Before pause, Ford in high gear
Miami Hurricanes senior defensive tackle Jonathan Ford had been a mainstay in UM’s starting lineup over the past season and a half before he was benched in favor of up start red shirt freshman Jared Harrison-Hunt eon Nov .6 at North Carolina State.
Ford, a Dillard alum, didn’t let the decision drag him down, however. Right back in the starting lineup the followingweek as a result of Miami’s COVID-19 outbreak that had them without 13 players at Virginia Tech, Ford posted a career-high six tackles. That number’s significant, given he had eight tackles in his first six games of 2020 and 18 total tackles in 13 starts as a junior in 2019.
“Outstanding game,” Miami defensive coordinator Blake Baker said before the team’s season was put on a two-week hiatus due to an increase in coronavirus cases. “Best game of the season, maybe his best game [overall].… Low pad level, came off the ball, was productive.
“He’s a senior that, aweek before, had gotten his job taken from him. I always say, ‘You got two choices when that happens: You can mope and feel sorry for yourself or you can continue to roll up your sleeve sand goto work ,’ and that’s what Jon did.”
Hurricanes coach Manny Diaz, who on Friday announced he tested positive for COVID-19, said he even noticed a flip of a switch for Ford when he played limited snaps off the bench in the N.C. State game.
“Jon has put together two really good performances the last two weeks. That last game [at VT], I thought, might’ve been Jon’s best game. Very active,” said Diaz, adding the team’s internal review of film credited him for more tackles than what was in the game’s official stats. “I think we had him on 11 tackles, maybe, between solos and assists, which is really impressive for an inside guy. Really proud of just theway that he played.”
Beyond the increased productivity, Miami’s defensive coaches admire how Ford’s approach can trickle downto underclassmen.
“It’s a great example for our young guys,” Baker said. “It’s not always going to be: ‘You’re going to start because you’re the older guy.’ When he got his job taken and to watch the way he worked for the last two weeks, having a good start Saturday for us, he did a phenomenal job.”
Miami’s entire front seven did a solid job defending the run against potent rushing attacks in N.C. State and Virginia Tech the past two games played.
“When you look at the last couple of games, our defensive line, our defensive ends, especially, versus the outside run, have played much better,” said Baker. “Andthen, I think line backer play. B.J. Jennings, the last twoweeks, has had by far his best two games as a Hurricane. I thought Sam Brooks played really well last week versus Virginia Tech .”
Brooks, asophomore, had an increased role as starting weakside linebacker Zach McCloud was one of the players out against the Hokies.
“I think Sam has continued to earn more and more playing time,” Baker said. “Him playing 72 snaps, I don’t knowif thatwould be the case every single week, but that was what was called of him. And I though the did an excellent job for us. He’s someone that I continue to push every single day in practice, every single day in the film room. He responds well. I’m proud of the way Sam plays.”
Diaz felt Brooks and Jennings were very instinctive at Virginia Tech as Brooks had seven tackles and a sack while Jennings recorded four tackles and a pass break up that was nearly intercepted.
“I thought he played better this game just trusting himself, making quicker decisions, getting to the hole quicker and doing [other] things,” Diaz said of Jennings, the redshirt junior middle linebacker. “Obviously, he’d love to finish the interception and, trust me, the guys aren’t letting him live it down for that.”
UM is idle again this Saturday before it plans to travel to Wake Forest for a Dec. 5 game originally scheduled for Saturday. The Hurricanes then have North Carolina at home on Dec. 12 and Georgia Tech on Dec. 19 should they not reach the A CC Championship Game.