On a week where the Miami Hurricanes were riding high after the win over NC State, Miami went into Pittsburgh and upset the No. 17 Panthers. QB Tyler Van Dyke had the game of his life, going 32-of-42 for 428 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. With the win, Miami improves to 4-4 (2-2 in the ACC). Now, the Canes are right back in ACC title contention.
Miami:
The Hurricanes deferred the kickoff to the second half, and after giving up a touchdown on Pitt’s first drive, it would be all Miami. Tyler Van Dyke picked up where he left off last Saturday, with two big throws to Keyshawn Smith and Charleston Rambo. Van Dyke would throw his first touchdown of the first quarter when he found Elijah Arroyo diving for a 20-yard pass into the end zone. It would be Arroyo’s first collegiate touchdown. Van Dyke would then throw his second touchdown of the first quarter when he threw a flea-flicker to a wide-open Will Mallory for a 57-yard touchdown pass.
Jaylan Knighton would score Miami’s third touchdown of the quarter when he broke open for a 40-yard run. Knighton would have 17 carries for 80 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Pitt. Knighton’s second touchdown came after a Tyrique Stevenson interception, and a 34-yard pass to Charleston Rambo. Rambo would have a huge day, being Miami’s leading receiver with seven receptions and 101 yards.
Despite almost collapsing on their faces in the second half, Miami came up with just enough plays to stop Pittsburgh from taking the lead.
Pittsburgh:
Despite the loss Saturday, Kenny Pickett still made his case for the Heisman Trophy, going 39-of-55 for 519 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.
One of these interceptions was to Tyrique Stevenson in the second quarter, which would go on to make the game 31-17. The second interception would be on Pittsburgh’s final drive when James Williams picked the football off at the two-yard line.
Takeaways:
- It’s the first time since 2017 in which Miami has back-to-back wins over ranked opponents.
- Tyler Van Dyke’s 428 yards are the ninth-most passing yards in a single game in Hurricanes history.
- Kenny Pickett set a new single-game school record with his 519 passing yards and passed Dan Marino for most touchdowns in school history.
Next Up
Miami will try to extend their win streak to three games when they host Georgia Tech at Hard Rock Stadium next week.