RALEIGH, N.C. — The Hurricanes’ offense bottomed out in a poor performance Saturday, scoring just six points on two field goals in a 20-6 road defeat to N.C. State.

Miami’s offense has struggled in ACC play, scoring more than 23 points in regulation once in the last four games.

As the Hurricanes search for answers, here are 10 things we learned from the loss to the Wolfpack.

Tyler Van Dyke hits rock bottom

Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke has had his share of excellent games at UM. Several of them have been this season. But his college career hit a low point on Saturday.

Van Dyke completed 21 of 38 passes (a season-low 55 percent completion percentage) for 173 yards and three interceptions. For the second straight game, he did not throw a touchdown pass. He has thrown 10 interceptions in his last four games.

Pro Football Focus’ initial grades peg Saturday’s loss as Van Dyke’s worst-ever game. The analytics site gave Van Dyke a 42.1 offensive gade and a 38.9 passing grade, both his career lows (lower even than when he was benched against Middle Tennessee State last year).

“I’ve just got to be better, honestly,” Van Dyke said. “It is frustrating. Felt like I put a lot of work into watching film this week and did a great job preparing. Just got to put that work in on the field, as well. Had a great week of practice. Just got to be better on game day.”

Van Dyke’s struggles were a primary reason why Miami did not score a touchdown in a game for the first time this season.

Coach Mario Cristobal hinted after the game that the staff did have some theories on what has caused the passing game’s regression during ACC play, but he did not say exactly what he thought.

“We do,” Cristobal said. “It hasn’t been what it’s supposed to be or what it was early on. … It’s a little bit of everything. It’s on us to fix it. And we haven’t done good enough.”

Time to make a choice

It is not entirely clear what is causing Van Dyke’s poor play the last several weeks. Injuries could be a factor, as he missed a game after sustaining a leg injury against UNC. Van Dyke insists injuries are not affecting his play, though. Confidence could also play a major role. And other players’ performance also affects the passing game.

With three games left in the season, the Hurricanes staff will need to decide which quarterback gives them the best chance to win, whether that’s Van Dyke, freshman Emory Williams (who started for an injured Van Dyke against Clemson) or sophomore Jacurri Brown, who has not played this year. When asked whether he and his staff had considered a quarterback change during Saturday’s loss, Cristobal did not say yes or no.

Throwing Williams, a true freshman, into a hostile road environment in Tallahassee so he can face one of the best teams in the nation may not seem like a winning strategy. But Van Dyke’s propensity for turnovers in the last four games makes the decision much less clear.

There is certainly an argument that Van Dyke, despite his poor play, still gives Miami its best chance to close out the season strongly, but it is not the most convincing one.

Red-zone play is lacking

The Hurricanes did not reach the red zone many times, getting inside N.C. State’s 25-yard line three times all night.

One time, Andy Borregales converted a short field goal. One ended with Van Dyke’s first interception. And the most crucial red-zone attempt was the final one.

Down 10-6, the Hurricanes reached the Wolfpack’s 3-yard line. They turned to freshman running back Mark Fletcher Jr., who made his first career start. The bruising halfback ran hard all game but could not get the needed yard.

The decision to go to Fletcher was an obvious one, and the N.C. State defense sniffed it out.

Momentum is real

Following Fletcher’s red-zone stop, the crowd in Raleigh got another example of just how important momentum is in college football.

Miami’s defense kept a lid on N.C. State for nearly the entire game — until the Wolfpack flipped the momentum after the red-zone stop. Although N.C. State needed to go 97 yards to score, the Wolfpack did exactly that.

ESPN gave the Hurricanes a 44 percent chance to win the game when they reached the 3-yard line. After N.C. State scored, UM had less than a 3 percent chance. The touchdown put the game out of reach for Miami, flipping the game on its head.

“That last dive down there when they stopped us on 4th and 1 and went the length of the field ended up being the difference in the game,” Cristobal said.

Defense keeps ‘Canes in the game

Lost in all the offensive difficulties was the excellent game played by Miami’s defense.

UM held N.C. State to 231 total yards, its second-lowest total of the season against an FBS team. Ninety-seven of those yards were on one, back-breaking drive.

“We limited them to under 50 plays, under 50 snaps,” Cristobal said. “When you do that, you should walk away with a favorable result. Put pressure on the quarterbacks, stopped the run, contained some of their explosive players for the most part. They made a couple plays, too. They played their hearts out. They gave us every chance to win the game.”

Mark Fletcher has strong first start

After Fletcher scored the game-winning touchdown against Virginia last week, Cristobal said he had complete faith in the freshman running back. The staff gave Fletcher his first career start on Saturday, and he rewarded them for that faith.

The American Heritage alum ran for 115 yards on 23 carries, averaging 5 yards per rush.

“It was great (getting the start),” Fletcher said. “I worked hard. I earned it. I was just happy to be out there and help my team.”

Turnover woes get worse

Van Dyke’s turnover issues proved costly again. He threw an interception on one of Miami’s few red-zone appearances, and his four turnovers led to six points for the Wolfpack.

The Hurricanes now have a minus-4 turnover margin for the season, which is tied for 101st nationally.

What can Browns do for you?

The Hurricanes found themselves down two starting cornerbacks after Jaden Davis and Daryl Porter Jr. left the game with undisclosed injuries.

Miami inserted brothers Davonte and Damari Brown, and the two corners filled in admirably. They each had two tackles.

Davonte Brown had a 54.3 defensive grade from Pro Football Focus, while Damari Brown had a 71.5 defensive grade. Damari Brown, a freshman, earned solid marks in coverage, as well (a 71.1 grade).

Third- and fourth-down struggles

Miami was not good in situational football Saturday night. The Hurricanes had 17 third- or fourth-down opportunities and converted on just four of them.

UM was particularly bad in third-and-long scenarios. They averaged 9.2 yards to gain on third downs and went 0 for 5 on third downs longer than 9 yards.

The Hurricanes are currently 40th nationally with a 43.12 third-down conversion percentage.

No time to lick wounds

Miami’s most disheartening loss comes at perhaps the worst possible time. The Hurricanes have a difficult three-game stretch to close out the year, starting with a showdown with highly ranked rival Florida State at Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday.

Last year, the Seminoles dismantled Miami 45-3 at Hard Rock Stadium. If the Hurricanes don’t pick themselves up this week, another blowout could be in the cards.

“I think we’re more focused on the fact that we have to move on quickly,” defensive lineman Branson Deen said. “We have to hurry up and move on to the next game. Can’t dwell on this. It hurts. It hurts. It stings badly. But we’ve got a big game on Saturday, and that’s the reason I came here, for this game. So we’ve got to move on quickly.”