The Rundown Take
Ugly W: U Talk Sounds the Alarm on a Defense That Let NC State Score 34
A sick, under-the-weather Devin battled phone-line issues all night, but nothing could keep the family quiet after Miami survived a Friday night track meet with NC State to move to 6-1. D'Eriq King was brilliant, the defense was a mess, and by the end of the show D and co-host E were shouting over each other about whether Manny Diaz needs to rip the headset away from defensive coordinator Blake Baker for good.
Key Takeaways
- Miami survives NC State despite giving up 34 points, improving to 6-1 on the season.
- D'Eriq King throws for five touchdowns and over 400 yards — D calls him "the second coming of Russell Wilson," sparking a heated on-air debate with E.
- The defense settles down only after Manny Diaz effectively takes over from Blake Baker in the second half.
- Brevin Jordan misses the game on the COVID list, and the panel says his absence drains the whole team's swagger, not just the offense.
- Corey Couch again stands out as the lone bright spot on defense.
King Carries the Offense
Even with drops from Mark Pope and D'Eriq Wiggins costing a touchdown before halftime, the panel had nothing but praise for King's night — pinpoint deep balls, poise in the pocket, and enough production that D floated the Russell Wilson comparison and refused to back down from it. Mike Harley stayed consistent, and the offensive line got credit from the desk, with Zion Nelson, Corey Gaynor and Jared Wiggins singled out as having played well. The bigger gripe was Rhett Lashlie's predictability on first down — too much shotgun, too many runs up the middle — with the panel pushing again for King to get more freedom to check out of bad plays at the line.
Defense Draws the Panel's Fire
The real story of the night was the defense giving a backup quarterback room to operate like an all-star. E called it the same story all season — no discipline, blown blitz assignments, bad angles — and pointed to Bubba Bolden's soft tackling on the opening touchdown as exhibit A. Both hosts agreed the unit looked like a different team once Manny Diaz visibly took command in the second half, and the panel wants that presence from kickoff, not just when the game is on the line.
"Manny needs to take control of the defense. That's it."
Missing Brevin Jordan
Multiple callers, including Jeffrey O'Neal and the caller known as Gold Silver Fever, pointed to Brevin Jordan's absence as bigger than a stat-sheet issue — the panel argued his presence changes the energy of the whole roster, offense and defense alike, and the two-tight-end looks with Will Mallory disappeared without him. The hope heading into Virginia Tech next week is getting him back healthy.
6-1 and Still Not Satisfied
The panel spent real time wrestling with what a 6-1 record actually means, landing on "good team, not yet a great one" — happy for every win in a chaotic COVID season, but honest that the same mistakes keep resurfacing week after week. Jalen Phillips got credit for flashes but a note to tighten contain discipline, and Corey Couch again drew praise as the defense's most consistent piece. The takeaway heading into Virginia Tech: bank the win, but Manny needs to fix the defense before the schedule gets harder.