Mario Cristobal Previews "Extremely Tough" Game Against Virginia Tech
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CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Each time the Miami Hurricanes have faced Virginia Tech, something strange always happens. Look no further than last season, where the game was almost decided by a Hail Mary attempted as the clock expired.
Now the Hokies are without Brent Key, and James Franklin is awaiting the end of the season to take hold of the program. The one constant in this matchup is Mario Cristobal, as he looks ahead to the fun matchup between the Canes and Hokies.
Cristobal knows that the program is built on being a physical and fun team, but he knows that the Canes have to change that to get the victory on Saturday.
"A DNA to that program. They're always extremely physical, extremely tough, and play really, really hard," Cristobal said. "When you look, when you break down, it analytically, and you really dive into the relative part of the game, they're a top-five rushing offense. They get after you up front, and they do it in a lot of different ways. And they'll scheme you up series to series.
"They understand leverage, numbers, and angles as good as anybody. And it's not quarterback runs only. I mean, that's part of their game, but both their running backs, really, all the guys that they use, they get downhill in a hurry, they got great contact balance, they run with power, they run behind their pads, they're very versatile, they catch the ball to the backfield well, and their offensive line and tight ends, they get after it. They really do.
Cristobal continued to highlight the offensive output the Hokies can achieve, as well as the defensive disruptions they can cause.
"They're complemented by some really, in our opinion, really explosive receivers that really do a great job of creating separation and making the contested catch," Cristobal said. "It's what makes them dangerous on offense and on defense. I think the fact that they're front four, they jump from the odd front to the four down front, where they're base and nickel, respectively.
"But they're versatile enough to do it out of both packages as well. But their defensive line kind of sets the tone. They're big and they're physical. There's a lot of one gap movement stuff that comes with it, just really powerful, like with their hands. They come out of their hips, they get their feet in the ground. They get hands on blockers, and their block destruction."
Even with all the changes happening within the program, Cristobal knows that this is still a very focused team ready to make it hard on the Canes.
You could tell they're really, really well-coached, really well-coached, talented guys, because they get off of blocks in a hurry and they got a lot of hats to the football, and it's really impressive," Cristobal said. "And they are hard to block, and they've proved it against a lot of different offensive lines. So on their back end, they're so active. I mean, they've just got a lot of good players, and their depth has been tested at times with injuries, but they find a way to come out and play at a high level. So looking forward to again, a great, great opportunity against these guys."
Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University and is the site lead for the Miami Hurricanes on SI. He can be reached at Twitter @Justice_News5.
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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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