Alex Donno and Brian Smith discuss how Miami OC and quarterbacks coach Shannon Dawson will benefit from having Cam Ward under center in 2024.
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00:00 You're a big Shannon Dawson advocate.
00:03 How do you expect Cam Ward to fit in Dawson's offense and
00:06 how could Dawson adapt his offense to Cam Ward?
00:09 >> This is two parts.
00:11 Number one, he's adapted before and that's why I am an advocate.
00:15 Most guys that come from the quote unquote air raid scheme
00:19 don't really navigate far away from it.
00:23 Traditionally, he is the exception.
00:25 When he took over as the offensive coordinator at West Virginia their first
00:28 year Gino Smith who obviously had success in the NFL, he went bonkers.
00:33 He was one of the finalists for the Heisman, I believe all that stuff.
00:35 And if you can throw it around in West Virginia, that's not easy,
00:39 because they're not getting the same talent Miami is.
00:41 Let's not kid ourselves, especially up front.
00:43 You got to make it happen.
00:45 He was running for his life sometimes, but they had guys that could run,
00:49 a few South Florida kids, Gino included, and they made it work.
00:52 He goes to Houston a few years later, and
00:54 he's got a quarterback that could move a little bit.
00:56 But his last year, Clayton Toon ran for over 500 yards.
01:00 Air raid guys do not like that as a general rule.
01:03 And Shannon's talked about this.
01:05 He goes, I might be labeled that, but I'm really an adapt to whatever we got guy.
01:09 >> Yeah. >> You take that offense, and
01:11 I'm sure everybody that's a true Miami fan is at some point looked at some cam
01:15 or if you haven't, please do go look at some of his highlights.
01:19 And I'm not trying to pick on him, but
01:20 the offensive line at Washington State doesn't have Maui Nova.
01:23 Okay, they don't have- >> I'll pick on him, Brian.
01:25 That was a bad O-line.
01:26 He got hit a lot.
01:29 He fumbles, so he needs to be better with ball control and stuff.
01:32 That's his one problem, and that'll be a focus this spring, I'm sure.
01:36 But if he would have had, if he just would have taken the UM offensive line and
01:39 put him at Washington State, he would have been in New York for the Heisman Series.
01:44 So he wouldn't have won it, but he would have thrown for 500, 800 more yards.
01:48 Cuz they had guys like the Kelly kid and some other guys, they had some receivers.
01:53 I mean, they've had legit guys.
01:54 But you can't pass the football when you're on your back.
01:57 So he's got the ability to extend plays.
02:00 He doesn't like to run per se, but he can.
02:03 But he'll extend a play and hit a guy for 20 yards, which is the best.
02:07 There's nothing worse as a defense as almost getting the guy, and
02:10 then he escapes and completes a pass.
02:12 Dawson's coached that player before, but
02:14 not, in my opinion, with as much arm talent as Warden.
02:17 And that's why, if you're a Miami fan and you have not done so yet,
02:21 check out the video, every angle you can think of in throwing the football.
02:25 It's basically, these are the things that you shouldn't teach your kid plays,
02:29 because he can just do it.
02:31 That's what Cam is.
02:33 I don't think it's gonna be that difficult for Dawson,
02:36 because he's gonna call the same basic plays.
02:38 But he can do things that other guys at UM have not been able to do yet.
02:42 >> Right. >> Even if it's just one or
02:43 two plays a game that you convert that third down instead of being five or
02:46 12 on third downs.
02:47 If you're seven to 12 in a game, extend two more drives.
02:51 And even if it's just two field goals,
02:53 add six more points to every game Miami had last year.
02:56 They're gonna win two or three more games.
03:00 That's just the way it is.
03:01 So I think they're going to do very well.
03:04 And again, the offensive line is the key.
03:06 >> Yeah. >> Give Chris the ball and
03:07 everybody, Mirabal, all those guys, the entire staff that helped to recruit
03:10 that group, I know flat out they are extremely high on the guys coming in.
03:15 They're redshirt freshmen, sophomores.
03:17 It's gonna be a battle for playing time and they got dudes.
03:20 >> Yeah, for sure.
03:21 >> And Ward's gonna be able to throw play action on third and
03:23 two instead of third and seven.
03:24 I mean, come on, this is not rocket science.
03:29 They have a chance to have a tremendous passing game and
03:32 it'll be a little bit different because of Ward's athleticism.