Wednesday, November 20, 2002
Miami feels its defensive problems are in the past.
By OMAR KELLY
SOUTH FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL
CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- Greg Mark mumbles the number 26 so softly that he has to be asked again.
How many tackles did Miami's defense miss against West Virginia in their second straight embarrassing defensive performance, back in late October?
Miami's defensive line coach mumbles 26 a little clearer, then chuckles.
Marks and the defense can laugh now. After stellar performances in victories against Rutgers and Tennessee, the Hurricanes feel their defensive problems are behind them heading into Thursday's home game against Pittsburgh (8-2, 5-0 Big East).
And what's funny is that fixing the problem was as simple as the players being accountable for their actions, doing such things as raising a hand after a mistake.
Worse than allowing Florida State and West Virginia to rack up 659 yards rushing in two games was that none of the coaches or players could put their finger on the problem.
"One minute it's a missed tackle, the next play it's someone lining up wrong, three plays later it'd be someone missing an assignment, being out of a rushing lane or blitzing at the wrong time," said defensive coordinator Randy Shannon.
Back to basics
Shannon said the only remedy he could come up with after the West Virginia game was to go back to basics, and along with more tackling drills, that involved players calling themselves out when they made a mistake.
At first the players though it was a ridiculous concept to fixing what they thought was a complicated problem. But what they discovered was that the real issue involved their lack of trust in one another, which had resulted in everyone trying to do too much as opposed to playing assignment football.
"In the past we'd make a mistake in the game, and as a player you start thinking one guy isn't going to get to where he's suppose to be at, so you go out there and try to do his job and yours," said defensive end Jamaal Green. "That hurts because now not only is one person not in the gap but it's two people not doing what they're suppose to be doing. That's how teams would get big plays on us."
Having each player calling himself out on each mistake simply made all of them more accountable to one another, building a trust factor.
"The rally cry is to just do your job," Mark said. "When they own up to it they have to have the pride, the wherewithal and the work ethic to get it done the next time."
Holds self accountable
After junior safety Maurice Sikes allowed Tennessee tailback Cedric Houston to break a 78-yard run by blitzing in the wrong gap on the second play of Miami's last game, Sikes walked down the sideline apologizing.
"It was my assignment that I messed up," Sikes said. "I have to be accountable to my teammates."
And he was, stepping up his play the rest of the game to make sure he wasn't responsible for any more mistakes.
Sikes didn't gamble again, and neither did anyone else on the field, which contributed to the defense playing nearly a nearly flawless game, limiting Tennessee's offense to 140 yards the rest of day.
Problem fixed, for now, but the Hurricanes know that the Panthers, averaging 356.6 yards a game, will be interested in testing them again.
"There are always going to be times when you have to find an answer to something, and sometimes it's as simple as going back to ABCs and 1-2-3s, or learning how to walk again," Mark said.
"It came down to having the confidence and the pride in yourself and the guy next to you to do your job and expect that they will do their job."