How much pressure does Miami Hurricanes offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson have when it comes to maximizing quarterback Cam Ward in 2024?
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00:00 We get this one from Kilrod.
00:01 Do you think that Shannon Dawson has the most pressure this season with
00:07 Cam Ward as his quarterback to not make him look average and to put him in
00:11 good situations to become the first round pick that Ward wants to be?
00:15 Uh, that's one way to look at it.
00:17 Kilrod, uh, at all.
00:19 I'll take that viewpoint in just a second.
00:21 Let me play devil's advocate first.
00:23 I could also argue the opposite from the pressure argument.
00:29 I could say that for Shannon Dawson, having Cam Ward as your quarterback,
00:34 this coming season is going to make his job considerably easier.
00:38 Cam Ward is capable of extending plays in a way that Tyler van Dyke
00:43 couldn't improvising with his athleticism and running.
00:49 He also gives Shannon Dawson a lot more options as a play caller,
00:53 especially on third down.
00:55 So, um, I would look at it from a Shannon Dawson standpoint because
00:59 Dawson's hands were not completely clean from some of the issues
01:03 in the passing game last year.
01:04 I get that.
01:04 I'm not giving him a complete free pass, but at the same time, some of
01:08 those interceptions from last year, I felt bad for Dawson when, you know,
01:12 the quarterback last year on certain plays had all the time in the world
01:17 to throw the football clean pocket.
01:20 Checkdowns available yet.
01:22 He throws it into coverage and throws interceptions.
01:24 It happened a lot.
01:25 Now, some of you were saying, well, that's on Dawson for not teaching him
01:29 better because he's also the quarterback's coach, maybe, but the quarterback is
01:33 ultimately the one making that decision in the moment and throwing that football.
01:37 So I could take the opposite viewpoint and saying that having Cam Ward is your
01:42 quarterback this year with all the things he's capable of really no limitations
01:46 with his arms, uh, with his arm, I should say, and fewer limitations when it comes
01:51 to athleticism and extending plays that that's going to make Shannon Dawson's
01:55 job a lot easier, that's going to be a luxury for him, but I will acknowledge
01:59 there's obviously some pressure that comes with that first of all, having
02:04 Cam Ward is your quarterback.
02:06 It's raised the expectations considerably.
02:09 All right.
02:10 We talk about that wind total over under nine and a half for next year.
02:14 Cam Ward being here is a huge part of that.
02:18 Miami being one of the favorites to win the ACC.
02:20 That wouldn't be the case.
02:21 If Ward wasn't here, Miami being, you know, ranked in the top 25, sometimes
02:27 top 15 in the way too early top 25 rankings out there, they wouldn't be
02:31 so high if not for Cam Ward.
02:33 So absolutely.
02:34 If you know, if Ward has a not so good year this coming season, uh, after,
02:40 you know, the huge numbers he put up the last couple of years at Washington
02:43 state, if Ward has a dip down year, this year, a lot of people are going to
02:47 look at Shannon Dawson and say, Hey, offensive coordinator, quarterbacks
02:51 coach, how come you couldn't get out of this guy, what previous OCs and
02:56 quarterbacks coaches could when he was at Washington state and incarnate word as well.