‘Perfect storm’ hits Miami. Breakout QB, WRs (and injuries) make UM a passing team again

The Miami Hurricanes are flashing their offensive personality, and, at least for now, it’s as a fast-paced, no-huddle passing team — regardless of how offensive coordinator Josh Gattis and coach Mario Cristobal relish the run game.

Same playbook? Gattis on Monday said yes.

But the balance has certainly changed, with good reason. Quarterback Tyler Van Dyke has reemerged with back-to-back impressive performances, again firing those deep completions with confidence. And a few receivers — Colbie Young first and foremost — have either broken out or just held on to his passes.

The running game, in part due to several injuries, has suffered.

“It’s a combination of a lot of things,’’ Gattis said. “Talking about injuries and depth issues up front, injuries and depth issues at the running backs position. It has been the perfect storm that has kind of hit us in the running game.”

Van Dyke was 29 of 46 for 351 yards and two touchdowns in UM’s 20-14 victory Saturday at Virginia Tech. In UM’s 27-24 loss to North Carolina the previous week, he had a career performance, completing 42 of 57 passes for 496 yards and three touchdowns, with an interception that effectively ended the game with eight seconds left.

Young, the junior-college transfer from Lackawanna College, had nine catches for 101 yards with a one-handed touchdown and a spectatcular, one-handed 37-yard catch that led to Frank Ladson’s 5-yard touchdown on the next play. Ladson has had his own recent success, with 19 catches the past three games for a combined 182 yards and the touchdown.

And sophomore slot receiver Brashard Smith, who took over for injured starter Xavier Restrepo, now is the second-leading receiver with 241 yards on 23 catches.

“Tremendous credit to Tyler, he’s had a revolving door of pass-catchers he’s had to throw the ball to,’’ Gattis said. “That’s often times not very likely to happen during a season. For your quarterback to be able to go out there and trust your backup receivers, trust your fourth or fifth guy to makes plays for you and give those guys those throws have been tremendous for Tyler and his leadership.’’

Cristobal, preparing the Canes (3-3, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) for Saturday’s 12:30 p.m. home kickoff against Duke (4-3, 1-2), called Van Dyke’s success the past two weeks “a combination of things.”

Suiting the players

“No. 1: We’re doing things that are more suited to the personnel we have and then we’re allowing a guy who we feel is one of the best not only on the team but in the conference and country, we’re giving him opportunities to cut it loose,’’ the coach said Monday on WQAM. “His supporting cast is coming along, a lot of young receivers, a couple of linemen down, a couple of backs down. We’re finding ways to put pieces together. All the credit to the players for working hard, finding ways to adapt and now starting to get more chunk yardage.

“A little bit better in the red zone but gotta finish it right with touchdowns as opposed to field goals. There’s improvement but still a lot of improvement to be made. Overall: some progress.”

The scoreboard and Miami fighting to keep its lead after being up 20-0 going into the fourth quarter against the Hokies, reflect that UM must find more ways to score. A ground game would help. UM had 123 yards rushing Saturday, with no one gaining more than 27 yards.

“We really just beat ourselves the second half,’’ Gattis said. “We had nine offensive penalties. ...One series we had three penalties in a row. We can’t have that. We got real sloppy as the game went on and that showed up.

“When you look at the second half it was just the flow of it. We can’t get relaxed. Often times as your team is trying to grow and mature you’ve got to be able to handle success, whether that’s game success or first-half success. You gotta have that instinct to continue to push forward.”

National rankings

UM is ranked 27th nationally in total offense, averaging 463.7 yards a game — but 61st of 131 FBS teams in scoring, with 30.7 points a game. Its passing offense is 14th nationally (319.8). It’s rushing offense: 78th (143.8).

Duke is 92nd in total defense, allowing 403.4 yards a game, but 39th in scoring defense (22.3 points allowed a game).

Canes leading rusher Henry Parrish Jr. was out with an injury last Saturday. The team’s leading pass-catcher, tight end Will Mallory, was out of the game after being hit hard in the upper body by a safety who was ejected for targeting. It’s unclear if Mallory or Parrish will be back Saturday. The Canes also won’t get back guard Justice Oluwaseun this week, nor will tackle Zion Nelson be back Saturday. Cristobal said center Jakai Clark, who didn’t play Saturday, “looks really good’’ for now.

“Obviously we’ve got injuries along the offense,’’ Gattis said. “Every man has got to prepare themselves when their opportunity comes. I think we’re about down to the bottom of the barrel as far as scholarships left. We need guys. We need guys to create roles. We need our backup players to start performing as starters because they’re one snap away. Colbie young is a great example of a young man that came in here later into the summer. He has learned the system and now he is providing tremendous value to our team.’’

Said Cristobal: “Injuries happen in football. Some of them were preexisting things, some of them were things that just happened and you can’t avoid. How do you deal with it? You keep rolling. The ball is going to still be placed on the tee at 12:30 Saturday.”