Miami Hurricanes ‘want to go prove ourselves’ as Year 3 of Cristobal Era gets underway

Miami Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal had just about everything he needed as he made his rounds at the Atlantic Coast Conference Football Kickoff on Wednesday.

Well... except his cafecito.

“They failed me, man,” Cristobal said. “Everybody talked about the great Cuban coffee places in Charlotte. I’m sure they’re here ... [but it] never happened, so there’s some making up to do.”

Cristobal didn’t appear to be in any need for extra caffeine, though. He had an extra pep in his step throughout the day at the Hilton Charlotte Uptown.

Expectations are once again high for the Hurricanes in the preseason. This year, though, Miami needs the results to match the projections as it enters Year 3 of the Cristobal Era, which begins on Aug. 30 when the Hurricanes travel to Gainesville to face the Florida Gators.

The Hurricanes have gone just 12-13 overall and 6-10 in ACC play in their first two years under Cristobal. He has worked over those two seasons to shift the standard at his alma mater and build a roster through recruiting and the transfer portal to put UM in a position to get back to its winning ways.

“We’re not here to make any predictions or projections,” Crisotbal said. “We just want to get to work. That’s all we want to do. We want to get to work and want to go prove ourselves.”

If there’s ever a time for the Hurricanes to step up, have a statement season and prove themselves, it’s now.

“I want to win,” fifth-year offensive lineman Jalen Rivers said. “I wanted to come back here for a championship, but it’s also more of an emphasis of ‘Hey, I don’t want us to go through this again.’”

Added quarterback Cam Ward: “At the end of the day, we’re the guys who have to strap up those pads and go make plays. We’re all trying to get to the next level. We’re all trying to be high draft picks. If we’re worrying about being better each and every day, I think everything will take care of itself.”

Rivers and Ward epitomize two different facets of Miami’s roster. Rivers has been with the Hurricanes his entire college career. He stepped foot on campus in 2020. He stayed through the coaching change after Manny Diaz was fired after 2021 and watched what Cristobal has attempted to implement during the past two years. Ward is one of the high-end talents Miami acquired in the transfer portal as Cristobal augments his roster with veteran talent in addition to high school recruiting classes.

All three groups — the veteran mainstays, the impact transfers and the newcomers alike — have to pull their weight if the Hurricanes want to have success.

“It’s an interesting blend and a good blend because they’re all at different levels,” Cristobal said, “We feel they are all like-minded individuals.”

The Hurricanes have some big-name talent. Defensive end Reuben Bain Jr. is poised for a monster sophomore season after posting 12.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks as a freshman. The wide receiver and running back groups have about a half dozen players apiece who could realistically contribute to the offense. Rivers will anchor the offensive line and senior Francisco Mauigoa will lead the Hurricanes’ linebackers.

But make no mistake about it: Miami’s success will almost assuredly depend on Ward, who transferred to UM after two seasons at Washington State (and two years before that at FCS Incarnate Word) instead of going to the NFL Draft.

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He made an instant impression on his teammates and coaches during spring practices. Now, the development continues into fall camp.

“He’s a pro,” Cristobal said. “Certain guys just seem to get smarter and develop constantly. He’s a guy that can handle so much, but understands the importance of doing the simple stuff better. He never wants to get ahead of himself. He’s a guy who’s kind of like on autocorrect — before you get to him and say, ‘You know, that’s not your read,’ he’s already saying ‘I know. I need to do this better coach.’ He’s a real one. There’s no fluff to him. There’s no fake to him.”

Ward said he believes the Hurricanes on paper have the potential to be “dominant” on both sides of the ball “and that will lead us to where we want to be by the end of the season.”

But as the Hurricanes saw over the past couple years, talent only goes so far.

“We’ve got to show up every game,” Ward said. “We can’t take games off no matter who we’re playing. If we’re playing the best team or the worst team, we’ve got to be that same team every Saturday.”

Added Mauigoa: “It’s all about the grit and the work that’s been put in — things that people don’t see. Just being able to come back home in the film room or watching yourself and critiquing yourself. All that counts in on your performance on the field. This team has been holding each other accountable for that standard to get better every single day and just having the mindset to dominate every single play.”

The goal now is to see that work translate to the field.

“There’s a starting point for everything, right?” Cristobal said. “The starting point at Miami for us was making sure that we enhance the caliber of talent in the locker room, that we increase the level and capabilities of the coaching staff and that we blend in the strongest and most unbreakable culture that we can. We’ve been at it for two years. Systems are growing. Players are developing. People are there for the right reasons. ... These guys, they run to the work. They run to the fight. They’re awesome to be around. It’s awesome to sit back and watch them work. It lets you go home and feel good knowing that no matter what, these guys are ready and willing to show up because they’re driven to win.”