Mario Cristobal: Miami's passing game is starting to click

Miami coach Mario Cristobal saw his passing attack take a huge step forward in a 27-24 loss to North Carolina on Saturday. Quarterback Tyler Van Dyke threw for a career-high 496 yards, three touchdowns and one interception on 57 attempts.

Through five games, the Hurricanes rank as the No. 15 passing offense in the country with an average of 315.4 air yards per game. But Saturday’s performance is a sign that they have yet to reach their ceiling, Cristobal believes.

“It’s starting to click a little bit and it’s gotta continue to get better,” he said on this week’s episode of The Mario Cristobal Show. “Certainly Tyler, tremendous competitive response by him bouncing back like he did and being able to go out there with confidence. Heck, if that last play doesn’t get tipped, he might have another big completion. So he attacked it, he demanded the most of himself.

“I think the receivers are starting to do the same for the most part, as well as the tight ends. When all that timing and precision of the passing game comes together like that, it’s a strong indication of what we could be offensively.”

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With as many attempts as he had, Van Dyke spread the ball around to several different receivers. Five different Hurricanes finished with at least four receptions, as tight end Will Mallory led the team with eight catches for 115 yards.

But even with the strong performance in the passing game, Mario Cristobal knows there is still plenty else to work on. The loss to the Tar Heels was the third straight for Miami, which totaled just 42 yards rushing on 24 carries. The Hurricanes will need to find a more balanced offensive attack soon if they hope to turn things around after a 2-3 start.

Their first opportunity to do so will come when they face Virginia Tech at noon ET on Saturday in Blacksburg.