Xavier Restrepo on Miami backups getting playing time: 'They earn it'
In one of its final tune-ups before conference play, Miami got the opportunity to play more than just the starters against Bethune-Cookman. The Hurricanes didn’t have any issue against the Wildcats en route to the 48-7 victory, and the backups had plenty of opportunities to get some meaningful reps.
Xavier Restrepo seemed happy to see some of the backups get on the field. He said it’s shows their hard work in the offseason and in practice paid off as they got the chance to play in a “real” situation.
“I mean, they earn it,” Restrepo said. “It’s not given. They do a great job this whole entire spring and guys that came in late into fall camp, really good job hammering, doing all of the minute details. It paid off tonight. You saw a couple guys out there doing their thing tonight.”
Restrepo had a huge night, totaling six receptions for 120 yards to lead all receivers. He was once again the top target for Tyler Van Dyke, who turned in a strong showing with 247 yards and two touchdowns on an efficient 19 of 23 passing. Emory Williams ended up taking over for him and completed 9 of 11 passes for 102 yards.
After the game, Van Dyke pointed out how well the ball was distributed. Ten different players had a reception, and he said that’s one of the most important takeaways from the victory.
“Our goal tonight was to come out and execute as well as possible. I think we did that,” Van Dyke told ACC Network’s Marilyn Payne after the game. “A lot of guys got the ball in their hands today, which I’m super proud of. We’re going to keep working [and] getting better.”
Tyler Van Dyke: Miami ‘learned how to handle success’ in win over Bethune-Cookman
Last year was a rough one for Van Dyke and Miami. The Hurricanes struggled to a 5-7 record in the first season under Mario Cristobal, but this year is already off to a better start with a 3-0 record.
There are also opportunities to learn from games against FCS opponents. Van Dyke said the fact that Miami stayed dominant with a lead proved it’s capable of keeping the foot on the gas and getting a big win.
“I think we learned how to handle success a little bit,” Van Dyke said. “That’s one of the hardest things to do. You don’t want to get complacent. We came out and handled in business tonight.”
Van Dyke also notched a rushing touchdown in the game — the second of his career. Although he didn’t have a nickname for the occasion since nothing “came to mind,” he made sure to point out how special the moment was to reach the end zone as a runner.
“That was my second rushing touchdown in my career, so that was pretty cool to get in there,” Van Dyke said. “O-Line did a great job blocking for me, so it was fun.”