What Miami said after 4-overtime win at Virginia

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Head Coach Mario Cristobal

Opening Statement
“Thank you for hanging in there obviously. I can’t say enough about the resiliency of the team, which was something that we felt certainly needed to be upgraded based on some of the recent things in some of our games for some of our guys. I’m really proud of our guys for effort, toughness, and playing hard the whole way through. The defense, minus some of those third downs, and the quarterback played about as good of a game as you can play. I saw some phenomenal stuff, particularly down in the redzones, particularly the tight red zone and the fourth-down stop. Offensively, the best part was that the sideline, no matter what happened they just continued to get together, support each other, push each other and lift each other up. I’m really proud of the support they showed knowing that we’re in one of those games where you might have to win it 3-0 or win it in four overtimes. This is something positive to build on and we’ll be getting right back to work tomorrow.”

On this game as a confidence builder
“The mental approach definitely got stronger. The ability to tune out any stuff that can deter or harm performance was big. And, they had fun. They really enjoyed playing the situations which is what I’m seeing from the sidelines. When the guys came to the sidelines you saw a group of players very motivated regardless of whether it was 3rd-and-goal at the two-yard line or 1st-and-10. They were just very driven and motivated to perform at the highest level and work hard.”

On things Miami could’ve done better
“We had a couple of shots where we didn’t connect but it was right there, designed well and we were open. One time it was overthrown, and another time we just missed. A few other times we were just out of sync, out of phase. They looked good during the week, and other things show up a little better in practice than the passing game did today but obviously we’ve got to get back to work.”

Miami Running Back Henry Parrish Jr.

On having an injury during the game but still performing
“For sure. It felt pretty good, getting back into my groove. I [was] excited to get back to work with [my guys] and it paid off.”

On some issues that you saw that wasn’t quite clicking
“I’ll say the run game. We kind of struggled in the first half, we just had to stick to it and just work. It was gonna open up and [we] just had to take advantage of every opportunity.”

On his experience during the overtime periods
“It was pretty tough, but you just got to put your head down and work. These are the moments you work for. All the OTs and all the hard work you put in the off season, it showed up today. You just got to get back to the field and correct the mistakes and get back to work.”

Mitchell Agude, Sixth-Year Redshirt Senior, Defensive Line

On success against Virginia’s offensive line
“I think everyone just had the mentality of dominating. We came into the game knowing that it’s gonna take grit and you’re gonna take fight from every single player. We wanted to out-will every player, every down. That’s why we had such good production.”

On goal-line stands
“It was just never quit. Every down, keep playing your hardest. Just keep fighting. In football, it’s about inches. If you can keep them out of the end zone, you can win the game.”

On two-point conversions
“Just don’t let them score. Simple as that. Don’t let them score no matter what. I’m very proud of our defense, never quitting and being resilient. I think that’s that just shows Miami football.”

Freshman Quarterback Jake Garcia 

On the last play of the game:
“There was a lot of praying for me going on the sideline during the two-point conversion plays. We called that play and we had worked it a couple of times in practice. I was ready for it and we talked through it together. Coach [Mario] Cristobal said, ‘You have to make a play. You’re going to have your ‘flat’ right there or you can hand the ball off.’ I stepped back to read what was going on. I saw my ‘flat’ guy, Kahlil Brantley, and it looked like he was going to trip me. Knowing how my day was going though, I was like, ‘I see the piling right there, I am running this ball. I’m right here’. Khalil blocked for me, and we made the play happen.”

On the team’s feeling following the win:
“It was a great and surreal feeling to see it there and to know that you are walking away with a win after everything. I would like to give huge props to our coaches, offensive line, running backs, and our defense. Our defense did a great job holding it back today. It was a great feeling to know that we ended the game like that today.”

On his first start
“It felt like a normal day. I’m always trying to prepare myself like I am a starter. Whether that was last year, throughout high school, and this year, it felt normal. Prior to this game, I went and tried to mentally prepare myself. I told myself that I had to lock in, and it felt normal to me. Obviously, however, there was a little bit of excitement. The ball got out of my hands a couple times earlier on in the game. I just have to get better with that. We have to stick to what we know and execute that.”

Sophomore Kicker Andres Borregales

On the last kicks
“I wasn’t nervous because of my kicking experience last year playing Virginia. I am on a ‘make or miss’ mentality. It’s natural human instinct to be nervous, but it comes down to trusting the guys in front of you. I trust Mason Napper our long snapper and Lou Hedley our punter. They trust me to put through the lines, I trust them to make sure that protection is good. I owe all my glory to them, all ten guys in front of me.”

On the win
“I ran straight to him [Jake Garcia]. I was so happy for Jake Garcia because I know that this was his moment and his spotlight. He was my first roommate coming into Miami. We have a good relationship, and I am just so happy for him.”