The Rundown Take
Two-and-Oh, Not Pretty: U Talk Breaks Down the Southern Miss Win Before the Texas A&M Gauntlet
Monday night recap mode: Devin and Larry Frank Jr. dug into a 30-7 win over Southern Miss that moved Miami to 2-0 and No. 13 in the country, but the panel spent as much time on what needs fixing as what to celebrate with the Texas A&M road trip bearing down.
Key Takeaways
- Xavier Restrepo led the offense again — 6 catches on 7 targets for 72 yards — while Rashard Smith (4-for-4, 53 yards) and Keyshawn Smith (3 catches, 49 yards and a flea-flicker touchdown) showed real involvement.
- The offensive line regressed, allowing four sacks after a clean opener, and the secondary drew heat for missed coverage, including a blown interception chance in man coverage.
- The real story of the game: a totally different Miami team in the second half, shutting Southern Miss out after adjustments — a level of in-game coaching the panel says the old staff never showed.
- A controversial personal-foul call on offensive lineman Jakai Clark, whistled for blocking a defender through the echo of the play on a touchdown run, wiped points off the board and had callers fuming.
- Off the field: Mario Cristobal addressed an Avonte Williams social media situation directly with the player; Williams remains on the team and is expected to play Saturday.
The Second-Half Turnaround Is the Real Headline
Larry Frank kept circling back to one point: under the old coaching staff, a slow start like the one against Southern Miss usually meant a long night of the same mistakes. This time, Miami adjusted at halftime and shut the door defensively while the offense pulled away. Caller James "Italian Stallion" Freeman backed it up, citing Kevin Steele's own comments about seeing wrinkles from Southern Miss on tape that hadn't shown up before — and Miami still solving it by the second half.
Corners, Sacks, and Old Habits
Not everything was progress. Larry Frank singled out the cornerback play, questioning why Malik Curtis and Daryl Porter Jr. aren't getting more reps, and pointed to a clear interception chance that went unplayed. He chalked it up to old habits still being coached out of returning players rather than a talent problem. The offensive line came in for criticism too — four sacks allowed was a step back from a clean week one — though the panel noted the run game still found room, with Thad Franklin averaging around 5 yards a carry.
"I don't know if the corners — I mean, I know we said going into the changes we're proving it thus far, but I'm holding out hope, because it's just hard to break old habits."
Bracing for College Station
With Texas A&M sitting at 1-1 after an upset loss to Appalachian State, the panel debated whether a wounded, embarrassed Aggies team is more dangerous or more fragile. Larry Frank and Devin agreed Miami is in a far better spot heading into the game than Jimbo Fisher's team, pointing to Texas A&M's brutal remaining stretch of Arkansas, Mississippi State and Alabama. The wish list for Saturday: establish the run early to set up two-tight-end shots to Will Mallory and Elijah Arroyo, protect Tyler Van Dyke better up front, and — most of all — avoid another slow start on the road against a team the panel expects to come out desperate.