After Embarrassing Loss, Miami Hurricanes Make Decision On QB Tyler Van Dyke

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Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal has decided to stick with QB Tyler Van Dyke despite benching the sophomore signal-caller in the loss to Middle Tennessee State. 

"We are honest about the fact that Tyler has played great football here for a long time and you don't turn on your quarterback because we had a bad day," Cristobal said Monday. "You make sure you do things and install things and work on things that the quarterback and supporting cast feels comfortable with."

Cristobal spoke Monday for the first time since the Hurricanes lost to MTSU, 45-31, Sept. 24. Van Dyke was pulled in the middle of that game for freshman Jake Garcia, who didn't fare much better.






Tyler Van Dyke will remain the Miami Hurricanes starting QB despite being benched. (Photo by Jack Gorman/Getty Images)


Tyler Van Dyke benched, Miami Hurricanes struggling


Van Dyke entered the year with Heisman hype after throwing for at least 300 yards and three touchdowns in the final six games last season, but back-to-back duds to Texas A&M and Middle Tennessee State have brought the sophomore back down to earth.

Over that two-game stretch, Van Dyke completed just 51% of his throws for just one touchdown and a pair of interceptions. The Hurricanes couldn't do anything offensively in a 17-9 loss to the Aggies, and never led in the Middle Tennessee State game.

It appears, at least for now, that Mario Cristobal is sticking with his man!

"After a rough day like that, competitors are resilient," Cristobal added. "(Van Dyke) has shown he is going to attack every opportunity that he has and that we have as a football team. We have an unbelievable opportunity on Saturday, and it is just like life: Either you come together and you work at it and you improve and move forward, or you unravel and fall apart.

"That is something we won't allow within the program."

Miami opens conference play Saturday with a critical game against North Carolina that could go a long way in deciding the ACC Coastal.

 












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Zach grew up in Florida, lives in Florida, and will never leave Florida ... for obvious reasons. He's a reigning fantasy football league champion, knows everything there is to know about NASCAR, and once passed out (briefly!) during a lap around Daytona. He swears they were going 200 mph even though they clearly were not.