Everything Mario Cristobal Said Ahead of No. 5 Miami at Wake Forest

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — The Miami Hurricanes do one thing well week after week. They hype up their opponents, viewing them as world eaters, to take them down and keep themselves at the level they want to be.

That is what Mario Cristobal continues to do every Monday during his weekly press conference, this time for Wake Forest.

Granted, the Demon Deacans are coming off a double-overtime victory against Purdue with their quarterback playing the best football of his career.

Cristobal has everyone's attention, making sure everyone knows what is coming and what isn't. Here is everything he had to say ahead of the Friday night game on the road.

Opening Statement…

"I'd like to start off by thanking our fans that showed up last Thursday and just did an awesome job providing a great environment. And hope they had a really good time watching our guys play. Saw a bunch of those guys play, but very appreciative of them.

"So moving on to Wake Forest, obviously, a great team, great players, great coaches playing at a really high level and have been since last season. A very mature team, older team, experienced team. 17 of 22 starters are upperclassmen. The best way to describe them is that they're fast, they're physical, play with a high motor, and they play with an edge. Okay, very, very physical. They chase and finish. Really impressive tape. Tremendous amount of respect for their head coach and their coordinators who have had a chance to cross pass with and Coach Izzel and Coach Hazelton. It all starts. I think on the offensive side of the ball, it all starts with the fact they have great players all over the place, starting with their quarterback. Gio Lopez, 220 pounder that can make every throw, can do it in the pocket, can do it on the run. Great pocket presence, can hurt you with his feet. Designed quarterback runs, or could just take off and improvise off script plays. Super accurate, and you saw him last week in double overtime, take over the game. Explosive targets.

"You guys saw probably Carlos Hernandez last week, No. 8, on 4th and 15. It's just a small indication of some of the explosive plays that he's he's had so far this season. Took a hitch in game one against Akron. Took him about 75 yards. Ty Clark, running back. They have a lot of good running backs, and they run behind a very physical, very mature, and experienced offensive line. Very mature and physical tight ends as well, and they do a good job because these guys have had zero turnovers in the two games that they have had. But Ty Clark, just you know, 205, 210 pounder that has great contact balance, very physical. Gets downhill, get out of the backfield catching the ball.

"Defensively, they are disruptive. They're in the backfield. They knock you back. They're knockback tacklers. They are top 10 and top 20 nationally in just about every category. I won't get into that unless you ask questions. But you know, looking at them, familiar face in No. 5. Their boundary safety Devon Patterson, who actually forced a fumble two years ago against us here at Hard Rock. But 28 career starts and the captain very physical, downhill can cover, can come on pressures in the backfield, forces all kinds of issues, turnovers, tackles for losses. Impressive player.

"Their defensive ends long, explosive, strong, disruptive. Great pass rushers. They shorten the edges. They splatter blocks both on split zone and on counter. Their boundary defensive end, Langston Hardy. You've seen him all over the place. Seven sacks last year. Two TFLs last week. 256 pounds does it all, as does their defensive end to the field. Gabe Kirschke at 285 pounds, very different type of field end than what we've seen so far. Five sacks last year, a sack last week, and a tackle for loss. Disruptive, strong.

"Linebacker is different. You know the their leading tackler right now, No. 23, a very different body type, 6-4, 230 pounds, rangy, can cover, can get downhill. Knockback tackler could take on big offensive lineman Shettam, great at block destruction. Their defensive tackle, No. 52, another one that you always see in the backfield. Great speed of power rush, great rip move, but really good at the point of attack, splitting double teams, and creating all kinds of issues. And their special teams. I mean, I'm sure you guys have seen last year fourth in the country in kickoff returns, and housed a punt return as well. So hopefully that answers a couple of things that you might have had for me."

On the value of watching his tape from last season at North Carolina vs. the 2024 tape at South Alabama...

"Yeah, all valuable because you want to see a player's abilities and how different coordinators have used them and whatnot. But needless to say, he's playing at a really high level. People who are saying he was banged up, he's not. I mean, that guy just-he took over the game, very physical. I don't think, besides the off-script plays where he takes off with the ball, the design quarterback runs are really physical runs. He's running quarterback counters, running quarterback lead stretch. He's doing a lot of things that are physically demanding, and there's no hesitation, no flinching in him. The guy's an excellent football player and a difference maker for them."

On how much of a test this Wake Forest passing attack will be for an injured secondary...

"Yeah, tremendous opportunity. Obviously, we worked different combinations from the springtime throughout the summer and in fall camp, and feel good on the pieces that we've settled on to start the game, and how we move them around as the game goes on in our different packages. So they will certainly be tested. These guys have an excellent group of not only skill guys, but just their entire offense, their entire operation. They'll challenge you and they're they're in sync. They're on the same pace. They have different tempos, so looking forward to a great opportunity."

On the efficiency of Darian Mensah...

"I would say the mother of all learning--the repetition. The repetitions have really taken its course, where guys have really built a lot of confidence in each other. The relationships off the field have carried on onto the field, and therefore more time is being invested around each other, with each other, and that in turn turns into more of the extra work, and all that stuff adds up. And as more and more confidence is built, I think the appetite grows to be better."

On the traits that allows Bryce Fitzgerald to be a good cornerback...

"I think he always had those traits. He was always a safety that had the skill set of an elite corner because he's a big guy. He's 190, 195 pounds. he's rangy. His hips, there's no limitations. I mean, he could get in and out of stuff in a hurry. His stop-and-go is off the charts. Getting in and out of breaks. I mean, you should see him at wide receiver. I mean, he's one of those guys that can flat out fit at any position because he doesn't have any limitations. And then we all know how instinctive he is. Those instincts in his first shot out there at corner, they he seemed very natural, and he's had a really good couple days of practice. So we're looking forward to watching him continue to improve."

On what Miami has seen from freshman RB Javian Mallory...

"We saw it in high school from him. I mean, they ran every scheme. They do a great job out there at West Boca. They run power, counter, inside zone, ISO, might split zone, wide zone. They run it all. And he was also heavily involved in protection, which is a must, right, as a running back here. There was never any flinch in his game. He's he's very intelligent and he is very invested. Like it means a lot to him, and he has a mature mentality. So I think it showed since the day he got here. I think when we were running the scout teams during the postseason, he had like a very minor soft tissue injury, but before that, I think his first carry, like he sent a message with how downhill, how physical, how explosive he was. So we saw that pretty early. We saw it in high school, but we saw it early in the practices."

On the offensive line playing clean football early on...

"Well, they're in sync, and I think it all starts with the command of the offense, with the quarterback in the center. When those guys are on the same page, everyone else is. And again, the level of communication and the time invested in their extra meetings, or protection meetings, or run game meetings, or plus one adjustments, or pressure adjustments has really paid off. And what you see is a bunch of guys that realize that we can get a heck of a lot better, and that they're invested in doing so."

On what Miami saw from freshman DB JJ Dunnigan in his first start...

"That he understands what we're doing. He knows when you start a football player, he's got to know what to do, how to do it, and why we're doing it that way. He has to have an understanding of the concepts and what's going on around them, right? Because defensive players, offensive players, you have to know where your help is and where it isn't. And he certainly, we feel strongly and we trust him that he does. He is one of those guys. And when he triggers, he goes. There is no hesitation in him. Very physical, downhill, reliable, dependable, invested. Off to a great start, and looking forward to more. We didn't see the ball water much."

On the development of LB Kamal Bonner...

"Maturity. I think a lot of guys are realizing that. We use the term a lot nowadays in college football. How the older teams win, and we like to think of it more as the mature teams are the ones that win. The ones that can come in with that adult mentality, with that veteran mentality, and understand that doesn't matter how old you are, because Malachi [Toney] came in at what 17,18, years old, but his mentality was one of a professional. I think, and then [Bonner], I think once he got hurt early, and then there are ups and downs that come with that. When he started understanding the professionalism that is necessary to be a good player and to compete, right? Miami now has good players, so you can't really walk in the door and inherit a spot anymore. You got to go compete for it. I think he's been learning more and more and more. And his last, I'd say, the halfway through camp, and all the way through now, you've seen a lot of progress, a ton of improvement in his game in terms of physicality, dissecting plays, triggering, contact, block destruction, and then finishing on tackles. So he's got he's got the staff excited, and also he has to understand we're going to push him a hell of a lot harder to get more out of him because we need to get more out of him and everybody else on this football team."

On the Wake Forest defensive line...

"Knockback group. They create a lot of issues for opponent, and their entire front seven does. And when I say that, you know, I mentioned their boundary safety also. They're just a very physical group that understands a very dynamic system. I mean, they'll be at four down, they'll be in bear, they'll jump in some of those exotic looks on third down, and they're all long explosive guys. They're all twitch guys that have power. You know what I mean? You don't see any deficiencies at all. And you've seen them collapse pockets. You've seen them win it was speed. You've seen them win with stunts. They're a really high-pressure operation. As high as 60 in some personnel groupings on first and second down. So, you see a group that is disruptive both because of talent and because they play really damn hard. Okay. And that's what really jumps out on tape. They run, and they chase, and they finish in place. Very impressive group."

On playing a ton of freshmen against Florida A&M...

"Well, I'd say we're really intentional about playing anyone anywhere that shows that they can be trusted. Because the one thing that we like to stay away from is just playing a guy because we built up a lead. Because I think that leads to a lot of bad habits. Guys assume, 'Hey, if we get up, I want to get in and play.' And the guys that played in some way, shape, or form, they earned that time, and over the course of four years, we played a lot of freshmen. We've had a lot of success with freshman All-Americans and guys that have gone out and played at a high level here and then in the NFL. So, hopefully, it speaks loudly to our recruiting grounds, and I know it was a very important aspect to be addressed when we arrived here back in 22. So, hopefully, that action is speaking loudly enough, or we don't have to speak it."

On not generating a turnover through two weeks...

"We haven't. We know we haven't, and we really emphasize ball security and ball disruption as hard as you can. But you know we haven't done a good enough job, so you know it's that is part of a long list of things that we have to get better at. We've had some bright moments. We have had some solid play in some areas, but as a football program, we have to get a heck of a lot better in just about every phase, and that's what you know today's practice and every practice is about. So we've got to keep working."

On LB Ezekiel Marcelin...

"First of all, he's an awesome human being. Very smart, physical, big. He's a 245-pounder. Okay, so when he hits you, you know it's you can feel it. Pure knockback tackler, very instinctive, can unlock his hips, can get hands on people. Block destruction is really, really good, and now he has experience in a system that you know requires that position to communicate and to understand exactly what all the other pieces are doing. So he played well last week. I forget what the question was, but I can say that for him, and I'd say for us, we're really excited about him. He's got an unbelievable future."

On what his Saturdays have been like with weekday games...

"Well, we've been working. You get to watch bits and pieces. We get those games cut up and summarized for us, so you could just zip through them. The [graduate assistants] and the analysts obviously watch all the TV copies. Anything you could pick up off those TV copies certainly helps out. But when you have an extra day, you know, luckily we had over 30 plays with the ones before we pulled them at halftime. You wish we had a few more because you don't like to have any off days if you don't get enough of a play count this early in the season, but we got enough where we used it in a manner where we still had practice and meetings and walkthroughs and whatnot, and got ourselves in a position where we can push ourselves again this week and get on a regular schedule."

On what he's learned about Jake Dickert coached teams from his time at Washington State...

"Well, I think a head coach is always going to have his fingerprints on things, but the things that you saw out west back then are the things you see now. Just a really tough, physical team that plays really, really hard and plays with an edge. I can't specify and emphasize that enough. I think that always jumps out on tape. You want to see how teams play the game, and they're playing at a high level. "

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