Clemson 19 1/2-point favorite over Miami. Cristobal talks QBs Van Dyke, Jacurri Brown
Miami Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal spoke Monday on WQAM and was asked if he expects usual starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke to play the last two games, the first of which is at No. 9 Clemson, or if he might be “shutting it down” because of his shoulder injury.
“You know, we’re close,’’ Cristobal said. “We’re getting there. We’re getting better and better. Anybody that does have an injury unless it’s one that is definitely season ending, we work our tails off, medical does, to get them where they can play safely. They are always going to do everything humanly possible to get a guy ready to play without putting him at risk.
“And he [Van Dyke] is one of those guys and he wants to play and he’s working his butt off to try to get there. So, day to day, man. We’ll see.”
Here’s what Cristobal said, when asked about the injury status of starting running back Henry Parrish, who didn’t make the trip to Atlanta, and starting defensive tackle Leonard Taylor, who “tweaked” his ankle, according to the coach, early in the game:
“Not sure, man. Not sure. Evaluating day to day to see how those guys are doing. I think they’re going to be OK. I do. Let me see who else. You know, obviously we’re down a few guys, especially up front. But, hey, you gotta go with what you got. Proud of those guys. They went out and they battled. And if you’re willing to battle for four quarters and take it deep into the ball game, you know what, you always got a chance. And that’s what we want.”
Jacurri Brown
The coach also spoke about his decision to start true freshman Jacurri Brown, who led them to a 35-14 victory Saturday at Georgia Tech in his first college start. Brown was 14-of-19 for 136 yards and three touchdowns, and added 87 yards rushing on 19 carries.
“We’re down four offensive linemen, right?’’ Cristobal said. “And protecting the quarterback is always at a premium. Jacurri is not only a good player he also can protect himself sometimes with his feet, So, the combination of those things. Also it makes a running game very different. It makes a defense defend all 11 guys and an extra gap or two. He had a great week. He has shown a ton of poise ever since he got here in January. The guy went out there, he didn’t flinch and took the first drive right down the field along with the offense and got the momentum going.
“He always flashed that talent. When we put him up there in that game at Virginia Tech. He didn’t flinch. Ok, he’s not going to be affected by all that stuff, all the noise and all the clutter that comes with it. But the thing is, he’s a really good passer and maybe a couple times he got a little bit nerved up and the ball got away from him. But as he gets more and more repetitions people are going to see how special he is.”
Clemson
No. 9 Clemson (9-1, 7-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), on the road for Miami (5-5, 3-3) at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, opened as a 19 1/2-point favorite.
“That roster is what it’s supposed to look like,’’ Cristobal said. “They’ve been at it for a long time. Coach Dabo Swinney has dones an unbelievable job. They’re elite across the board. Played them when I was an assistant coach at the University of Alabama and it hasn’t changed. They’re coached extremely well, they’re disciplined, they play hard and I tell you what, they’re impressive, they’re as impressive as it gets.”
