Canespace

Second Scrimmage Belongs To The Defense

It was, for the Miami Hurricanes, one last preseason test of sorts.

With two weeks of practice and one scrimmage already behind them, the Hurricanes took the field Saturday for their final scrimmage of camp – one players know coaches will study closely as Miami shifts gears and begins game preparations for its Sept. 4 opener against Alabama.

As one might expect, several Hurricanes found ways to deliver, whether they made a key play to extend an eventual scoring drive or whether they got behind the line of scrimmage to stop a quarterback in his tracks.

For head coach Manny Diaz, though, one group clearly had the edge.

“I saw improvement from scrimmage one, which is what you would’ve expected,” Diaz said. “[Quarterback] D’Eriq [King] got us going again offensively [with] an explosive play and a touchdown drive to get things going. But the night belonged to the defense. From start to finish, the [No.] 1 defense was pretty dominant tonight.”

Here, some additional notes on how Miami’s defense performed Saturday and other things the Hurricanes can take from their final scrimmage of camp.

1. The defensive line was disruptive

More than a few members of Miami’s defensive line made their presence known Saturday.

For the second straight scrimmage, linebacker-turned-defensive-end Zach McCloud recorded a sack, as did fellow ends Elijah Roberts and Deandre Johnson. Defensive tackle Nesta Jade Silvera notched a sack, too.

The group – and the rest of the defensive front – kept a steady pressure on Miami’s trio of quarterbacks and, in Diaz’s opinion, showed improvement from last week’s scrimmage.

“I thought our defensive line was excellent. Very disruptive,” Diaz said. “Silvera had a sack. McCloud had a sack, Elijah Roberts had a sack. Deandre Johnson had a sack. I thought [linebacker] Corey Flagg had a great scrimmage. [Linebacker] Keontra Smith [had] a PBU and a bunch of tackles. [Linebacker] Waynmon Steed had four tackles. [They] did some really good things. They made themselves hard to run the ball…[and] put the offense in some long yard situations where you could get in some pressure situations.”

2. Miami’s tackling overall was improved

It wasn’t just the defensive front that earned praise from Diaz.

Several of Miami’s strikers and defensive backs recorded multiple tackles on Saturday and that, the coach said, was also key after last week’s scrimmage.

“Our tackling was night and day from last week. We tackled much, much better,” Diaz noted. “Very little run after the catch. A lot of guys swarming around the ball. A lot of confidence. Big strides from where we were a week ago.”

 

Click here to read more on the performance of the QBs and Wide receivers:

https://miamihurricanes.com/news/2021/08/22/football-takeaways-from-miamis-final-scrimmage-of-camp/

First Scrimmage Is In The Books

After a little more than a week of workouts on Greentree, Sunday marked one of the first significant tests of preseason camp for the Hurricanes: a scrimmage.

Full pads were donned. Big plays were made. And, Miami head coach Manny Diaz said, his players had an opportunity to compete in an environment a bit more similar to the ones they’ll face on Saturdays this fall.

And for one player in particular, the scrimmage was especially significant.

“Guys played hard, but the story is it’s great to see D’Eriq King,” Diaz said of Miami’s veteran quarterback, who continues working his way back from a knee injury suffered in last season’s finale. “I thought he was phenomenal running the offense…Guy’s a tough guy to defend.”

Here, some additional notes on King’s performance, along with some of what the Hurricanes can take from their first scrimmage of the 2021 season as they move into the second week of camp.

1. King takes another step forward

Since tearing his ACL last December, King – Miami’s unquestioned leader on and off the field – has made it clear he had every intention of being ready to play in the Hurricanes’ season opener against Alabama on Sept. 4.

After seven months of intense rehabilitative work, King led the Hurricanes through offensive drills when Miami opened camp earlier this month. Sunday, he took another step forward in his recovery, participating in his first scrimmage since getting hurt

The redshirt senior completed 12 of his 16 passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns. During one point in the scrimmage, he had nine straight completions.

It was a performance that, of course, energized teammates and coaches – and had the quarterback himself smiling.

“It was a good feeling to get back out there in like a real-game situation,” King said. “I felt pretty good…I was so happy driving here today to do the scrimmage, first time we were really live, guys were taken to the ground. We had referees out here. It was a real-game situation. Everything felt good and I felt comfortable again. It’s a really good feeling.”

2. The receivers stepped up

King and the rest of Miami’s quarterbacks had plenty of help Sunday from more than a few of their playmakers, including some of the newest faces in the Hurricanes receivers room.

Freshman Jacolby George had a big night, catching seven passes for 127 yards with a touchdown, while fellow freshman Romello Brinson had four catches for 73 yards.

Charleston Rambo, a transfer from Oklahoma, had one of the biggest plays of the night, a one-handed 27-yard touchdown grab that elicited plenty of cheering from the offense. He finished with 60 receiving yards on the night.

“It was spread out throughout a lot of numbers,” Diaz said of the receivers’ productivity. “Charleston Rambo had a touchdown catch, 60 yards receiving, a beautiful catch in the end zone. Jacolby George, [one of] the young guys, seven [catches] for 127 [yards] with a touchdown on a slant. Romello Brinson four [catches] for 73 [yards]. Good to see Pope, three [catches] for 56 [yards]. Brashard [Smith] had a couple catches for 30 [yards] as well and it wouldn’t be a scrimmage without [Xavier] Restrepo making five catches. The guy does it every time we scrimmage.”

Added King of the receivers, “I love those guys. They make plays every day in practice. To come out here in a real-game setting and see them make plays, it’s really encouraging. I’m proud of them. I’m happy for them.”

Read More Here: https://miamihurricanes.com/news/2021/08/16/football-takeaways-from-miamis-first-scrimmage-of-camp/

We Ready, We Ready!

There were moments, rare though they may have been, when D’Eriq King couldn’t help but wonder if he’d really, truly be ready for the start of Miami’s new season.

When the MRI revealed he’d torn his ACL in late December. When he was unable to walk after surgery. When he relied on crutches to help him move. When doctors and physical therapists told him it wasn’t time for him to run just yet.

But anytime the questions and doubt crept in, King did his best to refocus.

He’d gather his thoughts, put his head down and find a way to hit the next benchmark in his rehabilitation process. Now, less than eight months removed from a knee injury that left him devastated, the quarterback is ready to get back on Greentree.

He’ll have his opportunity Friday evening when the Hurricanes finally open preseason camp.

“I’ve been working my butt off all summer. I didn’t really have any weeks off. I’ve just been trying to rehab and do the best I can,” King said Wednesday. “I’m still taking it day-by-day. A lot of people don’t understand the rehab process isn’t going to end before camp starts. It’s literally going to be all year…It’s going to be a long process, but I feel awesome right now. I’m ready to go.”

That’s news teammates, coaches and Miami’s fans are, understandably, excited to hear.

“I want to see him get back to what he loves, but we’ve also seen, inside the program, the work he’s put in since his surgery and what he’s done in his rehab. You can’t forget that,” said Hurricanes head coach Manny Diaz. “When our fans get to watch him play, you’ll get to see the end product, but every step along the way, all he’s done to get back on the field, he’s been relentless. I couldn’t be more proud of him.”

Last fall, King – a transfer from Houston – wasted little time in emerging as one of Miami’s leaders on and off the field.

He helped engineer comeback wins against both North Carolina State and Virginia Tech. He dazzled in both Miami’s 52-10 win over rival Florida State and the Hurricanes’ top-20 road win at Louisville.

King finished the year completing 64 percent of his passes, throwing for 2,686 yards and 23 touchdowns, while rushing for another 538 yards and four more scores.

He announced just before Miami’s Cheez-it Bowl matchup against Oklahoma State that he would take advantage of the extra year of eligibility granted to student-athletes because of the COVID-19 pandemic and excitement for the 2021 season began brewing quickly.

But with 4:06 left in the first half of that game, everything changed.

Read more here:

https://miamihurricanes.com/news/2021/08/04/football-king-ready-to-start/