Diaco acknowledged that the players are going through a tough time, physically and emotionally, and said he would make slight changes to game preparation, as well as the travel and practice schedules. "Different mechanics, add a little different energy and mind-set to the week," he said. … Senior John Green, who has moved into a more prominent role as a starting cornerback the past three games, spent one year at receiver before switching to the secondary. "I was comfortable right away," he said of starting recently, "because I've been preparing for this moment for a long time. It took me three years actually to fully get comfortable to the position, but now I feel like I've molded into a good corner and I can play the position well and I understand the defense, too." … Sophomore receiver Hergy Mayala, who missed the past two games with an ankle injury sustained against Cincinnati, has been cleared for full participation and was back at practice Tuesday. He has 16 receptions for 251 yards, the second-most receptions on the team (and 60 fewer than Noel Thomas). … Diaco said he was pleased with the play of the offensive line (no sacks allowed vs. UCF after five at USF) but said left tackle Matt Peart struggled for the first time. "Matt played like a freshman, unfortunately," Diaco said. "He is a freshman. He was playing beyond his developmental phase. Kudos to him. He cycled back a little bit last week."