After beating Georgia Tech, relieved UM focuses on FSU
Within two minutes of the University of Miami’s nerve-racking victory over Georgia Tech, coach Manny Diaz said these two words to his troops: “Florida State!”
The exhilaration and no doubt relief over beating the Yellow Jackets for Miami’s third consecutive victory and first winning record this season (5-4,
3-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) lasted “about a minute or two,’’ Diaz said.
No matter how crummy the season feels to FSU (3-6, 2-4) and disappointing, despite its three-game streak, to UM, Miami vs. FSU rarely disappoints, which is why it will be telecast nationally by ESPN at 3:30 p.m. Saturday from Tallahassee.
“It feels good to be back above .500 in the league and keep ourselves in the race,’’ Diaz said of the ACC’s Coastal Division — although after the weekend games had cleared, UM was still in need of both division leader Pittsburgh (7-2, 4-1) and second-place Virginia (6-3, 4-2) to each lose another ACC game. Virginia plays at Pittsburgh on Nov. 20, so that will take care of one of the losses.
“Guys are excited right now because that lasted about a minute or two after the game and they were told it was Florida State week,’’ Diaz said. “And we move on. We’re very excited to go play in Tallahassee for a game that means a lot to us in this program.”
The Hurricanes have won the past four games against the Seminoles.
PLAYERS RESPOND
“FSU, if you don’t know nothin,’ you know your record versus FSU when you play for Miami,’’ said junior defensive tackle Nesta Silvera, who has 23 tackles this season, six for losses. “So, 3-0 right now, I’m trying to go out with a bang. That’s all I’m going to say on that one.’’
Linebacker Waynmon Steed, who surpassed Bubba Bolden as the team’s leading tackler Saturday with six in his fifth start (43 total), is one of the oldest defenders as a fifth-year redshirt junior. Steed was asked if this game had the same meaning as previous years.
“Yeah,” Steed said. “Florida State always gonna be Florida State. Florida State and Miami, that’s a rivalry since way back. So, everybody is [amped] up. Florida State is gonna be [amped] up. We just gotta come out there with a mindset to compete. It’s gonna be a tough game. It ain’t gonna be an easy game, as you guys seen today.
“We’re not gonna just come in and think we are gonna win. You gotta come in and fight and compete and execute every game plan.’’
Added running back Jaylan Knighton, who had a career-high 162 rushing yards and a touchdown Saturday: “Oh yeah, just, we gotta win. That’s it. A great team. We have a great team, too. So, it’s gonna be a great game.
“We gotta be physical. We gotta play hard. Gotta execute every play and we’ll get the results we want.’’
THE GOOD
Adding to the careerday list was Charleston Rambo, whose 210 yards receiving Saturday was second all-time and put him at No. 10 on the single-season list with 860 yards.
“The tape speaks for itself,’’ Rambo said, “but having those guys in the record books and me being added, it’s special.’’
With his 22-of-34 day for 389 yards and three touchdowns, quarterback Tyler Van Dyke is now ranked No. 8 in the FBS in passing yards per completion (15.1), No. 11 in passing efficiency (165.7) and No. 19 in passing yards per game (268.1).
Besides Knighton and Rambo’s career days, second-year freshman safety Avantae Williams had his first career interception, when he reached right over Yellow Jackets receiver Kyric McGowan’s right shoulder and stole the ball away in mid air.
“It was great to see Tae make a play,’’ Diaz said. “It was a play we needed someone to make. His effort and relentlessness on special teams are helping us out ....
“He’s getting more comfortable with the assignments. We had him out there on some thirddown stuff and he was able to play a noral down deal and is getting the flow of it . ... He’s only going to get better and better.’’
THE BAD
Besides missed tackles, several dropped passes, two failed fourthand-1 attempts, one failed third-and-1 attempt and a two-point conversion attempt that was returned 100 yards by Georgia Tech and resulted in two points for the Yellow Jackets: the three Miami fumbles (Rambo, Knighton and tight end Elijah Arroyo) that led to 14 points:
“If we execute better on some of our plays then the game would turn out a little different,’’ said Knighton, whose secondquarter fumble after a 15-yard rush on firstand-10 from the UM 25, was returned 40 yards for a Georgia Tech touchdown.
“Just being a little too careless with the ball,’’ Knighton said. “I made my decision. I was going upfield. I seen the touchdown, about to score. I just got a little lazy with the ball raising my hand a little bit when I was supposed to have it high and tight, and his helmet hit the ball. That’s on me.”
Said Diaz: “It was everything — where you could say, ‘It’s not our day.’ I’m just proud of ourselves as much as anything else in that we don’t give in to that. The guys found a way to win. It made it hard by not being able to convert on short yardage situations where we could have killed the game off. But the defense went out there, got the stops at the end and just made the plays necessary.”