# Cristobal After 77-7: Playing Everybody Was the Point > Miami buried FAMU by 70, and the head coach cared more about who got reps than the scoreboard. - Title: Cristobal After 77-7: Playing Everybody Was the Point - Summary: Miami buried FAMU by 70, and the head coach cared more about who got reps than the scoreboard. In the portal era, blowouts are roster development. Play the… - Keywords: college football, miami hurricanes, mario cristobal, roster depth, quarterbacks, sports, Cristobal, 77-7, Playing, Everybody, Point, Miami Hurricanes On SI - Source: Miami Hurricanes On SI — https://si.com/college/miami/football/everything-mario-cristobal-said-in-no-7-miami-s-crushing-77-7-famu-victory - Published: 2026-09-11T18:00:01+00:00 - Read time: 3 min - Topics: college football, miami hurricanes, mario cristobal, roster depth, quarterbacks, sports ## Think pieces, settled No. 7 Miami handled Florida A&M 77-7 at Hard Rock Stadium and moved on to Wake Forest. The noise around the program quieted for a night. ## A Thursday night crowd Cristobal opened by thanking fans who showed up on a weeknight in a working city. He said they made their presence felt. > I know Thursday nights are difficult. We are a working city, but they showed up strong ## Efficient, not just lopsided The word he kept returning to was efficient. Physicality and execution both looked better than the week before. ## The twos and threes held Backups played heavy snaps and kept the standard. Cristobal wanted to see how each of them fits and what their role could be. > They sustained a decent level of execution and the standard. ## Ignore the scoreboard His stated philosophy: keep developing the roster no matter the margin. In current college football, that reps math matters more than the final score. > You have to play guys and you can't really look at the clock or the scoreboard. ## Luke Nickel slung it Nickel ran the offense cleanly and drew praise as a possible future starter for Miami next season. > It was good to see Luke go out there and sling it a little bit and run the offense. ## Dereon's uneven night Dereon was rolling until the fourth team came in around him. Cristobal noted the drop in supporting cast, not in the quarterback. > he didn't have the same supporting cast ## The corner room is thin Xavier Lucas is out roughly a month after getting hurt last game. OJ's injury is more extensive, and Ja'Boree was lost in the preseason. > It is being tested. ## Fall camp paid off The players who showed versatility in camp are the ones now holding the secondary together. Cristobal expects them to be good, not just available. > That is certainly not what you want, but we are here now ## No third down problems Cristobal did not think FAMU got a real third down opportunity in the first half. Explosive runs and clean protection did the rest. > It was a lot of explosive plays. We protected well. ## Tempo, speed breaks, sugar huddle The offense mixed pace and formations on purpose. He wanted guys playing fast and free while stacking improvement week over week. > In college football, every single week you better get better ## Reps you can't fake Backups worked as hard as the starters and were itching for time. Cristobal says you only learn what a player is when the lights come on. > Unless you put them in the game, you aren't going to find out what they can do ## Fitzgerald and Dunnigan start Bryce Fitzgerald opened at corner on the strength of his versatility, and JJ Dunnigan earned a starting spot with his play since arriving. > I think JJ's play since he got here warrants him playing there ## More combinations on tape That opening lineup was a starting point, not a verdict. He pointed to other pairings showing up later in the film. > you will see a couple of other combinations ## Wingo needs to play now Somourian Wingo got the strongest personal endorsement of the night. Cristobal called him explosive, well liked, and someone to push into critical moments. > He needs to play for us now. ## Thirty plays, no pushback The first team was in for about 30 snaps, few enough that Cristobal worried about it. Nobody complained when it was time to sit. > I was concerned that we weren't getting enough plays. ## Malachi passed on 100 yards Told he was a couple of yards short of 100 and the postseason credit that comes with it, Malachi chose to watch his teammates play instead. > He had zero interest in any type of personal gain. ## Double teams fit better Cleaner boxes, better leverage, and one-on-ones sustained longer in gap, tight zone, and wide zone. Continuity up front is what he credited. > It was our guys playing together one more game ## Key takeaway In the portal era, blowouts are roster development. Play the twos and threes deep into the game or you never learn what they can do.