Manny Diaz takes blame for 3-4 start by Miami football team

Earlier this week on Hurricanes Hotline on 560 WQAM the Joe, Miami football head coach Manny Diaz took a lot of the blame for the 3-4 start to the 2019 season for the Hurricanes.

There has been a lot of fingers pointed on social media about who is to blame for the Miami football team starting 3-4. Diaz told the Hurricanes radio tandem of Joe Zagacki and Don Bailey Jr. earlier this week that he and his program have earned negativity. Diaz also stated that no one puts more pressure on UM then he does.

The 3-4 start to the 2019 Miami football season crushed the excitement that Diaz brought about during the offseason since succeeding Mark Richt as the Hurricanes head coach last December. Diaz preached that Miami was able to win right away. He pointed to Notre Dame to show how quickly a program can turn around.

Miami has had too many problems to overcome. Slow starts and collapsing finishes in games, an abysmal kicking game and porous offensive line have all led to the four loses by the Hurricanes this season. All of Miami’s games against FBS opponents have come down to the last few minutes.

Miami could as easily be 1-6 as they could be 7-0 this season. Their 3-4 record splits the difference and seems about right. The disturning thing was losing at home to Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech as double-digit favorites. Coming out flat against teams you are expected to defeat easily is not acceptable.

"“Nobody can put more pressure on this program than I do. Nobody can be more pissed what our current predicament is than I am. There is going to be negativity. We’ve earned that. I’ve earned that. I told them [players] I will take it.  I am confident in the things that have worked in Miami forever and ever.If we have a program that strains relentlessly on Greentree, a team that becomes tough mentally and physically in the weight room, I know wins are going to come.”"

Diaz two new hires as offensive and defensive coordinators, Dan Enos and Blake Baker have been a frequent target of the fans on social media. Enos has greatly improved the Miami offense. His play-calling has been questionable at times, but the Hurricanes offense is not the liability it was last season.

Sophomore Bubba Baxa and walkon redshirt sophomore Turner Davidson have combined to make 6-13 field goals this season. That puts a lot of pressure on Enos as a play-caller and for the Miami offense to have to be perfect. Only Buffalo with eight missed field goals has more than the seven the Hurricanes have missed.

"“During the first three quarters. You may go for it on fourth down more aggressively than what you would [normally] do…At that moment, I told Dan we need to throw a touchdown pass on third down because in the event we missed the field goal.N’Kosi [Perry] threw a great ball to K.J. Osborn and their defensive player made a phenomenal play to knock it out of there.”"

Redshirt freshman walkon Camden Price has been competing with Baxa and Davidson this week to be the first-team kicker against Pittsburgh Saturday. Andrew Ivins of Inside the U stated on their podcast Through the Smoke with David Lake that kicking experts told him that Price is Miami’s best and most consistent kicker.

Baxa has a strong leg but has greatly struggled with accuracy. He has been very good on kickoffs this season and will remain in that role. Miami has played Pittsburgh more than any other school outside the state of Florida. Saturday’s game will be the 39th meeting. The Hurricanes and Panthers were also Big East rivals.