The Rundown Take
The Alumni Speak: Warren Sapp and Vince Wilfork Sound Off as U Talk Previews Michigan State
Two games in and the cracks have gone public. Devin and Larry Frank Jr. opened the Friday hype show with Michigan State's numbers on the screen, but the real story of the night was the wall of Miami legends — Warren Sapp, Vince Wilfork, Phillip Buchanan — finally saying out loud what the fan base has been shouting for weeks: this team is underachieving, and it starts at the top.
Key Takeaways
- Michigan State (2-0) brings a real offense: QB Payton Thorne over 65% completions with five touchdowns, RB Kenneth Walker III with 321 yards and five scores, and an offensive line graded second nationally.
- Don Chaney Jr. is out for the year with a torn ACL and Jalen Knight remains suspended, leaving Cam as Miami's lead back behind a struggling interior offensive line.
- Warren Sapp called into the Joe Rose Show, Vince Wilfork went on Twitter, and Phillip Buchanan spoke out too — all within days of each other, all questioning the direction of the program.
- Larry Frank Jr.'s stat check: Miami's linebackers combined for almost no tackles last week, with Wayman Steed the lone linebacker in the team's top five tacklers.
- Caller Alan predicts a 35-28 Miami win but says the offensive line has to be faster getting the ball out for D'Eriq King, with tight end Will Mallory needing to bounce back.
When the Alumni Talk, People Listen
Larry Frank Jr. walked through the receipts: the home crowd booed the offense after the Appalachian State game, then three of the program's most respected alumni voices went public within days of each other. He argued that's the real signal — not just fans on Twitter, but players who bled for this program calling it out by name. Devin pushed for more of it, naming Michael Irvin and Ray Lewis as alumni he wishes would speak up too, and both agreed the "fake fan" label gets thrown at anyone critical, even Hall of Famers.
The Linebacker Problem Won't Go Away
Larry Frank Jr. broke down last week's tackle chart: four of Miami's top five tacklers came out of the secondary, with only one linebacker — Wayman Steed — cracking that group. To him that's proof the linebacker corps isn't holding up its end against the run. With Chaondre Smith already hurt and unproven names like Corey Flagg Jr. and Bradley Jennings Jr. next in line, the panel questioned why Manny Diaz hasn't pressed harder for change at the position, especially heading into a Michigan State offensive line built to move people.
"We've got up there and plug the holes and then you can't tackle and they're running right through you — you have a problem at linebacker, a big problem."
The two closed circling the same theme that's carried the last two shows: talent isn't the issue, coaching accountability is. With Miami as a six-point favorite at home, Larry Frank Jr. said the weather and altitude belong to the Canes — if the execution finally shows up.