Former Miami Hurricanes Players Explain How To Turn The Page From Georgia Tech Debacle On To UNC
Miami fans want to put Georgia Tech in the rear view mirror. Players and coaches want that even more, I assure you.
Some supporters fear this to be the sort of loss that breaks a team's spirit for the remainder of the season.
How do you put it behind you?
"Beat the dog crap out of North Carolina," is what former Hurricanes defensive tackle Mark Caesar told Bruce Warner and me on my Locked On Canes podcast.
Miami travels to Chapel Hill for a 7:30pm matchup with the Tar Heels. North Carolina is favored by 3 and a half points at home. They've taken care of their business so far, undefeated at 5-0 and ranked 12th in the nation. Miami will have to play far better than they did at home against the Yellow Jackets.
Former Miami wide receiver Lamar Thomas also hopped on the show. "I would love to see them put a whooping down on UNC," Thomas said. "This week has to be the week where everyone needs to come together."
If Miami can bounce back with a W, the final minute against Georgia Tech can be forgiven even if it won't soon be forgotten.
I asked Thomas what Mario Cristobal needs to do in order to keep the trust of his players despite the costly mistake of not opting to take a knee when the victory could have been preserved.
Accountability from Cristobal is important.
"It's football. A lot of things happen on that sideline," Thomas said. Unfortunately for Mario and the program, it played out in front of a national audience. (Mario Cristobal) just needs to continue to prepare and go over situations like this in practice. Let these kids know we screwed (that last sequence) up."
But the real key to moving on, as Thomas outlined well, is team unity within the locker room.
"Just let these guys have some confidence. I think the whole thing right now is about our guys going up to Chapel Hill and having confidence. It's not only about confidence in their coach but confidence in themselves. Most of the time you can get through it when the team comes together and says, 'this is about us. Regardless of what they're doing on the sidelines, we're the ones inside the white lines. We're the ones that have gotta make it happen and use our common sense.' That's what it boils down to right now. I am from the old school where we policed ourselves. We got on each other (as players). Sometimes we hurt each other's feelings. We're a family. The next day, after we get that victory, we had some drinks and partied together. It all boils down to those guys coming together as a team."
When the Hurricanes were 4-0, Cristobal said he was starting to see some signs of Miami becoming a "player-driven team." We're about to find out just how far they've come.
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