Podcast: How did we get here with Miami? And where do we go now with D’Eriq King hurt?

These are dark days for the Miami Hurricanes.

Miami, which began the season with outside College Football Playoff hopes, has sandwiched an unconvincing against a Sun Belt Conference team in between a pair of lopsided losses to foes from Power 5 Conferences. Manny Diaz is seemingly at a loss, with the defense he took over now struggling and his seat warming up. Injuries are mounting, too, and the Hurricanes will start a game without D’Eriq King this weekend for the first time since 2019.

At least one of the hosts of the Eye on the U podcast isn’t even entirely confident Miami will beat the FCS Central Connecticut State Blue Devils on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. at Hard Rock Stadium.

But first, David Wilson and Susan Miller Degnan, the Hurricanes beat writer for the Miami Herald, look back at what has gone wrong for the Hurricanes in the first three weeks of the 2021 college football season. The offense has regressed, proven veterans haven’t delivered, injuries have mounted, but, above all else, all the hallmark issues of Diaz-coached teams are rearing their heads simultaneously.

Miami is dropping passes, missing tackles, letting the sacks pile up, committing penalties, struggling to put away inferior opponents and getting thoroughly outplayed in matchups with comparable teams.

It seems like only a matter of time for the banner planes to be flying in the skies over Miami Gardens again. Diaz is standing on thinner ice than ever.

King’s injury is just the latest reason to worry. The quarterback is doubtful to play Saturday, which means the Hurricanes will turn to freshman quarterbacks Tyler Van Dyke and Jake Garcia to split time against Central Connecticut State. It’s the perfect opportunity to ease them in and a good chance to get a look at the future of the position, but King’s injury appears to be more serious than Miami originally let on and the Hurricanes might head into Atlantic Coast Conference play without him Thursday.

It originally looked like it was going to be one of the least interesting weekends on Miami’s schedule. Now it’s shaping to be a critical one.

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