Van Dyke accounts for 3 TDs, No. 22 Miami routs FCS member Bethune-Cookman 48-7

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This article was published 14/09/2023 (1137 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The points keep coming easily for No. 22 Miami.

Tyler Van Dyke threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns while playing only the first half and Miami eased past FCS member Bethune-Cookman 48-7 on Thursday night. The Hurricanes (3-0) have scored 38 or more points in each of the season’s first three games for just the second time in the last 20 years; the other instance in that span was 2016.

“TVD operated at a very high level, and so did the receivers,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said.

Van Dyke completed 19 of 23 passes and ran for a score for Miami, which got touchdowns on five of its six first-half possessions on the way to a 34-0 lead at the break. Emory Williams took over for Van Dyke to begin the third quarter and went 9 for 11 for 102 yards.

Xavier Restrepo had six catches for 120 yards for the Hurricanes, while Jacolby George and Brashard Smith had touchdown receptions.

“The guys attacked the game today really well,” Restrepo said.

Ajay Allen ran for two scores for Miami, and Don Chaney Jr. and Chris Johnson Jr. each had a rushing score. The Hurricanes outgained Bethune-Cookman 589-165.

“Miami is a really good football team and they’re going to win a lot of games,” Bethune-Cookman coach Raymond Woodie Jr. said. “They have weapons all over the place.”

Walter Simmons Jr., Bethune-Cookman’s third quarterback of the night, ensured the Wildcats (1-2) would avoid the shutout by scoring on a 6-yard keeper with 1:19 left. It was about the only thing that didn’t go right for Miami on Thursday — a couple hours before the game, five-star defensive lineman Armondo Blount of Miami Central announced he plans to play for the Hurricanes in a huge recruiting win.

“Miami’s working its way to looking like what Miami should look like,” Cristobal said, without mentioning any recruit specifically because that would violate NCAA rules.

Van Dyke started the night 13th on Miami’s career completions list with exactly 400 as a Hurricane. He’s now 10th with 419, after passing No. 12 Brock Berlin (406), No. 11 Steve Walsh (410) and No. 10 Vinny Testaverde (413).

Next up: No. 9 Craig Erickson (420), No. 8 Ryan Clement (427) and No. 7 Bernie Kosar (463).

Van Dyke also passed Walsh for No. 11 on the school’s all-time yardage list, and his 19-for-23 night lifted his career completion percentage to 64.1 — just 0.6% behind D’Eriq King for the best in Miami history.

“TVD’s playing great,” Restrepo said. “Dude hasn’t missed a throw yet.”

THE TAKEAWAY

Bethune-Cookman: Starting quarterback Luke Sprague was 3 for 3 on the Wildcats’ opening drive, before getting knocked from the game with a shoulder injury. Sprague had played off the bench in Bethune-Cookman’s first two games. … The Wildcats fell to 0-2 against FBS programs this year, after falling 56-14 to Memphis in the season opener.

Miami: The Hurricanes are 3-0 for the 27th time since the program debuted in 1927. The Hurricanes’ average record in the first 26 seasons where such a start happened: 9-2. … Former Hurricanes coach (and former Hurricanes quarterback) Mark Richt was honored during the game to recognize his looming enshrinement in the College Football Hall of Fame.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Miami will surely remain in the AP Top 25 this coming week. The next five teams closest to the Hurricanes in the poll are No. 17 Mississippi, No. 18 Colorado, No. 19 Oklahoma, No. 20 North Carolina and No. 21 Duke. Should any of those teams fall, Miami may move up a spot or two.

UP NEXT

Bethune-Cookman: At Jackson State on Sept. 23.

Miami: At Temple on Sept. 23.

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll