Clemson Football is preparing for their road game against Miami, some injury news regarding the Hurricanes’ starting quarterback has begun to circulate.
The Miami Herald revealed that Miami starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke :
"“…was seen on campus Monday with his right leg wrapped in an Ace bandage all the way up to above his knee.”"
Head coach Mario Cristobal deflected inquiries.
"“I keep telling you I don’t talk about injuries. I just told one of our guys that he’s ready to go. You have to write what you have to write. Next question please.’’"
Offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson simply said Van Dyke was fine.
This new information comes on the heels of Van Dyke discussing a hand injury from fall camp that he still feels at times.
"“Back in fall camp, I tore three ligaments in my finger. It’s getting a lot better. But there’s times when it gets hit, then I feel it a little bit. It’ll be alright. It feels fine now.”"
As of now, there is no indication that Van Dyke won’t play against Clemson this weekend, but some have taken notice of the situation. The line favoring Clemson did increase slightly when the news about a possible leg injury circulated.
Van Dyke has had a bounce-back season for the Hurricanes following a down 2022 campaign. The addition of Dawson running the offense has had an overall positive effect on his play.
Clemson Football plays Miami after Van Dyke’s worst performances of the 2023 season
Van Dyke has 1,721 passing yards and 16 touchdowns in 2023. When the Hurricanes started 4-0, he eleven touchdowns to only one interception. In the past two games that Miami lost to Georgia Tech and North Carolina, Van Dyke had five touchdowns and five interceptions.
It doesn’t sound like Van Dyke will sit for the Clemson game, but circumstantial evidence suggests he probably won’t be 100% and might have not been 100% for his past two games either.
The theme for Clemson’s 2023 season has been the turnover battle. It would seem on the surface that turnovers have been the biggest difference for Van Dyke in the past two weeks. If the Clemson offense can control the ball and the defense can force turnovers by putting pressure on Van Dyke (who might not be as mobile as usual), the Tigers stand a good chance to win the the turnover margin.