Confident defense
UM players say they’re ready for new LSU QB.
CORAL GABLES — Jaquan Johnson has already watched enough LSU film heading into Sunday night’s season opener against the Tigers that he feels he’s picked up on tendencies, schemes and even some personnel.
That’s why the Hurricanes safety — a preseason All-American and one of Miami’s defensive leaders — wasn’t exactly bothered by the fact that up until 48 hours ago, one crucial part of that personnel was still unknown.
Ultimately, Johnson shrugged, it didn’t really matter which one of LSU’s quarterbacks would get the start against No. 8 Miami when the two teams meet in the AdvoCare Classic at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Based on what he’d seen, he was confident the Tigers would choose the quarterback best suited to run their offense. And he is just as confident that his Hurricanes would be able to defend him.
“If he’s going to fit in that system, he’s going to be throwing those types of pass routes and [making] those types of quarterback runs,” Johnson said. “So we’ll be ready for it.”
After a few weeks of suspense, though, Johnson and the rest of the Hurricanes got some clarity on the Tigers’ quarterback situation. On Monday afternoon, LSU coach
Ed Orgeron named Ohio State transfer Joe Burrow the starter for Sunday’s game.
It was a decision that didn’t surprise many in Coral Gables, including Hurricanes coach Mark Richt, who went on the record during a Monday morning radio appearance saying he expected Burrow would get the call.
And now, the Hurricanes can be even more precise in their preparation for Burrow, a quarterback who as the son of Ohio University defensive coordinator Jimmy Burrow, has grown up around the sport.
“Any time word gets out there’s a graduate transfer, a guy that’s interested in being a graduate transfer, you may or may not get wind of it, but we looked at a little bit of tape of him and we know that he’s a very good pocket passer,” Richt said. “He’s a big, strong kid. He’s been in a highly competitive conference and on a highly competitive team. He’s a graduate. The guy’s a mature guy. I’m sure he’s going to be ready to play like a champion, to play like a starter.”
Added Hurricanes defensive coordinator Manny Diaz, “He’s a coach’s kid, so you know he’s smart. You know he has been raised by the game. … But what you saw on the limited film that we have on him is he’s a guy that will go through the reads. He’ll stand in the pocket. To me, he can make the throws. He can anticipate the throws, which, I think, comes back to being raised in the game. … We have a lot of respect for who he is.”
That respect aside, Diaz made it clear the Hurricanes, who last season registered 44 sacks and forced 17 interceptions, intend to make life difficult for Burrow, who appeared in 10 games at Ohio State and threw for 287 yards and two touchdowns.
One plan of attack for Miami? Working to contain the Tigers’ group of
“We have a lot of respect for who [Joe Burrow] is.”
Manny Diaz, UM defensive coordinator
relatively inexperienced running backs. The group is adjusting to the losses of veterans Derrius Guice and Darrel Williams, who combined to rush for more than 2,000 yards last year.
In their place, the Tigers will look to either senior Nick Brossette or sophomore Clyde Edwards-Helaire as the No. 1 option, while junior Lanard Fournette is listed behind them on the LSU depth chart.
Brossette led that trio last year with 96 rushing yards, while neither Edwards-Helaire nor Fournette managed more than nine carries.
If the Hurricanes — who allowed opponents an average of 3.5 yards per carry last season — can manage that, things could get uncomfortable for Burrow with Johnson and fellow preseason All-ACC selection Michael Jackson among those roaming the secondary and veteran linebackers Mike Pinckney, Shaq Quarterman and Zach McCloud supporting the Hurricanes’ newlook defensive line.
“We’ve got more experience. We lost some guys, but the guys that are left like [defensive tackle] Gerald Willis — he’s a vet. [Tackle] Pat Bethel, he’s a vet that has gotten a lot of game reps. I think secondary and linebacker-wise, we’ve got some of the best secondary and linebackers, in my opinion, in the country and in the conference,” Pinckney said of the Miami defense. “I feel like those guys before set a standard for us, just leading us to this moment and I feel like we are going to do it right.”