The Rundown Take
FIU Prep Rally: U Talk Feels the Surge Before the Trap Game
Live from the Miami Prep Rally, Devin threw the phone lines wide open the night before the FIU game, and the family showed out — North Georgia Canes Chapter regulars, a trucker calling in from the road, and a caller so confident he predicted a 45-14 runaway. Nobody on the call was worried about a letdown.
Key Takeaways
- Score predictions pour in hot: 45-14, 43-12 and Devin's own 35-7, with everyone betting on a lopsided win that gets the young guys reps.
- Devin credits a closed-door, players-only meeting for sparking Miami's turnaround, saying the locker room got handed back to the guys and the intensity showed up on tape immediately after.
- DC Blake Baker gets singled out for aggressive play-calling over the last three weeks, even with Manny Diaz reportedly still holding the title.
- Special teams and punter Lou Hedley get real praise — a unit Devin admits he slept on most of the year.
- Recruiting notes drop live: a shot at five-star linebacker Justin Flowe called "a long shot," plus receiver and defensive-line targets the panel is tracking for the next class.
No Letdown Allowed
The recurring theme from every caller, from Andy Lord out of Miami to Big Gary trucking through Tampa, was simple: don't take FIU lightly. Devin repeated it like a mantra — stay aggressive, no letdowns, treat a rivalry game like any other game, and put a bow on the bye week by finishing strong. Callers pointed to the offensive line's growth since the Louisville game and a defense that's finally tackling with discipline as reasons for confidence.
Building Toward Next Year
Between predictions, the conversation kept drifting to the bigger picture — depth behind departing seniors like Shaquille Quarterman and Michael Pinckney, praise for Sam Brooks and Avery Huff stepping up, and a shoutout to the North Georgia Canes Chapter turning out for a watch party. One caller pushed back on the idea that Miami's talent gap explains the losses, crediting the turnaround instead to coaching adjustments and a defense that stopped giving up chunk plays after ugly performances against Florida and North Carolina early in the year. Devin agreed, pointing out the punt coverage unit alone had gone from a liability the last two seasons to a legitimate strength.
Devin closed by promising to be there himself, ready to root the team on from Canton, Georgia, with the whole North Georgia chapter turning out for kickoff.
"Let's not even play with them tomorrow. Let's get in and get out of there."