Mario Cristobal pleased with "Solid Day 1" of fall camp: "Not where it needs to be ... but some positive results"
VIDEO: Miami Hurricanes hold first fall practice
It was just a few days ago that Miami Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal shared his pre-fall camp take on the team. Today? Well, now he can weigh in with his thoughts after running his first fall drills as UM’s new head man.
Yes, the Miami Hurricanes held their first fall practice this morning in shorts.
And coach Mario Cristobal called it “a solid Day 1” moments after it ended.
“The competition is making everybody better,” he said. “Our pace of practice day 1 was solid but will increase. Our tempo by the way we do things will get better. We’re demanding it, are getting it for the most part. With Day 1 it’s just not where it needs to be. But all in all, some positive results. I like the type of attitude we display. You can push this team.”
Cristobal is working to build a new culture at Miami that, in the end, will result in wins.
He wants great practice habits all fall that will then become great game preparation habits.
“We’re willing to work,” Cristobal said. “Our capacity for workload, understanding systems is fairly high. There is potential for it to grow even more. That’s exciting for a coach. You have a bunch of guys willing to work, are capable of learning and have no issues when you get after them.
“The way we do things has to be at a high level, the way you run on and off the field has to be full throttle. If it’s a walkthrough there shouldn’t be a ball on the ground. Saw it happen earlier and we had to blow it up, start all over again.”
The fall is all about competition, and trying to win starting jobs.
And it was a much different look today than what the team looked like in the spring, when UM was missing 17 players with injury.
“We were very thin,” Cristobal said. “Today those positions were very thick. Multiple rotations.
“Players that needed to rotate rotated with purpose.”
The fall roster was released today, and Cristobal said there was a player who requested No. 26 … and other numbers that could be in talks for getting retired.
“You have to honor every number and every jersey you wear,” he said. “26, one person asked for it, just felt it wasn’t quite the level it needed to be to wear that number the way it should be.”
At running back?
Cristobal pointed out seeing running backs Don Chaney, Jaylan Knighton, Henry Parrish and Trevonte’ Citizen that he said “are all talented guys.”
“The tempo we go with there’ll be enough touches for guys in that room,” he said.
Asked about newcomer WR Colbie Young from JUCO, Cristobal said, “Big, fast, physical, great hands, hard worker.”
The bottom line today?
“All in all, a lot of progress today,” Cristobal said.
* Cristobal said he urges his players to be responsible on social media.
“We had a meeting yesterday on policies and procedures,” Cristobal said. “Coach (Jimmy) Johnson, coach (Dennis) Erickson would say if we have to build a book this thick of policies and procedures, we probably have the wrong guys in the building. You’re representing all of us, The U never comes off. Every choice, decision has to be made with The U at the forefront.”
