A few days after Tyler Van Dyke criticized the atmosphere of the house at Hard Rock Stadium, he and the Miami Hurricanes dropped a stink bomb, which left their fans with less reason to root for The U himself. Their 45-31 loss to Middle Tennessee State began with Van Dyke throwing picks on his first two pitches before being benched in the third quarter, to the sound of raucous applause not seen since Spencer Rattler got the hook in Oklahoma last year.
Early September, Van Dyke, as Anthony from Florida Richardson, was being discussed as one of college football’s rising stars. He was also touted as the foundation of The U’s rebuilding plan under first-year coach Mario Cristobal. Since the competition got tougher, the Hurricanes the air attack was stranded on the tarmac. They are barely in the top 50 in passing yards per game and Van Dyck, who was gassed all offseason, did not solidify as an ACC top-5 passer. Single-game struggles could be rushed, but Van Dyke barely eclipsed 200 yards and a 50% completion rate against Texas A&M last weekend and failed to lead the offense in the end zone in their 17-9 loss.
U’s early-season problems may worsen as they approach the ACC portion of their schedule, which kicks off with UNC in two weeksand Van Dyke may be headed for a freefall. In the ACC hierarchy, it tends to drop while DJ Uiagalelei, Sam Hartman, Drake Maye, and Devin Leary are booming.
Miami isn’t alone in struggling to get fans to visit its off-campus NFL stadium in a city where college students have plenty of options to spend their time. USC’s Lincoln Riley and Mario Williams got the start, despite a pothole against Oregon State. Unlike Williams, Van Dyke may not have the juice yet, carry a program.
The U’s overall talent is unremarkable, especially at receiver. Record receivers Charleston Rambo and Mike Harley moved to the NFL. Against Texas A&M, Van Dyke lost receiver Xavier Restrepo to a foot injury. He finally made the fourth down throw he needed to keep his last drive alive, but receiver Brashard Smith dropped the receiving corps’ seventh pass of the game.
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In relief for Van Dyke against Middle Tennessee State, Hurricanes replacement Jake Garcia thrived in comparison. New offensive coordinator Josh Gattis’ attack relies on the through game. On Saturday, Garcia’s average target depth on throws was double that of Van Dyke, who threw from behind the line of scrimmage on more than 60% of his throws according to Pro Football Focus.
Overall, Van Dyke had a harder time adjusting to the regime change than anything else. Cristobal did not recruit Van Dyke. Under previous offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee’s fast-spreading offense, Van Dyke was the commander of an explosive, fast-hitting passing attack. Charleston Rambo set the school’s single-season receiving and receiving distance record while Van Dyke was responsible for a 25:6 touchdown-to-interception ratio in 10 starts.
Piling on Van Dyke’s bench so early against an inferior opponent they’ve been favored over by 25 ½ points may seem reactionary, but it’s more than Van Dyke. Van Dyke’s bench appears to have been a temporary move, but one that could have repercussions down the road. Based on critical comments Van Dyke made to Jordan Palmer about The U, he doesn’t even look happy playing there.
At the moment of the transfer portal, Van Dyke will have options outside of Coral Gables if the guns don’t form around him soon. Van Dyke’s former coordinator Lashlee is now SMU’s offensive coordinator, who should be in the market for a quarterback in 2022, has a top-10 passing offense and they’re playing in an on-campus stadium. Nor would Van Dyke have to question the passion of the Texas fans. If Van Dyke’s fortunes don’t turn in Miami, he could be a candidate for the transfer portal’s top signal caller of 2023.