IT'S A 'U' THING

Three decades covering the #MiamiHurricanes—@BleacherReport, #CanesTime, #allCanesBlog. Rise up #UFAMILY —Mario Cristobal is back in the 305! 🙌🏼 🇺🇸🙌🏼

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

@CollegeFBonX That orange and green pops hard off the white when Miami rocks it; looks great back in the day and solid all through last year’s CFP run as an underdog road team in every game.

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

I'm 52 years old and I literally started going to games in 1979 at the Orange Bowl.

It has never been half (or more) Florida State fans there or at HardRock.

Yes, Noles fans show out big as there are 5-million people in Dade and Broward and with Florida State University as a state school, there are a lot of Seminoles alum in South Florida ... but you are absolutely full of shit that it's half.

When both teams are good, the split is around 70% Miami / 30% Florida State.

When FSU is good and UM is down, the split is around 65% Canes / 35% Noles on average.

When the Canes are up and the Noles are in the shitter, it's a 75% / 25% split.

I've been to a dozen Miami / Florida State home games in my life—between 1980 and 2018—including the Noles winning five in a row at HardRock (2008-2016); there have never been more FSU fans in that stadium than UM fans.

Stop gaslighting.

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

Yup.

The simpleton college football fan (who knows nothing about Miami) will just point to Rueben Bain and Ahkeem Mesidor leaving—without realizing the stockpiling that's been going on .

It's been a minute since the Canes were in reload-mode, but that's where this thing is at.

Bain started playing as a true freshman, had his sophomore slump and blew up as a junior in 2025.

What do people think is going to happen with Marquise Lightfoot, Justin Scott and Armando Blount this year? All were 5-Star talents and can't-miss products who are all going into their junior years, under Jason Taylor and Damione Lewis (as well as Bain and Mesidor bringing all those guys along and leading by example.)

Hayden Lowe is another 5-Star going into his sophomore year—while Ahmad Moten returns and Miami brought in Damon Wilson from Missouri; future first-rounder.

The loss of Bain and Mesidor will hurt experience-wise; but talent-wise Miami is loaded—and gets four games out the gate to get their footing.

Real season starts in October with Clemson and Florida State—and by November, these guys are in playoff-mode for Notre Dame.

Anybody sleeping on this line doesn't know ball.

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

I mean the college football world—and even the biggest Miami hater—can't deny that there is a country mile between the Canes current success (and where the program sits under Mario Cristobal) and the dumpster fire at Florida State, another rebuild at Florida and the chasm that will always exist regarding the wannabe programs like Central Florida, South Florida, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, etc.

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

@BabyPacino__ @TrintonBreeze @CanesInSight Lofton isn't "ass"—he has been injured almost non-stop—and he's not a traditional tight end; a Swiss Army Knife-style player that needs to be put in the right positions to succeed, which hasn't always been the case.

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

Feels like Lightfoot is the most-impactful name on the list.

Moore will ball, but have a hard time believing he outshines Toney, Barkate or even guys like Vaughn and Jacobs—while Lofton will get his touches, but it's a crowded wide receivers room, five stellar running back—and it feels like Miami wants to bring Gilbert and Mueller along in a more-traditional tight end role, barring both get their shit down as bikers.

Lightfoot is due to breakout big.

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

"Peak-Era."

Random snapshot of life in fall 1985 growing up in Miami; 11 years old, just started sixth grade.

"Back To The Future" and "Rambo" dropped that summer; "Miami Vice" on NBC every Friday night—MTV spinning all the hits of the day; massive albums from Mötley Crüe, Tears For Fears, Iron Maiden, Phil Collins, Prince, etc.

The first Nintendo system came out this fall; so did the SEGA system—arcades were everywhere and the home video market was blowing up, so renting movies was a killer new novelty as the VCR had entered our homes.

Miami Hurricanes were balling out in the Orange Bowl; went 10-2 that fall and lost the Sugar Bowl to Tennessee a few months later—won a title in 1983; won it again in 1987 and 1989 to close out the decade.

I had a Cuban buddy whose parents had a dumpy little one bedroom condo down on Miami Beach; they'd drink rum all day and play dominos down at the pool with their friends in the cabanas—while a few of us degenerates would pile into the family room for the weekend.

Chasing girls down at the pool or the beach all day and when his parents would pass out, we'd sneak out of the condo around midnight and skateboard up an down Washington and Ocean until the sun came out—the world was safe and we were just kids being free in a cellphone-free, without technology taking over.

Oh yeah, and fast food wasn't poison.

You went to McDonald's for breakfast; it was a dude back there pouring batter on a fucking griddle and making you flapjacks—served in a styrofoam container. Soda had real sugar in it; not high fructose corn syrup.

Grabbing a Slurpee from 7-Eleven in that era was a game-changer on a hot day.

Gen X catches strays for all those "drank from the garden hose" memes— but if you lived through that carefree era, you know everything was undoubtedly better.

Case in point; "Rocky IV", "The Goonies", "Beverly Hills Cop", "The Breakfast Club", "Weird Science", "Fletch" and "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure" were all released in 1985, alone with "Back To The Future" and "Rambo".

TV was more than just "Miami Vice", too—"The A-Team", "Knight Rider", "The Cosby Show", "Family Ties", "Cheers", "Night Court", "Moonlighting", "Growing Pains", "The Golden Girls"—great era there, too.

"USA For Africa" brought every rock star on the planet together for "We Are The World" in 1985. "Live Aid" and "Farm Aid" concerts both took place, as well.

The first WrestleMania was in spring 1985—and some explorer even found the mother-fucking Titanic that year.

Madonna married Sean Penn in 1985; same year Sly Stallone landed on Brigitte Nielsen and Billy Joel tied the knot with Christie Brinkley.

As kids we couldn't 't see it, but looking back we now know the getting was good and the country's energy was firing as consumer confidence was back in the Reagan era—a stark contract from things bottoming out late '70s (long gas line under Carter a thing of the past.)

Falling interest rates and low inflation triggered a massive wave of consumer spending—making money, corporate climbing, and flaunting material success were no longer viewed as taboo, but as patriotic pursuits; it was the era of 'The Yuppie'—which tech optimism was becoming a real thing; the widespread adoption of personal computers and VCRs made people feel like they were living in a futuristic, golden age of convenience.

And again, I was 11 in 1985—graduating high school in 1992—the seven years in-between still golden, while musically things were massive in the early '90s as the hair metal scene was slowing down, grunge was on the rise and there was so much alternative music dropping.

No longer skateboarding up and down Miami Beach, we were now going to rock shows at The Cameo to see bands like the Beastie Boys or Pearl Jam or Fishbone—and by 1993, in my own band and playing beach venues like Washington Square, while the club scene was starting to blow up.

So yeah, long rant, but "peak-era" deserved to be properly defined; a vivid picture painted so prove the point—as we're not just waxing poetic or nostalgic here.

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

@georgewrighster Herman loves blow and getting down more that ball; ask around—and Florida State doesn’t have the talent.

You miss the fact Gus Malzahn was calling plays last year? Dude had little to work with and he bounced—and Herman taking a gig knowing it’s Dead Mike Walking … please.

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

Yeah, although it's not Miami's fault that Clemson and Florida State are a little down right now as both are national championship caliber programs—the two have combined for three titles the past dozen years.

Miami also plays at Notre Dame; played the Irish last year, as well as Florida—another traditional power who happened to be a little down.

Texas has some tough sledding but Miami always beefs up the out-of-conference; was supposed to play at South Carolina this year, too—game mutually canceled because of the SEC and ACC both moving to nine-game schedules.

And let's not act like Miami didn't just run a gauntlet to end last season, on the road with No. 7 Texas A&M, the Cotton Bowl against No. 2 Ohio State, the Fiesta Bowl with No. 6 Ole Miss and the national title game against No. 1 Indiana.

The regular season is simply just an appetizer for a main course College Football Playoff run these days.

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

Such is the case for most of the country; same way all play that "Miami lost Bain and Mesidor to their line is in trouble in 2026!"

Is it?

Moten returns, pulled in Wilson from Missou and Miami has three junior defensive linemen who are 5-Stars in the system the past two year, learning under Bain and Mesidor and getting coached up by Jason Taylor and Damione Lewis—Lightfoot, J. Scott and Blount about to blow up on the scene this year—has should true sophomore 5-Star freak of nature Lowe.

Miami is back in reload-mode with too many people are sleeping on.

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

I mean that's an indictment on you and your ball knowledge if you're not well-versed on the team who finished No. 2 in the country last year—you had a lot of time to watch Miami in the postseason last winter while Texas was home sitting on their asses after playing a watered down Michigan in the lowly Cirtus Bowl.

And yeah, when Miami fielded Malachi Toney as a true freshman last year and when Bryce Fitzgerald picked off Texas A&M twice in a play-in CFP game as a true freshman—and both are already All-ACC as true sophomores this year—we're gonna hype them.

Not talking about "potential" with highly-touted recruits—talking about kids that hit the ground running and became year-one superstars ... night and day from Texas with high-ranked kids yet to prove anything.

Somourian Wingo and other freshmen like Jackson Cantwell went through bowl practices with Miami all December and January; Cantwell the No. 1 overall offensive lineman for 2025 and set to start at right guard, while expectations are for Wingo to have a Toney-like breakout this fall ... so yeah, Miami will hype right-fit true freshman that you've "never heard of".

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

C-R-I-S-T-O-B-A-L

Wild how anyone can write out "Christobal" and that doesn't hurt your eyes and brain ... and yes, deeper wide receivers room in the country—don't sleep on Josh Moore and Daylyn Upshaw who are returning for their sophomore seasons; two traditionally-recruited ballers.

Somourian Wingo, Milan Parris and Vance Stafford are also going to ball-out.

This room is deeeeeeepp ... and Elijah Lofton has some help at tight end this year with Gavin Mueller, Luka Gilbert and Izzy Briggs are traditional tight ends to the Swiss Army Knife that is Lofton.

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

Miami returns Mark Fletcher, Marty Brown, Jordan Lyle and Gerald Pringle at running back, as well as bringing in 4-Star freshman phenom Javion Mallory.

Notre Dame lost Jereymiah Love & Jadarian Price.

There is no metric where any logical football fan can argue the Irish's running back room over the Canes.

Stop it.

Fletcher's run in the College Football Playoffs against No 7 Texas A&M, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 6 Ole Miss and No. 1 Indiana was another level; 507 yards on 75 carries, three touchdown and a 6.8 yards-per-carry average against three top seven teams in the postseason.

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

Miami has Darian Mensah at quarterback.

Mark Fletcher, Marty Brown, Jordan Lyle, Gerald Pringle and Javion Mallory at running back.

Malachi Toney, Cooper Barkate, Josh Moore, Cam Vaughn, Van Jacobs, Daylyn Upshaw, Samourian Wingo, Milan Parris and Vance Spafford at wide receiver.

Elijah Lofton, Gavin Mueller, Luka Gilbert and Izzy Briggs at tight end.

Mensah has shown more than Manning on the field the past two years.

Fletcher's CFP performance was other-worldly while Brown and Pringle were fantastic last year; Lyle hit a sophomore slump after game one injury—looks 'back' from all the spring film.

Toney is 1a or 1b as the best receiver in the game depending on the versatility debate with J-Smith—and Barkate is a WR1 at a slew of schools in the country—not to mention Moore / Upshaw back to build on freshman years, Wingo / Spafford as year one freshmen expected to make a dent and Vaughn / Jacobs as huge transfer pulls.

Lofton your starting Swiss Army Knie hybrid tight end, with some monster traditional guys in that group as well.

Texas is always big talk on paper; Miami has a slew of guys who did it for the Canes last year, as well as transfers who shone big elsewhere.

There is no deeper running backs or wide receivers room in the country than Miami this fall.

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

Miami.

Need to reload the o-line a smidge, but no reason to not trust Cristobal and The Wall Of Mirabal over there; McCoy, Meriweather, Rodriguez, Okumola and Cantwell have time early to gel—real season picks up in October with Clemson and Florida State and then Notre Dame in November—there's time to find their way.

Darian Mensah at quarterback.

Mark Fletcher, Marty Brown, Jordan Lyle, Gerald Pringle and Javion Mallory at running back.

Malachi Toney, Cooper Barkate, Josh Moore, Cam Vaughn, Van Jacobs, Daylyn Upshaw, Samourian Wingo, Milan Parris, Vance Spafford, etc. at wide receiver.

Elijah Lofton, Gavin Mueller, Luka Gilbert and Izzy Briggs at tight end.

Seriously, on paper who has a better offensive roster?

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

This game was rock bottom for me; worse that 58-0 to Clemson in 2015 or 48-0 in the Orange Bowl finale against Virginia in 2007—this was even worse than 47-0 at Florida State in 1997 when down 31 scholarships in year three under Butch Davis.

The culture was never more broken than this 2021 game against Alabama.

Manny Diaz rolling out his fifth version of that played-out chain, and year three of his stupid-ass rings—to see a great player like Kam Kinchens taking out the chain when down 27-0 (and having to give it back when the fumble was overturned—or future freshman star Xavier Restrepo busting out those moronic rings late third quarter when down 41-3 and finally finding the end zone.

Mother of God; never been more embarrassed—as it was now the fourth year in a row the chain and rings were played-the-fuck out.

Cool prop for the 10-3 start in 2017; went 0-3 down the stretch and Pittsburgh, Clemson and Wisconsin all mocked Miami and the chain in post-game celebrations.

That should've been in ... but no; back in 2018 for a 7-6 campaign that sent Mark Richt to early retirement.

Great time to retire the prop with Diaz taking over. Instead, he has A.J. Machado making dumb-ass rings to celebrate doing what the offense is supposed to do; scoring touchdowns.

This game is the epitome of why Mario Cristobal hated the chain and rings and runs the complete opposite style of program these days.

Next game after Alabama shellacked Miami; the Canes barely hung on to be Appalachian State at home—and then a week after that, glitched out against Michigan State—outscored 21-3 in the four-fingers fourth quarter and curb-stomped, 38-17.

The week after that? Kirk Herbstreit went scorched-earth on ESPN College GameDay that Miami's top brass didn't give two shits about football (hours before the Canes stomped Central Connecticut, 69-0 and had photo shoots on the sideline with those idiotic props after ever score.)

Lost to Virginia days later when a field goal doinked off the post on a Thursday night and the Tyler Van Yips did his thing in a road loss at North Carolina to drop to 2-4.

7-5 after that embarrassing loss to a 3-6 Florida State team late ... exit Diaz, enter Cristobal by early December and the rest has been history.

But yeah, fuck them rings and chains. Footage of this Alabama game is as cringeworthy as watching an old highlight reel of your more-embarrassing moments in high school on a loop.

https://t.co/9Y8fwtlLJ4

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

@CollegeFBonX Nothing weirder than these kiddie-fiddlers out in College Station.

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

@On3 I mean I'm not saying Miami is necessarily "the best" but the Canes absolutely belong in this top four over scrubs like Mississippi State and Kentucky for the sake of the conversation.

[IT'S A 'U' THING @ItsAUThingBlog]

Ahh, come on Alan—you interviewed the Perez tribe back in 2017 and you know what was under the hood there with the missus.

Trying to prop her up now as some philanthropic, credible witness-type is wild.

(I mean this was literally in your old article; and we all know it was "blow job" and not "hand job"—that was some editorial discretion to get the story in SI as the x-rated version wouldn't fly.)

https://t.co/Urp2TY6Aek