Diaz disapproves of FIU’s injury faking, says it can turn game into a bit of ‘a farce’
A six-pack of Canes notes on a Tuesday:
▪ UM coach Manny Diaz wasn’t happy when FIU appeared to fake injuries on four occasions during Saturday’s Golden Panthers win against the Hurricanes, a strategy designed to slow Miami’s drives and allow FIU substitutions.
And Diaz indicated on his radio show this week that this type of conduct turns a sporting event into something of a mockery.
“It turns the game a little bit into a farce,” Diaz told Joe Zagacki and Don Bailey Jr. on WQAM’s Hurricane Hotline. “The question is: Is that something you want your team represented by?
“The officials, their hands were tied because they’re not allowed to judge intent. Is it something we have to find a way to legislate [this offseason]?”
Diaz said the problem with calling penalties on teams faking injuries is that there could be a lawsuit if a player is genuinely injured.
Diaz said “Georgia Tech did the exact same thing in the game in Hard Rock [Oct. 19]. It’s not how we want our guys to play and want our program to be represented.”
FIU feigning penalties was hurtful because it blunted UM’s momentum. “When you’re in a competitive edge and competing in the course of a drive, the focus is on why are we stopping,” Diaz said. But, Diaz added, “it doesn’t give us a reason to not perform.”
FIU coach Butch Davis denied that his players faked injuries, but UM doesn’t believe him.
▪ Diaz said with quarterback Jarren Williams’ struggles Saturday, “you look back and say why did that happen. With young quarterbacks, we want to assume they will always go up on a linear curve. And sometimes you get more jagged lines in development of a player. To his credit, he rebounded with some touchdown drives in the fourth quarter.”
But earlier, “there were poor decisions, poor decisions with his reads… There were guys running around wide open [that weren’t spotted]. They don’t cover Michael Irvin in the flat and we don’t see it. You can never assume with young players exactly what you’re going to get.”
Per Pro Football Focus, Williams was 1 for 8 for minus two yards, with two interceptions and one sack when he was blitzed against FIU. Williams has been very good this season when he has a clean pocket but has struggled when pressured.
▪ Diaz said UM’s 2020 class is “rock solid” and not wavering in their commitments, and two new commitments will become public in the coming days. He said more than half of UM’s 2020 recruits will enroll in January.
“To add 14, 15, 16 midyear enrollees and bring in other 10 in the summer time is how you’re transforming your roster,” he said.
▪ Diaz is hoping juniors won’t turn pro if they would be drafted late or not at all. Among UM’s juniors, only injured running back DeeJay Dallas is considered a potential third or fourth round pick. Cornerback Trajan Bandy, receiver Jeff Thomas and guard Navaughn Donaldson likely would be drafted lower, if they’re drafted at all.
“If you’re selling yourself only as a football factory - come three years and go - then there’s no identity to make this place better,” Diaz said on Hurricane Hotline. “That speaks to why our guys have not been high draft picks. Are we a program of settlers or are we a program of high achievers? You would look at us and say what high achieving are we doing now? But that’s what we’re building [toward].”
▪ Quick stuff: Diaz said even though the team is young, “we’re in week 11. We can’t make the youth excuse any more…. We had to learn a harsh [lesson] on Saturday. But the knowledge we gained from this game will be passed down from generations in this program.”... Right tackle D.J. Scaife and Dallas were UM’s highest-graded players on offense against FIU, per PFF…
Striker Romeo Finley was PFF’s highest-graded player on defense…. Scott Patchan’s snaps keep dropping; he played only 12 against FIU...Among receivers, Dee Wiggins played 21 snaps and Mark Pope 14 -- well behind KJ Osborn’s 58, Mike Harley’s 57 and Jeff Thomas’ 46…. This was Greg Rousseau’s first game all season without a QB pressure and UM’s first game without a sack.
▪ Say this about Hurricanes alums: The bond among players is as strong as any in the country and stronger than most. After the Dolphins added two former Canes to the 53-man roster - defensive tackle Gerald Willis and safety Adrian Colbert - both got congratulatory messages from more than a dozen Canes. Manny Diaz, former assistant Craig Kuligowski and Nesta Silvera were among many who texted or called Willis, and Colbert heard from co-defensive coordinator Ephraim Banda and a bunch of players.
“It’s a family at Miami,” Colbert said. “I want to hand-deliver a jersey to Manny Diaz. That’s my guy.”
Here’s my Tuesday Dolphins’ piece on draft scenarios, options and tiebreakers.
Here’s my Tuesday Heat six-pack.
This story was originally published November 26, 2019 at 7:44 PM.
