The Rundown Take
The Measuring Stick: Can a Freshman-Led Miami Answer for Clemson — and for a Season of Quitters?
Friday night, kickoff eve, and the U Talk family gathered for the hype show before Miami's trip to Clemson. Devin and Larry Frank Jr. broke down a Hurricanes team that just played its cleanest game of the season against Georgia Tech but now faces a top-10 defensive front with a true freshman quarterback and a shaky offensive line. The real story of the night, though, wasn't the game plan — it was culture, and what Mario Cristobal is willing to tolerate from players who don't want to be there.
Key Takeaways
- Thad Franklin walked out of practice and entered the transfer portal after Don Chaney reclaimed the top spot on the running back depth chart — the panel had zero sympathy.
- Gilbert Frierson also entered the portal, but got credit for thanking the fan base on the way out.
- Mark Fletcher, an Ohio State decommit, is down to Miami and Florida — the panel is watching closely.
- Josh Gattis's offensive coordinator job is on trial: after a clean, mistake-free showing against Georgia Tech, the panel wants to see if Jacurri Brown and the passing game can hold up against a real defensive line.
- Score predictions split the room — Larry Frank went 28-7 Clemson, Joseph Bernard called it 35-27, and callers like Chris Kane picked Miami outright.
Walk Out, Get Out
Devin opened with the portal news: Thad Franklin got upset when word came down that Chaney was retaking his old spot on the depth chart, walked out of practice, and is now transferring. Larry Frank and Devin both pointed to Cristobal's message to players complaining about playing time: if you don't want to be here, your parents can pick you up. Gilbert Frierson earned a measure of respect for at least posting a classy goodbye to the fan base before he left; Thad, in the panel's eyes, just picked up his ball and ran. Keyshawn Smith not making the trip to Clemson had the room guessing he's next out the door.
Gattis on Trial
Larry Frank framed Clemson as the real test of what Miami has in its offensive coordinator: a clean, efficient day against Georgia Tech doesn't mean much against a defensive front that can actually get after the quarterback. The consensus was that Jacurri Brown has to be allowed to throw — trying to run against Clemson's front seven, the panel argued, gets him hurt. Will Mallory, Colby Young and Frank Ladson all got named as guys who need to make plays if the passing game is going to open up a lopsided matchup.
Chris Kane's Culture Sermon
Caller Chris Kane took over the second half of the show with a long, passionate rant on why Cristobal's hard line is exactly right — that too many highly ranked recruits arrive expecting the ball handed to them and quit the moment they're challenged. He praised Jalen Knighten as the example of a player who responded to adversity the right way: got benched, worked on his ball security, and earned his reps back instead of complaining. The panel also dug into DJ Ivey's rough season at cornerback, debating whether earlier coaching could have changed his trajectory, and agreed the secondary has regressed even as the defensive line has improved.
"The measuring stick is tomorrow, whether we want to believe it or not. It wasn't Texas A&M — it's Clemson."
Kickoff Talk
With predictions locked in and Larry Frank not sold Miami has enough pieces to outlast Clemson, the show closed the way it always does — hope for effort, hope for four full quarters, and a promise to be back Monday night for the recap no matter what the scoreboard says.