Everything Mario Cristobal Said After Florida Victory Ahead of Bye

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — No. 4 Miami (4-0) handles the Florida Gators (1-3) and sends them back to Canesville with another questionable road ahead.

For the Hurricanes, they are on a bye week, and Mario Cristobal knows that this team still has one of the biggest test ahead of them in the Florida State Seminoles. Cristobal loved the fight his team showed, but still knew there was another level to go.

He spoke with the media after his game against the Gators, showing that there is still a lot to be excited about in Coral Gables.

OPENING STATEMENT…

"In the locker room, those guys are pretty fired up. This game means a lot to us and our alumni and the fanbase. We always felt that they are a talented team with a lot of good players. They have been a play or two away from being really good. Our guys kept their composure when we got in a rut with the offense. The defense played off the charts football again."

ON THE WIN…

"We don't get to play these guys again. This game should be on the schedule every year. It is a shame that it isn't. We want to make sure we took advantage of the opportunity. The part that sticks out to me on the defense was 0-for-13 on third down. I have never been a part of an organization that has been a part of that type of statistic. We started well offensively, but we got in that rut. I like our progress. I love the fact that we are doing a much better job of blocking out the rat poison and we are focused on doing our job and doing it for each other and the University of Miami. We still have miles and miles to go."

ON THE RUNNING BACKS MARK FLETCHER AND MARTY BROWN…

"The shame of it is Marty actually had a touchdown [on the forward progress call]. That was a mistake. It happens. We are mad, but it happens. Those two guys are extremely physical and they are diligent about their craft. They will put their pads down and get the bloody yards. Florida plays a lot of guys in the box. They bring a lot of pressures and stem from four-down to odd. It will be different looks and typically there is an extra hat that ends up in the box. They did a good job of getting those muddy yards after contact. They did a good job of getting ten, 12, and 14 yard gains and got separation towards the end."

ON CARSON BECK’S PERFORMANCE…

"I think Florida is really good in coverage and they spread the net wide. Their combo coverages and match coverages are difficult and they did a good job. They allowed one or two touchdowns in three games before us. You have to give them credit too. There are some throws we want to have back, but like anything else, when it doesn't go the way he wants it to, he continues to forge forward."

ON THE CROWD…

"They were awesome. We asked for an asylum and they gave us that. They impacted the game and our energy. They impacted the 100+ recruits that are here today. A shoutout to them."

ON THE TEAM STAYING COMPOSED…

"We had a lot of pre-snap penalties and that is the ultimate killer because you get off schedule. I think we had six of them and that is uncharacteristic and we will fix that because those guys have pride.

"[Florida] was moving and stemming and it is 100 percent legal, there is no complaining here, but it triggers a reaction by offensive linemen. We have been disciplined about that before and we have to get back to those ways. Those guys are kicking themselves over that, but we will get that fixed.

"I think the response of digging in their heels and sinking their hips and moving piles in the fourth quarter, they took the game over from a physicality standpoint and finishing off drives."

ON WHAT THIS RIVALRY GAME MEANS…

"The team got word that this is the last regular season game scheduled for a while. They have bragging rights forever. We have been able to maintain home victory streak against them since the 1970s. That is really significant. You don't want to be the team that gave that one away. We just played for each other. They understand the importance of the rivalry. There is bad blood, but there is also respect."

ON WHAT THE ENTIRE DAY MEANS BETWEEN GAMEDAY AND WINNING THE GAME…

"Hopefully everybody got to see what we feel we have is the best university on the planet. The setting for GameDay, it is hard to find a better one. The energy that everybody brought and we got to highlight our president and chair of the board. I didn't get to see the high dive. My goal was to get there and do it and then return and shut out all the noise. It was an honor and thank God for the opportunity that we had the showcase."

ON THE HEALTH GOING INTO THE BYE WEEK…

"It is hard to tell. Some guys got banged up. Samson went down for a little bit. We had a couple guys that we thought would be ready to play like JoJo Trader and Jordan Lyle, but it was the right call to do what we did. Especially with a bye week coming up. To play in a game like this, you have to be full throttle. We are preparing now for our first road game and that is a challenge."

ON THE OFFENSIVE LINE PUTTING THE TEAM ON ITS BACK IN THE FOURTH QUARTER…

"They wanted to. Anez Cooper and Francis Mauigoa made it up in their minds that they wanted to send a message with how they would finish blocks and chase defenders. We were having our difficulties on offense and so it was good to lean on them. I thought it was awesome."