Miami Hurricanes quarterback Tyler Van Dyke has right-leg injury

University of Miami starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke was seen on campus Monday with his right leg wrapped in an Ace bandage all the way up to above his knee. Van Dyke was limping and keeping the leg completely stiff as he walked slowly. “I keep telling you I don’t talk about injuries,’’ Cristobal told the Miami Herald at UM’s weekly news conference. “I just told one of our guys that he’s ready to go. You have to write what you have to write. Next question please.’’ Offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson, who spoke after Cristobal, said Van Dyke “is fine.”

When asked how freshman backup quarterback Emory Williams is and if he’s ready to go should he be needed, Dawson said, “Both of them are fine. Both of them are ready to go. “This game is a physical game and everybody is sore after games. He’s fine. He’s good. He’s ready to practice today, which I’m fired up about.” Van Dyke was sacked three times and hit hard on Saturday in UM’s 41-31 loss at North Carolina.

The Canes (4-2, 0-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) next face Clemson (4-2, 2-2) at 8 p.m. Saturday (ACC Network) at Hard Rock Stadium. Van Dyke, who acknowledged after the loss at UNC that he had torn three ligaments in a finger on his throwing hand during fall camp, spent the last half of the 2022 season with a third-degree AC joint sprain of his right shoulder and missed most of the latter part of UM’s 5-7 campaign. Van Dyke wore a splint in early games this season, but after the North Carolina game said the hand was fine.

Cristobal was asked before the leg-related question about Van Dyke’s hand and if there were any concerns going forward. “For him playing? Zero,’’ Cristobal said. “Was he banged up in the game? Yeah, He got banged up. But is he tough? Absolutely. He’s really tough and he wants to win, and he’s ready to roll.”

Van Dyke, the 2021 ACC Rookie of the Year, is now 129 of 183 (70.5 percent) for 1,721 yards and 16 touchdowns, with six interceptions. He is ranked 10th nationally in passing efficiency and No. 8 in passing touchdowns. MARK FLETCHER STATUS Cristobal was also asked how much losing freshman running back Mark Fletcher has affected the UM running game and if the coach has a timetable for his return. “He’s about a couple weeks away,’’ Cristobal said. “I would say a minimum… We were hopeful this week. I think you’ll see him practicing this week. Doubtful [to play] for this week. Feel really good about the following week.

“Is he critical? Yeah, he’s critical to our operation. That’s a big, physical guy that’s fast and gets downhill. He’s making a lot of headway. Really, he helped change our run game a bunch while he was in there. He’s missed for a lot of reasons: competition wise, No. 1. That always keeps a room on edge and on its toes. He’s a really good football player. “But again, with the guys that we have, we’re ready to ride with them. They’ve done a lot of good things.”

The 6-2, 225-pound Fletcher, who has rushed for 133 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries (5.5-yards-a-carry average), was not in uniform for the Georgia Tech game, where he stood on the sideline with an almost knee-high boot on his right foot. He first got hurt in the Hurricanes’ upset of then-No. 23 Texas A&M last month and missed Miami’s blowout win against FCS Bethune-Cookman the next week. He returned to play against Temple in the Hurricanes’ last game ahead of the bye week. LANCE GUIDRY EXPLAINS PENALTY On Saturday, defensive coordinator Lance Guidry was flagged by officials for unsportsmanlike conduct for running onto the field with just under three minutes left in the first half during a confusing situation in which UM coaches were trying to substitute players and called a timeout. The scene began with UNC at fourth-and-1 from the Canes’ 20-yard line. After the flag, the ball was moved to the Miami 11 and UNC scored three plays later to make it 14-14 late in the first half. Guidry explained on Monday what happened. “Well, earlier in the game, the official came from the offensive side to stop [and] went over the center and stopped it,” Guidry said. “Usually, that’s where it comes from. So we were trying to change personnel. I was trying to get out of nickel and go into base defense because they changed personnel. So they’re supposed to stand over the ball and give us time. I never saw the official was behind our defense, was on our side of the ball. They didn’t come from the other side.

“So, I ran on the field, calling timeout. I think I got dinged because I took my headset off. I was angry. That was on me. I shouldn’t have done that. I didn’t see him. I looked back on film, and he was there. So they were right, and I was wrong. I apologize.” Cristobal told WQAM’s Joe Rose during a morning interview that Guidry “has been awesome and he made an error.’’ “He made a mistake. The timeout already had been called. We were having discussions with the officials about sitting on the ball when they substitute. And it was all about that. But obviously, we can’t do that. There’s no excuse for that. He knows that and he obviously feels terrible about it. “It’s no different than a player error. You’ve got to eat all those take accountability for it.’’