These are the two things that stand out to me so much from Game 1.
PREPARATION is number one. It’s only the first game of the season, but we had a decent opponent. Compare to our arguments from previous years 1 or 2 games in:
- “Games against cupcakes don’t mean anything.”
- “This offense has no identity.” “Coach must be saving the playbook for conference play.”
- “These penalties are out of control. The players have no discipline.”
- “Yes, we blew coverage several times, and dropped several passes, but we need time to work out the kinks.”
- “The QB just needs a few games under his belt to settle down.”
Amazingly, we had NONE of these issues. Our players were disciplined, prepared, and played hard football. They weren’t too showy about it, they just did the work. They carried themselves with POISE.
POISE by the way is a word that appeared in the same sentence as Cam Ward quite a bit. He made big plays but he didn’t show off. He was in control of the team and the game. He did exactly what he was supposed to do as a highly touted transfer.
And it makes me think, when has a Hurricanes team EVER come out of the gate looking this professional and seasoned from the opening drive?
For sure, it’s possible UF might just be that bad, but that doesn’t explain the points above. These qualities only come from PREPARATION.
My only conclusion is that the players and coaches have been putting in the work in the off season, and there is finally a culture that believes in Coral Gables. It’s vindicating to see.
