Canes fans to get first live glimpse of QB race Saturday, but defense won’t hold back
From all we have heard, the Miami Hurricanes defense thoroughly dominated the offense during the first closed scrimmage of spring last Saturday.
But if you think the defensive side of the ball will lighten up when fans are treated to the first open scrimmage at noon Saturday, you’re wrong, defensive players and their coordinator said after UM’s most recent practice Thursday.
“We made a lot of mistakes on our defensive side that we need to fix, too. But we’re working to help the offense, so we can’t fall back and slack on them because they need improvement as well as us,’’ said redshirt freshman striker Gilbert Frierson, who is thrilled about making the transition from cornerback this spring. “So we’re gonna keep pushing them and they’re going to keep pushing us.’’
The Canes’ defense, they say, will continue working on their own issues as the offense continues learning a whole new system under a new offensive coordinator and new coaches. Those quarterbacks fighting for a starting spot— redshirt sophomore N’Kosi Perry, redshirt freshman Jarren Williams and Ohio State transfer Tate Martell — need to go against that vaunted defense to improve their craft.
Of course it wouldn’t hurt if the Canes had some semblance of a healthy, cemented offensive line, as first-team center Corey Gaynor has been out of practice the past week and has been replaced by usual guard Navaughn Donaldson.
“I see all the quarterbacks starting to do better along the way,’’ Frierson said nonetheless.
Defensive coordinator Blake Baker indicated Thursday that his unit will not temper its aggressiveness Saturday.
“I think we’ve got to continue to be who we are,’’ Baker said. “The offense, even today, made a lot of plays. They’re getting better and better every single day. They’re installing a brand new offense, where the guys have been in this defense the past three years. I’m sure there are a lot of similarities from when Coach Diaz and his staff got here in 2016...
“I don’t see us changing.’’
Frierson said it will be “exciting’’ to finally have fans watch the Canes play in a more game-like setting “so they can see the first look of our new team. It’s in our hometown, so it’s not so far,’’ said the Coral Gables High alum, who is a cousin of Frank Gore’s. “It’s closer than our actual stadium.’’
Redshirt freshman defensive end Greg Rousseau, who had four sacks last week in the closed scrimmage at Columbus High, was relieved to be back with his teammates after sitting out most of last season following ankle surgery. “Yeah, It reminded me of last spring,’’ Rousseau said. “It was good to be out there with my boys most importantly.”
Rousseau said he’ll welcome the fans. “Having the crowd there is cool,’’ he said. “It’s a lot of fun.”
Defensive tackle Nesta Silvera?
“I don’t really feed into the crowd,’’ Silvera said. “You have to be the same person every day, regardless of if it’s a game or practice. Coach [Manny] Diaz has been really preaching that you’ve got to take practice as a game, so that’s all we’ve really doing.’’
The quarterbacks won’t be live on Saturday, and Baker was asked how much it changes for the defensive linemen when they know they can’t hit the QBs.
“It changes as far as some of our takeaway numbers,’’ Baker said. “There are some opportunities maybe where we could have had some strip sacks. Obviously we’re going to take care of our own, so just from that standpoint it maybe changes. But we really cut those guys loose and let them get pretty close to the quarterback.
“I think it helps the quarterbacks feel that pressure but it also helps our guys. It’s hard to sack the quarterback, so you have to practice it, just like anything else. Coach Diaz, he does a really good job of calling it dead when he sees fit.’’
Diaz was asked this week what he wants his players to show fans on Saturday.
“There are going to be two things,’’ Diaz said. “There’s going to be an execution and competitiveness. I’m much more concerned about competitiveness. The execution will come. We talked about this yesterday in the context of our first scrimmage. I want to see guys that compete. The fans come and they want to see guys compete.
“We’re four weeks into running an offense. We’re four weeks at defense in defending against that offense. All that is going to come. But I want to see guys that no matter what happens on the previous play they let it go and they move on to the next play and they compete. You’ve heard me say it before, we [want to] look like the Miami Hurricanes and like we’re interested in playing — excited, playing with a lot of passion, a lot of enthusiasm.
“That to me is what’s important on Saturday.’’
▪ Traz Powell Stadium is at 11380 NW 27th Ave, Miami, at Miami Dade College’s North Campus. The scrimmage is free of charge.
This story was originally published April 12, 2019 at 9:40 AM.
