With UM records in reach for Rambo and Harley, ‘We’re going to get it,’ Van Dyke promises
Charleston Rambo is putting together a season unlike any other in the history of the Miami Hurricanes. Mike Harley is putting together a one-of-a-kind Miami career. Even Tyler Van Dyke is on a historic run since taking over at quarterback in October.
In the final two games of the season, Harley and Rambo are on track to set program records — with Van Dyke also looming with an outside shot — and Rhett Lashlee isn’t being shy about his ambitions.
“I’m fully aware of how many catches [Harley] needs and that’s an important goal for our offensive unit,” the offensive coordinator said Monday. “We’re very aware of what he and Rambo need. Winning’s the ultimate goal, but we’re on it.”
Said Van Dyke: “We’re going to get it for them.”
Harley is four catches from tying the Hurricanes’ career record for receptions, and Rambo is 91 yards from matching Miami’s single-season record for receiving yards and one catch from tying the single-season receptions record.
Charleston Rambo: Receiving yards, catches
The Hurricanes (6-5, 4-3 Atlantic Coast) expected Rambo to potentially usurp Harley as their No. 1 wide receiver when he transferred to Miami from the Oklahoma Sooners in January. They never could have quite expected what he has turned into, though.
The redshirt junior is on pace to break the Hurricanes’ single-season receiving yards and single-season receptions record Saturday against the Duke Blue Devils in Durham, North Carolina. He’s averaging 6.5 catches and 97.3 yards per game, which has him on pace to set both records this weekend after he became only the fifth player in Miami history to top 1,000 receiving yards in a season Saturday.
Rambo currently has 71 catches for 1,071 yards so far this season. Leonard Hankerson set the single-season receptions record with 72 in 2010 and Allen Hurns set the single-season receiving yards record with 1,162 in 2013.
Earlier this year, Rambo also tied the Hurricanes’ single-game record for catches with 12 and posted the second-most receiving yards in a single game when he went off for 210 in a win against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
“I’m just trying to show my coordinator, whoever it’ll be in the future or now, that I can beat you deep or low, so it’s there,” Rambo said. “I’m the receiver you want, so I’m going to beat you deep, short, this way or that way. It doesn’t matter what it is.”
Mike Harley: Career catches
Harley wants his career to be an example and maybe an inspiration. It was undeniably rocky — he was a four-star recruit, only had nine catches as a freshman, and was stuck at 990 career receiving yards through three and a half years before breaking out in the second half of last season — yet it could end with more catches than anyone in Miami history.
Harley is four receptions from tying Reggie Wayne for the most in program history, and the fifth-year senior said Saturday he plans to play in the Hurricanes’ bowl game, meaning he will likely have two chances to match or break the record.
Harley did get the benefit of an extra year of eligibility because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it’s sort of a fitting record for the wide receiver to snatch because of the turmoil he stuck around through.
“It’d mean a lot, just knowing what I’ve been through here at this university,” Harley said. “It’s a lot of perseverance. I’ve shown a lot of guys to just never give up, to have faith.”
In five years, Harley has played for three different offensive coordinators, lived through a pandemic, gone to an Orange Bowl and been part of a sub-.500 season. He was the clear-cut No. 1 receiver by the end of last year when he had 57 catches for 799 yards, then lost his No. 1 job this year when Rambo came in and started to set records.
Harley’s loyalty and willingness to play in all sorts of roles are his legacy.
“Rambo came in and he’s been dominating. I’m so happy for him. He deserves it, just knowing what he’s been through,” Harley said. “No selfishness in my blood, no selfishness at all.”
The record book is nice, too. Harley is currently ninth in Miami history in receiving yards with 2,062. Harley is averaging 40.6 yards per game this year, which has him on pace to pass Phillip Dorsett for eighth — Dorsett finished his career with 2,132 — and gives him a real chance to catch Travis Benjamin, who’s seventh with 2,146.
Tyler Van Dyke: Touchdown passes
Even though he only threw one pass in the first three games as D’Eriq King’s backup, Van Dyke has a real chance to hit some historic marks in the final two games.
With 2,550 passing yards in eight starts, Van Dyke is on pace to crack 3,000 and by throwing for 325 yards in each of his last two games — roughly his pace in ACC play — he would move up to ninth on Miami’s single-season list. Brad Kaaya is currently ninth on the all-time list with 3,198, and he and Vinny Testaverde are tied for seventh with 3,238. The top six all threw for at least 3,300.
The second-year freshman is also suddenly making a very real run at the single-season touchdowns list. Van Dyke is currently tied for 11th in single-season touchdown passes with 22, and one more would tie him with King and Ken Dorsey. Van Dyke is averaging 2.7 touchdown passes per game in ACC play and five touchdowns in his last two games would push him into a tie with Kaaya for third with 27. Steve Walsh holds the program’s single-season record with 29 touchdown passes in 1988.
Van Dyke is also on track to crack the top 10 on the single-season list for touchdowns responsible for. Van Dyke has accounted for 23 touchdowns this year — he also has one run — and Dorsey is 10th on the all-time list with 26. If he’s responsible for five in the last two games, Van Dyke would finish tied for fifth and would move into a tie for third with six more. Malik Rosier has the single-season record with 31 in 2017.
