Mario Cristobal Head Coach
Opening statement…
“Certainly proud of the way our guys just stuck with it after starting on the offensive side a little bit sluggishly, and just maintaining composure and just keep staying into the defense, did a phenomenal job after the first drive to shut down the opponent and giving us an opportunity to get back in and close out the first half with a scoring drive, and that certainly built some momentum. We came out with great defense, great special teams and we just started clicking and playing more like Miami Hurricane football.”
On regaining momentum and maintaining the Miami standard without letting last weekend’s result beat you twice…
“The standard is nothing but your absolute best in absolutely everything we do. When we don’t get the result we want early and we drive down there and miss a field goal and we don’t convert on the fourth down pass you have got to trust each other and have the resilience, not only as players, but as a staff, that if we just stay on course and stay on schedule and follow the game plan at some point in time it is going to break.”
On what changed going into the second half…
“Well, I do think this, and it’s probably an unpopular take, but all these teams have good players. If you watch conference football across the entire country, regardless of records, you’re going to see very tight games. At some point in time, the play calls, along with the execution of those play calls, if you feel confident in them and feel there are opportunities there, you stick with them, and eventually it will give way and that’s what happened in the run game.”
Wesley Bissainthe, Linebacker, Senior
On the team’s defensive adjustment after the first drive…
“We just had to go out there and execute. That’s all it was. We just had to calm down and everybody go out there and do their job.”
Carson Beck, Quarterback, Senior
On tying the game at the end of the first half…
“That was huge for us. Again, in those rainy conditions, where it’s just tough nose football, and they’re kind of playing back, trying to create kind of a net where it’s tough to get explosive plays, and you kind of just got to ground it down, play quick game and get quick screens and things of that sort. To be able to get a touchdown there at the end was honestly huge. And our defense played amazing in the first half, to be able to keep it so close. And then ultimately, you know, coming out of half, we were able to kind of turn it up a little bit, start rolling. That was big for the momentum, and just kind of get our feet set.”
Tony Johnson, Wide Receiver, Senior
On his performance and staying ready…
“It was just a good experience today. They stay ready, so I have to be ready. Whatever the coaching staff needs from me, that’s what I’ll do for them. It’s not really about me, it’s more about the team.”
Xavier Lucas, Defensive Back, Sophomore
On the defense’s response after the first drive…
“We were just focused on executing our game plan, having short-term memory, and moving on to the next play. We can’t change the past, but we just locked in and played our game.”
Mark Fletcher Jr., Running Back, Junior
On improvements in the run game this week…
“We work hard every day, so it’s good to put it on display. We just had to continue to execute. And that’s what we did.”
