Just going through abstract rational here based off last year 6-6 regular season.
It all comes down to focus. Everyone from Diaz to the walkon has only one job. I believe Diaz has done his one job well enough (CEO) to win 10+ games. However, it still comes down to execution. I think the biggest distraction last year besides Enos was the whole The New Miami theme. It was a microcosm of the entire season. We were bragging about success before we ever played a single down of football. Great for marketing, but the problem was we were marketing it to our football team and they bought in. This is why on 4th down we thought we could get off the field because we won the battle on 3rd down. This is why Jarren Williams biggest failures came right after he broke the 6 passing touchdown record at QB U. How do you have an encore once you break the greatest record as a QB at QB U?
The worst thing that could happen to last years Miami team was praise of any kind, and that is what they got with the Turnover Chain and Touchdown Rings which I am a fan of, but only when the team is bought in to winning first.
The offense should have an explosive breakout season like never seen before simply because the bar was so low last year, and the King and Lashlee union will prove to be the biggest payoff. Not to mention the OL is one year better and will finally have an OC who will scheme away from their weaknesses rather than toward their weakness (play action with a piss poor QB performance). The breakout player is Camron Harris.
The defense has some big shoes to fill at LB, but that is doable mostly because we are not starting a trio of true freshman LB, but a trio of Redshirt LB ranging from Sophomore to Senior. Our DL has the potential to be elite if our DT can produce better than Norton and McIntosh did, and all our DB except Bandy return.
If Blake Baker stays engaged throughout the game especially on 4th down then this team will finally play complimentary football and can compete with anyone if we are focused. The problem is this team is not focused to play every single down at their highest level. The talent is there from a coaching staff and personnel, but the focus is not there yet. That comes from Diaz moving from being a hands off CEO to a hands on CEO with veto power to call plays on offense and defense that always work on the practice field.
- We lost 2 games (Florida & UNC) because of Field Goals
- Replaced with Borregales who should keep us in close games netting us back those 2 losses from a year ago.
- We lost 4 games (VT, GT, FIU, and Duke) just because of piss poor QB play.
- Replaced with King and Lashlee should net us all the games we lost because of offense.
- Losing Shaq and Pinckney is bigger than most people acknowledge.
- Pinckney came up big against FSU with a timely interception on a pass that beat us for 3rd down stopping their win streak.
- Shaq was not good in coverage, but at least he played above average against the run with little interior lineman help.
- Zach McCloud is a better athlete than both Shaq and Pinckney but lacks instincts that Shaq and Pinckney had
- The defense was not exceptional based on recent standards especially on 4th down. Everyone wants to point out the UNC 4-17, but it was so much worse than one play.
- Last year, more teams started going for it on 4th down and were successful.
- This is more of a mental breakdown more than anything else. We give them our best punch on 3rd and 14 sacking the QB. Mentally, we checked out on the next play and it showed as both Bandy and Hall were supposed to blanket the WR but neither were within 10ft.
- Florida (4-4), UNC (1-1), VT (2-3), and GT (2-2) were all games that we lost because we mentally checked out on 4th down.
- Honestly, this trend would have continued, but by the time we came to FIU, Duke, and LaTech our offense was no longer a threat to anyone.
- Last year, more teams started going for it on 4th down and were successful.
- Is Blake Baker an asset or liability?
- No he is not a liability, he just needs to understand his leadership or lack of leadership permeates through the whole team. We were really good on 3rd down, but he was never ready for the next play all season long, and neither was the defense. If it hadn't been for our offense being so inept after the Louisville game the trend would have continued as mentioned before. Teams were 90% successful on 4th down when our offense had some life.
It all comes down to focus. Everyone from Diaz to the walkon has only one job. I believe Diaz has done his one job well enough (CEO) to win 10+ games. However, it still comes down to execution. I think the biggest distraction last year besides Enos was the whole The New Miami theme. It was a microcosm of the entire season. We were bragging about success before we ever played a single down of football. Great for marketing, but the problem was we were marketing it to our football team and they bought in. This is why on 4th down we thought we could get off the field because we won the battle on 3rd down. This is why Jarren Williams biggest failures came right after he broke the 6 passing touchdown record at QB U. How do you have an encore once you break the greatest record as a QB at QB U?
The worst thing that could happen to last years Miami team was praise of any kind, and that is what they got with the Turnover Chain and Touchdown Rings which I am a fan of, but only when the team is bought in to winning first.
The offense should have an explosive breakout season like never seen before simply because the bar was so low last year, and the King and Lashlee union will prove to be the biggest payoff. Not to mention the OL is one year better and will finally have an OC who will scheme away from their weaknesses rather than toward their weakness (play action with a piss poor QB performance). The breakout player is Camron Harris.
The defense has some big shoes to fill at LB, but that is doable mostly because we are not starting a trio of true freshman LB, but a trio of Redshirt LB ranging from Sophomore to Senior. Our DL has the potential to be elite if our DT can produce better than Norton and McIntosh did, and all our DB except Bandy return.
If Blake Baker stays engaged throughout the game especially on 4th down then this team will finally play complimentary football and can compete with anyone if we are focused. The problem is this team is not focused to play every single down at their highest level. The talent is there from a coaching staff and personnel, but the focus is not there yet. That comes from Diaz moving from being a hands off CEO to a hands on CEO with veto power to call plays on offense and defense that always work on the practice field.
