Miami (Ohio) quarterback Brett Gabbert, and Tyler Van Dyke both had breakout 2021 seasons before regressing in 2022 due to ineffectiveness and injuries. In the season opener next Friday at Hard Rock Stadium, Gabbert and Van Dyke will hope to revert to 2021 form when the Redhawks and Hurricanes play in the season opener.
Gabbert started all 14 games as a true freshman in 2019 completing 55.4 percent of his pass attempts for 2,411 yards, 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions. In 2020, Gabbert played in only two games. Gabbert had a breakout season in 2021 completing 59.5 percent of his passes for 2,648 yards, 26 TDs and six interceptions.
Gabbert also has 336 career rushing yards and five TDs on the ground. An injury to his non-throwing shoulder limited Gabbert to four games in 2022. Pro Football Focus named Gabbert a 2023 preseason second-team All-MAC. If he is healthy, Gabbart should have a redemptive season in 2023.
Tyler Van Dyke completed 62.3 percent of his passes for 2,931 yards, 25 TDs and six interceptions in his first season as a starter in 2023. Van Dyke finished the 2021 season with six consecutive games of 300 yards and three touchdowns. Joe Burrow is the only other QB to have accomplished that in the College Football Playoff era.
Van Dyke is expected to lead a more explosive and vertical offense in 2023. Houston QB Clayton Thune finished fifth nationally averaging 313.4 passing yards per game in 2022 under new Miami offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson. Thune was second nationally with 178 pass plays over 10 yards in 2022.
With Van Dyke missing about half the season, Miami finished 60th averaging 239.1 passing yards per game. A bulk of those yards came in back-to-back games by Van Dyke versus North Carolina and Virginia Tech. Miami was 49th nationally with 125 pass plays of 10 yards or more. Those numbers should change in 2023.
In 2021 when they were healthy and productive, Van Dyke finished 10th averaging 9.1 yards per attempt and Gabbert was slightly behind at 8.9. Gabbart and Van Dyke could put on a show at Hard Rock Stadium on Friday night. Gabbart is the brother of veteran NFL QB Blaine Gabbart.