Miami Hurricanes QB Tyler Van Dyke on Tues.: Off "worst game imaginable" I'm telling coaches what I like, don't like, and we're making progress

Tyler Van Dyke clearly remains the Miami Hurricanes’ quarterback. That was the message from head coach Mario Cristobal on Monday after Van Dyke was pulled in the third quarter last game when he was struggling against Middle Tennessee. Jake Garcia came on and provided a brief spark. But the team still fell.

For Van Dyke, the loss was sobering, and after the team’s Tuesday practice he called it “the worst game imaginable.”

The reality of Van Dyke’s situation now? He just has to get back to work and try and help get this UM offense be more consistent off a bye weekend.

“Practices were good as a whole team (since last game) – offense was good, defense was good,” Van Dyke said.

In his last game Van Dyke’s first two passes were intercepted, gifting the Blue Raiders 10 points, and he was off-target on numerous throws in the game (he finished 16-32 for 138 yards). Garcia entered in the third quarter and provided an immediate spark with a couple of great throws on an initial TD drive. But the offense struggled to get things going after that, and Garcia ended 10-19 for 169 yards.

“It was a rough day for me and the offense,” Van Dyke said. “You just have to move on from it, honestly, have to learn from that experience. Come back and work even harder, get better from it. Had a really good week last week as an offense, trying to build on that, stack days.”

The game against Middle Tennessee also marked the first time Van Dyke was booed by the home crowd.

“Obviously it’s part of the game,” he said. “The fans are very passionate about Miami Hurricanes football.”

As Van Dyke looked to help right the offense, and his own play, since a week ago Saturday, it’s on coordinator Josh Gattis and QB coach Frank Ponce to help. Van Dyke wasn’t willing to pin down any details on just how each has taken a role in getting him back on track.

What he would say?

“(We are) just meeting a lot more, getting in meeting rooms a lot, (I am) telling them what I like and don’t like, get that comfortable feeling with them. (We talk about) what plays we should run in the game, just being here more with them instead of watching film on my own and doing all that.

“There are a few fundamental things I have in the game, just work on that – and got a lot better at it. Great week last week, have to move on from that past week. We’re preparing for North Carolina and did a great job these past two weeks preparing as unit. We’re just excited to play North Carolina.”

In that UNC game and moving forward UM and the QBs will have some issues to deal with at WR and the health of the running backs. Cristobal confirmed that receivers Xavier Restrepo and Jacolby George remains weeks away from a return, and No. 2 TE Elijah Arroyo is also out.

Plus the running backs now are also banged up, with Thaddius Franklin the only healthy scholarship player at the end of last game – Jaylan Knighton and Henry Parrish were both injured and there’s been no update on their availability for Saturday.

So there are some missing pieces along with the offensive issues.

A bright spot could be WR Frank Ladson. Last game he showed up early with six catches for 65 yards in the first half. But he didn’t have any second-half receptions. And he only had two catches total the prior three games.

Key’Shawn Smith, meanwhile, is still waiting to really break out although he did have a team-high 81 yards on four catches last game.

There just isn’t consistency at the position, and Mike Redding was targeted eight times against Middle Tennessee but had just two receptions for 28 yards.

You add it all up, and the big play hasn’t been there.

“You want to hit deep balls,” Van Dyke said. “We’re getting a lot of soft coverage, have to take what they give us. When the time comes we have to hit them, do a better job of that.”

Van Dyke says those big plays will help the offense go with more tempo … but that “we have to figure out ways to beat them with the run and get all that stuff.”

“We have to play more tempo, hit more deep plays, explosive plays for that to happen,” he said.

Van Dyke also clarified that he has the option to audible at the line.

“It depends what they’re doing on the defensive side,” he said.

Perhaps the Miami offense will benefit this week from going against a North Carolina defense that’s not particularly good. UNC’s defense is giving up 33.6 points and 450.8 yards (193.0 rushing).

“They have good players,” Van Dyke said. “We have a good game plan against them, feel very comfortable these last two weeks working as an offense. We have to exploit their weakness. They’re a good team. We’re excited for Saturday.”