The Rundown Take
7-1 and Still Doubted: U Talk Asks If Manny Diaz Is Actually "The Guy"
Fresh off a gritty win over Virginia Tech and staring down a two-week COVID pause that pushes the next kickoff all the way to December 5th, Devin and co-host E welcomed Larry Frank Jr. for a full breakdown of the 7-1 Canes. The mood was equal parts relief and restlessness: the panel is thrilled with the record but done pretending the tape looks good, and by night's end the conversation had turned into a real referendum on Manny Diaz's second season.
Key Takeaways
- Miami survives Virginia Tech to move to 7-1, but the ACC's COVID disruptions push the next game all the way to December 5th against Wake Forest.
- Corey Couch is the breakout story — the panel calls him the game's MVP and wants him starting outright, not stuck in the nickel package.
- Will Mallory and Brevin Jordan combine for just four catches, reigniting the panel's push for both tight ends on the field together.
- Rhett Lashlie's play-calling and a botched fake field goal draw heavy criticism, with the offensive line — especially the interior — singled out as the real problem.
- The night's biggest debate: is Manny Diaz actually "the guy," or is he still a coordinator learning on the job?
Couch Steps Up, Offense Stays Stuck
Everyone on the call agreed Corey Couch was the difference-maker, praised for his football IQ, ball skills and special-teams effort after finally getting real snaps over Al Blaze. Don Chaney also earned love for running with more physicality than the other backs. But the offense drew nonstop criticism: Rhett Lashlie's calls got labeled "stagnated" and "vanilla," D'Eriq King barely had time to throw behind a struggling interior line, and the fake field goal in the red zone had the panel begging the staff to "just play football." Larry Frank and E both pushed for more screens, motion and two-tight-end sets to get Mallory and Jordan involved after the duo combined for only four catches against Virginia Tech.
Defense Flashes, DJ Ivey Struggles
The defensive line got real praise — Jaelan Phillips and the front finally showed up, with Jestor Cervera drawing double teams that freed up one-on-ones for Phillips. Sam Brooks earned calls to start more at linebacker. The rough spot was DJ Ivey in man coverage, which the panel said gave them a headache to watch, plus a missed angle from Bubba Bolden on Virginia Tech's opening touchdown. The recurring theme: the defense looks like a different unit once Manny Diaz takes the headset from Blake Baker late in games, and the panel wants that engagement from kickoff, not just the fourth quarter.
Is Manny "The Guy"?
Larry Frank Jr. opened the debate by comparing Diaz's flat sideline demeanor to Larry Coker — a coach who never showed emotion even with a stacked roster — and contrasted it with Saban, Dabo and Mack Brown's visible fire. Devin pressed further: is Manny actually a head coach, or still just a coordinator wearing the title in year two? The consensus landed on patience — ride with him through the last three games (Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, North Carolina) — but nobody pretended the concern wasn't real.
"How long do we continue to settle for mediocrity? Because y'all know that's what this is right now."
Rankings Gripe and the Long Layoff
The panel also vented about Miami dropping three spots in the polls despite winning on the road as an underdog. With football on pause for two weeks, Devin promised a Friday hype show to hold the family over before Wake Forest, and the crew closed out thanking the day-ones for riding through the long stretch with them.