The Rundown Take
D'Eriq King Goes Down, N'Kosi Perry Answers the Bell — But the Drops Doom the Cheez-It Bowl
Fresh off a heartbreaking 37-34 loss to Oklahoma State in the Cheez-It Bowl, the panel is raw. D'Eriq King's apparent knee injury, a furious N'Kosi Perry-led comeback that fell just short, and a fresh round of drops from the same two receivers dominate the night — with Larry Frank Jr., Cuban Kane, and Kyle Stalin all calling in to vent.
Key Takeaways
- D'Eriq King exits with an apparent knee injury after planting awkwardly — he walks off under his own power but can't put weight on it, and the panel fears the worst.
- N'Kosi Perry comes off the bench and helps push Miami to 34 points, and the room credits him for finally getting a real chance after years shuffled between coordinators.
- Miami falls behind 21-0 in the first quarter before rallying — the defense gets torched early, then locks in once King is hurt.
- Receivers Dee Wiggins and Mark Pope drop a string of momentum-killing passes, including a would-be touchdown; callers demand both hit the transfer portal.
- Larry Frank Jr. predicts Blake Baker isn't going anywhere next year regardless of tonight's performance, and Rhett Lashlee's predictable play-calling with King in the game draws fresh criticism.
The King Injury
Devin and Larry Frank spend the opening minutes dissecting the injury frame by frame, comparing King's plant to Derrick Rose's 2012 knee injury and hoping for a lesser diagnosis. Whatever it turns out to be, both agree the timeline works in King's favor — a September 4 opener against Alabama gives him nine months to recover even in the worst case.
Perry's Moment, Wasted by Drops
The panel's frustration isn't with Perry — it's with the hands around him. Multiple callers, including Cuban Kane and Kyle Stalin, tally the dropped touchdowns and blame the loss squarely on the receivers rather than the quarterback change, with one caller flatly saying the receivers coach situation needs to change this offseason.
Manny's Third Year
E Gray and Devin close by drawing a line in the sand: this is Manny Diaz's second year finishing up, and if there's no visible growth in year three, the conversation changes. For now, the panel credits the fight the team showed rallying from 21 points down, even in a loss that ends the season at 8-3.