But he acknowledged Saturday he missed some throws he typically makes and said it’s important that he continue to improve, especially given the test that awaits in College Station.
“I have to make better throws,” Van Dyke said. “We’re not going to win next week if I played like I played today.”
Still, even with his struggles, Van Dyke completed 20 of 29 passes and threw for 253 yards with a touchdown. That’s something the quarterback knows he can build on and he said he would, pointing out he planned to go from Hard Rock Stadium to Miami’s practice facility on Saturday night to get right back to work.
3. A little trickery goes a long way
That touchdown Van Dyke completed? It was a 35-yard beauty to Key’Shawn Smith on a flea-flicker that pushed Miami’s lead to 24-7 with 4:56 left in the third quarter.
It was the first receiving touchdown of the season for Smith, who has proven himself a big-play threat on kickoff returns early in the year, and was one of the plays that changed the tone of the game.
“That was probably my best throw of the day,” Van Dyke said. “Key’Shawn did a great job. He got past the defense, a little bit of separation and he did a great job of holding onto the ball. It was a great call by [offensive coordinator Josh] Gattis after the punt return.”
4. Henry Parrish Jr. stepping up
Third-year sophomore running back Henry Parrish Jr. joined his hometown program after two seasons at Ole Miss and has quickly made an impact.
After scoring three times in Miami’s opener, Parrish finished with a game-high 97 yards against Southern Miss and once again found his way into the end zone.
In Miami’s first two games, Parrish has totaled 205 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
He said being able to do that in his hometown, in front of family and friends, has been a boon.
“It feels amazing. The University of Miami. I’m playing in my backyard,” Parrish said. “I’ve just got to take it step by step, process by process, and execute…I just put my head down and work, prepare every day…I’m ready to grind. That hard work, you’ve got to love it.”
5. Defense delivers a dominant second-half performance
As Cristobal noted, Miami’s defense was a force in the second half.
The Hurricanes kept Southern Miss off the scoreboard in the third and fourth quarters, held the Golden Eagles to just 91 total yards in the second half, and forced three second-half turnovers.
One of the players who stepped up during…
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