#Rhett Lashlee

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3 biggest mistakes of SMU that cost Rhett Lashlee an ACC championship https://www.sportskeeda.com/college-football/3-biggest-mistakes-smu-cost-rhett-lashlee-acc-championship?key4=sktumblr&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr

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SMU came back from down 17 points in the fourth quarter, but it wasn't enough.Clemson knocked a 56-yard field goal as time expired to earn a 34-31 victory in the ACC title game, earning an automatic bid into the College Football Playoff.The Tigers were ranked 17th in the nation, so at least one team inside the top-12 is going to get the boot from the playoff.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM (L-R) Head coach Rhett Lashlee of the SMU Mustangs and head coach Dabo Swinney of the Clemson Tigers speak before the 2024 ACC Football Championship at Bank of America Stadium on December 07, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Grant Halverson/Getty Images)SMU, ranked 8th in the nation entering the title game, now may just be on the outside looking in.The Ponies' fate is in the hands of the CFP committee, but if Dabo Swinney were on it, his decision would be clear."That's a playoff team. SMU, they better be in that dang playoff," he told ESPN on the field after the game. "There's no way they shouldn't be in these playoffs."Swinney and Rhett Lashlee shared a long embrace at midfield upon the winning field goal going through the posts, and it's hard to imagine Swinney did not share those sentiments with the SMU head coach. Head Coach Dabo Swinney of the Clemson Tigers speaks to his team during the first half of the ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium on December 07, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (David Jensen/Getty Images)NICK SABAN GIVES STERN OPINION ON FLAG-PLANTING AFTER RIVALRY WEEK MELEES: ‘UP TO EARS IN ELEPHANT S—T’SMU tied the game with 16 seconds left after a 16-play drive, but Adam Randall returned the ensuing kickoff 41 yards to their own 45. Cade Klubnik then found Antonio Williams for 17 yards, and the Tigers called a timeout, bringing out Nolan Hauser, who drilled the 56-yarder with plenty to spare.Clemson and Arizona State will be in contention for the final bye into the quarterfinals – the Sun Devils walloped Iowa State in the Big 12 championship on Saturday afternoon. Nolan Hauser #81 of the Clemson Tigers celebrates with teammates after kicking the game winning field goal after the 2024 ACC Football Championship at Bank of America Stadium on December 07, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina.  (Grant Halverson/Getty Images)CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPOf course, the committee decided to move to 12 teams in order for there to be more room for error; given the controversy of leaving out Florida State last year, who would have thought this would still be difficult?The entire field will be announced on Sunday at 12 p.m. ET.Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter. atOptions = 'key' : '6c396458fda3ada2fbfcbb375349ce34', 'format' : 'iframe', 'height' : 60, 'width' : 468, 'params' : ;

[nadeempardesi]

SMU came back from down 17 points in the fourth quarter, but it wasn't enough.Clemson knocked a 56-yard field goal as time expired to earn a 34-31 victory in the ACC title game, earning an automatic bid into the College Football Playoff.The Tigers were ranked 17th in the nation, so at least one team inside the top-12 is going to get the boot from the playoff.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM (L-R) Head coach Rhett Lashlee of the SMU Mustangs and head coach Dabo Swinney of the Clemson Tigers speak before the 2024 ACC Football Championship at Bank of America Stadium on December 07, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Grant Halverson/Getty Images)SMU, ranked 8th in the nation entering the title game, now may just be on the outside looking in.The Ponies' fate is in the hands of the CFP committee, but if Dabo Swinney were on it, his decision would be clear."That's a playoff team. SMU, they better be in that dang playoff," he told ESPN on the field after the game. "There's no way they shouldn't be in these playoffs."Swinney and Rhett Lashlee shared a long embrace at midfield upon the winning field goal going through the posts, and it's hard to imagine Swinney did not share those sentiments with the SMU head coach. Head Coach Dabo Swinney of the Clemson Tigers speaks to his team during the first half of the ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium on December 07, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (David Jensen/Getty Images)NICK SABAN GIVES STERN OPINION ON FLAG-PLANTING AFTER RIVALRY WEEK MELEES: ‘UP TO EARS IN ELEPHANT S—T’SMU tied the game with 16 seconds left after a 16-play drive, but Adam Randall returned the ensuing kickoff 41 yards to their own 45. Cade Klubnik then found Antonio Williams for 17 yards, and the Tigers called a timeout, bringing out Nolan Hauser, who drilled the 56-yarder with plenty to spare.Clemson and Arizona State will be in contention for the final bye into the quarterfinals – the Sun Devils walloped Iowa State in the Big 12 championship on Saturday afternoon. Nolan Hauser #81 of the Clemson Tigers celebrates with teammates after kicking the game winning field goal after the 2024 ACC Football Championship at Bank of America Stadium on December 07, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina.  (Grant Halverson/Getty Images)CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPOf course, the committee decided to move to 12 teams in order for there to be more room for error; given the controversy of leaving out Florida State last year, who would have thought this would still be difficult?The entire field will be announced on Sunday at 12 p.m. ET.Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter. clemsons-dabo-swinney-says-smu-better-be-in-college-football-playoff-after-beating-them-in-acc-title-game

[sportscarolinamonthly]

ACC Championship: Rhett Lashlee gives initial thoughts on SMU vs. Clemson

Published by On3 SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee spoke with the media after his team beat Cal on Saturday, sharing some initial thoughts on ACC Championship opponent, Clemson. Lashlee always looked up to legendary coaches Bobby Bowden and Mark Richt. Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney reminds Lashlee of that pair of longtime coaches with the “gold standard” he’s turned Clemson into. “You’re going to…

[cavenewstimes]

SMU rewards Rhett Lashlee with contract extension as Mustangs sit on cusp of ACC title game appearance

SMU has extended coach Rhett Lashlee’s contract amid a successful first season in the ACC, the school announced on Friday. The new deal will keep Lashlee around through the 2030 season, sources told CBS Sports’ Brandon Marcello.  The Mustangs are 9-1 with two games left in the regular season and are the only ACC team with an undefeated conference record (6-0). They landed at No. 13 in the latest…

[bongaboi]

Boston College: 2023 Fenway Bowl Champions

It was not the bowl game SMU envisioned when it handled Tulane 26-14 in New Orleans for the 2023 AAC Championship, securing its first conference title since 1984.

But furthermore, it was not the finish SMU envisioned when the bowl matchups were set. In one of the more lopsided matchups of the postseason, the 11-2 Mustangs — in the midst of a dominant 9-game win streak — were definitive favorites over a 6-6 Boston College team that defeated one .500 or better team all season.

Yet, that’s why they play the game. Boston College not only defended its nearby stomping grounds in Boston at the second annual Fenway Bowl — it upended SMU by multiple scores, exiting with a 23-14 victory for its first bowl win since 2016.

SMU is accustomed to fast starts, registering an FBS-best 13.4 points per game in the first quarter. The inability to generate a spark in the early going doomed the Mustangs for the remainder of the game. SMU moved the ball well on its first possession until Boston College defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku made a textbook strip while tackling SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings. The Mustangs’ offense stalled on its ensuing possessions and faced a first quarter shutout for the first time since November 2022.

Rhett Lashlee’s team rolled into the Fenway Bowl with nearly its entire cast of major contributors, but one major piece was missing. All-AAC quarterback Preston Stone suffered a broken fibula in the regular season finale, thrusting Jennings into the lineup. While Jennings led SMU to a conference title in his first start, the offense — ranked sixth in points per game — didn’t produce its typical output without Stone in the lineup, falling 157 yards below its season average.

SMU delivered two first half touchdowns, including one in the final 10 seconds of the half to produce a 14-10 halftime lead. The Mustangs typically thrived in second halves this season — refusing to trail for a single second in a third or fourth quarter since their Week 4 matchup at TCU. But SMU was completely shut out in the second half. The turning point occurred on a third quarter drive when clinging onto a 14-10 advantage. Jennings launched a beautiful deep ball to an open Key’Shawn Smith in the end zone, but the receiver was unable to corral the pigskin. The drive ended in a field goal attempt, and Boston College blocked it.

The Eagles capitalized on the special teams momentum swing, responding with a touchdown drive to open the fourth quarter. After an ambitious SMU 4th and 3 attempt from its own 42-yard line, Boston College took over and extended the lead to 23-14 on a 14-yard scramble by electrifying mobile quarterback Thomas Castellanos.

Castellanos, the offensive MVP of the game, made life difficult for SMU’s usually immovable defense. He eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark on the season with a 156-yard outburst, scoring two touchdowns in the memorable performance. SMU’s defense, which was second in the FBS in sacks, only totaled one against the elusive quarterback, allowing Boston College to have manageable third down distances throughout the afternoon.

Running back Kye Robichaux added 89 yards and a touchdown, and the Eagles totaled 262 yards as a unit, boasting an average of 6.4 yards per carry. SMU only surrendered 3.2 yards per attempt in its first 13 games, exhibiting the nation’s 18th-best run defense, and the inability to sustain that excellence cost the Mustangs in a high-stakes game.

Offensively, SMU couldn’t produce the same success in the ground game against a Boston College defense which ranked 124th in stopping the run — allowing 5.4 yards per carry. The Mustangs never broke away for a run exceeding 14 yards and the passing offense finished 24-of-48.

SMU completes its 2023 campaign with an 11-3 standing which is still the Mustangs’ highest win percentage since the infamous “death penalty” punishment in 1987. The fate of the AAC champions’ season belongs in the hands of AP voters, as they hope to remain in the final AP Poll for the first time since finishing No. 8 in 1984. Now that the Fenway Bowl is over, it’s time to remove the AAC signage from SMU’s uniforms, stadium, and facilities as the Mustangs prepare their highly-anticipated transition to the ACC in 2024.

Prior to the Fenway Bowl, Boston College was 1-27 against its last 28 ranked opponents in the AP Poll. But by outlasting No. 17 SMU, the Eagles recorded their second ranked victory since 2014 — capping the 2023 season with the program’s most important win in over a decade to finish 7-6. Year five of the Jeff Hafley era launches next fall with more momentum than ever, and his Boston College team gets a rematch with SMU in Dallas next fall… as geographically-distant conference opponents in the ACC.

[conditifootball]

Looking Ahead: ESPN 2020 Preview Of ACC Football

There is no getting around the fact that the ACC was down last season. Maybe even as down as it's ever been.

Many of the college football analysts across the country are expecting the conference to be improved in 2020. The question then becomes how much it will improve and whether or not any teams can narrow the gap between Clemson and themselves.

The ESPN Football Power Index (FPI) is calling for that second tier of ACC teams to be better in 2020. However, at the same time, it also expects Clemson to be improved this season.

Before it was announced that Justyn Ross would miss the season after undergoing surgery to repair a congenital condition, the FPI gave Clemson a 91 percent chance to win the Atlantic Division this season and an 88 percent chance to win the ACC.

They are also given a 75 percent shot to do so without a loss.

The most dangerous game inside the conference for the Tigers is their Oct. 10 match-up with Florida State in Tallahassee. The FPI gives Clemson a 91-percent chance to go on the road and get the win.

On the Coastal side, the FPI likes Virginia Tech. The Hokies, who return 20 of their 22 starters from 2019, are given a 49 percent chance to win the division, while North Carolina is given a 34 percent shot at winning the crown.

Miami could be a dark-horse contender to keep an eye on with Rhett Lashlee coming into run the offense, and D'Eriq King transferring in from Houston to compete at quarterback. However, the Canes are given just a five percent chance at pulling off that feat.

Regardless of who wins that side of the conference, the FPI would have Clemson as at least a 20-point favorite in the ACC Championship Game in December.

The Allstate Playoff Predictor gives Clemson an 81 percent chance at appearing in one of the College Football Playoff semifinal games, while every other ACC team is given less than a one percent chance.

The Tigers are also the favorite to win a national title, with the FPI giving them a 36 percent shot, the highest of any FBS team. Watch full online..... 

https://casvids.com/watch/tXQ2NonO1TQlBPY

So, while it is conceivable that the ACC will be better in 2020, that doesn't mean there are any teams gaining ground on the Tigers. In fact, it would appear that as of now, the gap between Clemson and the rest of the league is still growing.

[human-relationships-stuff]

Auburn Football brings back former Spain Park head coach as Offensive Coordinator

Auburn Football brings back former Spain Park head coach as Offensive Coordinator

AUBURN, Ala. (WIAT) — Auburn Football has officially hired Chip Lindsey as their new Offensive Coordinator, according to a release from the program.

Lindsey spent 2016 as the OC and quarterbacks coach at Arizona State last year, where the offense averaged 33.3 points per game, according to a release from Auburn football. He is returning to the Tigers where he once served as an offensive analyst…

[mimelord1]

SMU Mascot Cause Massive Delay At Football Game After Pooping On Field

SMU Mascot Cause Massive Delay At Football Game After Pooping On Field https://ift.tt/9WF8PeZ Play video content If you watched the SMU/Navy game Friday night, it was just a bunch of horses**t, right? Well, thanks to Peruna, the game abruptly stopped in the third quarter, after SMU scored a TD and the mascot bolted onto the turf to celebrate. Thing is … Peruna has loose bowels, and left an unhappy trail behind. Officials tried to ignore it, but SMU’s head coach Rhett Lashlee thought better and asked to hit the pause button while the poop was removed. Now this is where a lack of preparation became a glaring problem.  There was no plan, no equipment, to remove the feces … something you’d think SMU would have at the ready given its choice of mascots. So the staff had to walk out on the field and pick up horse poop by hand. It took 15 minutes to make the field properly playable again. The announcers do their best to explain the Navy-SMU delay of game was due to Peruna deciding to poop on the field! pic.twitter.com/lO8JSHFjnY — RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) October 15, 2022 @RedditCFB ESPN announcers lost it trying to explain what happened. SMU won the game 40-34. As for Peruna … stay away from the per-unes. The post SMU Mascot Cause Massive Delay At Football Game After Pooping On Field first appeared on Suave Media. Tags and categories: Uncategorized via WordPress https://ift.tt/MWp8L1R October 15, 2022 at 02:10PM

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SMU head coach on faith, football & his new role

SMU head coach on faith, football & his new role

THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCASTWITH JASON ROMANO, FEATURING RHETT LASHLEE Rhett Lashlee was named the head football coach at Southern Methodist University on Nov. 30, 2021. This is his first head coaching job after serving as an offensive assistant and coordinator for more than a decade with programs like Miami (Florida), Auburn and Connecticut. In 2018 and 2019, he was SMU’s offensive…

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SMU names Preston Stone starting QB vs. Nevada, Kevin Jennings to play

Published by On3 SMU will start Preston Stone at quarterback against Nevada, head coach Rhett Lashlee announced on Tuesday. The coach of the Mustangs also said that Kevin Jennings will also see time on the field. Stone is SMU’s returning starter and garnered plenty of preseason attention. Stone was named to the Unitas Golden Arm Award watch list, the Manning Award watch list, the Maxwell Award…

[newsupdated]

How Clemson Mastered the (Totally Legal) Art of Signal Stealing

How Clemson Mastered the (Totally Legal) Art of Signal Stealing

A month ago, Miami offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee said the quiet part out loud. He was asked on a Zoom call about Clemson’s reputation for stealing an opponent’s offensive signals that are used to relay play calls from the sidelines, and he met the question head on.

“Clemson is known well for doing it,” Lashlee said.

He went on to both downplay any implication that it was either rare or…

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New Post has been published on https://techcrunchapp.com/clemson-vs-miami-prediction-pick-odds-point-spread-line-football-game-live-stream-kickoff-time/

Clemson vs. Miami: Prediction, pick, odds, point spread, line, football game, live stream, kickoff time

No. 7 Miami travels to face No. 1 Clemson in Death Valley on Saturday in a top-10 battle sure to have implications on the ACC title and College Football Playoff races. There wasn’t much hype for the Tigers-Hurricanes game when the schedule was released in the preseason, but the impressive start by UM has made this early-season showdown one of the biggest games of the year — not only in the ACC but in all of college football. 

After all, the ACC doesn’t get a ton of matchups between teams ranked in the top 10. This is the first such game since the 2017 ACC Championship Game when Clemson beat Miami 38-3, and only the 17th meeting between AP top 10 teams in the ACC in the league’s history. 

Want more college football in your life? Listen below and subscribe to the Cover 3 College Football podcast for top-notch insight and analysis beyond the gridiron.

That adds an extra layer of intrigue to the perception portion of Saturday night’s events, as the quality not only of Clemson, the five-time ACC champs, and Miami, the most exciting 2020 contender so far, will carry implications that extend to the entire league. 

There’s going to be a ton of talent on the field in Clemson with much of the nation’s eyes on the game. Let’s take a closer look at what to expect in this top-10 showdown as well as make some expert picks both straight up and against the spread.

Storylines

Clemson: The events of last Saturday had so much for college football fans to digest that Clemson’s win against Virginia likely appeared routine and without worry or concern. After all, when eight ranked teams lose in the same day, there’s enough carnage around the country to focus on without getting distracted by a 41-23 Tigers victory. But in that game, we saw evidence of a Clemson team that is still very much rounding into form and far from the final product that we expect will be competing for a national championship. The defensive line is down multiple starters and the offense is still waiting for wide receivers not named Amari Rodgers to step up and help fill the absences of Tee Higgins and Justyn Ross. It wouldn’t be a big deal most years, as Clemson has been known to plan its season to peak around championship time in December and January, but most years don’t feature a top-10 opponent in the fourth game of the season. The Tigers are being tested with a championship-like setting weeks before they are used to hitting that championship gear, and the results will be telling for what’s ahead — particularly with a date against Notre Dame in South Bend coming up in early November. 

Miami: How will Miami stand up against the champs? The Hurricanes offense has thrived against UAB, Louisville and Florida State, but going head-to-head against Clemson’s talented front and the best defensive coordinator in football in Brent Venables is going to be a tough test for Rhett Lashlee and D’Eriq King. Keeping Clemson’s defense off-balance with tempo and hitting on enough explosive plays is going to be the key to hanging in this heavyweight fight, because no matter how disruptive the Quincy Roche and Jaelen Phillips-led defensive line may be, there’s only so long you can go before Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne are going to find the end zone. Dabo Swinney prefers to let his defense lead when Clemson faces ranked opponents in the regular season, but most of those ranked opponents have not had the No. 1 offense in the ACC ranking No. 12 nationally with a 499 yards per game average. 

Viewing information

Date: Saturday, Oct. 10 | Time: 7:30 p.m. ET Location: Memorial Stadium — Clemson, South Carolina TV: ABC | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)

Game prediction, picks

Clemson’s defense might not be mature enough (yet) to fulfill the full “Big Game Dabo” playbook of letting the defense lead the way, but he’s got the best backfield duo in the country to anchor what should be a patient rushing attack. In fact, it’s experience in big games on big stages like this that will ultimately be the difference, as Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne can lean on handfuls of different games and situations for mental advantages against a Miami team that is still on its way back to the top of college football. I expect Clemson to establish the run and lean on it to avoid mistakes and keep D’Eriq King off the field. Pick: Clemson (-14)

Which college football picks can you make with confidence in Week 6, and which team will pull off a shocking upset? Visit SportsLine to see which teams will win and cover the spread — all from a proven computer model that has returned over $4,200 in profit over the past four-plus seasons — and find out.

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[clubsocial-india]

New on Sports Illustrated: Miami's D'Eriq King Wants to Be the Next QB to Prove Size Doesn't Matter

D'Eriq King has led Miami to its highest ranking in three years ahead of a Saturday clash with No. 1 Clemson that gives the 5'10" King a chance to measure himself against Trevor Lawrence.

In the middle of the College Football Playoff championship game last January, when transfer quarterback Joe Burrow was leading LSU to the national title, D’Eriq King put himself on the market to make his own transition. The quarterback entered the transfer portal and tweeted his intent to leave Houston for a Power 5 program.

Time was of the essence. King had agonized over the decision to leave his hometown school and his family, and by the time he entered the portal he left himself with just a few days to make a decision and enroll for the winter semester at his new school.

Several programs expressed interest, but Miami showed the greatest urgency. The Hurricanes coaching staff reached out and asked King to visit Coral Gables that weekend. Their pitch wasn’t suited to a home visit or a phone call—and that had nothing to do with showing off the glamour of South Beach at a time when most of the country was shivering.

“I really wanted him to see who we were in person,” coach Manny Diaz said. “I wanted him to watch our players go through a workout, see that we were serious about winning down here. We really have a culture that is intact but just needed a leader at the quarterback position to make that shine, make that come out. I think there’s always a perception of who Miami is on the outside versus who Miami is on the inside.”

On the inside? Diaz, his coaches and players came off a dismal 6-7 season in 2019 with a renewed commitment to restoring The U as a football power. That meant dispelling an external reputation of being more interested in having a good time than playing good football.

Miami Hurricanes head coach Manny Diaz runs out of the tunnel before the second half of a game against the Virginia Cavaliers on Oct. 11, 2019.

“Being outside the program, you hear a lot of guys say all the Miami guys do is party,” King said. “You hear they’re late to workouts, missed this, missed that. When I got there and watched them work out, I didn’t see any of that.

“I mean, it’s Miami—it’s one of the great cities in the world. But I didn’t want to see the city or the beach as much as I wanted to meet the guys and see the tape.”

Thus a match was made in Miami. A city rife with distractions became the site of a shotgun winter marriage of two hyper-focused parties. A quarterback serious about showing he can be a Power 5 star (and NFL prospect) meshed with a program serious about making a comeback.

The results to date speak for themselves: the Hurricanes are an impressive 3-0 and at No. 7 in the polls have their highest ranking in three years. King is in the top 15 nationally in total offense (297.7 yards per game) and pass efficiency (a 153.85 rating) while leading the No. 7 scoring offense in the country.

Now comes the big yardstick game. On Saturday, Miami will visit No. 1 Clemson, the Atlantic Coast Conference kingpin that has won 22 straight league games. Not only will this showdown take the measure of the Hurricanes as a program, but it will give King a chance to measure up against the gold standard of college quarterbacking in Trevor Lawrence.

Lawrence is the NFL prototype, standing 6'6" and possessing an arm that makes scouts’ pulses pound. The 5'10" (at best) King has spent most of his career fighting the criticism that he was too small to play quarterback: he was once the eighth-string QB at Manvel High School; he was recruited by Baylor and others as a defensive back, even though he never played that position; he was shuffled out to wide receiver and kick returner for a while at Houston.

If he can be King for a day in Death Valley? If the Hurricanes can score a seismic upset? Then the U-turn at The U is really on.

D' Eriq King runs the ball against the Louisville Cardinals on Sept. 19, 2020.

Keshon King will be in Clemson Saturday. Of course he will. He hasn’t missed one of his little brother’s 38 college football games, and that sure isn’t going to change now that D’Eriq has reached the biggest stage yet.

When he was a student at Sam Houston State, Keshon drove two hours home on Fridays to watch D’Eriq play high school ball. That tradition continued when D’Eriq suited up for the Houston Cougars. This season Keshon has made two trips to Miami, one to Louisville, and now there will be one to the Upstate region of South Carolina.

It’s even more important for Keshon to be there this year despite D’Eriq’s distance from Houston. Because their father cannot be there.

Eric King died of a heart attack at age 48 in February, not long after his youngest child moved to Miami. That compounded the angst of being away from home for D’Eriq, leading Keshon to spend a couple of winter weeks after the funeral in Coral Gables to help D’Eriq cope.

“Dad was the one who always talked football with us,” Keshon said. “I can fulfill that role with him.”

A former player himself, Eric had coached both his sons. He and Cassandra King raised all four of their children (Calandria and Erica are the girls) in a sports-loving, competitive household.

“The only person who can stop you is yourself,” Eric King taught his children. “Be a leader in everything you do.”

Some star athletes aren’t wired for leadership roles. D’Eriq is. Shortly after he enrolled at Miami and started winter workouts with his new teammates, he set up group texts with every position group on the team. He texted them daily, “because I was the new guy and needed to show them I cared about them.”

“Even outside of football, people gravitate to him,” Keshon King said. “He’s very selfless.”

D’Eriq is selfless enough that when he scored his first Miami touchdown, against UAB on Sept. 10, he turned down the program’s sideline prop—gaudy touchdown rings. Instead, he took the rings and gave them to a couple of offensive linemen.

That selflessness led him to go along with Houston coach Dana Holgorsen’s odd plan to basically tank the 2019 season, which was supposed to be the quarterback’s last year of college. After starting 1-3, the first-year coach of the Cougars told King this was shaping up to be a lost season—for the team and for the player’s NFL hopes. So he suggested a redshirt season, and sat down with the King family to sell them on it.

“Very strange,” was Keshon’s description of it.

Still, D’Eriq bought in and said publicly that he would stick it out in Houston. But this was his third head coach (Tom Herman, Major Applewhite and Holgorsen) in college, and after a 4-8 year led to staff changes, he also was looking at a fourth offensive coordinator in 2020. After seeing what some instantly eligible quarterback transfers had been able to do elsewhere, King started envisioning himself in that role.

That led to the transfer portal, and that led to Miami. It also led him to Rhett Lashlee, the new coordinator Diaz hired to energize what had been a dreadful Hurricanes offense in 2019. Lashlee’s track record was attractive to King.

The former Gus Malzahn protégé played fast and emphasized the running game like his mentor. But at SMU, his most recent stop before Miami, he added a new element: some Air Raid passing principles. That led to a very successful season with another transfer quarterback, Shane Buechele from Texas.

“I had some very bright people tell me, ‘You need to take a look at what Rhett is doing at SMU now,’“ Diaz said.

Buechele threw for more than 3,900 yards and 34 touchdowns as SMU went 10-3 last year. Lashlee put on some of that SMU tape for King when he visited Coral Gables last winter, showing him how it could work with him taking the snaps. The two of them also looked at Miami’s skill talent and liked what they saw. Diaz added the last video piece, showing King what vintage Miami looked like when it had a big-time quarterback—guys like Heisman Trophy winners Vinny Testaverde and Gino Torretta, plus national championship winners Ken Dorsey, Steve Walsh and Bernie Kosar.

King was sold, and it didn’t take long to sell himself to his teammates. Coaches often like taking in older transfers because they’ve been around the block and gained enough knowledge to know what really matters in terms of being successful.

“He’s a mature kid,” Lashlee said. “He’s got that experience. He’s just a very consistent young man, he’s the same guy every day. I think that helps me as a coach and helps our offense to know that we’re going to get his best. I think that is slowly but surely becoming the personality of our offense, because he’s our leader.

“He’s so even keel, so consistent on game day. We can put him in position where he can just go play and react. He’s capable of doing a lot mentally, but let’s just let him go react and play football.”

King’s improvisational flair and athleticism helped him produce a whopping 50 touchdowns in 11 games in 2018, 36 passing and 14 running. That was the guy who set the Texas high school career passing touchdown record, breaking a mark previously set by the player he’d one day like to be—Kyler Murray.

Murray, also standing shorter than 5'10", became the No. 1 pick in the NFL after a Heisman Trophy season at Oklahoma. His pro career is off to a promising start. King has looked at that track record and said, “Why not me?”

“I think [Murray] has opened some eyes at the position,” King said. “You don’t have to be 6'4" or 6'5", you just have to be able to make plays and be a leader.

“I’ve played quarterback since I was 4 years old. I’ve had an endless amount of people who said I was going to be too short, and I’ve kept playing quarterback. I still hear it every single day [about the NFL].”

There is still some chip on the shoulder from his days as a high school eighth-stringer, assigned a bottom-row locker in the junior varsity locker room. Just being able to take the field as the starting quarterback for a top 10 team at Clemson, and facing Trevor Lawrence, is a destination moment of sorts for D’Eriq King.

A guy this serious about winning won’t look at it that way, though. The desired destination is walking out of Death Valley alive and well and victorious sometime near midnight Saturday. If King and the Hurricanes pull it off, this shotgun winter Miami marriage could really become a beautiful relationship. 

October 08, 2020 at 05:10AM Miami's D'Eriq King Wants to Be the Next QB to Prove Size Doesn't Matter from Blogger https://ift.tt/33F5cBp