Diaz wants defense to score
Coordinator says his group must produce more turnovers
CORAL GABLES — The preseason accolades and recognition have been rolling in at a steady pace for the Miami defense.
Defensive end Kendrick Norton has appeared on the watch lists of several major college football awards. Same for fellow ends Chad Thomas and RJ McIntosh. Linebacker Shaq Quarterman, meanwhile, was named a preseason All-ACC pick after his Freshman All-American campaign of a year ago.
As a whole, the Hurricanes are the preseason favorite to win the ACC’s Coastal Division and Miami was ranked No. 18 in last week’s preseason coaches poll, its experienced, talented defense helping generate buzz for a team looking to continue moving forward in its second year under coach Mark Richt.
Still, despite all the returning talent he has to work with, Miami defensive coordinator Manny Diaz isn’t ready to concede that he has a dominant defense – not this early in camp, anyway.
Yes, the unit made significant improvements last season, going from 69th to 16th nationally in total defense, but after losing players such as Corn Elder, Rayshawn Jenkins, Jamal Carter and Adrian Colbert, Diaz isn’t ready to crown his defense one of the best in the ACC.
And as Miami prepares to take the field at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday for its
“I told them I heard a great saying in church this weekend: ‘A strength assumed is a weakness doubled.’ ” Manny Diaz .UM defensive coordinator on expectations on the defense
first scrimmage of fall camp, Diaz is adamant whether his players get to hit Miami’s quarterbacks or not, he still feels many of his players have something to prove.
“I told them I heard a great saying in church this weekend: ‘A strength assumed is a weakness doubled,’ ” Diaz said. “There’s a lot of assumptions being made. And the assumption is ‘Well, if this guy plays as well as Corn Elder or ‘This guy plays as well as Jamal Carter.’ Those are still assumptions. We don’t know until we play. So the fact that we’re being told we’re dominant is really just … that has not been proven yet. We have to have a little bit of an edge and a chip on our shoulder to prove that.”
Added defensive end Joe Jackson, a sophomore who led Miami with 8.5 sacks last season, “We are embracing [the expectations], but at the same time, we’re not trying to get big-headed off it. We know we had to work hard to get where we were last year. We have to work even harder to get past that and meet everyone’s expectations, and our own.”
For the Hurricanes defense to take its play to the next level, Diaz has said he wants to see the unit produce both more turnovers and scores. Last year, the Hurricanes forced 19 turnovers, including 11 fumble recoveries. The defense managed to turn just three of those into touchdowns, two of which came in the same game when both Quarterman and Jackson returned fumbles for scores in Miami’s 35-21 win over Georgia Tech.
Diaz is adamant the Hurricanes need more of that next season if the defense is to play at another level.
Through eight practices, he seems encouraged.
“You can tell they’re responding to the greater emphasis we’ve put on it,” Diaz said. “We’re getting our hands on more balls. Part of is recruiting – like [Citadel graduate transfer Dee Delaney]. Dee Delaney has ball skills. Some guys, when you throw it near them, they’re going to catch it. That helps. We all become better coaches by putting guys on the line who can catch the ball. But you want it to be contagious.
“We’re making a big point of emphasis to score on defense this year. We’re practicing the procedure of turning defense, into offense, day-to-day, everything we get, we’re trying to score on defense.”
Offensive line moving forward
It’s been a tough week for Miami’s offensive line, with the unit having to deal with the sudden departure of center Nick Linder, who practiced last week, but is now leaving the program as a graduate transfer.
That will affect the line’s depth, but so far in camp, Jackson says he’s seen a stronger, more mobile unit than he practiced against last season – and that’s helping make him a better end.
“A lot of size. I think they’re more mobile than the last o-line we had last year,” Jackson said. “It’s very difficult to go against them, though we do go against each other every day in the one-on-ones. I feel like it’s harder than it used to be. So I like that. … I have to work more to make plays in practice.”