Why Clemson football is ready for Miami’s Tyler Van Dyke
The second half of Clemson football’s schedule is daunting: Two ranked teams on the slate, including unbeaten North Carolina, plus a road rivalry revenge game at South Carolina. The six-game stretch begins Saturday when the Tigers play at Miami.
Although the Hurricanes (4-2, 0-2 ACC) are in the middle of a two-game skid, they still present a challenge for Clemson (4-2, 2-2), particularly with their passing game. Miami leads the ACC in numerous passing statistics thanks to a breakout year from quarterback Tyler Van Dyke.
However, Van Dyke might be playing through an injury. He was seen on campus Monday limping with his right leg wrapped in ACE bandages, according to the Miami Herald. Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal insisted Van Dyke was “ready to go” against Clemson on Saturday (8 p.m. ET, ACCN), and it appears the senior will start against the Tigers.
On the Clemson side, the Tigers expect to have all of their starters in the secondary available for the first time since Week 4. Starting nickel Andrew Mukuba missed two games early, starting cornerback Nate Wiggins missed the past two games, and starting cornerback Sheridan Jones was out for Clemson’s last game against Wake Forest. Having veteran starters back should be a boost for the Tigers against a potentially dangerous Miami passing game.
Tyler Van Dyke and the Miami passing attack
Van Dyke is in his fourth season at Miami, but Clemson has never played against him. Van Dyke played in only two games as a freshman, Clemson and Miami didn’t meet his sophomore year, and he missed last season’s game against the Tigers due to a shoulder injury. Clemson blew out the Hurricanes 40-10, and Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said Van Dyke’s absence was “the difference in the game.”
Now, Van Dyke is leading the ACC in passer rating (171.77), yards per attempt (9.4) and completion percentage (70.5). He’s tied with Georgia Tech’s Haynes King for the lead in passing touchdowns (16) and is behind only UNC’s Drake Maye in passing yards per game (286.8).
Given Van Dyke’s apparent injury, it’s worth noting that his backup, freshman Emory Williams, has appeared in three games this season. None of his appearances came against Power Five teams, and he completed 12 of 15 pass attempts.
Miami’s passing game is helped by some excellent receivers, most notably junior slot Xavier Restrepo. He’s second in the ACC with 95.7 receiving yards per game. Teammate Jacolby George is at No. 4 with 77.
“They spread the ball around pretty good, but he’s the guy that, it seems to me, they want to force the ball to,” Swinney said of Restrepo. “He’s a handful. We’ve got to do a good job of knowing where he is and winning that matchup.”
Clemson football’s defense against the pass
Entering this season, pass defense was a big concern for Clemson. The Tigers finished 2022 ranked No. 76 nationally in passing yards allowed (231.7), and their opponent completion percentage (61.3) was third-worst in the ACC.
This season has been different. Clemson has allowed the third-fewest passing yards per game in the ACC (175.5). They rank No. 2 in lowest opposing completion percentage (54%), opponent yards per pass attempt (5.6) and opponent quarterback rating (104.21).
Even while missing at least one starter in the secondary all but two games, Clemson has defended well against the pass. Some of that is thanks to the Tigers’ defensive front, which Swinney said will be key in the game against Miami.
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Assuming Van Dyke plays, Clemson will have a unique challenge. But with a healthy pass defense, the Tigers should be up to the task.
“(Van Dyke is) a good football player, a big kid, and we’ve got to try to affect him,” Swinney said. “That’s just what it comes down to.”
Christina Long covers the Clemson Tigers for the Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. You can follow her on Twitter @christinalong00 or email her at [email protected].
