Players praise Hurricanes’ defensive coordinator. And team talks handling expectations
Linebacker Francisco “Kiko” Mauigoa called him a “mastermind.”
Safety Mishael “Meesh” Powell called him a “genius.”
The mystery man in question: Second-year Miami Hurricanes defensive coordinator Lance Guidry.
Ahead of the No. 12 Hurricanes’ home opener on Saturday against the Florida A&M Rattlers, both veterans heaped their share of praise on their defensive coordinator for his gameplanning prowess.
“He knows how to adjust,” Mauigoa said, “and when something goes wrong, he’s just got an answer for it. I think he’s been a really big part of the success of the defense.”
Added Powell: “He’s able to make certain calls and have certain players lined up with what the offense is going to do. He’s putting us in good positions every single play and he’s also explaining why we do it. He doesn’t just say ‘We’re going to call this.’ Before the play is called. sometimes me and [safety] Jaden [Harris] see a look and we’re like “oooh, this can be a good call’ and then he ends up calling it. That’s just coach Guidry in the film room, explaining why he’s calling these calls with these certain looks. ... Him being able to break down the reasoning behind it is probably the biggest thing, and it makes it easier for us because we understand not only what we’re doing but why we’re doing it.”
That showed up on Saturday in Miami’s season-opening road win over the Florida Gators.
The Hurricanes’ defense, even with two starters in defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. and cornerback Damari Brown getting injured in the first half, limited the Gators to just 261 yards of offense — 71 of which came on one play. Miami logged eight tackles for loss, three sacks, five pass breakups and two interceptions in the win.
“Communication was on point,” Mauigoa said. “What we saw on the field is what we practiced, so I think everybody kind of had anticipated what kind of plays they were running. It was good.”
Handling expectations
The Hurricanes had already been dealing with managing external expectations since before the season began.
That is only being magnified more following the win against Florida. Miami jumped up seven spots in the AP Top 25 poll and, as the highest-rated ACC team in the poll, is being looked at as a legitimate playoff contender.
Powell, who played in the national title game last season with Washington before transferring to Miami, knows what that experience is like.
So far, Powell said the team is handling it well. The Canes celebrated after the win against Florida, they soaked in the moment, and now they’re moving on.
“We’re treating every game like it’s the national championship game,” Powell said. “It doesn’t matter who we play. What we put on film on Saturday, we weren’t surprised by it. Yes, we celebrated, but we weren’t surprised. We knew the type of preparation that we had going into that game. I think outsiders may have been surprised because they didn’t know who was going to win, but we weren’t shocked at all in terms of the outcome of that game. We just put our head down. We’ve put the tape away, and now we’re getting ready for FAMU.”
Arroyo’s versatility
Redshirt junior tight end Elijah Arroyo had his best game with the Hurricanes on Saturday, catching four passes for 89 yards.
He did that while also being utilized in a variety of roles — sometimes in the backfield as an H back, sometimes lined up in line, sometimes split outside.
“I love being able to move around anywhere on the field,” Arroyo said. “I know [offensive coordinator Shannon] Dawson is going to put me in a position to succeed every place.”
This story was originally published September 4, 2024 at 1:25 PM.
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