Key Notes and Quotes from Mario Cristobal Moving on From Notre Dame, Focuses on Duke
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CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Miami has moved on from Notre Dame, and all focus remains on the last three home games of the season.
That starts against Duke, who is coming to Miami Gardens for a revenge game of its own against Darian Mensah and Cooper Barkate. However, the focus is on their star running back and defensive front, guided by Manny Diaz.
Head coach Mario Cristobal knows what's coming, and with the emotional letdown from the South Bend visit, that positive anger will be directed at the Blue Devils.
Duke Has Superstar Running Back
The trio of Darian Mensah, Cooper Barkate, and Nate Sheppard led the Blue Devils to the ACC Championship last season.
This year, two are opposing the one, as Sheppard remains in Durham, North Carolina. Moreover, he has been the country's best running back.
"No he's very different than the rest," Cristobal said. "He really is a different level athlete runner. He runs with I think very underrated power. He runs through people. He runs around people. He diffuses angles of the football. Things that are bottled up become massive explosive plays. They do a great job shifts with their shifts and theirmotions to create light boxe to try to catch you with numbers and leverage to their advantage.
"And when hegets a crease, he goes uh he's very dangerous out of the back field. They use him in their screen game, the passing game. A check down to him is as dangerous as any down the field throw.Um he's one of the best players in college football.
Notre Dame is in the Past, 1-0
Regardless of what the narritives are and how the rest of the country feels about the Notre Dame game, the Hurricanes are still one of the best teams in the country and Cristobal knows it.
It can't control what has happened and has moved on as the rest of the team. All attention turns to the Blue Devils as Cristobal highlighted.
"Obviously,, hard-fought game. Came up short, you know, at Notre Dame. Proud of our guys for their resilience and toughness of finding a way to battle back down 24-3," Cristobal said. "And, uh, just at the end of the day, just not enough. But, u, again, credit to them, credit to Notre Dame. They, uh, they won the game and they earned it.Um, and then we quickly turned our attention to Duke. Great football team playing at a really, really high level.uh ACC play for us is playoff football and we have a tremendous opportunity this coming Saturday.
A Team Player for the 24-Team Playoff, But Not the Biggest Fan
The Hurricanes narrowly missed the first 12-team CFP but in the second they made it by the skin of their teeth and reached the National Championship game.
More changes are coming for too the College Football Playoff and Cristobal isn't the biggest fan but understands that it is what the conference wants so he will do it.
“I mean, I was always in favor of 12 as opposed to 24,” Cristobal said. “That was my personal opinion. But I also recognize that leadership in our conference feels that 24 is a better number for the conference. And at the end of the day, you have to be a team player.
"If that's what's best for the conference, then I am for it. So, I feel like, you know, every year college football has some unknowns that you got to adapt and just ride with and figure it out. So that would be my stance on it.”
On Having There Remaining Games Being at Home
The best thing about the final three games for the Hurricanes this season is that they are all at home. Cristobal loves it and appreciates a noon game to get it out of the way and move forward.
Nearly every game was a night game, and being on the road shifted many things for the team, but now they are at home for the next 21 days, preparing to feel their best and play their best to reach the ACC Championship game.
It is good,” Cristobal said. “And I think there's advantages to both. I mean, sometimes it's good to get on a plane and just shut off the noise and, you know, get away and go take on everybody all by yourself, right? So, there's advantages to both, but this is a good time of year to be down here. I mean, you hope we can have some noon games, right?
“To take advantage of what we have to practice in all the time. We think that's to our favor, to our benefit. Uh but to have a consistent regiment for for three straight weeks, you know what? it's good if you use it the right way. It's good if you pour effort into it. It's good if you hold yourself to high standards, right? And protect your preparation and do it on an elite level. And that's the expectation.”
Here is Everything Cristobal had to Say Ahead of Duke:
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Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University earning a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Communications with a concentration in Print and Digital Journalism. During his time in Starkville, he spent a year as an intern working for Mississippi State On SI primarily covering basketball, football, baseball, and soccer while writing, recording, and creating multimedia stories during his tenor. Since graduating, he has assumed the role of lead staff writer for Miami Hurricanes On SI covering football, basketball, baseball, and all things Hurricanes related.
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