weeks away from its season opener.

“On Saturday we scrimmaged at the exact same time that game 1 (will kick off),” Cristobal said Monday morning on 560 AM. “The heat index  was way up there, we had to push and feel that, realize that even though we’ve made up a lot of ground we have a lot to be in that elite conditioning where we can just go in waves.”

The first team defense has stood out all fall, including the two scrimmages. Cristobal pointed to a more physical line of scrimmage he’s building with this team.

“The line of scrimmage is different, close your eyes, you can hear how different it is,” he said. “Certainly it makes us a better football team, but we have work to do.”

Cristobal pointed to some depth help up front, saying that Elijah Roberts and Jabari Ishmael are healthy and doing well, and singling out transfers Jacob Lichtenstein and Antonio Moultrie while adding that “Allan Haye has made tremendous progress. Nyjalik Kelly is a guy off the edge, him and Cyrus Moss and Thomas Davis – there are a lot of guys.”

Asked about the three main safeties (James Williams, Avantae Williams and Kam Kinchens), Cristobal said that Avantae “has done a good job, but all those guys have. We consider those guys co-starters.”

He added “Throw Al Blades in there as well – he’s played really, really well. Te’Cory Couch and Tyrique Stevenson have had a great camp, DJ Ivey I can’t speak highly enough of. A guy that’s popped out there is Malik Curtis.

“Those two positions, the defensive line and the secondary have been the most competitive. Granted, what we do on defense, it lends to that. It’s very systematic and they’ve really caught onto it. We’ve been able to understand leverages a little better, get guys on the ground better. We still have a lot of work to do from a tackling perspective – it’s all technique.”

With tackling such a major issue a year ago, Cristobal said that “we had to address it in a fashion that incorporated technique and fundamentals along with scheme, eye discipline. We feel we’ve made a pretty significant advancement in where we want to get to.”

With that said, Cristobal said in the scrimmage on Saturday there were still some tackling issues.

“But these guys have shown they can be pushed, and they have responded well,” he said. “There’s a lot of pride. We’re working, we’re getting better.”

On the other side of the ball, a key is the offensive line becoming a physical group.

“The players have really taken to (OL coach Alex Mirabal’s) style of coaching,” Cristobal said. “Play with power and also athleticism. … You can game plan certain players on the other side of the ball if you have a dominating player up front in the trenches. Those guys have done really well. They are getting better. We’ve been very multiple. The menu for us offensively has been pretty vast. We’re looking forward to watching those guys get to work.”

Asked about Jalen Rivers specifically, and his best position, Cristobal responded, “That guy is a 5-tool guy, rare. He’s an elite competitor, athlete, and a jumbo athlete, 330 pounds. He runs like a big skill guy. Hands, he’s light-footed but heavy-handed. He can slug it out with you and slide his feet. Speed to power he can anchor down and redirect guys.

“A lot of value, and even moreso as a human being.”

“Xavier Restrepo has been the most consistent and has made some big plays. A guy popping lately is Brashard Smith. He’s a compact build but explosive and fast and quick and can make people miss. Key’Shawn Smith has had his moments as well. But we’re still developing, still going to push that position. We have work to do, aren’t’ going to sugarcoat it, will be honest and transparent about it.”

Mario Cristobal

In Saturday’s scrimmage a concern was the wide receivers having issues holding onto the ball and getting open, a recurring theme of the fall. Cristobal acknowledged the drops and lack of consistency from that group are a concern.

“I don’t see it consistently enough – Xavier Restrepo has been the most consistent and has made some big plays,” Cristobal said. “A guy popping lately is Brashard Smith. He’s a compact build but explosive and fast and quick and can make people miss. Key’Shawn Smith has had his moments as well. But we’re still developing, still going to push that position. We have work to do, aren’t’ going to sugarcoat it, will be honest and transparent about it.”

So could Restrepo and Smith play at the same time even though both are slot guys?

“You walk in with a system, but it has to fit the players,” Cristobal said. “It has to change to make sure you’re putting your best players on the field. Yeah, there’s different ways to do it. With the way they have played it merits into (playing them together).”

In injury news, the team’s without two of its backs: TreVonte’ Citizen is out for the season and Don Chaney is expected to miss several weeks.

So there are only three healthy scholarship running backs, and CaneSport reported that the team is looking for help in the portal.

“We got knicked up at that position, it’s forced some guys to step up and make sure we have emergency plans with other players on the roster,” Cristobal said. “A couple of those injuries, freak accidents. But overall getting healthier and we’ll be ready to play.”

The bottom line: Cristobal knows what it should look like with an elite team. He says what he’s seen work at Alabama and Oregon are what he’s looking to replicate now at UM.

So what does he see with Miami so far this fall?

“Well, we’re progressing,” he said. “Upon arrival there was a monstrosity of a gap, and we made up a lot of ground. We’ll find out when we place that ball on the tee and kick it off.”

*Asked about the recruiting momentum, Cristobal said, “What everyone in this country can acknowledge is when Miami is on, it’s a different level. As we take steps toward that, our most important recruits are inside the locker room, the building. As it continues to come together there’s more momentum. When you get momentum, it’s really hard to stop. So yeah, man, you jump out of bed through the roof and excited knowing what the day brings and the future brings. But you have to dive into the work, acknowledge that the only things that’ll work is every ounce of your existence.”