Podcast: TVD’s breakthrough, Blake James breaks silence and Miami finally gets a good win
The Miami Hurricanes finally provided some reasons for optimism Saturday.
They beat a ranked team for the first time all season. Their quarterback put together the best game of his young career. The athletic director even finally broke his silence and openly put pressure on his coach to turn this season around.
Let’s see how long it lasts because it won’t get any easier Saturday when Miami faces the No. 17 Pittsburgh Panthers at noon in Pittsburgh.
First up on the Eye on the U podcast, David Wilson and Susan Miller Degnan, the Hurricanes beat writer for the Miami Herald, break down the Hurricanes’ 31-30 win against the then-No. 18 North Carolina State Wolfpack. The big revelation was a complete game from Tyler Van Dyke, who threw for 325 yards in Miami Gardens and was the Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Week. No matter where this season winds up, Van Dyke will be part of the Hurricanes’ future and the quarterback has now done more good than bad in his first three ACC starts.
He isn’t the only freshman providing real reasons for optimism, either. Running back Jaylan Knighton put together his second consecutive big game in his first start of the season, and James Williams and Kamren Kinchens are ready to build on promising starts to their career with fellow safety Bubba Bolden now done for the season. As Miami (3-4, 1-2) struggles through coach Manny Diaz’s third season, the underclassmen keep providing glimpses at a — hopefully — more promising future.
Diaz’s future, however, remains the one story that really matters for the Hurricanes for the rest of the year, and Blake James turned up the pressure when he finally talked to multiple local reporters about this season and Diaz’s underwhelming tenure so far. Degnan was one of the few to actually talk to the athletic director last Friday and provides some insights from her conversation.
Thanks as always for listening and please continue to rate, review and subscribe to the show, which will take you all the way through the end of the season and to whatever comes next in Coral Gables.
