The Rundown Take
Larry Frank Jr's Debut: Three Keys, Two Studs at Running Back, and a Warning Nobody Heeded
Friday hype show energy before Miami's 3:30 kickoff against North Carolina — a rare afternoon slot Devin and E Gray both love. But the real headline was the launch of a new weekly segment: Larry Frank Jr's Take, debuting with a detailed breakdown that turned out to be eerily prophetic about exactly how the Hurricanes were about to lose.
Key Takeaways
- Larry Frank Jr's segment officially launches, opening with the stat that Miami actually trails North Carolina 12-11 in the all-time series despite 16-plus years in the ACC together.
- Larry Frank's three keys to the game: run for 200-plus yards, hold Michael Carter and Javonte Williams to under 100-125 combined rushing yards, and score touchdowns instead of field goals in the red zone.
- E Gray pushes back on worrying about North Carolina's running backs, arguing Miami can flip the game script with early scoring and turnovers — a disagreement that would look very different by Sunday night.
- Larry Frank reports safety Al Blades Jr. is dealing with myocarditis, likely linked to COVID, and could be sidelined up to three months, putting Isaiah Dunson, Marcus Clark and Keontra Smith in line for bigger roles.
- Caller Cal Starling predicts a 38-31 Miami win built on the deep ball and disruptive pass rush; Larry Frank separately flags Jaylen Phillips' rise into top-five NFL Draft projections as a sign this could be his final home game.
Three Keys That Didn't Land
Larry Frank walked through North Carolina's three losses on the season and noticed a pattern: every team that beat them got at least 200 combined rushing yards from their backs. His prescription for Miami was simple — establish the run hard enough to keep Sam Howell and the Tar Heels' offense off the field, and hold Carter and Williams, a pair of projected NFL Draft picks who'd combined for 1,800-plus yards and 23 touchdowns on the season, well under 125 yards.
The Disagreement That Aged Badly
E Gray told Larry Frank directly he wasn't worried about North Carolina's running game, betting instead that Miami's offense could build an early lead and force Howell to throw into a defense sending exotic blitzes. Larry Frank pushed back gently, noting two backs each flirting with 1,000-yard seasons deserved real respect. Both agreed the read-zone finishing and Blake Baker's aggression from the Duke game needed to carry over — a carryover that, in hindsight, never happened.
"This is our last game — if I'm Manny Diaz, I'm telling all them boys this your last game as a Miami Hurricane. It's got to be a Red Lashlee game... this could be it."
Off the Field: Injuries and the LSU Situation
Larry Frank closed with news and notes — Al Blades' myocarditis diagnosis, Jaylen Phillips' surge into top-five draft buzz off his last four games, and a deep dive into LSU's off-field turmoil, from the Odell Beckham cash-handout fallout to reported sexual assault allegations he expects will push more Tigers into the transfer portal Miami could target. Caller Cal Starling closed the show with a confident 38-31 prediction built on the deep ball and getting home in the pass rush.