The Rundown Take
62-26: U Talk Melts Down Over the North Carolina Disaster and Demands Blake Baker's Head
This was not a normal Monday show. Devin and E Gray came on still shaking from Saturday's 62-26 blowout loss to North Carolina, a game where the Tar Heels ran for over 500 yards behind two backs who each cleared 200 on the ground. What followed was two hours of raw, unfiltered fury at the defense, at Blake Baker, and — for the first time all season — directly at Manny Diaz himself.
Key Takeaways
- North Carolina hung 62 points and ran for over 500 yards, with two running backs topping 200 yards apiece on the same counter play, run over and over with no defensive adjustment.
- Both hosts call for Blake Baker to be fired immediately, and for the first time openly criticize Manny Diaz for standing by his defensive coordinator and giving the team a week off practice after the loss.
- Larry Frank Jr. calls in with his signature "I told you so" and names South Carolina defensive coordinator Travaris Robinson — a Miami native — as his one target if Baker is let go, dismissing Charlie Strong and Will Muschamp as outdated suggestions.
- Caller Danielle Carr and the panel agree the team lacks "dogs" on both the roster and the coaching staff, pointing to soft tackling, blown assignments, and North Carolina players helping Miami players up after every hit.
- The panel says they'd rather lose the Cheez-It Bowl and move on than watch another lifeless defensive performance, with Larry Frank predicting a lopsided loss if Miami draws Oklahoma State or Florida.
The Defense Gets Exposed
E Gray set the tone from the jump, saying he hadn't seen effort that bad from a Miami defense "in a long time," describing linebackers running untouched to the same gap all night while defensive backs missed tackle after tackle. Devin pointed to a specific sequence — DJ Ivey left in single coverage with no safety help — as proof the scheme, not just the players, had checked out. Both hosts agreed Jaylen Phillips, Quincy Roche and the rest of the projected early departures did nothing on tape to boost their draft stock in this game.
Manny Diaz on the Hot Seat
What separated this show from prior Baker pile-ons was the panel turning the accountability question on Manny Diaz himself, comparing him unfavorably to older-school motivators like Mike Brown and Dan Mullen. E Gray called Diaz "a coordinator at best" for refusing to step in on defense, and both hosts blasted the decision to give players a week off practice as coddling rather than discipline.
"Friendship don't pay the bills... I got to do what I got to do for the betterment of me and this program. I will never forget when Manny got hired, fellas — he was selling it, he could have sold me a fan to a beast in the cold. But Blake has lost the players. He needs to go."
Larry Frank's Target: Travaris Robinson
Larry Frank Jr. delivered the segment of the night, walking through why Robinson — a Miami native who led the SEC in defensive takeaways at South Carolina — is the only realistic upgrade at coordinator, while waving off the recycled Charlie Strong and Kevin Steele chatter. He also warned that with the Cheez-It Bowl likely bringing Oklahoma State or a suddenly-rolling Florida squad, Miami risks an even uglier finish if nothing changes structurally before kickoff.