QB Tyler Van Dyke Has First Real Chance to Lead Hurricanes
‘Canes Hope to Improve on Overall 3-5 / 5-7 Mark in ACC, 28-44 ATS Since 2017
Tyler Van Dyke has had an up-and-down ride at Miami, playing two games in his first year behind D’Eriq King, followed by a 6-3 overall mark in 2021 after King went down with an injury.
This season, Miami will have new offensive coordinators Shannon Dawson calling the plays after holding the same position at the University of Houston for two seasons. The Hurricanes open up their NCAAF schedule with three straight home dates, starting with the Miami-Ohio Bobcats on September 1st.
Miami Not Competitive for Most Of 2022.
Sifting through college football stats, it was apparent that the Hurricanes were not horrible in any statistical aspect in 2023. Miami was 49th against the run (142.3), 57th in passing yards per game (239.8), and 66th in total defense (375.8). So what went wrong for a Miami team that found themselves in the top 25 early on? It was a combination of horrible losses and their inability to win close games.
After a 2-0 start, the ‘Canes lost an 8-point game to Texas A&M after closing to within one score with 8:32 left in the contest. Tyler Van Dyke was 21/41, 217 yards, failing to throw a touchdown. Miami must have put all they had into the Aggies, because the following week as a -25.5 point favorite, they dropped a 45-31 decision to Middle Tennessee State.
Close losses to North Carolina (27-24) and Virginia (14-12) in overtime seemed to suck their desire to compete away from the rest of the season. Miami was 2-11 ATS, including a stretch from weeks 2-10 where they failed to cover eight straight games. Success in 2023 is predicated on how quickly Tyler Van Dyke and Dawon can get on the same page.
ACC Too Tough for Miami
NCAAF predictions are always difficult on a game-by-game basis, saying that the ACC will be strong once again isn’t something most handicappers take too much time thinking about. Miami is the fifth choice (+2000) to win a conference championship, with a projected season win total of 7.5 (under -140). Last year, Miami’s projected win total was 8.5, obviously, the books aren’t as optimistic this season.
The question is, can we find eight D1 wins in this year’s schedule? Two of Miami’s first three games are safe to count as a victory, but a loss to Texas A&M in week two will start the Hurricanes off at 2-1. Miami will likely move to 4-1 with wins at Temple and Georgia Tech at home, then the gauntlet begins with three road trips in five weeks at North Carolina, NC State, and Florida State.
The schedule finishes off with Louisville and Boston College. Much of the Hurricanes’ success will come from quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, who has yet to show that he’s the big-time player the U needs under center. That does it for our Miami Hurricanes’ 2023 snapshot. We think Miami will win seven games and go to the school’s 44th bowl game.
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