Miami football: Manny Diaz wants Jarren Williams more decisive with football

Jarren Williams has exceeded expectations for the Miami football team this season. He is on pace to set the Hurricanes passing percentage record for a single season and he became the first UM quarterback not to throw an interception in his first 100 passes.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Jarren Williams has come out of the gate slinging for the Miami football team in 2018. Williams is on pace to shatter the Miami single-season passing percentage record. Williams has completed 73.3 percent of his passes in 2019. The record is Jacory Harris who completed 65 percent in 2011.

Harris set the record as a senior in his fourth season as a starter. Williams is doing it as a redshirt freshman in his first season as a starter. The Georgia native has done a good job of staying within new offensive coordinator Dan Enos’ offense and taking what the defense gives him. For Williams to evolve he needs to be more decisive.

The good thing is that Williams has not forced anything despite being under constant pressure. Miami is 128th out of 130 FBS teams with 4.5 sacks allowed per game. According to Pro Football Focus via Inside the U, Williams has been responsible for three of the 18 sacks Miami has allowed and nine QB pressures this season.

On Hurricane Hotline on 560 AM, the Joe earlier this week Miami head coach Manny Diaz stated that he wants Williams to become more decisive with the football. It would help the Hurricanes yardage for Williams to throw the football away at times instead of taking a sack. Diaz discussed Williams’ growth this season.

"“He did a good job during the first two games of just getting the ball out…He has great accuracy and at Miami we talk about getting the ball to our athletes….In this offense, you take what is available and Dan Enos does great job of calling shot plays.You have to read your key and if the safety does what you want him to do, then let it rip. Don’t wait to see the guy open. If the safety doesn’t do what we want him to do, then you have to get it to the open guy and let him catch and run. Coach Enos has a great saying: ‘don’t wish the guy open.’There are shots that have been available and we need to see the shots a little bit earlier and then let it rip. The problem is if we start to force the shots, then we hold onto the football and then we create negative plays and get sacked.We have a stat that we look at which is rush attempts plus completions minus negative plays. The higher the number that is, usually the better day you have on offense. That means you are going forward. The more plays you are going forward, the better off you are.”"

For Williams to take more shots downfield the Hurricanes offensive line has to improve. One of the indications of the Miami football team’s lack of explosive plays this season has been the drastic reduction in the average yards per reception from junior WR Jeff Thomas. Thomas is averaging 8.8 YPC after averaging 16.1 in 2018.

Thomas led Miami with 35 receptions for 563 yards in 2018. He is one pace to surpass the 35 receptions he had a season ago, but for only 396 yards. Thomas is the Hurricanes’ best playmaker. Enos needs to get him more involved in the offense and Williams needs to get him the ball more often.