Canes’ Mesidor, ‘following man with the plan,’ cited by PFF as nation’s 3rd-best edge rusher
Akheem Mesidor reiterated Tuesday that he only needs to talk “when it’s necessary.’’
But he listens, and the 6-3, 280-pound University of Miami edge rusher and West Virginia transfer said what he heard Saturday at halftime ignited him and the defense, which yielded only two field goals in the second half in a 27-24 loss to North Carolina. Despite a “little foot injury” that he is still rehabbing and playing through, and three losses in a row, Mesidor’s play has stood out, and he was cited by Pro Football Focus as the nation’s third best edge rusher with at least 100 snaps, trailing defensive lineman Derek Parish of Houston and George Tarlas of Boise State.
“In the second half we got fired up. Everybody had things to say,’’ Mesidor, a third-year sophomore, said of the halftime locker room talk, which evolved into coaches “topping it off’’ with a message that the Canes needed to start dominating. That, they did, and four of their five sacks came in the second half.
“We don’t exceed expectations around here,’’ defensive coordinator Kevin Steele said this week when asked about Mesidor. “You meet ‘em. And when you meet em we’re going to raise ‘em. That’s just the way Coach [Mario] Cristobal has it built and Akheem will tell you that. He is a very, very intelligent young man. It’s very important to him. He works very hard.
“Those are all buzz words you’ve heard a million times. It’s real. It’s not a feel good story. When you’re that athletic and that strong and powerful, if you study the game like he studies the game and then you play with the passion he plays with, it’s not surprising.’’
Mesidor has played in four games (occasionally shifting inside), with two starts. He has 11 tackles, 2 1/2 tackles for loss, 1 1/2 sacks, a quarterback hurry and three pass breakups. At WVU, where he spent his first two seasons playing on the inside of a 3-4 scheme, Mesidor totaled 70 tackles, 14 1/2 tackles for loss and 9 1/2 sacks. Last season he had 38 tackles, 8 tackles for loss and 4 1/2 sacks — including three tackles in the Mountaineers’ early-season 27-21 home win against UM’s next opponent, Virginia Tech.
The Canes (2-3, 0-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) travel to Virginia Tech (2-4, 1-2) for a 12:30 p.m. kickoff Saturday at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Virginia.
“I really like Coach Cristobal,’’ Mesidor said in August. “The way he talks, he has so much passion and power behind his voice. Everybody is always locked in when he’s talking. Everybody believes in what he’s doing. We’re all behind him. He’s painting a picture and we’re just following the man with the plan.’’
And Cristobal hasn’t stopped touting Mesidor for his high-level play and toughness.
“If you get a chance,’’ the coach said, throw on the film and take a real hard and deep dive into how physical he plays and the effort he plays with. And he has been banged up and fought through all of it. He just keeps going.’’
▪ On Sunday, PFF had graded UM defensive tackle Darrell Jackson, a Maryland transfer, as UM’s top player against UNC. Jackson had a team-high seven tackles (five solo), one sack and 1 1/2 tackles for loss.
Tyler Van Dyke
QuarterbacK Tyler Van Dyke spoke Tuesday for the first time since the night of the loss.
“It really sucks we lost the game,’’ said Van Dyke, who had a career game by completing 42 of 57 passes for 496 yards and three touchdowns, with one interception. “I feel like we were the better team. We’ve just got to execute better. That comes down to the players. We have all the faith in the coaches.’’
Van Dyke also echoed what offensive coordinator Josh Gattis told reporters Monday.
“Obviously we have to run and pass the ball at the same time. There has to be a good balance.’’
