Current Miami Hurricanes and teams from glory days are a bit different

When Mario Cristobal was named Miami’s coach in December of 2021, Alex Pou was so thrilled that he cut his honeymoon short.

“My wife and I were in Hawaii,” said Pou, who played offensive line for Miami from 2002-2006. “When Mario was announced as Miami’s new coach, we flew back the next day so I could see him.

“Mario had been my offensive line coach. When he became head coach, I almost had tears in my eyes. My wife still gives me a hard time about that. But I told her at that time, ‘We’re back. It’s not going to happen this year. It’s not going to happen next year. But I’m telling you, we’re back!’”

Pou has proven to be clairvoyant – and not just because the Canes are playing Indiana on Monday for the national title.

Indeed, it’s more than just how much the 13-2 Hurricanes have won this season.

It’s how they have won.

After all, Miami’s dynastic run – nine conference titles, five national championships and almost a sixth in a 20-year period that started in 1983 – was built on speed, swagger and skill.

Now, led by Cristobal – a former Canes offensive lineman – Miami’s identity is built on blocking, bullying and brute strength.

“It’s not that Miami doesn’t have athletes,” said Alex Donno, the host of Locked on Canes. “But this team is line of scrimmage-centric, and it’s incredibly fun to watch.

“Miami is able to dictate the tempo. You saw how they controlled the clock for 41:22 against Ole Miss. When you have an offensive line that is this big, you can do it.”

Miami is just as impressive on the defensive line, Donno said.

“I’ve been watching Hurricanes football for nearly 40 years, and I’ve never seen two defensive ends together as good as Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor,” Donno said. “Miami is built like a Big Ten team – think Michigan when it won the national title two years ago.”

Butch Davis, who was Miami’s defensive line coach from 1984 to 1988 and head coach from 1995 to 2000, said excellent play in the trenches has always been important for the Hurricanes, even if the perception was otherwise.

“The University of Miami has always had speed,” Davis said. “When I was there, we had fast guys like Santana Moss and Reggie Wayne.

“But the reason we won was because we got better on the offensive and defensive lines. And that’s where Miami’s line is right now. Their offensive lineman are gigantic. They can crush things and run the football.”

Back in Davis’ Miami days, the Hurricanes were known to be brash.

With the current Canes, Miami has let its play do its talking.

“This team weaponizes their silence,” Donno said. “It’s so different from the old Miami teams. This team takes pride in not giving anyone bulletin-board material. Whether they’re going up against Bethune-Cookman or Ohio State, these guys respect an opponent the same way.

“And, on the other side, everyone knows about Bain’s notebook. If an opponent says anything that discounts what he does, he’s going to write it down, and he will use it as motivation.

“This team has a different swagger from the old days. They’re not showboating or talking trash. They want to punish you on the field.”

One other major difference is that the current Canes lost two regular-season games. In the old days, that likely would’ve eliminated Miami from national-title contention.

But, with the relatively new 12-team playoff, the current Canes were able to make the field and get hot at the right time, beating a murderers’ row of Texas A&M, Ohio State and Ole Miss.

“If Miami is able to win this championship,” Donno said, “it will be the most battle-tested Hurricanes team of all time.”

That, according to Pou, was Cristobal’s plan all along.

“Mario’s vision was to build a dominant team, starting with the front lines,” Pou said. “The foundation is the line of scrimmage – protecting the quarterback and getting after the quarterback. As Mario likes to put it, he went out and got some ‘creatures’, guys who can move and love hitting.”

Other than the Nebraska team of the 1990s, Pou said he has never seen a college football team where the offensive line was the focal point.

“As a former offensive lineman myself, I’m thrilled and proud,” Pou said. “I love the recognition the linemen are getting. Our guys are moving defenders against their will.”

Pou was at the Fiesta Bowl for the win over Ole Miss, and he said half of Miami’s team was suffering from the flu.

Now healthy, Pou expects a better performance against Indiana.

“Last year, everyone was caught up in the hype with (quarterback Cam) Ward,” Pou said. “But I was saying, ‘We’re not there yet. There are a lot of deficiencies on defense.’

“This year, since the spring, I said: ‘This is the best team we’ve had since I was in school, and we’re going to make a run.’

“I didn’t think we were going to get this far. But the fact that Mario can pluck guys out of the portal and within six months develop this type of cohesion and brotherhood is unbelievable.”