Defense expects upgrade in results
Toledo QB Woodside presents a challenge
LAKE BUENA VISTA — Under the hot mid-day sun, the Miami Hurricanes’ defense was hard at work at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex in the shadow of Disney World.
The UM defense wasn’t sharp during its season opener against a Bethune-Cookman team it should have dominated and, perhaps more than any other position group on the roster, was really eying its second game as a chance to generate positive momentum.
Instead, the defense is trying to get back into game shape and reboot a football season that technically is three weeks old but has only featured one college football game thanks to Hurricane Irma.
“It almost has a training camp feel to get our minds back on playing a football game,” Miami defensive coordinator Manny Diaz said. “Once you step off that train, it’s hard, especially as a defense, because you get into a rhythm of contact and hitting and then you don’t do it for nine or 10 days or whatever it was, there is no manual for how to deal with that.”
The message Diaz and the coaching staff have been telling the players this week has been simple.
“It’s like opening a season again,” Diaz said. “It’s not just three weeks without playing. It’s three weeks after playing only one game where really we played very poorly on defense.”
Miami coach Mark Richt isn’t nearly as down on the defensive effort put forth by