The Rundown Take
A Win Is a Win, But U Talk Isn't Satisfied After a Sloppy 20-14 Escape Against Virginia Tech
Monday night, and Miami's 20-14 win over Virginia Tech was three days old — plenty of time for Devin, Larry Frank Jr and a full slate of callers to pick it apart. Larry Frank called in from the road on a long drive back into town, and the consensus by the end of the night was blunt: a win is a win, but this version of Miami isn't beating anybody good playing like that.
Key Takeaways
- Akheem Mesidor was named National Defensive Player of the Week, and the panel says he's earned every bit of it.
- The offensive line racked up roughly 16 penalties for around 154 yards, with much of it pinned on the interior lineman wearing No. 51.
- Kobe Young and the Saints are singled out as young pieces finally showing flashes, while James Williams gets called out again as a liability who can't cover man-to-man.
- Caller Chris Kane delivers the night's signature rant, demanding discipline and accountability after a first half that should have been a blowout turned into a nervy fourth quarter.
A Fast Start, a Familiar Fade
Devin and Larry Frank agreed Miami came out fast enough in the first half to be up 40 or 50 points on a Virginia Tech team the panel considers one of the worst in the conference — instead, undisciplined penalties let the Hokies claw all the way back into a one-score game before Miami finally closed it out. Larry Frank pointed to Kobe Young and Chase Smith's continued limited role as evidence the staff still isn't using every weapon available, while both hosts credited Akheem Mesidor's monster game up front as one of the few things that went right start to finish.
Discipline, Accountability and Chris Kane's Tough Love
No caller hit harder than Chris Kane, who opened by rejecting the idea that a win erases what went wrong. He tore into the undisciplined penalties that let Virginia Tech back into the game and made clear he wasn't interested in excuses from anybody wearing the jersey.
"Discipline, accountability is everything. Right now y'all are not playing for your potential — get your ass up off your shoulders and go out there and fight for your spot instead of wanting to be silver-spoon fed every damn thing. You gotta earn it."
Personnel Questions Up and Down the Roster
James Williams remains the panel's biggest concern on defense — missed tackles and blown man coverage assignments have Devin and callers alike wondering if he's simply miscast. On offense, the discussion turned to the coaching staff's future: Devin floated that offensive coordinator Josh Gattis may end up taking another job on his own before the season is out, while questions persist about whether Kevin Steele and Charlie Strong are functioning as true co-defensive coordinators or working at cross purposes. A caller from Ellenwood, Georgia pushed back hard on criticism of Gattis, arguing the real issue is three true freshmen and backups starting on the offensive line, not the play-calling itself.
The show wrapped with the family looking ahead to Duke, a team Devin admitted has him more nervous than he'd like given how uneven this Miami team has looked, before closing out with reminders about the upcoming Utah Bash tailgate on November 11th.