MENSAH MANIA: Miami Hurricanes’ Offense to UNLEASH Power Versus Stanford, Can They Impress?

0:00This is the Lockdown Podcast Network celebrating 10 years of your team every day. I'm expecting efficiency from Darian Mensa tonight. It is Miami Hurricanes' debut, and here's what else. You are Lockdown Canes, your daily podcast on the Miami Hurricanes. It's part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. Happy Friday, happy game day, we made it. I am Alex Dono on this episode of Lockdown Canes. What if Miami doesn't have a convincing performance this evening? What will the dialogue be? Hopefully it doesn't come to that. I don't expect it to come to that. We'll talk about the final availability report at a new inactive. Someone who will not play for Miami this evening as his legal situation gets sorted out.

1:04I think you know who I'm talking about. But I want to talk Darian Mensa, and I don't want to talk Mensa by myself. It's a two for Truth Teller Friday. Oh, there it is. I'm all in. Coach, Kristavall. I love that t-shirt from this is a four year old t-shirt. No less. I was like after you got hired. Yeah. So I'm wearing it today in honor of him because this hopefully concludes why he came here. We're going all the way to the 90. Yeah. And we're in the 90. Yeah. And let's hope. And to me, I think the most excited I am about tonight would be to see Darian Mensa in a Miami uniform for the first time, Bruce. And this is actually the third consecutive roll really fourth straight year. And the Miami's had a different starting quarterback, right? You know, four years ago, Tyler Van Dyke, Cam Ward, Carson Back last year. Now Darian Mensa, the prolific transfer from Duke. Bruce, if you think what would an ideal Darian Mensa debut look like tonight? What do you want to see?

2:10Excellent pocket presence. Control of the offense. Taking advantage of mismatches, which we're going to have all over the place. You mentioned the word efficient. Yes, efficient. I don't want him to go like 16 for 38. I don't want to see that. I'd like to see something like 22 for 30 for 300 and something yards or something like that. I like to see him run out of the pocket if he gets in trouble. That kind of stuff. I just want to see him be. And it's funny because there's a lot of preseason hype about him for Heisman and things like that. You know what, Cam God here, he was hoping to get drafted earlier than he obviously, than he was expected to when he was at Washington state, but he didn't have all this fanfare. Now as the season went on, everybody said, oh my, this guy's incredible. After that Florida game, all eyes were open. Right. But now this is before the first game for Mensa. We expect, and that word's going to come up a lot today out of my mouth expectations.

3:14Because Mario's got expectations. Cain's fans do people around the country do the national pundits do yet they put us at seven. I'm very happy with seven right now. A lot of those teams in front of us are playing each other this year. So I hope to beat the hell out of each other. But I expect Mensa to play efficiently, solid game, find the open guys, play three quarters, and get out of there with a 30 point lead. That's what I want to see. Yeah. No turnips. No turnips. I think that my opinion all week Bruce has been, I think Miami is going to emphasize the run early. Like when they've been talking about that all week, I don't think it's a bluff. I think that they're telling you, hey, the identity of this team physical running the football dairy and Mensa even said that and he's fine with it. So I think for this young offensive line, they're really going to emphasize pounding the rock early on. And I think Mensa will maybe have some shorter stuff early in the game.

4:17But Bruce, once that running game has been established, I think Mensa is going to take a few shots down the field this evening. Whether it's to Tony, who I think is going to be catching a lot more beyond 20 yards through the air. It's not just going to be yards after catch for him as it was most of the time last year. But Mensa is a very different quarterback from Carson Beck. Will our guy Josh Moore catch a deep ball, Dalen Upshaw Cooper Barcade. So I think it's going to be a crescendo from Mensa. I think he's going to be efficient all game long. But I think once Stanford's D is worn down a little bit and their defensive line looked a little small to me, Bruce. Once they're worn down a little bit, I think Mensa is going to take some shots down the field. So I think it's going to build. And then hopefully, like you said, ideally, he can take a seat for the fourth quarter and we get some Luke nickel. Well, I noticed some differences. You know, I even heard on a show yesterday, I don't know who show it was. Something about that, that, she always my brain.

5:19Kim Ward didn't really like checking down and throwing swing passes and screens. No, that little bit. This guy has because when I was actually throwing, he's in the pocket. He's in the pocket and he checks left or right and he dumps it off. And so I think we're going to see some swing passes, some screens, which are not down the field, but we could still gain big chunks of yards. Look, I'm not sure more is going to start. You got Malachi, you got Moore, you got Barcai and you got Lofton, who I think is going to be have single coverage all night tonight. I mean, he's got so many weapons and to throw it out of the battlefield to Brown, who's good with the ball in his hands, to Fletcher. I haven't seen Malere catch any swing pass. We've seen Pringle do it. So anywhere he turns, he's got people to throw it to that could take it to the house or at least gain big chunks of yards. But I want to see what I'm looking to see is, and I think everybody else watching and listening. They want to see the offensive line. What happens on third and one?

6:20Are we going to be able to knock people off the ball and get phone sounds or are we going to go back to it was two, three years ago, where we struggled on short yardage. We don't have the big horses anymore. So let's see how good these guys are in situations like that. I want to see that. Yeah, and last year, Miami's rushing yards before contact was very pedestrian like the likes of Mark Fletcher and Marty Brown, especially did a lot of work after contact. And so something I've been talking about a lot in recent weeks, Bruce is for as elite as last year's offensive line was from a pass protection standpoint, it'll be very hard for this year's O line to be as good in pass pro as last years. But last year's O line was not as great at run blocking as maybe they could have been. I think there's potential for this year's group because they're very athletic, very rangel to maybe even improve on that aspect. I think the past protection is going to come along.

7:21But you know, in terms of of the passing game, Bruce, I'm going to go as far as men's is concerned, I'm going to say, I'm going to have him under 300 yards for this game only because my hope is he doesn't play four quarters. Right. So I'm going to go with around 240 passing yards. I'm going to say three passing touchdowns, no interceptions. And I would be very happy with that sort of a debut for Miami's new 31. What with our players though, he could throw a seven yards pass, it turns into a 70 yard touchdown. Think about the owning right and he's not throwing bombs, but yeah, we could have over 300 yards on five throws. That's true. Right. Yeah, I don't want to limit the guy to 200 yards. I think we could score off of. Yeah, look at the slants. Look at last year against Mississippi, the little inside screen, bubble screen to Malika, he took in 30 yards that house. That's the thing. You can catch a quick out and turn up the field and go, I'm not going to say 300 yards.

8:24Three. I don't care. But I just want him to be efficient. I want us to score on the first time we get the ball. I would be very disappointed with a three and out. Yeah, oh my gosh. But again, these I'm talking about expectations. I keep saying that word because we're seven or eight months from that the loss. And I keep thinking, well, okay, now we have a play we're in overtime now. Let us keep going and going and going. But it's a different team, different players. I think that between Barcai and Mensa were way better than we were with with the court with Beck and Jackson. I just think it's better. Barcai is very good. You know, he's not a speedy guy, but he gets open. He could take it to the house. He's that good. 100%. All right. So Miami updated. So did Stanford on Thursday night. The availability report. I've been referring to it as an injury report, but I think the final inactive for Miami. We don't think it's injury related.

9:30So we'll talk about the latest addition to that. And I think Stanford boy is their depth going to be tested tonight. You want to keep it locked right here because we're only getting started on this brand new episode of Lockdown Cains. Folks, support for this episode comes from square the system powering so many of the places we already know and love. Whether you're running a packed game day spot, a local restaurant or a growing business square gives sellers the tools to run their business without making things more complicated. Square brings payments inventory payroll invoices customer insights and more together in one connected system. So whether you're a one location business or you're growing into multiple locations square gives you the tools to sell manage and grow without needing an IT team to figure all of that stuff out. Folks, the best teams have systems in place that allow everyone to do their job without creating unnecessary complications businesses are the same way square gives sellers one connected system to manage the moving parts which can make a huge difference when things get busy folks.

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11:39Thank you for making locked on canes your first listen on this to for truth teller Friday and it's a game day so Bruce you see the fourth and hopefully final name added. I don't know if you have your reading class. I had binoculars I might be able to see this I'm going to zoom in I'm going to zoom in on the Miami part so running back Jordan Lyle has been declared out along with Jabori Antoine cornerback safety Dillon day tight and Luca Gilbert who's out for the season so with Lyle like they don't specify here if it's an injury or what but you know we all know Lyle has the charges that have still not been resolved in any way shape or form yet for reckless driving and evading. I know what the thing about Dillon day bothers me because I thought he's ready to go he was the backup safety and I was out again I don't understand. I want to see him all right and the other one. Wow it looks like a witness list in like in a criminal you want to see the Stanford one. Yeah I'm going to be like my goodness.

12:41It's a it's a CVS receipt Bruce it's there's I think 25 names on it and there have been some downgrades so offensive lineman. It looks like the witness the neo j Simpson Trump my good look at all those people. Yeah and so Nikki prongos Bruce is a notable one so he's listed doubtful here but I saw a Stanford reporter said he's out that he's not going to play that that would have been. They're starting left tackle prongos and we've known out there starting center. Who let me see if I can find his name on here eight in kill strum who got a carded off in the Hawaii game. Reportedly he's out for the season wow and another one of Stanford's offensive lineman Nick fatigue who didn't play last week either. Who I think would have been there starting left guard is all. Nathan may he it but I don't know if he's a star but he's still an offensive lineman it's not going to be there. Wow yeah they got a ton of O lineman out so again I don't know how much depth Stanford has at all I'm but I think my amies D line can feast.

13:49Four corner backs four corners and and Zade and McDonald's a DB I don't know if he's a safety but what a mess. Yeah look at it look at this I mean sheesh so semi on a Palais who's there starting right guard he's still questionable so I guess you could. Probably what's guys like yeah probably so I mean yeah and Bruce with with Jordan Lyle being out you know one monitor his situation throughout the season as we get more legal clarity but. Running back is a spot we don't worry about man from Fletcher brown Pringle and I think with Lyle out I think this almost guarantees we're going to get some JV in Mallory reps tonight and Chris Humphrey we. Yes yes yes I always I should always talk about him yeah he's got some speed let me go over so you have it on here is questions so I'm just throwing this out I just don't want any negativity comments we've been getting great.

14:50The show with Gary Furman Tuesday has like 13000 views or whatever spectacular and climbing and everybody loved that show so you know we try to bring you the best by the way on the vault we just had Clinton Portis so you. Yes you get watched that and then Tuesday we're filming with Ed read if anybody heard who the else had read who's that read right read I'm going to ask him now before I know we all know Ed we all know about the play Boston college while you were here did you do anything else but. What did you do did you do anything he's going to laugh yeah I hope you laugh anyway so what happens if. We win tonight but we struggle what do you think the reactions going to be just don't quite out well we win I mean 38. 21 something like that we don't really look that great listen with with the privilege that comes with being a 24 and a half point favorite would then come the scrutiny if you don't win the game comfortably right I mean that that creates a certain expectation and so yeah if Miami squeaks by tonight.

16:00And given the talent gap between Miami and Stanford if this is a close game but Miami wins that there's going to be a lot of dialogue afterwards Bruce it'll be it'll be a lot like you know people who watched you a Florida state they beat New Mexico state last week but we're really unconvincing and doing it I think Stanford is better than New Mexico state and Miami has to go out there but if Miami doesn't win convincingly tonight I think my shows for the next week or not going to be a whole lot of fun right I mean my Miami has. I mean Miami has enough talent that they should be able to get things together if they don't look great tonight but we'll have more questions than answers if they win but unconvincingly so here's an offshoot of that one we win big but we struggle to run the ball which may have something to do with the offensive line which seems to be the big question what's the reaction to that we win 41 to 10 but we only rush for 103 yards and we're just not moving that pile. I would be a little worried about the offensive line and I would think and again I'm trying to project what would cause that to happen Bruce and we know you know Miami has basically four guards that are fighting for two starting spots and I think if they have trouble moving the football tonight on the ground because you know the running backs won't be the problem so if they have trouble moving the football I think we're going to have to say maybe Miraball needs to tanker and you might see a couple different starters in the next game.

17:25Or they're just not unified yet they have not played as a unit one down yet none of them together for real so it could be it may take a little while which is what some people are saying and then from what I saw I saw can't well mostly practice on the outside now all of a sudden he's been in the inside but it's been two or three weeks since they kicked them in so I think they made the right choice he I think he was struggling on the perimeter maybe against Damon Wilson he was sure. I can turn it over. He had some good reps against Wilson in the spring game though and one time he put Damon Wilson on his butt in one rep in the spring game which I was like okay that's awesome right what happens if men said get sack four or five times we run the ball well but he gets sack four or five times same thing. I'll say this Stanford only sacked Hawaii's quarterback twice so if they sack men said four or five times I'm not going to be satisfied with that whatsoever.

18:29Yeah and when I said to you and I think this is part of my prediction for Stanford's game plan. Yeah running running at our defense events not up the gut but off off tackle and and and screen because they make it they need to make our linebackers cover so they know there was smart team and running screens and things like that I think is something they're going to do well they take shots down the field they have to they just can't let us stack the box. But I don't know any of the receivers I'm not you saw them play I really didn't want to that game. John Anthony Hall caught a bomb he caught a 57 yarder he had two catches for anyone so you know it's it's someone you know our corners I think they will pass the test but they do have they do a couple guys who can stretch the field and they can give OJ and Lucas a little work. Okay um who do you want to see I mean we've talked about Josh Moore I want to see him we of course we do I want to see done again I want to see him in action I want to see the the the DB the nickel from Boston College I want to see him Thornton I want to see him because those are people that you know one's a true freshman the other ones are transferred I want to see those guys yeah I want to see can't well knock people on the table.

19:50I want to see him on the other buts and I want to you know I want to see lofted because we I've seen him down there and he looks really good he doesn't look sluggish he doesn't look like he's got a gut on him anymore his chest injury that he had last year is all healed and he's look like he's got a burst and I can see him jumping over people again other than the obvious I want to see barcade I want to see Malachi because he looks a little bigger and stronger there's so much to look forward to I want to see Damon Wilson I want to see lightfoot. I want to see lightfoot blown up a little bit I want to see a nice long field goal and kickoffs into the end zone from the from the special teams maybe if we're lucky and I don't know if we're going to show it maybe a block punter something like that. Well it actually it's Stanford had a blocked pun against Hawaii last week which is like my my radar went up we got to make sure we don't let that happen but I do it Bruce I have some names for you including a freshman and some other less talked about transfer so I'll let you know who else I want to see stay tuned because we are not done yet on this brand new episode of locked on canes.

20:56I'm so happy that ultra pouches are on board with us guys football season means long days early mornings late nights plenty of time spent trying to stay focused and energize this is like accountants have tax season donno has football season I don't sleep very much and whether you're heading into work getting a workout in or settling in for a full day of football having something that helps you stay locked in can make a difference ultra pouches are designed to be a good place for you to stay tuned. So I'm going to deliver instant focus and smooth energy in a convenient pouch without nicotine or caffeine ultra partnered with leading neuroscientists to create pouches using new tropics including infinity px L. Thienine alpha G. B. C. and vitamins B. 6 and B. 12. The result is a pouch designed to support focus mental clarity and smooth energy that lasts one to two hours without caffeine nicotine and without a crash folks I've been using ultra pouches the last couple of weeks and it's really helped me focus I use them right before I do a show and I've been doing a lot of shows we added the sister channel locked on canes hit been very busy and ultra is the ultimate guilt free pouch delivering instant focus and mental clarity without nicotine or caffeine new customers can use code locked on

22:13college football to get 15% off at take ultra dot com that's take ultra dot com for 15% off with code locked on college football after your purchase they will ask you where you heard about them and please support locked on canes by telling them donno sent you. Hi this is Isaac Shade host of locked on college basketball and locked on tar heels today's episode is brought to you by ADT imagine you're watching the game at a buddy's house when you get a call that someone tried to break into yours in a second everything can change that's why there's ADT ADT security systems help keep your home safe 24 7 with the most company operated monitoring centers in the industry the ADT plus app keeps you in control the whole time don't leave your home wide open during an hour. So you can also have an emergency when every second counts count on ADT visit ADT dot com or call 1 800 ADT ASAP. Thank you for making locked on canes your first listen so Bruce thinking about obviously I agree with every name you threw out there.

23:21I want to really see the defensive tackle depth right because we know Justin Scott and a mod mountain maybe the premier DT partnership in the entire country both being projected his first round picks but Mario crystal ball has spoken really highly of the guys who I think are the next two up. In a Jarquois Carter the Ohio State transfer and Nebraska transfer Keona Davis that they both had really good camps and you know great teams have rotations at defensive tackle because there's a lot of energy that gets really an extent in those reps by your top guys so I want to see the backup DT's both of them I believe are our transfers and you know JJ done again you mentioned we'll be talking about him a lot throughout the season and his role with Dylan Day being out tonight Bruce I think that's that gives JJ even more opportunities to get into games. I want to see JV on Mallory who's probably going to be your your fourth running back for as long as Jordan Lyle is out and the tight end depth Bruce you know you and I are both hoping and expecting a good bounce back here for Elijah Lofton who's healthy and he's he's trimmed down you know when he was injured he put on a little bit of weight but he got rid of that extra weight but

24:40man Gavin Mueller and Israel Briggs especially the true freshman will see how much they get into game tonight and throughout the early part of the season but you know they're young so there's going to be some inexperience maybe some freshman mistakes but both of those guys really practice hard and compete hard. Two things one I know when I was down there and I know when I was not down there but I heard Mallory will say it a million times they work really hard in the off season on two things the false starts and jumping off sides for one and two after the play stupidity they work on that they worked on after the play stupidity now I still I still don't know how anybody could help unless you do it on purpose targeting calls. They are very tough to see what's in somebody's brain that you've intended a targeted. Yeah and like nine times out of ten getting all of that. Yeah and Bruce there some targeting is like clear as day but nine times out of ten we're watching the replay and we're like are we sure that's targeting so yeah it's terrible.

25:46But I hope they cleaned up some of that stuff first game in the season but you know they said they did work on it like I saw it and the other thing is is that I'd like to see I've been saying it for a month now I want to see you. I want to see Luke me up we'll get in the game in the first half middle of the second quarter bar up 17 nothing 21 to three or whatever let him play. Let him play it before half time and then you know get in the second half but I want to see him go up against the other teams first unit a couple of times before we get into the meat of the season although this is the meat of the season because this is an ACC game we can't lose this game no no we can't and you know and I know and the fans all know this that if anybody gets looked at it through the microscope and the telescope it's Miami in terms of style points so we can't leave points on the field we got to blow these teams out and worry about next week's game and don't worry about well you know we're killing them.

26:46If the second stringers are in there call the same damn plays don't just hand off three times and I don't want to see that play football let these guys know we're not a play right let them play that's what I want to see and that's why I want to see Luke nickel in the first half unless it's close game and you can't do it. Yeah alright so Bruce you and I along with Gary Furman went on record on Tuesday with our predictions but since it's game day can you double down can you give me the Bruce Warner score prediction as we are hours away from Miami at Stanford. I don't even know what I said on Tuesday. I'm going to say something different maybe you feel it's three days later maybe you feel different I'm going to say five touchdowns two field goals 41 for us. And 13 for them are going to get one cheap touchdown and two field goals and that's the end of 41 13 it's 28 points you better is out there. Later points I think we're going to be I don't know how they could possibly come within 25 30 points I just don't know how especially after they played and you look bad they didn't look that great and we're much better than who did you just play Hawaii.

27:59Please please not and they come out of it with a 25 person injury report which is crazy to have that many and some of those guys will play obviously they're on the report but there's like 15 16 guys who are out so yeah I'm I'm very bullish I'm going to go but I could say I could say I was I'm a little conservative maybe we're going to score 50 points it could very well be I don't want people. 41 points I don't know that's what I'm giving you guys what a 28 point win but I'd still yeah we score 51 or 52 so yeah that's a for for for what it's worth now now you and I are meticulous in our preparation and we you know we've seen them practice we've gathered Intel but still first game of the year this is the least amount of information we're going to have like this is the most speculative pregame prediction. We're gathering data throughout the year so I'm going 45 10 Miami and I actually I don't think Stanford's going to score touchdown until Miami's backups are on the field I think it's going to be like 38 to 3 when Miami puts in a lot of the reserves so let's hope yeah last year we played Notre Dame we were up 21 seven and the gave the lead away and we scored a field goal to win the year before that we obliterated the Gators 41 17 so I'm saying 41 13.

29:26But it depends if we come at listen if we have a chip on our shoulder from losing that last game the Indiana who knows what the score could be I mean just made say you know what I don't give it damn I'm like Jimmy and those other coaches that used to one up the score so let him score 50 points if possible I don't want to see Nick will go out there take a knee handed off three times and point I don't want to see that let him play. Yeah so I agree with I agree with Bruce and everyone make sure you subscribe to my new sister channel locked on Cain's hit we're going to have short form content during and after the game I'm going to do a half time report on there and post game reports go ahead Bruce. Just hope that you and I are not texting each other tonight cursing because yeah I want to lose your number tonight I don't even want to get that I don't think there were too many games that we watched last year that we were cursing so I hope tonight I could watch the game. Relax watch it enjoy it and then I guess we'll talk Tuesday.

30:27Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, shout out by the way to Cain's where Bruce and I have our Cain's where gear on. I've been helping Cain's where out with some pre game content as well and I write a column there at Cain's where dot com so make sure you talk about supporting local businesses when I was talking about square Cain's where is a South Florida. Run business and Bruce let people know whether they have legal questions or if they just want to chat about the game tonight working they reach you. Yeah, I've had I've had a few of those lately with the about talking about the team which is fine. But if you have problems seeing your kids you've got issues with your wife you want to get divorced it's that even if you don't have kids. I'm a family attorney that's what I do you could reach me at 954 258 2525 that's 954 258 252525 it's a simple number to phone call I'll do the best I can to help you guys and let's go Cain's all about the youth they we waited a long time for this moment.

31:33I remember telling you a year ago that the Notre Dame game was the springboard for the whole season as it turned out it was correct. Yeah, but this time this is not the springboard but it's an ACC game and we cannot let any of these by the way I watch George attack yesterday they look like Harvards they look like. I went on play them this year they look like they're going to see what happened to Rutgers last night. Yeah, they got killed at home 29 and a half point favorites and they lost to UMass. So let let that be the cautionary tale Miami don't let that happen. Yeah, I know wow you miss wow. Anyway, all right, let's have a good day. I guess we have to wait till Monday night to watch the seminal's lose to SMU. We will surely do that go Cain's everyone enjoy the game tonight and we'll talk to you next time. One last thing everybody no injuries no injuries everybody be healthy out there come back healthy and safe. We'll talk to everybody next time on another episode of Lockdown Cain's we are part of the number one sports podcast network celebrating 10 years of the Lockdown podcast network your team every day.