D'Angelo: Hurricanes coach Manny Diaz made it clear to players: 'You're in or you're out'

Manny Diaz has more than winning at stake Saturday when Miami travels to North Carolina.

The program is at yet another crossroads, and once again it has more to do with what is happening inside the Hurricanes' locker room.

Diaz was refreshingly honest about the state of his program this week after its 2-3 start. He spilled on the behind-the-scenes issues the staff is dealing with and it sounds similar to the selfishness and dissention that plagued the Hurricanes in his first season. 

He believed that was fixed a year ago.

"When older guys, some even starters, have had their roles changed, that's hard," Diaz said. "Some guys accept that and some guys don't. That can create a division in your locker room. That's a real live thing we've had to deal with."

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I asked Diaz if this "division" was what he encountered in 2019. He then walked back, but just a bit.

"Division is too harsh," he said upon further review. "There's certainly going to be disgruntled people. It's tough. That's not the way college football is supposed to work. You're supposed to come in young, you learn, your role increases ... you're a starter and go on and play really well.

"There's going to be guys who are going to be unhappy when their roles are reduced. You expect one thing and ... that's something we have to navigate through."

Diaz went on to say "some guys saw some hard truths" during the 15 days between games and "some guys will be back and some probably won't."

Diaz has been frank when it comes to some of the behind the scenes issues of the program. Sure, there are some things better left inside, and they should be, but he knows he can amplify his message through the media.

And this is a message to the veterans who perhaps believed the preseason hype, maybe reading too much into last season's 8-1 start. But this clearly is not as connected or hungry a team as last year, as evidenced by many of these same players losing focus when it comes to catching the football or tackling the ball carrier. And being pushed around when playing teams their own size.

Perhaps his players have received the message in what Diaz called a "you're in or you're out" week.

"The anger behind some players not getting what they want ... we make sure we keep all that stuff at a minimum and remind everybody this is a family and this is a brotherhood and we need everybody," cornerback Tyrique Stevenson said. "We spent this week working and showing each other no matter how hard it gets we're all we got."

Now comes another chance to win a game that should quiet the critics ... at least for a week.

Just six weeks ago, this game was circled on the ACC schedule. The Tar Heels (2-3) and Hurricanes were the preseason favorites in the Coastal and this week would determine who represents the division in the league's championship game.

UNC and UM accounted for all but 10 of the 147 media votes to win the division, the Tar Heels with 109 of those. Both were in the top 15 of the preseason polls.

Now, they sit fifth and sixth in the Coastal and are a combined 5-6, 2-4 in the ACC.

Call it the Disappointment Bowl.

The Hurricanes have yet to play a true road game. They have lost all three games against Power 5 programs, being outscored 112-58. They have played three legitimate college programs at home along with Central Connecticut State. In those three games, they squeaked out a win against Sun Belt member Appalachian State on a late field goal, were embarrassed by Michigan State and lost to Virginia on a missed field goal attempt on the game's final play.

For North Carolina, the expectations were higher until a 17-10 loss at Virginia Tech to open the season. Now, the Tar Heels have added two more league losses, an embarrassment at Georgia Tech (45-22) and losing at home last week to Florida State (35-25).

"Like us, they are trying to find who they are and they're trying to get on track," Tar Heels coach Mack Brown said.

And both have quarterback issues, but at different levels.

Miami has lost starter D'Eriq King, who had season-ending shoulder surgery this week. King's replacement, Tyler Van Dyke, looked shaky in the first half against Virginia but played much better in the second half. Now, he is making his first road start.

The stock for UNC quarterback Sam Howell has fallen. A one-time Heisman candidate, his completion percentage has dropped (60.5 from 68.1 a year ago) and he has thrown five interceptions in six games. He had seven in twice as many games in 2020. Part of the problem is an offensive line that has allowed Howell to be sacked 23 times.

Stevenson had a different take on UNC's struggles.

"They don't have the receiver room they had last year," he said. "The receivers they have are not as elite as they were last year."

One of the non-elite receivers, Josh Downs, is fourth nationally, and leads the ACC, with 123.5 yards per game.

But for Miami, this is about more that what happens on the field.

"Last week (was) the 'you're in or you out' week, and it's cool either way," Diaz said. "But going forward, we can't have sad guys in the locker room. That energy brings everything down.

"We were such a connected team a year ago and our players have experienced, when Miami is connected ... they saw the results and saw how well we played."

Saturday's game

Miami at North Carolina

3:30 p.m., ACC Network