The Miami Hurricanes are in the midst of a three game losing streak. I just finished the film review and suddenly I don’t feel so bad. Rome is burning might be an exaggeration. There is something that jumps out this week to me. Tyler Van Dyke just pulled a Ricky Vaughn in Major League Two. “He’s Back!”

Van Dyke threw for 496 yards and that wasn’t by accident. When I was on with OBB Legend Contributor Lance Roffers who subs as the professor for the Review-U Podcast, we suggested easy buttons for the offense. RPO’s and choice routes were something we knew TVD was capable of and that is what showed up this week on film in abundance.

The Hurricane running game has disappeared two straight weeks now and that is almost by design. MTSU and UNC dared you to throw the ball. UNC actually got torched by the Miami passing attack which sent the Tar Heel passing defense into the abyss. I only wish this recent game plan was the one utilized vs. MTSU. Sometimes you just need to take what the defense gives you.

Josh Gattis seems to understand this game what TVD is good at. Took him five games but I don’t think those numbers were by accident or an anomaly. I see TVD getting hot just like he did last year. Ok, so maybe not close to 500 yards every game, but enough to put any rumblings who the clear QB1 is and has always been.

Two plays just haven’t sat right with me. The fumble by the rooster and the big play pass touchdown given up by Kam Kinchens. Just two back breaking plays that were so easily avoidable. Is it fair to harp on just that or those particular players, no. But when the game came down to a hand full of plays those ones took onus.

You are a cover two safety. Your job is to get over the top and not act like you are Ed Reed jumping who knows what. And the fumble was one of the weaker ones I have seen. I get the ones where a missile just hits you and the helmet goes full throttle at the ball but this wasn’t that. This was a soft mitt grabbing at the ball. At this point I am ok with Henry Parrish being featured more. Rooster has fumbled twice in consecutive weeks.

Dead Zone Gattis is taking responsibility for the woes and rightfully so. Review-U has suggested the role of a full time Red Zone Coordinator. Makes sense if you think about it. But don’t worry the Canes are going to put a heavy emphasis on this moving forward per Josh Gattis. My only suggestion here though, next time be ahead of the curve instead of blatantly behind it.

“I take full responsibility” for the red zone woes -That’s an area we can’t be denied. When the ball is on the 1-yard line… we have to punch the ball in the end zone.” Josh Gattis

I think Kevin Steele did enough to win that game on defense. Even on the big plays given up he called it right, just his guys can’t seem to communicate properly. In the end, you held UNC to its lowest point total this season. No moral victories but it is still something to build off of.

Call me crazy but I am optimistic for the rest of the season. The Hurricanes can absolutely cut out the big plays defensively by communicating it better. That is fixable. TVD and that passing tweak in the BYE week is promising. Colby Young might be the WR you are looking for. Now if you can only just get this running game going to keep teams honest again.

However, this staff might have figured out something very valuable. You have heard us say it on the Orange Bowl Boys. “Points over culture.” I know you want to be physical Mario, but if opposing teams want to be stupid about it and sell out to take the running game away, then adapt. Do exactly what you just did. Do what most coaches simply say but never do. Adjust to the personnel you have.

Let TVD just burn the rest of the ACC teams on the schedule and force them into a bind. This sport is about adaptation. The running game will show back up in time you’ll see. It has to because you can’t cover everything. And speaking of covering, the Miami Hurricanes are favored in all of their remaining games except one. You know exactly which one.

I see a Miami Hurricane team about to get hot. I have never made that prediction before. It is not a homer thing. Just call it a hunch and an educated guess after seeing what transpired last week. This offense runs through Tyler Van Dyke. Stop pretending that it doesn’t.