Armchair QB: Grading Tyler Van Dyke's Debut for the Wisconsin Badgers

There was plenty of anticipation around what the Wisconsin Badgers might have in Miami transfer quarterback Tyler Van Dyke , especially with the buzz surrounding his strong finish to fall camp.

While we won't fully comprehend what he brings to the table until the Badgers face tougher opponents like Alabama and USC later this month, Van Dyke's debut against Western Michigan offered a glimpse of what he's capable of. But, it also had its fair share of ebbs and flows most have begun to expect.

Western Michigan played it safe with a cover-3 defense for most of the game, effectively taking away the deep ball, which allowed Van Dyke to methodically pick them apart with short gains. However, there were some close calls—twice in the red zone, where he narrowly avoided interceptions, and a costly strip on Western Michigan's side of the field led to their go-ahead touchdown late in the third quarter.

Given his experience, you’d expect Van Dyke to be more poised in the pocket. There were some moments where it felt like the Connecticut native held onto the ball too long and others where he gave up on the play too quickly, opting for a checkdown. Some of that can be chalked up to first-game jitters with a new team, but it's worth monitoring.

The 6-foot-4, 225-pound grad transfer ended the night with 192 passing yards (12th most in school history for a debut) on 21-of-36 attempts and added a rushing touchdown on a 6-yard scramble that ultimately sealed the game with just over three minutes remaining. Van Dyke was also hampered by a few drops (3), which could have helped pad his stats.

"To be honest, I think we did what we asked him to do," Fickell told reporters . "We wanted to be physical, we wanted to run the football, we wanted to manage the game... The only thing I would say—we've gotta do a better job in the red zone. We can't take as many chances. Balls bounced off a couple of their guys' hands. In situations where you're scrambling and in dire need, sometimes, let's just be good with firing that ball out of bounds and live to fight another day."

Armchair QB Week 1 Grade for Tyler Van Dyke (B-)

Pro Football Focus gave Van Dyke a 75.8 offensive grade (good). To me, that feels about right when paired with the eye test, so I'll give Van Dyke a B- for his debut at QB for Wisconsin football.

He delivered the ball effectively when the offensive line kept the pocket clean and, for the most part, did well when the Broncos' defense blitzed. I thought Van Dyke had a few too many turnover-worthy plays for my liking, and at times thought he pressed more than was needed. That said, his arm strength proved to be the great equalizer on a few plays that moved the sticks, and I thought he made some good decisions in the RPO game.

The mobility side of things from Van Dyke looked legit and will once again be an asset in Phil Longo's offense. While not a "running QB," Van Dyke is a QB who can run, and that's all this offense needs to be more dynamic.

That said, Van Dyke was brought in to push the ball downfield and generate explosive plays. That didn't happen in Week 1. Coach Fickell made it clear there were a lot of unknowns about Western Michigan's team heading into the game, so all things considered, it was one where Van Dyke took what was there on offense and nothing more.

Related: Wisconsin Football Report Card: Wisconsin vs. Western Michigan

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