Here are Mario Cristobal’s comments from the post-Louisville press conference.
It’s easy to see the frustration in Mario Cristobal’s press conference. The Miami Hurricanes put up another valiant effort, but were defeated 38-31 by the Louisville Cardinals.
After the game, Cristobal said the following.
Cristobal’s first statement:
“Obviously a heartbreaking loss. Finally, we gave ourselves a chance. We were in a situation where we had a chance to take control of the game, and it kept going back and forth. It was a good fight and an excellent effort. Disappointingly, there is some lack of discipline at the end. We can’t and won’t go back to that. That must be corrected. Aside from that, being close isn’t enough.
“They deserve credit for their offense.” They did some difficult things, but we have to find a way to get better and get back to work quickly so that we can play our best football on Friday of next week.”
First, Cristobal shares some information about quarterback Tyler Van Dyke:
“He was. He was determined all week. It continued into the previous week. He was in a hurry. His feet were quick, and he was healthy—almost completely—if you watched him move around in the pocket. He was determined to perform well for his teammates, and he did so today.”
When it comes to Louisville quarterback Jack Plummer:
“He performed admirably. They made excellent use of the tight end against us. Today they had a lot of catches. They discovered some items. Our defense worked extremely hard. We had a collision on a mesh deal, and a guy got away. (Jack) Plummer is to blame. We picked him off once, but he was unaffected. He continued to play hard and strongly. He kept the ball well and made some key throws.”
Defending Louisville’s offense and calling plays:
“If you run that concept well enough, it is designed to win against man coverage, but if you have a good feel for timing and spacing, it is also really good against zone, and they had some really good complements off of it.” Sometimes we just need to teach and coach it better so that we can cover it better.
“We didn’t affect the quarterback much today, which is unusual given how much we have affected the quarterback all year.” They had us pretty well blocked today.”
Decision on the fourth down timeout:
“They were lined up in what we needed to see, and we wanted the best play possible.” The play clock was irrelevant at that point, and it was a check. We wanted to increase the value of the play by putting us in a position to tie rather than saving it and attempting to get a stop-and-go. Trying to give the best call to the offensive coordinator for the situation against the defense.”
Concerning Mark Fletcher’s outstanding performance:
“He continues to excel, and he elevates his game.” He’s a fantastic freshman player, leader, and tough guy. He is responsible, and he wants to win in the worst possible way. He is unconcerned about his own performance and only wants to see his teammates win. He’s going to be fantastic, and we need to keep bringing in players like Mark Fletcher.”
The lack of discipline and penalties in Miami:
“I’m all over that.” That is nonsense. It’s complete and utter immaturity from two players who have played exceptionally well. You use it as a teaching opportunity, but you have to go right at them and hit them hard. It’s a load of nonsense. That’s not it. You might become agitated. You might be grabbed or yanked. It makes no difference. They have flags and intend to throw them. We can’t go back to that. We have to fix it, and we will fix it.”
Allowing the team to be depressed about the loss:
“This is football. If players struggle to keep their spirits up and coaches struggle to keep their spirits up and competing, they are in the wrong profession and in the wrong place. We’ve made tremendous strides. We’re dragging these games into the fourth quarter, where we have a chance to take over and win.
We must now achieve that breakthrough on a consistent basis. Progress can come in spurts at times. I want it all right now, but we have to coach, teach, and work our way to victories in one-play games. You don’t stop, and you don’t seek refuge or solace from someone telling you how well you played. That is not the case. That is not in our genes. Let’s get back to business. Improve your performance and find a way to win.”
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