Podcast: Resetting panic meter after Miami’s loss to UNC. And why next 3 games are huge
The Miami Hurricanes dropped a heartbreaker to the North Carolina Tar Heels on Saturday, which, right now, is an improvement for Mario Cristobal and Co.
After its stunning loss to the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders in September, Miami needed to prove it wasn’t going to let yet another season just slip away. Even with the 27-24 loss to North Carolina, it’s fair to say the Hurricanes aren’t going to just let this year totally unravel.
Still, Miami has to start winning some games and this weekend is a good chance to start. The Hurricanes hit the road this week to face the Virginia Tech Hokies in Blacksburg, Virginia, with a chance to get back to .500 against another underwhelming Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal division team with a first-year coach. A new episode of the Eye on the U podcast starts with some optimism: Both David Wilson and Susan Miller Degnan, the Miami Herald’s Hurricanes beat writer, think this is a game Miami (2-3, 0-1) should win.
Tyler Van Dyke is the biggest reason why. After setting the panic meter last month, Wilson and Degnan re-calibrate it, and there’s no more worry about the quarterback after he went off for 496 passing yards last week.
Even offensive coordinator Josh Gattis and defensive coordinator Kevin Steele are inspiring some more confidence. Gattis wisely played to the Hurricanes’ strengths last weekend and Steele’s defense held the high-scoring Tar Heels to their fewest points of the season so far.
Cristobal has a long way to go after losing to Middle Tennessee in his third game as coach, but he cleared a low bar some of his predecessors couldn’t by getting Miami to respond well to a baffling loss.
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This story was originally published October 14, 2022 at 7:00 AM.
