Miami Quarterback Controversy: Who Should Be Hurricanes' Quarterback?
In the preseason, Miami was a top 20 team and quarterback Tyler Van Dyke looked like a legitimate Heisman contender. What a different world it is just four weeks later.
In Miami's defense, conference play hasn't started and the ACC is essentially up for grabs, but it's going to take a lot to wash the taste of this loss out of their mouths. One thing that might help that is a fresh start, or rather a fresh starter.
Nobody's denying that Van Dyke is a talented passer, but he can't seem to find his rhythm in this scheme. Both head coach Mario Cristobal and Hurricanes' players alluded to Van Dyke needing to trust himself and play with confidence, but that's something we've yet to truly see in 2022. If the Canes don't think he can dig them out of this hole, they may turn to redshirt freshman Jake Garcia.
Of course, after two straight losses highlighted by poor passing performances, fans are up in arms about their squad and are calling for a QB switch. But is benching Van Dyke really in Miami's best interest? These are some key factors for the Canes to consider in their quarterback conundrum.
Tyler Van Dyke Didn't Play Well Initially Last Year
Aside from the game against (FCS) Central Connecticut State, Van Dyke's first couple of starts in 2021 weren't much to write home about. Against Virginia and North Carolina (his first two starts against FBS competition) he threw only two touchdowns to three interceptions while completing just under 50 percent of his passes.
It wasn't until late October against NC State that he found his stride last season, throwing four touchdowns and no picks. He would go on to throw three scores or more in each game for the rest of the year. Could it be that Van Dyke is feeling a bit pressured and off to a slow start after getting used to yet another offensive scheme?
It's entirely possible, but when the Canes play North Carolina in Week 6, that will be their fifth game. If he doesn't show some of the old Van Dyke in that contest, Cristobal may not be able to put off a position change any longer.
Miami Lost A Lot of WR Talent And They Need To Replace It
With both Charleston Rambo and Mike Harley Jr. gone to the NFL, the Canes came into 2022 missing roughly 65% of their receiving offense from the previous season. Losing Xavier Restrepo, who's still the only Cane with a play from scrimmage of 40-plus yards on the season, to an early injury certainly didn't help either.
That's left an almost entirely new cast of characters for Van Dyke to mesh with, and that hasn't gone well. Whether it's trust, timing, or scheme, it doesn't look like any healthy receivers have been on the same page with their field general. When Van Dyke hits his target, the ball's often dropped, and when receivers get open, Van Dyke often misses.
One reason the Canes may not have many explosive pass plays this season is because they rarely throw deep, something that's considered to be Van Dyke's specialty. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), he's only thrown eleven of his 118 passes deeper than 20 yards. It's no secret that Miami hasn't found a true long ball threat at receiver, but they're going to have to if they want to continue to play Van Dyke.
Jake Garcia Has Looked Confident Against Pressure
Garcia didn't lift the Canes to a victory when he was subbed in against MTSU on Saturday, but he did play well given the circumstances. With all the preseason hype surrounding Van Dyke, few people expected to see Garcia on the field outside of garbage time. The freshman looked comfortable immediately, thanks in part to a standing ovation from the crowd. Hurricanes center Jakai Clark said after the game that Garcia prepares like the starter every week, which is what enabled him to step in so seamlessly.
With Cristobal's focus on power running, teams are inclined to stack the box with seven or eight players to stuff rushes. That also leads to quite a bit of blitzing, which has been Van Dyke's biggest struggle this season. According to advanced stats from PFF, the throws where Van Dyke is pressured by the defense are his worst graded passes and also result in the most "turnover-worthy-plays." Conversely, most of Garcia's highest graded passes have come against defensive pressure with only one "turnover-worthy-play".
Garcia also thrived in the short-intermediate game (0-20 yards) in his limited time this season, going 17-for-19 (89 percent) for 210 yards so far. That short-intermediate window is clearly a focal point in OC Josh Gattis offense, having accounted for 84 of Van Dyke's throws as well. Van Dyke's gone 53-for-84 (63 percent) with 573 yards, but has thrown three interceptions to just two touchdowns.
Who Starts against UNC?
After a 2-2 start and zero Power 5 wins to start the year, it's starting to get hot around the collar for Cristobal. The honeymoon phase is over and now it's time to do all those things that Hurricanes fans said this new regime would do.
It could be a bit early to bench Van Dyke, but having two weeks to prepare Garcia to take over may just be too enticing of an opportunity to pass up. It's very likely that both quarterbacks will take first team reps leading up to their ACC opener with North Carolina.
That will be a home game, and if the Canes do start Garcia, the crowd will be as lively as it's been all year. That energy and momentum could be the missing ingredient in Miami's recipe. One thing is certain, if this season is to be considered a success in any way, something has to change.
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