Miami Offense Can't Get Going, Falls To NC State 20-6
This isn't the 2022 Miami Hurricanes, but these Hurricanes still have a lot of work to do. Miami's offense punished the defense, and it resulted in the NC State Wolfpack walking away with a 20-6 win.
It's almost as if there's been a curse on Tyler Van Dyke in ACC games, because it has been a tale of two seasons for the junior quarterback. Van Dyke had an 11:1 touchdown to interception ratio his first four games, and after tonight he sits at an embarrassing 5:10 ratio through his last four games. He finished the night with 173 yards and three interceptions.
On the bright side, Mark Fletcher Jr. had his career best game for the Hurricanes going for 115 yards on 23 carries. The Hurricanes have stayed true to their running back by committee philosophy, as the true freshman took the lead role this evening.
For the Wolfpack, their defense shut down the Hurricanes in this matchup. Senior linebacker Payton Wilson led all players with 16 tackles on the night, and was able to keep the pressure Van Dyke. Three separate NC State defenders came away with interceptions on the night, with freshman Brandon Cisse sealing the game on the last play with his pick.
Miami's defense did what they could for the offense, as they finished with two sacks on the night and came up with two turnovers. Kamren Kinchens now has an interception in three straight games, as the reigning All-American continues to rise his stock. However, the offensive turnovers put the Hurricanes' defense in bad situation throughout the night.
After back-to-back wins, Miami heads into Tallahassee coming off a loss as they face one of the best Florida State team's they've seen in the past decade. After what this performance showed, it could be a rough time for the Hurricanes against the Seminoles.
Now at 6-3, all eyes will be on how the coaching staff responds to Van Dyke's struggles as Mario Cristobal looks to do something positive with just three games left.
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You can find Liam on Twitter @theleftyliam where he shares news on University of Miami basketball and football as well as opinions