MANNY DIAZ

Huddle up! Here’s a look back at this weekend on the gridiron, with three key takeaways from the state’s football scene.

Miami is searching for a new athletic director.

Tyler Van Dyke passed for 325 yards and four touchdowns, two of them to Charleston Rambo, and Miami knocked off No. 18 N.

Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson and Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett headline The Associated Press' list of midseason football honorees for the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Central Connecticut State Miami Football Miami starting quarterback D'Eriq King, center, stands with quarterbacks Tyler Van Dyke (9) and Jake Garcia (13) before an NCAA college football game against Central Connecticut State, Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021, in Miami Gardens, Fla. King is not playing due to an injury. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) (Lynne Sladky)CORAL GABLES, Fla. — (AP) — Miami quarterback D’Eriq King needs surgery to repair his right shoulder and will miss the remainder of the season, a major blow to the reeling Hurricanes and their hopes of contending in the Atlantic Coast Conference. “That guy, as you saw in the Michigan State game, would do anything to get back on the field and be able to play for us,” Diaz said. The Hurricanes lost that game, then beat Appalachian State and lost to Michigan State in the game where King was injured. King is a captain at Miami and was the unquestioned leader on and off the field for the Hurricanes.

Miami quarterback D’Eriq King needs surgery to repair his right shoulder and will miss the remainder of the season.

Five days after ESPN College GameDay host Kirk Herbstreit called out University of Miami president Julio Frenk, athletic director Blake James and coach Manny Diaz for not being aligned in their goals and visions for the football program, and three days after Diaz publicly defended the program, Frenk released a long statement regarding UM athletics.

Miami is planning to play without quarterback D’Eriq King on Saturday when it takes on Central Connecticut State.

King was injured during Miami’s 38-17 loss to Michigan State this past Saturday. He left the field briefly in the second half of that game so the shoulder could be evaluated, then returned without missing a single Miami snap. Miami is also awaiting results of further tests on offensive lineman Jalen Rivers, who left during the Michigan State game with a knee injury. 22 after a season-opening loss to Alabama, dropped two more spots after narrowly defeating Appalachian State and then fell out entirely following the 21-point home loss to Michigan State. ... Our performances are hurting all of us.”King’s numbers in the loss to Michigan State topped two longstanding Miami records.

Miami quarterback D’Eriq King has a shoulder injury that will need further evaluation this week in the latest blow to the reeling Hurricanes.

Payton Thorne passed for 261 yards and four touchdowns, two of those scoring throws going to Jalen Nailor, and Michigan State extended its unbeaten start by topping No. 24 Miami 38-17 on Saturday.

Some quick-thinking fans stretched out an American flag to break the cat's 30-foot fall from the upper deck.

The most notable catch in a game between the Miami Hurricanes and Appalachian State didn't even happen on the field at hard Rock Stadium.

The most notable catch in Saturday’s game between No. 22 Miami and Appalachian State didn’t even happen on the field.

Top-ranked Alabama looks very much like a team capable of making another run at a national title.

Atlantic Coast Conference coaches are counting on high program COVID-19 vaccination rates to minimize risks of illnesses or lineup-depleting contact tracing for the upcoming college football season.

Florida Democrats can’t stop losing.

College football coaches around the country are spending much of the offseason urging their players to get vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez says the U.S. should explore air strikes against Cuba, telling Fox News on Tuesday that “what should be contemplated right now is a coalition of potential military action in Cuba” similar to U.S. interventions in Panama and Yugoslavia under presidents from both parties.

Former Georgia and Miami football coach Mark Richt has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

The Florida Panthers entrusted their season to a rookie goalie making his playoff debut.

It’s entirely logical that traditionally local matters should be subject to the will of local citizens expressed through their locally elected officials. Those new measures are not likely to draw the ire of local governments and may even lighten the work load on local tax collectors. I kid you not, I had more phone calls before session started on vacation rentals than anything other than unemployment. Inspections and licensing authority is currently in the hands of local governments. Local governments could–in that original bill–still regulate the properties, but only if the same regulations apply to all residential properties, whether they are vacation rentals or not.

Under the measure, existing voucher programs would be folded into two main scholarships, with one serving students with special needs and the other directed at the broader population of students. The expansion would include students who attend private school or are homeschooled. The Senate proposal was met with fierce opposition from public education advocates, who also have advocated against previous school-voucher legislation in Florida. This is not simply a consolidation of voucher programs and a streamlining of the application process. This bill is a radical transformation of our voucher programs,” said Sue Woltanski, an Monroe County school board member.

Florida could see another expansion of school-voucher programs, under a sweeping proposal advanced by a Senate panel on Wednesday. The Senate Education Committee approved the proposal (SB 48) in a 6-4 party-line vote Wednesday, with Republicans overriding Democrats’ fiery objections to the plan. Diaz argued that the state’s existing scholarship programs have produced observable student progress and that participating schools have done well. Under the Tax Credit Scholarship program, businesses receive tax credits for contributing money to nonprofit organizations that, in turn, provide scholarships to students to attend private schools. Parents can choose the avenue to enter the program,” Diaz said during Wednesday’s committee meeting.

Under the Tax Credit Scholarship program, businesses receive tax credits for contributing money to nonprofit organizations that, in turn, provide scholarships to students to attend private schools.The Senate proposal also would establish the “McKay-Gardiner Scholarship,” by combining two existing voucher programs that serve students with special needs. Participation in the program initially would be capped at 50,000 students and would be allowed to grow by up to 7 percent each year.“The eligibility requirements for the different scholarships still function. Parents can choose the avenue to enter the program,” Diaz said during Wednesday's committee meeting.In what would be a significant expansion of eligibility, the proposal also would allow students who have never been enrolled in public schools to receive vouchers, a change from rules currently in place. The provision received immediate backing from Senate President Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby.“A low-income family who thinks a private school is the best fit for a child should not have to first send that child to a public school. Currently under the Family Empowerment Scholarship program, eligible students receive 95 percent of public-school per-student funding for private-school vouchers.

Diaz’s proposal (SB 48) would expand the existing Family Empowerment Scholarship, which currently serves middle- and low-income students, in part by combining it with the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship. The Senate proposal also would establish the “Gardiner-McKay Scholarship,” by combining two existing voucher programs that serve students with special needs. Diaz’s plan would result in the consolidation of five of the state’s existing major school-voucher programs into two programs. The state currently has “a pretty confusing system of scholarship programs with various eligibility and funding mechanisms,” Senate President Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, said in a press release on Thursday. Jeb Bush, who was an architect of school vouchers in Florida.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Republican legislative leaders are lauding a sweeping school-choice measure filed Thursday, while Senate Democrats have vowed to “fight like hell” against the proposal. Diaz’s proposal (SB 48) would expand the existing Family Empowerment Scholarship, which currently serves middle- and low-income students, in part by combining it with the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship. The Senate proposal also would establish the “Gardiner-McKay Scholarship,” by combining two existing voucher programs that serve students with special needs. The state currently has “a pretty confusing system of scholarship programs with various eligibility and funding mechanisms,” Senate President Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, said in a press release on Thursday. Step Up for Students, a nonprofit organization that helps administer two of the state’s existing voucher programs, also is backing Diaz’s proposal.

All rights reserved)Miami quarterback D'Eriq King (1) is taken off the field after he was injured during the first half of the Cheez-it Bowl NCAA college football game against Oklahoma State, Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2020, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)Miami Hurricanes quarterback D’Eriq King will undergo surgery after tearing his right ACL in the Cheez-It Bowl on Tuesday. Miami announces QB D’Eriq King tore his right ACL, will have surgery. Coach Manny Diaz said King is in great hands with the school’s medical staff. This season, King threw 23 touchdowns, threw for 2,686 yards, and rushed in four touchdowns. “We can’t wait to see him back on the field leading our team in August,” Diaz said.

Miami quarterback D'Eriq King (1) looks for a receiver as Oklahoma State defensive tackle Sione Asi (99) rushes during the first half of the Cheez-it Bowl NCAA college football game, Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2020, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Miami quarterback D’Eriq King tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during the Hurricanes’ loss this week in the Cheez-It Bowl. The Hurricanes went 8-3 this season, the best record among the seven FBS schools in the state of Florida. King, in first season at Miami following his transfer from Houston, was a big reason for that. King completed 64.1 percent of his passes, the second-best single-season completion percentage for any Miami quarterback and one that qualifies him as, for now anyway, the most accurate passer in Hurricanes history. ___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

ORLANDO, Fla. – The 18th-ranked Miami Hurricanes hope to redeem themselves when they face Oklahoma State in the Cheez-It Bowl. A lopsided loss to end the regular season cost coach Manny Diaz's team a spot in a major bowl. Instead, the Hurricanes (8-2) will finish their best season in years on a smaller stage on Tuesday night. That loss likely kept the Hurricanes out of a New Year’s Six bowl game. A victory would likely lift Oklahoma State back into the AP rankings.

(AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)Cheez-It Bowl: Oklahoma State (7-3, 6-3 Big 12) against Miami (8-2, 7-2 ACC), Tuesday, 5:30 p.m. EST (ESPN). An Oklahoma State victory would likely lift the Cowboys back into the Top 25 in the final AP poll. PLAYERS TO WATCHOklahoma State: Wide receiver Tylan Wallace caught 53 passes for 877 yards and six touchdowns. Miami: Wide receiver Michael Harley had 49 catches and six TDs. ... Oklahoma State averages 194.7 rushing yards and 29.5 points a game.

Series record: North Carolina leads 12-11. North Carolina would get to eight wins for the first time since 2016 with a victory. North Carolina was one of the schools that tried to land Roche when he left Temple and entered the transfer portal last year. ... Miami coach Manny Diaz was the defensive coordinator for North Carolina coach Mack Brown when Brown was at Texas; Brown fired Diaz in the 2013 season. ... Of the current ACC football members, North Carolina is one of only three schools with an over-.500 head-to-head record against Miami.

The annual question in Coral Gables — “Is Miami back?” — might finally have an answer Hurricanes fans will like. 9 Miami gets its first ACC championship, a drought that’s now 17 years and counting, but the Hurricanes (8-1, 7-1 ACC, No. Just finishing the right way, that’s really, really, really important. “We were taken away from each other for almost two weeks and didn’t really get back as an entire football team — I mean, not even an entire football team, but anything resembling a football team — until this past Monday. Odd as this sounds, that’s Miami’s second-longest ACC streak; the Hurricanes won 11 consecutive league games spanning 2016 and 2017.

DURHAM, N.C. – Miami's offense needed a little bit of time to find its edge after the ninth-ranked Hurricanes' coronavirus-related layoff. When we got back together, obviously, I don’t think we missed a beat, and I think we grew as a team." Meanwhile, King and the rest of the offense shook off a bumpy first two drives by finishing with 524 total yards. Instead, they ended up with a matchup against the Hurricanes with a chance for a third straight series win. Duke: The Blue Devils visit Florida State next Saturday in a matchup bumped to make room for the Miami game.

The number of games across major college football scheduled for this weekend that have already been called off is up to six, after three went down Monday, including Mississippi at No. So we can complain about this and this and that but, listen, we’re still getting to play football,” Fisher said. Major college football conferences have been tweaking policies to provide their schools flexibility to schedule games on short notice. That probably won't work for LSU-Alabama, which was among four SEC games postponed last week. __Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at https://westwoodonepodcasts.com/pods/ap-top-25-college-football-podcast/___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

Zonovan Knight had a 100-yard kickoff return to put NC State (4-3, 4-3) on top in the third quarter. NC State led at halftime on the strength of Hockman’s 9-yard touchdown pass to Cary Angeline with 2:49 left. NC State: Angeline, a redshirt senior, has caught at least one touchdown pass in five of the Wolfpack’s games. With a victory, NC State would have been a candidate to climb back into the rankings. NC State: Host Florida State next Saturday.

Zonovan Knight had a 100-yard kickoff return to put NC State (4-3, 4-3) on top in the third quarter. NC State led at halftime on the strength of Hockman’s 9-yard touchdown pass to Cary Angeline with 2:49 left. NC State: Angeline, a redshirt senior, has caught at least one touchdown pass in five of the Wolfpack’s games. With a victory, NC State would have been a candidate to climb back into the rankings. NC State: Hosts Florida State next Saturday.

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Miami avoided the post-Clemson letdown and now can set its sight on remaining in the conference championship picture. “We were disappointed and a little bit angry coming off last week,” Miami coach Manny Diaz said. But Miami regained its double-digit advantage on King’s 45-yard touchdown pass to Mallory. “They make you earn every single thing.”The Hurricanes struck first on King’s 35-yard touchdown pass to Cam’Ron Harris midway through the first quarter. King connected with Mallory on a 6-yard score with 6:44 left in the second quarter for a 14-0 lead.

Facing questions about whether he would fulfill his promise, Bloomberg moved over the weekend to direct $100 million to Florida alone in support of Joe Biden. “Mike Bloomberg is an impact player,” said former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, who served as a co-chair of Bloomberg’s presidential campaign. After spending $1 billion on his own campaign, Bloomberg won just one primary contest: American Samoa. And they say that, beyond Florida, Bloomberg is one of the Democratic Party’s biggest funders. Many say Biden, who visited the state on Tuesday for the first time since becoming the nominee, has not reached out enough to Hispanics in particular.

All rights reserved)MIAMI – The Miami Hurricanes will begin the 2020 college football season against UAB on Thursday. UAB is 1-0 on the season after the Blazers defeated Central Arkansas 45-35 on Sept. 3. This is the first time UAB will play against Miami. UAB has never defeated a team in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Miami is 14-point Las Vegas favoriteWhat is the total for the game?

CORAL GABLES, Fla. If Miami has a football season, DEriq King will be the Hurricanes starting quarterback. The Hurricanes made the announcement Monday that King, a redshirt senior transfer from Houston, will be the first-string quarterback when or if the season begins. DEriqs hard work both on and off the field has earned him the starting quarterback position, Diaz said. That date is in doubt, of course, because of the coronavirus pandemic and the effect it will have on college football schedules. ___More AP college football: http://apnews.com/Collegefootball and http://www.twitter.com/AP_Top25

A Florida Senate committee begins work on improving school security and oversight following a critical grand jury report on how districts are implementing law approved after Parkland. Ron DeSantis, concluded that many school districts still had security plans "held together with nothing more than chewing gum, duct tape and hope." Many of the issues mentioned in the grand jury report are addressed in the bill advanced Tuesday. But the legislation provides no additional money to school districts, which have been complaining about the cost of the security measures since they were proposed in 2018. One change proposed by a Polk County university instructor, Robert Pincus, would have lawmakers require school districts to have school counselors devote at least 80 percent of their day to actual counseling.

A Florida Senate committee begins work on improving school security and oversight following a critical grand jury report on how districts are implementing law approved after Parkland. Ron DeSantis, concluded that many school districts still had security plans "held together with nothing more than chewing gum, duct tape and hope." Many of the issues mentioned in the grand jury report are addressed in the bill advanced Tuesday. But the legislation provides no additional money to school districts, which have been complaining about the cost of the security measures since they were proposed in 2018. One change proposed by a Polk County university instructor, Robert Pincus, would have lawmakers require school districts to have school counselors devote at least 80 percent of their day to actual counseling.

A Florida Senate committee begins work on improving school security and oversight following a critical grand jury report on how districts are implementing law approved after Parkland. Ron DeSantis, concluded that many school districts still had security plans "held together with nothing more than chewing gum, duct tape and hope." Many of the issues mentioned in the grand jury report are addressed in the bill advanced Tuesday. But the legislation provides no additional money to school districts, which have been complaining about the cost of the security measures since they were proposed in 2018. One change proposed by a Polk County university instructor, Robert Pincus, would have lawmakers require school districts to have school counselors devote at least 80 percent of their day to actual counseling.

This years school safety proposal focuses on "technicalities" and recommendations made late last year by the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission. This years school safety proposal focuses on "technicalities" and recommendations made late last year by the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission. The measure (SB 7040) also incorporates some of the recommendations proposed by a Florida grand jury, requested by Gov. Ron Desantis, tasked with exploring shortfalls in school safety. Under the guardian program, school personnel must be trained by county sheriffs offices.

Airbnb and other companies support prohibiting local rental regulations, while many communities with large numbers of rentals oppose the bill. The battle over short-term vacation rentals has become an annual tug of war in Tallahassee. The Legislature banned cities and counties from adopting new vacation rental rules in 2011, while grandfathering in any rental rules adopted before the bills passage. Now lawmakers want to go back to the 2011 standard and outlaw all local vacation rental regulations, while continuing to grandfather in rental rules adopted before then. She supports the preemption effort, but would like to see a more robust set of statewide rental regulations.

Airbnb and other companies support prohibiting local rental regulations, while many communities with large numbers of rentals oppose the bill. The battle over short-term vacation rentals has become an annual tug of war in Tallahassee. The Legislature banned cities and counties from adopting new vacation rental rules in 2011, while grandfathering in any rental rules adopted before the bills passage. Now lawmakers want to go back to the 2011 standard and outlaw all local vacation rental regulations, while continuing to grandfather in rental rules adopted before then. She supports the preemption effort, but would like to see a more robust set of statewide rental regulations.

Airbnb and other companies support prohibiting local rental regulations, while many communities with large numbers of rentals oppose the bill. The battle over short-term vacation rentals has become an annual tug of war in Tallahassee. The Legislature banned cities and counties from adopting new vacation rental rules in 2011, while grandfathering in any rental rules adopted before the bills passage. Now lawmakers want to go back to the 2011 standard and outlaw all local vacation rental regulations, while continuing to grandfather in rental rules adopted before then. She supports the preemption effort, but would like to see a more robust set of statewide rental regulations.

TALLAHASSEE With thousands of teachers rallying outside the Capitol for higher pay, a Florida Senate panel Monday began reworking Gov. Senate Education Chair Manny Diaz, R-Miami, said his legislation provided a pathway going forward on an approach that still needed a lot of fine-tuning. The National Education Association reported the average starting salary for Florida teachers in 2017-18 was $37,636. Floridas overall average salary for public school teachers is $48,168, which ranks 46th among the states and District of Columbia, according to the NEA. The Senate Education Committee seemed quick to identify potential problems with the governors minimum pay plan.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Freshman Jarren Williams threw for a season-best 313 yards and two touchdowns as Miami won its third straight game against Florida State, 27-10 on Saturday. Williams connected with Dee Wiggins on a 56-yard touchdown and Jeff Thomas on a 39-yard score. Miami has had an up-and-down season but secured a confidence-building win for Manny Diaz in his first year as head coach. Florida State coach Willie Taggart falls to 0-5 in rivalry games, losing four of them by double digits. Florida State plays at Boston College on Saturday.

Pat Bethel blocked a field goal for Miami and K.J. The others ended on downs, a fumble and the blocked field goal in the second quarter. Two-year starter Bubba Baxa missed a critical extra point that would have given Miami a late lead last week against Virginia Tech. Davidson last kicked in a game Nov. 11, 2016 -- making a field goal for San Antonio's Ronald Reagan High. Davidson was 2 for 2 on extra points Friday and made his lone field goal attempt.

Hendon Hooker #2 of the Virginia Tech Hokies runs with the ball past Michael Pinckney #56 of the Miami Hurricanes. But the Hokies needed only five plays to go 63 yards to take the lead. Miami: The Hurricanes had turnovers on four consecutive possessions for the first time since the 2010 Sun Bowl against Notre Dame. Saturday was the last time Foster, who is retiring as the Hokies' defensive coordinator, will coach against Miami. DEFENSE TRAVELSThis was the seventh time since 2004 that Virginia Tech forced at least five turnovers.

Osborn #2 of the Miami Hurricanes celebrates with Mike Harley #3 after a touchdown reception against Bethune Cookman. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. - Jarren Williams threw for 254 yards and three scores, and the Miami Hurricanes gave rookie coach Manny Diaz his first victory by beating Bethune-Cookman 63-0 Saturday. Williams went 19 for 24 without a turnover or a sack, and his scoring passes covered 22 yards to K.J. With the victory, Miami avoided its worst start since 1975. Bethune-Cookman (1-1) remained winless in five games against Miami, all since 2011, with the defeats by a combined score of 232-37.

(Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Florida and Miami have scheduled a home-and-home series for the 2024 and 2025 seasons, renewing an in-state rivalry that used to be an annual affair. "I think it's great for our fans and the entire state to have two top teams like Miami and Florida play at each other's stadium," first-year Miami coach Manny Diaz said. Florida's non-conference schedules have been mostly lackluster aside from an annual game against rival Florida State. Getty Images Brad Kaaya #15 of the Miami Hurricanes. "Florida and Miami playing periodically is good for college football in general, but especially in the state of Florida," Stricklin said.

The U family is praying for Kendrick, his family and the medical professionals helping him this morning, tweeted coach Manny Diaz of the Miami Hurricanes, where Norton played college ball. Kendrick Norton was excited when the Miami Dolphins acquired him late in the 2018 season, eager to get a fresh start to his fledgling career in professional football in the stadium where he played college ball. Nortons agent, Malki Kawa, confirmed reports via Twitter, writing, With sadness, I can confirm that Kendrick Norton was in a car accident last night and suffered multiple injuries, including the amputation of his arm. We were made aware this morning of a serious car accident involving Kendrick Norton, the Dolphins said in a statement. The U family is praying for Kendrick, his family and the medical professionals helping him this morning, Hurricanes coach Manny Diaz tweeted.