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October 2009
Report card: Toledo at Miami
REPORT CARD Toledo at Miami
Pass offense
A
Zac Dysert, working with a very successful offensive game plan, confounded the Rockets with his all-passing, all-the-time (almost) attack, using a lot of screens and slants early. “Their offense had a great game plan,” Toledo safety Barry Church said. “Miami was hitting us with short passes and slants and killing our zone.” Miami coach Michael Haywood said that plan, with the help of offensive coordinator Peter Vaas, was worked out Friday night. “We wanted more of an attacking offense than a field position offense,” he said. According to Zac Dysert, who completed 31-of-51 passes for 344 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions, he found out about the new plan “(Saturday) morning, actually, at our meeting. Vaas told Dysert and the offense to play as if they were trailing 17-0, which happened to be the score after one quarter last week against Northern Illinois. The RedHawks dominated the rest of that game. “It paid off,” Dysert said, “so I’m not going to argue with it.”
Run offense
B
The RedHawks didn’t run the ball much, but was pretty effective when they did. Dysert scrambled for 60 yards and two touchdowns and Thomas Merriweather had hit best day, running eight times for 44 yards and catching four passes for 31 yards.
Pass defense
A
The RedHawks faced three different Toledo quarterbacks. First it was Aaron Opelt. Then Austin Dantin. Then Opelt again. Then Alex Pettee. The confusion alone might have whipped a lesser unit, but Miami made the plays when they were needed. Anthony Kokal and Jerrell Wedge and Wes Williams all came up big. The secondary was busy, giving up a lot of yards to one of the top receiving combos in the nation, but in the end it was a winning effort.
Run defense
C-plus
Toledo’s Adonis Thomas ran for 107 yards and the Rockets amassed 216 yards on the ground, but the RedHawks gave up those yards grudgingly, for the most part.
Special teams
A
Trevor Cook kicked a school-record long field goal of 55 yards, so his miss (just barely) from 46 yards can be forgiven. Jim Broadway punted for the first time and although his average was only 28.2 yards, he did pin the Rockets inside their 20-yard line three times. Jamal Rogers had some good kickoff returns. And there were no major blunders.
Intangibles
A
The official attendance was 8,757, and although the actual number of fans who showed up was much smaller than that, they seemed to provide a lot of energy and electricity. They went trick or treating in a way and, for their own patience and endurance, got a big treat. Just like the RedHawks themselves. “In this organization you have to have faith — in yourself, with your teammates and with the organization,” Haywood said. “You have to believe.”
— Pete Conrad
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At long last, Miami celebrates victory
By Pete Conrad
The longest losing streak is school history is over.
The Miami RedHawks held on to defeat the Toledo Rockets 31-24 today, Oct. 31 at Yager Stadium to snap a 13-game losing streak.
The Rockets appeared to be an extra-point attempt from tying the game after tight end Danny Noble caught what looked like a 9-yard touchdown pass with 1:01 remaining, but a replay showed that Miami’s Anthony Kokal knocked the ball loose before Noble crossed the goal line.
The ball hit the pylon and the officials ruled that it was a touchback, not a touchdown. Miami got the ball on the 20-yard line.
The victory was the first in the head coaching career of Michael Haywood, who calmly walked across the field to shake hands with Toledo coach Tim Beckman after the clock ran out.
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After three quarters, Miami leads 31-24
By Pete Conrad
The Miami RedHawks will take a 31-24 lead over the Toledo Rockets into the fourth quarter today, Oct. 31 at Yager Stadium.
Toledo true freshman Eric Page scored on a 15-yard touchdown run on a reverse with 31.5 seconds left in the third quarter. Page also scored on a 14-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter.
The RedHawks have lost a program-record 13 straight games and Michael Haywood is looking for his first victory as Miami’s first-year coach.
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Dysert TD gives Miami 31-17 lead
By Pete Conrad
Zac Dysert ran 23 yards for a touchdown to give the MiamI RedHawks a 31-17 lead over the Toledo Rockets with 3:47 left in the third quarter today, Oct. 31 at Yager Stadium.
Toledo had closed the gap with a 14-yard touchdown pass from Aaron Opelt, who began the third quarter as the Rockets’ quarterback, to freshman sensation Eric Page.
Miami’s Trevor Cook narrowly missed a 46-yard field goal attempt, and Toledo’s Alex Steigerald then booted a 26-yard field goal to slice Miami’s lead to seven points, 24-17, with 7:09 left in the third quarter.
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Miami leads Toledo 24-7 at half
By Pete Conrad
Junior Trevor Cook kicked a school-record 55-yard field goal with 37.3 seconds left in the second quarter to give the winless Miami RedHawks a 24-7 halftime lead over the Toledo Rockets today, Oct. 31 at Yager Stadium.
The previous record for longest Miami field goal was held by Chad Seitz, who booted a 54-yarder in 1995. Cook’s kick was only the ninth field goal of 50 yards or longer in program history.
Miami redshirt freshman Zac Dysert threw for a touchdown pass and ran for another in the second period. True freshman linebacker Wes Williams returned an interception 20 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter for the RedHawks, who are looking to break a 13-game losing streak.
Toledo appeared to be on the move late in the first half following a 39-yard pass from freshman quarterback Austin Dantin to wideout Stephen Williams to the Miami 41-yard line, but a 5-yard tackle for loss by DeAndre Gilmore and a 6-yard quarterback sack by Jerrell Wedge forced Toledo to punt.
Wedge finished the half with three sacks.
Dysert has completed 21-of-37 passes for 215 yards.
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Dysert helps give Miami 21-7 lead over Toledo
By Pete Conrad
Quarterback Zac Dysert threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Andy Cruse with 13:14 left in the second quarter and scored on a 3-yard touchdown run with 7:04 remaining in the half to give the Miami RedHawks a 21-7 lead over the Toledo Rockets today, Oct. 31 at Yager Stadium.
Dysert completed 6-of-7 passes to five different receivers on the second drive, and the only incompletion was a dropped pass.
After the Cruse touchdown Toledo had driven to the Miami 30-yard line, but freshman quarterback Austin Dantin, who replaced senior starter Aaron Opelt, was sacked by linebacker Jerrell Wedge and the Rockets were forced to punt.
Miami is trying to snap a program-record 13-game losing streak and give Michael Haywood his first victory as a collegiate head coach.
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Miami, Toledo tied after first quarter
By Pete Conrad
Toledo’s DaJuane Collins scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with 44.9 seconds left in the first quarter, and the Rockets and Miami RedHawks are tied 7-7 going into the second quarter today, Oct. 31 at Yager Stadium.
Miami scored first on a 20-yard interception return by true freshman Wes Williams.
The RedHawks are looking for their first victory at Yager Stadium since Sept. 13, 2008, when they defeated Charleston Southern 38-27.
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Williams interception returns puts Miami on top
By Pete Conrad
True Freshman linebacker Wes Williams intercepted a pass from Toledo’s Tim Opelt and returned it 20 yards for a touchdown to give the winless Miami RedHawks a 7-0 lead over the Rockets with 10:55 remaining in the first quarter today, Oct. 31 at Yager Stadium.
It was the first Miami interception return for a touchdown since Nov. 5, 2005, when Robbie Wilson returned an interception 37 yards in the RedHawks’ 54-13 win at home against Buffalo.
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RedHawks show improvement with turnovers
By Pete Conrad
For the first time all season, in last week’s 27-22 loss to Northern Illinois, the Miami RedHawks won the turnover battle and did not lose the football once on a fumble or interception.
The only turnover of the game was a NIU fumble caused by true freshman linebacker Justin Bowers and recovered by redshirt freshman defensive end Mike Johns at the Miami 44-yard line in the third quarter.
The RedHawks even took advantage of the turnover by driving 41 yards and getting a 25-yard field goal from Trevor Cook.
The RedHawks are getting better in the turnover department, coach Michael Haywood said today, but they’re not quite there yet.
“The emphasis (the players) are putting on protecting the football is getting better,” he said, “but there are times when we’re not securing the football, when it’s sitting out there like a loaf of bread.”
Haywood said he also would like to see his defense create more turnovers and added that will come with, among other things, better speed.
“One of the things we’re trying to do in recruiting this year is increase the speed of our defense,” the Miami coach said.
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Miami hockey still No. 1 in national polls
A weekend series split against Michigan State didn’t hurt the Miami University hockey team in the national rankings.
The RedHawks (4-1-1) are still ranked No. 1 in the U.S. College Hockey Online.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls released Monday afternoon, Oct. 26.
Miami received 26 of 48 first-place votes in the USCHO.com poll and 22 of 33 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll.
In the USCHO.com rankings, Denver (4-2-0) is No. 2, followed by North Dakota (4-1-1), Boston University (1-2-0) and Michigan (2-2-0).
In the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine rankings, North Dakota is No. 2, followed by Denver, Boston U. and Michigan.
The RedHawks return to the ice Friday and Saturday for a two-game Central College Hockey Association series at Northern Michigan.
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Report card: Northern Illinois at Miami
Pass offense
A
A brilliant performance by Zac Dysert, who threw three touchdown passes and had no interceptions. His career-high 348 passing yards are — if you don’t include Ben Roethlisberger’s 10 games of 350 or more yards — the ninth-highest single-game total in Miami history. Armand Robinson also came up big, again, with yet another career-high in yardage (123). Jamal Rogers had a good day with four catches for 42 yards and a touchdown, and Roman Lawson’s six catches for 78 yards is pretty darn good for a true freshman making his first start. Dysert was sacked eight times, but when the running game does nowhere, that will happen.
Run offense
F
Although I consider quarterback sacks as part of the passing game, the negative yardage is officially a running game statistic. That’s why Miami had 27 carries for minus-11 yards. Miami’s running game was bad again on Saturday, but not quite that bad. Lawson had 26 yards on nine carries. Thomas Merriweather continues to struggle, though (three carries, 0 yards).
Pass defense
B
The RedHawks did well against a Northern Illinois team that wasn’t really all that interested in the pass. Freshman Justin Bowers and senior Caleb Bostic each had a sack,
Run defense
C-minus
Chad Spann, the Huskies’ second-string tailback, sure looked like a first-stringer against the RedHawks, finishing with 21 carries for 156 yards and touchdown runs of 40 and 42 yards. Second-string quarterback Grady DeMarcus, pressed into service by the knee injury to Chandler Harnish, also broke a 33-yard run to set up a field goal in the fourth quarter. The 202 total rushing yards by NIU isn’t bad, but the 5.2 yards per carry is.
Special teams
F
Is there any grade lower than F? What about Z-minus? A 44-yard punt return for a touchdown that was set up by a holding penalty by the punting team which negated a 52-yard punt out of bounds. How bad is that. There also was that 42-yard punt return which set up a field goal. That’s 10 points the special teams cost Miami, and we’re still counting. Two missed field goals by Trevor Cook, including one that was blocked, and a blocked extra-point kick. That’s 17 points. Cook did convert a 32-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, and Chris DiCesare did average 42.6 yards and had a 54-yard punt that was not called back, and Jamal Rogers did have a 30-yard kickoff return and a 12-yard punt return. So maybe we’ll just stay with the F.
Intangibles
A
It was refreshing to see a Miami team that was fired up, a team that was making some hard hits (but still missing a few tackles), a team that doesn’t look like it’s giving up on a winless season. And it wasn’t just the youngsters. The veterans were fired up, too. A good comeback from a disappointing performance against Ohio.
— Pete Conrad
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Final score: N. Illinois 27, Miami 22
By Pete Conrad
The Northern Illinois Huskies defeated the Miami RedHawks 27-22 today at Yager Stadium.
Three touchdowns were scored in the final two minutes, two by the RedHawks, including a 24-yard pass from Zac Dysert to Armand Robinson on the final play of the game.
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Salerno kicks field goal, Miami trails by 10
By Pete Conrad
Mike Salerno kicked a 25-yard field goal with 6:14 left in the fourth quarter to give Northern Illinois a 20-10 lead over the Miami RedHawks.
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Miami pulls to within seven of NIU
By Pete Conrad
Trevor Cook nailed a 32-yard field goal with 12:49 left in the fourth quarter to pull the Miami RedHawks to within seven points of the Northern Illinois Huskies, 17-10, today at Yager Stadium.
Cook, who missed two field goal attempts earlier today, including one that was blocked, is 3-for-6 this season and 18-for-29 for his career.
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Still 17-7 after three quarters, but Miami is threatening
By Pete Conrad
The Northern Illinois Huskies lead the Miami RedHawks 17-7 after three quarters at Yager Stadium, but the RedHawks have the ball first-and-10 at the NIU 15-yard line to start the fourth period.
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Miami’s special-teams woes continue
By Pete Conrad
Trevor Cook missed a 37-yard field goal attempt, wide left, and the Miami RedHawks continue to trail the Northern Illinois Huskies 17-7 with 5:00 left in the third period today at Yager Stadium.
In the second quarter Cook had a 45-yard field goal attempt blocked by NIU cornerback Chris Smith.
The Huskies also have returned punts for 44 yards (for a touchdown) and 42 yards.
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Robinson touchdown cuts Miami deficit
By Pete Conrad
Miami’s Zac Dysert threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Armand Robinson with 35.3 seconds left in the second quarter, and the RedHawks trail the Northern Illinois Huskies 17-7 at halftime today at Yager Stadium.
The touchdown was Robinson’s first of the season.
Dysert completed 4-of-4 passes on the drive. The first three covered 4 yards to Andy Cruse, 20 yards to Robinson and 18 yards to Cruse.
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Lawson returns to field for Miami
By Pete Conrad
True freshman tailback Roman Lawson has returned to the field for the Miami RedHawks late in the second quarter after being hurt and leaving the game early in the first quarter.
Northern Illinois leads Miami 17-0 with 42.2 seconds left in the half.
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N. Illinois leads Miami 17-0 after first quarter
By Pete Conrad
The Northern Illinois Huskies dominated the first quarter and hold a 17-0 lead over the Miami RedHawks.
The Huskies scored on a 42-yard touchdown run by Chad Spann, a 44-yard field goal by Mike Salerno (which was set up by a 42-yard punt return by Tommy Davis), and a 44-yard punt return for a touchdown by Perez Ashford on his first collegiate punt return attempt.
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Miami’s Lawson starts, is hurt on 2nd carry
By Pete Conrad
True freshman Roman Lawson started at tailback for the Miami RedHawks in today’s game against Northern Illinois and on his second carry suffered an injury, apparently to his left leg or knee, and was helped off the field.
Lawson gained 7 yards on his first carry and 2 yards on his second.
Northern Illinois took a 7-0 lead on a 42-yard touchdown run by Chad Spann with 8:01 left in the first quarter.
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Hockey: Wingels goal wins it for RedHawks
By Pete Conrad
Tommy Wingels scored his second goal of the night with 1:58 remaining in the third period to give top-ranked Miami a 2-1 victory over Michigan State in the RedHawks’ Central Collegiate Hockey Association opener tonight at Steve Cady Arena.
Carter Camper assisted the goal after catching the puck with his hand in front of the MSU net.
The win keeps Miami undefeated at 4-0-1 overall. Michigan State fell to 3-2-0.
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Hockey: 1-1 after second period
By Pete Conrad
The top-ranked Miami Redhawks are tied with the Michigan State Spartans 1-1 going into the third period tonight at Steve Cady Arena.
Miami took a 1-0 lead by converting a 5-on-3 power play. Tommy Wingels scored on an assist from Pat Cannone 11:45 into the second period.
MSU tied the score three and a half minutes later on a power-play goal by Derek Grant.
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Hockey: 0-0 after first period
By Pete Conrad
The top-ranked Miami RedHawks and Michigan State Spartans are scoreless after the first period of their Central Collegiate Hockey Association contest tonight at Steve Cady Arena.
Miami had seven shots on goal and Michigan State had eight.
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Hockey: Miami’s Tomassoni won’t play tonight
By Pete Conrad
Miami sophomore defenseman Matt Tomassoni, who was named as the Central Collegiate Hockey Association Defensive Player of the Week, was announced as a scratch from the lineup of eligible players for the RedHawks’ home match tonight against Michigan State.
A Miami spokesperson said it was a “coach’s decision.”
Tomassoni scored two goals last week at New Hampshire, one during last Friday’s 6-3 victory and one during last Saturday’s 5-5 tie in double-overtime. They were the first two goals of his collegiate career.
New Hampshire erupted for five goals during the second period of Saturday’s contest and Tomassoni said earlier this week that one of the goals was a result of “a pretty undisciplined penalty” he committed, “contact to the head, roughing, which we paid for. A very dumb penalty on my part.”
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Miami’s Lawson will get a chance to run
By Pete Conrad
True freshman Roman Lawson is returning to the Miami RedHawks’ rotation at tailback.
“He’s going to play again,” Miami coach Michael Haywood said. “He played last week on special teams and he’s going to play again this week … He’s going to play at tailback.”
Lawson will be either the first or second tailback in Saturday’s home game against Northern Illinois. Senior Andre Bratton hasn’t practiced all week (he has a turf toe injury) and won’t play against the Huskies.
Lawson was impressive in his last appearance at tailback, when he ran for 43 yards on seven carries at Western Michigan. Although Lawson played mostly against WMU’s second string, it has surprised some that Lawson had not carried the ball against Kent State, Cincinnati, Northwestern or Ohio.
The RedHawks ran the ball well against Kent State and Northwestern, but struggled in the other two games, rushing for only 30 yards against Cincinnati and 52 yards at Ohio.
Bratton, who has been in and out of the lineup all season, will be missed. His 4.3-yard average per carry is by far the best among Miami runners who have touched the ball at least 10 times.
“He runs with his eyes,” Haywood said of Bratton. “(Other running backs) don’t understand the process of running with your eyes and having your body follow.”
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Miami receivers don’t have speed to burn
By Pete Conrad
When a healthy Dustin Woods and Eugene Harris were lining up at wide receiver for the Miami RedHawks, opposing defensive backs had to be extremely careful. This was a receiving corps that had speed to burn.
Now the situation has changed, and according to Miami coach Michael Haywood,opposing defensive backs look at the RedHawks’ receivers and “realize you can’t run by me.”
Woods and Harris have seen their production drop dramatically by nagging hamstring injuries. Woods has missed the last two games and Harris is questionable for this weekend’s contest against Northern Illinois.
“Right now we’re not very fast at wide receiver,” Haywood said.
The one healthy speedster among the Miami pass catchers is true freshman Luke Swift, who has 4.8 speed, Haywood said. But Swift has seen limited action, catching only two passes for 15 yards.
Miami’s veteran receivers, at least those healthy enough to play like Armand Robinson, Jamal Rogers (who is about three-quarters speed, according to Haywood), Brayden Coombs and Andrew Cruse, are more possession-type receivers.
That could have an impact on the way Miami uses its passing attack this weekend.
“We have to create more schemes with intermediate routes and possession throws,” Haywood said.
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Miami coach looks at last weekend’s non-sack
By Pete Conrad
One of the more unusual developments in a play in recent memory for Miami University football took place in the first quarter of last week’s 28-7 loss at Ohio when strong safety Jordan Gafford had Bobcats quarterback Theo Scott wrapped up in his arms and after a few seconds released him without taking him to the ground.
Scott, still on his feet, scrambled far to his left and threw an incomplete pass but was hit out of bounds and Miami was penalized with a personal foul. A few plays later the Bobcats scored their first touchdown.
“We get a roughing the passer penalty on No. 93 (Martin Channels),” Miami coach Michael Haywood said, “so instead of third-and-100 they have first-and-goal (at the 3-yard line).”
The genesis of Gafford’s part in the play is the NCAA’s desire to protect its quarterbacks by creating stricter rules about hitting and tackling quarterbacks.
Gafford apparently was trying not to commit a personal foul because he thought Scott might have gotten rid of the ball.
“The quarterback does a good job of faking throws by pumping his hands,” Haywood said, who added that he told Gafford afterward “If you think that’s happening, look up and club his hand (to knock the ball loose if it’s still there). They can’t call it if you club his hand.”
It’s ironic that the play ended with a personal foul by another player when a personal foul was exactly what Gafford was trying to avoid.
Haywood did not rip Gafford for the mistake. In fact, he made it clear that Gafford, a team co-captain, “is a great kid and wonderful player” who rarely makes mistakes.
Besides, it’s difficult to blame a player whose instinct was not to throw an opposing player to the ground unnecessarily and perhaps hurt his own team with a red-zone penalty.
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RedHawks’ Tomassoni wins CCHA honor
Miami defenseman Matt Tomassoni has been named the Central College Hockey Association Defensive Player of the Week.
Tomassoni, a sophomore from Carol Stream, Ill., scored goals in both of Miami’s games last week — a 6-3 win and 5-5 tie against New Hampshire. Tomassoni also had a plus-4 rating for the RedHawks, the No. 1 in the nation in all of the major polls.
Miami (3-0-1) opens CCHA play this weekend at home vs. Michigan State.
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Report card: Miami at Ohio
Pass offense
C
Considering that quarterback Zach Dysert started the day without veteran wide receivers Chris Givens and Dustin Woods and ended it without veteran wide receiver Eugene Harris, it could have been worse. The pass protection wasn’t bad, with only three sacks, although Dysert made a miraculous escape from that pass rush when he dropped back on fourth-and-1, from the Ohio 45-yard line in the second quarter, and found about five Bobats waiting for him. I’m still not sure how he got away. Too bad that his completed pass to Thomas Merriweather went for a loss of 5 yards. On the plus side, it was good to see Jamal Rogers (four catches for 19 yards) back in action.
Run offense
F
Miami finished the day with 52 yards on 32 carries. “It makes you one-dimensional,” RedHawks coach Michael Haywood said, not for the first time, of his team’s struggles running the football. Now, it’s true that Miami was without injured tailback Andre Bratton. It’s also true that the Bobcats have a pretty good defense. But Miami’s longest run Saturday was 6 yards. This isn’t Ray Lewis, Dick Butkus and Lawrence Taylor who are lining up against them.
Pass defense
D
Theo Scott completed 15-of-28 passes for 163 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. There was little pressure and no sacks. Gafford made a mental error when he had Scott in his grasp and then released him, obviously thinking the play was over or Scott no longer had the ball. Gafford, however, makes few mistakes and he certainly won’t make that one again.
Run defense
F
The Bobcats did pretty much what they wanted with their running game even though their best tailback, Chris Garrett, was injured. That second drive, the first two plays, gains of 41 yards and 33 yards. It doesn’t get much worse than that.
Special teams
F
A blocked punt, the third of the season. That earns an automatic F, even though Chris DiCesare averaged 42.5 yards on the six punts which were not blocked
Intangibles
F
The RedHawks are leading 7-0 following a picture-prefect drive and for the first 11 minutes they seem like they are in total control. And then something happens. Somehow, they lose their edge. At Ohio University. That’s troubling.
— Pete Conrad
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Final score: Ohio 28, Miami 7
By Pete Conrad
The Ohio Bobcats beat the Miami RedHawks 28-7 today at Peden Stadium.
That’s 12 straight losses for the RedHawks, who are 0-7 overall, 0-3 in the Mid-American Conference this season.
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Bobcats stretch lead over RedHawks to 28-7
By Pete Conrad
A 1-yard touchdown run by Donte Harden has given the Ohio Bobcats a 28-7 lead over the Miami RedHawks with 12:15 left in the fourth quarter today at Peden Field.
It was the second touchdown run by Harden, who wasn’t even listed on the media two-deep chart for the Bobcats and yet has rushed for more than 100 yards today.
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Miscues mark third period of Miami-Ohio game
By Pete Conrad
Two botched snaps on field goal attempts in the third quarter prevented the Ohio Bobcats from widening their 14-point lead over the Miami RedHawks. Ohio takes a 21-7 lead into the fourth period.
The Bobcats lined up for a 46-yard field goal attempt early in the period and a 20-yard attempt late. Kicker Matt Weller never got his foot on the ball.
Midway through the period Miami’s Mitchell Anderson fumbled a punt, which was recovered by the Bobcats at the RedHawks’ 23-yard line, but on the next play Ohio’s Theo Scott was intercepted by Jerrell Wedge.
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Ohio surges to 21-7 halftime lead over Miami
By Pete Conrad
The Ohio Bobcats have scored 21 unanswered points to take a 21-7 halftime lead over the Miami RedHawks.
Ohio scored on a 7-yard touchdown pass from Theo Scott to Terrence McCrae, their second touchdown connection of the second quarter, with 39 seconds left in the half.
Miami, which has been hurt by penalties, especially on defense, held a 7-0 lead when Zac Dysert capped 10-play, 80-yard touchdown drive with a 1-yard quarterback sneak.
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Miami defense falters at Ohio U.
By Pete Conrad
The Ohio Bobcats took a 14-7 lead over the Miami RedHawks on a 24-yard touchdown pass from Theo Scott to Terrence McCrae with 8:05 left in the second period.
Ohio scored on a two-play, 43-yard drive after the Bobcats had returned a punt 19 yards, after which Miami was flagged 15 yards for a late hit out of bounds. The Bobcats then picked up 19 yards on a run by Gary Fortune to set up the touchdown.
In the first period Miami’s defense had been burned on back-to-back runs of 41 and 33 yards by Donte Harden, who capped the drive with a 1-yard touchdown plunge.
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RedHawks, Bobcats tied early in second quarter
By Pete Conrad
The Ohio Bobcats scored on a 1-yard touchdown run by Donte Harden with 1:08 left in the first quarter and the game between the Bobcats and Miami RedHawks is tied 7-7 with 10:00 left in the second period.
Miami struck first on a 1-yard touchdown run by Zac Dysert with 10:07 remaining in the first quarter.
The RedHawks picked up a couple first downs on its second drive, converting a fourth-and-1 from their own 40-yard line with a 2-yard sneak by Dysert, but his next play, a long pass, was intercepted by Shannon Ballard at the Ohio 17.
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Miami scores early TD at Ohio U.
By Pete Conrad
For the first time this season, the Miami RedHawks scored on a first-quarter touchdown drive, capped by Zac Dysert’s 1-yard run with 10:07 left in the period to give the RedHawks a 7-0 lead.
Armand Robinson caught passes of 24 and 26 yards on the drive.
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Gafford: Miami’s new coach, QB making a difference
By Pete Conrad
Miami co-captain Jordan Gafford said he is impressed with the way coach Michael Haywood and quarterback Zac Dysert have inspired confidence among the players.
“I really like coach Haywood a lot,” Gafford said. “If I had to describe him in one word, it would be discipline. He told us the first day he got here that’s the one thing he’s going to bring. He didn’t lie to us, that’s for sure.”
Over each of the previous three weeks, Haywood had suspended a player for a week for various violations of team rules (Jordain Brown, Caleb Bostic and Ben Bennett).
“He really came in and set a standard of what’s acceptable and what’s unacceptable in the way you approach football, the way you approach life and the way you approach academics,” Gafford said. “There are clear, set standards now, and that’s what we needed. We needed somebody to come in here and really straighten things out, to put discipline back into this program. He’s definitely done that. ‘
Gafford said he also has been impressed with Dysert.
“He’s one of those guys who works really hard and is a guy the team really likes and respects,” Gafford said. “He fires the team up when he runs the ball, isn’t scared to get hit, doesn’t slide all the time … It’s easy to follow him and be on his side and in his corner and we’re really excited about his future as a quarterback here.”
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RedHawks might get Svabik back on the field
By Pete Conrad
Miami University defensive tackle D.J. Svabik, who hasn’t played due to a medical problem since Sept. 19 when he started at Western Michigan, appears to be on the verge of getting back on the field.
“He’s a little out of shape, due to his situation, but he’s in great spirits and ran with the team (Sunday),” Miami coach Michael Haywood said. “We are looking forward to getting him back.”
Doctors had located a spot on Svabik’s lung and after a few tense days diagnosed it as a relatively benign fungus.
Svabik, a 6-foot-6, 281-pound junior from Van Wert, has played in two games. He has two tackles, including one for a 4-yard loss.
Last year Svabik played in 11 games and started four, including both of the RedHawks’ victories (over Charleston Southern and Bowling Green).
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Miami’s costly timeout wasn’t Dysert’s fault, Haywood said
By Pete Conrad
One of the several key mistakes in the Miami RedHawks’ 16-6 loss at Northwestern last Saturday came with 21 seconds left in the first half when they were forced to expend their final timeout following an incomplete pass by quarterback Zac Dysert.
Although the game clock was stopped, the RedHawks took too long to get the next play started and were forced to call timeout to avoid a penalty when the play clock came close to running out.
The loss of that timeout came back to haunt Miami. After Dysert completed a 22-yard pass to Brayden Coombs to the Northwestern 18-yard line, he spiked the ball with 11 seconds remaining in the half.
Dysert then scrambled around, looking for a receiver, found none, and decided to run. He was tackled in bounds at the 11-yard line with 3 seconds left and, with no timeouts remaining, the clock ran out and prevented Miami from attempting what probably would have been a 28-yard field goal.
Miami coach Michael Haywood said the fault for using up that final timeout lay with him and his staff, not Dysert. The next play that had been called was complicated and time-consuming, not an ideal situation for a redshirt freshman like Dysert.
“You cannot do that with a young quarterback,” Haywood said. “He gets in the huddle, he calls the play, and then he has to call it again.
“That cost us a field goal opportunity,” he said.
And maybe a touchdown.
“You can get two plays off in 11 seconds,” Haywood noted.
A false-start penalty earlier in the half when Miami had the ball at the Northwestern 28-yard line also cost the RedHawks a chance to score three and maybe seven points.
And in the third quarter Miami was on the march again, with a second-and-7 from the Northwestern 42-yard line, when the WIldcats stripped the ball, recovered the fumble and returned it 27 yards to the RedHawks’ 27-yard line. Four plays later Northwestern scored a touchdown, a possible swing of 10 or 14 points.
Those three sequences cost the RedHawks, potentially, a total of 28 point (three touchdowns they might have scored but didn’t, one touchdown the Wildcats might not have scored but did).
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Haywood hopes Miami can avoid tedious travel
By Pete Conrad
After a pretty grim bus ride to the northern suburbs of Chicago last weekend, coach Michael Haywood is taking no chances with his Miami RedHawks and this weekend’s game at Ohio University.
“After that 8-hour, 18-minute ride over to Chicago last week, we’re going to make sure we leave earlier,” Haywood said today during his weekly press conference. “We’ll make sure we don’t get stuck in Columbus. We’re going to make sure in our scheduling process that we’re going to miss (heavy) traffic.”
The RedHawks flew to Boise, Idaho earlier this season. That trip must have seemed like a lark to the RedHawks compared to the much shorter (in distance) trip to Chicago. The team was bottled up in its bus for almost 3 hours just in the Chicago area.
Part of the problem was unbelievably heavy traffic — I spent almost 2 hours moving 2 miles on I-90/I-94 in the south side of Chicago myself last Friday evening, maybe within honking distance of the team bus. Nope, didn’t see Big Bad Leroy Brown.
Part of the problem for Miami was the bus. It was too tall for some of the underpasses leading to the team’s hotel. I heard that took about an extra 40 minutes.
Under good conditions, it normally takes about 6 hours to get to Evanston. But driving conditions are seldom good around Chicago.
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Sweep keeps RedHawks at top of poll
The Miami University hockey team retained its spot at the top of the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll.
The RedHawks, who swept St. Cloud State 3-2 and 2-0 over the weekend to open the season, received 24 of 33 first-place votes by coaches in the poll released Monday, Oct. 12. Miami received 496 total points, followed closely by No. 2 Boston University (470). The Terriers (0-0) received the other nine first-place votes.
Denver (1-1) is third, followed by North Dakota (2-0-0) and Michigan (1-1-0).
View the complete poll here: http://tinyurl.com/yablymu
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MIAMI HOCKEY:
Empty net for St. Cloud…. less than 10 seconds to go.
RedHawks win! Final score 2-0
That makes Miami University now 2-0-0 for the early season. St. Cloud drops to 0-2-0.
Miami’ next game is Oct. 16 when they’ll play at New Hampshire.
The RedHawks’ next home game will be Oct. 23 when they’ll host CCHA opponent Michigan State for a 7:05 p.m. start.
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MIAMI SCORES..twice
On a power play, Miami’s No. 19 Jarod PAlmer…..assisted by Andy Miele and Reilly Smith…
ANOTHER GOAL! The announcer no sooner got out who scored the first goal when Miami’s No. 10 Mantha knocked ina second goal! Assited by Palmer and Will Weber at 4:42 into the period.
Cady Arena is rockin’ now! Miami leads 2-0 with 13:02 to go.
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MIAMI HOCKEY: Second Period score….
And they STILL haven’t scored!
There’s been lots of fireworks, as several shoving matches … before and after the official’s whistles have blown … have occurred. A good fight broke out with just over 15 seconds to go in the second period.
Miam’s Curtis Mackenzie had St. Cloud’s Garrett Raboin down on the ice just to the right of the Huskies’ bench. Soon several other players got involved in the melee.
When it was all finished, three Miami players and SC’s Raboin found themselves in the penalty box. Miami’s Jarod Palmer will 1:45 left on his 2:00 kneeing penalty when play continues in the third period of regulation play. Helping him keep the penalty box seat warm are left wing Curtis McKenzie (2:00 for roughing after the whistle) and left defenseman Cameron Schilling (2:00 roughing after the whistle).
St. Cloud’s Raboin was also in the penalty box for roughing after the whistle.
Foreigner’s “Cold As Ice” played as the refs worked to sort out all the penalties.
SHOTS ON GOAL: Miami leads with 16 shots to 13 for St. Cloud, but the Huskies outshot Miami in the second period, 9-8.
GOALIE SAVES: St. Cloud’s Mike Lee has 16 saves, 8 in each period so far. Miami’s Connor Knapp has 13 saves, nine coming in the second period.
PENALTIES PENALTIES PENALTIES: Miami has been whistled nine times; St. Cloud has been whistled seven times.
Third period starts in 4 minutes. If you have any questions you’d like me to ask a Miami player or their coach, Enrico Blasi, feel free to pass them along. If they’re respectful I’ll consider asking them. Send questions to:; jbombatch@coxohio.com
Thanks for reading my blog! — JB
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MIAMI HOCKEY: First period score…
0-0!
Miami is ahead on shots on goal, 8-4, but neither team seems able to stage any kind of a breakaway opportunity. Several penalties early on.
Officials spoke with St. Cloud’s captain Garrett Raboin and Miami captain Tommy Wingels for a couple minutes after the period had come to a close.
There’s a pretty good crowd on hand for tonight’s game. Right now several youth figure skaters are demonstrating their new-found skills that they’ve acquired from lessons at the Goggin Ice Arena.
No sign of the zamboni yet, so they’re safe for now.
Some first-period statistics:
Penalty Summary Miami (5) Will Weber 2:00 Interference Matt Tomassoni 2:00 cross checking Tomassoni 2:00 Roughing after the whistle Tommy Wingels 2:00 Unsportsmanlike conduct Jarod Palmer 2:00 Cross checking
St. Cloud State (4) Mitch Ryan 2:00 Holding Aaron Marvin 2:00 cross checking Chris Hepp 2:00 Kneeing Sam Zabkowicz 2:00 Hooking
Miami’s Alden Hirschfield led the RedHawks with three shots on goal. Wingels was next with two.
Brian Volpei led the Huskies with two shots on goal.
Three of Miami’s shots were taken during the team’s one power-play opportunity. St. Cloud had one power play but failed to get off a shot on goal.
The RedHawks appear to be the more physical of the two teams thus far. Whenever a St. Cloud player looks to be driving into RedHawk territory, there’s usually a Miami player on hand to plant the Huskies player into the boards.
There was one collision of note at mid-ice between St. Cloud’s No. 16 Nick Oslund and Miami’s 17 (Andy Miele) or it might’ve been Miami’s No. 27 Matt Tomassoni. Sorry, I’m not positive. The collision seemed inadvertent, but Oslund appeared to get the worst of it. Unable to get back up onto his skates, the St. Cloud player made a vain attempt to crawl to the Huskies sideline before play was stopped. No word on the player’s condition at this time.
Second half starts in 3:13.
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ICE HOCKEY: Line-ups
6:30 until faceoff. The lights go down and both teams enter the arena.
The crowd is slowly filing in, not quite full at this point.
starting lineups:
St. Cloud GK Mike Lee Def. Brett Barta Def. Garrett Raboin LW Jared Festler C Garrett Roe RW Brian Volpei
Miami GK Connor Knapp Def. Cameron Schilling Def. Chris Wideman LW Alden Hirschfield C Carter Camper RW Tommy Wingels
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MIAMI HOCKEY: Game 2 vs. St. Cloud State
Hello from Goggin Arena here on the Miami University campus in Oxford.
Miami University returns to Steve Cady Arena (1-0-0) after Friday night’s exciting 3-2 overtime win. Carter Camper knocked in the winning goal 1:52 into the extra session to give the RedHawks their season opening win.
The RedHawks’ opponent will once again be the St. Cloud State Huskies, ranked 13th in the nation in one college hockey poll and 15th in another. Miami, by the way, is ranked as high as No. 1 in the USA Today poll, fourth in another.
It’s about 10 minutes before the opening faceoff. I hope to provide scoring updates as often as I can tonight. I hope you enjoy the coverage!
John
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Report Card: Miami at Northwestern
REPORT CARD Miami at Northwestern
Pass offense
D
Zach Dysert’s first bad day. It had to come sooner or later, and he’s not the first Miami quarterback to have it come on a Big Ten Conference field. He completed only 16-of-37 passes for 176 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions. He also lost a fumble (which led to a Northwest touchdown) and allowed himself to be tackled in bounds as time ran down at the end of the first half (which cost Miami a chance at a touchdown or field goal). Dysert also was sacked seven times - that makes 17 sacks in two weeks. The fault, according to Mike Haywood, should be spread among the passer, the blockers and the receivers.
Run offense
C-plus
Thomas Merriweather did a nice job running with some strength after Andre Bratton was forced out in the first quarter with turf toe. Merriweather had a 16-yard run, his longest of the season, and finished with 52 yards on the ground after getting only 88 in his first five games. Dysert also did well on some, though obviously not all, scrambles and had 63 net rushing yards.
Pass defense
A-minus
Quarterback Mike Kafka had been hot, completing 71 percent of his passes over the three previous weeks. He wasn’t hot against the Redhawks, completing only 15-of-31 passes with no touchdowns and one interception, by Anthony Kokal. DeAndre Gilmore was a force on defense, making a team-high 12 tackles and breaking up three passes. Kokal finished with 10 tackles, Jordan Gafford had eight tackles (all solos) and broke up two passes, and D.J. Brown also broke up a pass.
Run defense
A
Anytime you hold a Big Ten team, on its home turf, to an average of 3.1 yards rushing, you’re doing something right. A lot of things, as a matter of fact. Jerrell Wedge had seven tackles, all solos. And Gilmore, a junior who has started at outside linebacker for five straight weeks now after seeing very little action during his freshman and sophomore seasons, established a career high with his 12 tackles. Gilmore, Wedge, Gafford and Kokal all could be MAC East Division Defensive Player of the Week candidates.
Special teams
B-minus
The RedHawks downed a punt on the Northwestern 1-yard line, they blocked a field goal, true freshman lineman Anthony Shoemaker intercepted a PAT pass after Northwestern had messed up the extra-point snap, and Miami senior punter Chris DiCesare had a better average (37.6) than Northwestern’s Stefan Demos (35.9). Miami still needs do better on returns, and the RedHawks were unable to convert their own 2-point attempt.
Intangibles
D
The RedHawks spent much of the afternoon doing exactly the things they knew to be poison to their hopes for an upset victory — not protecting the quarterback, multiple turnovers, silly penalties, mistakes in judgement. The RedHawks are young, but at some point they have to stop playing like rookies.
— Pete Conrad
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RedHawks lose to Northwestern
By Pete Conrad
The Miami RedHawks suffered a program-record 11th straight loss by falling to the Northwestern Wildcats 16-6 today, Oct. 10 at Ryan Field.
Miami avoided its third shutout of the season when redshirt freshman quarterback Zac Dysert threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to redshirt freshman wide receiver Andrew Cruse with 1:13 left in the game. The 2-point pass attempt failed.
It was the first career touchdown for Cruse, a graduate of Turpin High School.
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Northwestern takes 16-0 lead over Miami
By Pete Conrad
Northwestern leads Miami 16-0 early in the fourth quarter.
The Wildcats scored on a 1-yard sneak for a touchdown by quarterback Mike Kafka with 1:04 remaining in the third period. The PAT attempt failed.
The RedHawks lost the ball on two turnovers in the third period, an interception and fumble by quarterback Zac Dysert.
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Miami’s Bratton sidelined
By Pete Conrad
Miami senior running back Andre Bratton has not played since the first quarter of today’s game at Ryan Field for the RedHawks due to an apparent ankle injury.
The Northwestern Wildcats, who came up with a second interception against redshirt freshman quarterback Zac Dysert early in the second half, lead the RedHawks 10-0 with 12:01 left in the third quarter.
Bratton has 11 yards rushing on three carries and one reception for 10 yards.
His replacement, Thomas Merriweather, has 33 yards on eight carries.
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Miami trails by 10 at haltime
By Pete Conrad
Neither team scored in the second half, and the Northwestern WIldcats lead the Miami RedHawks 10-0 at halftime today at Ryan Field.
Miami moved deep into Northwestern territory in the final minute of the half but a major mistake by redshirt freshman Zac Dysert, who scrambled instead of throwing the ball away and was tackled at the 11-yard line as time ran out, kept the RedHawks scoreless.
Brayden Coombs had caught a 23-yard pass, giving Miami the ball at the Northwestern 15-yard line with 11 seconds left.
Dysert then spiked the ball, but the RedHawks later were forced to call their final time out with the game clock stopped but the field clock running down.
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Miami trails Northwestern 10-0 after one quarter
By Pete Conrad
A 6-yard touchdown run by quarterback Mike Kafka with 5 seconds left in the first quarter has given the Northwestern Wildcats a 10-0 lead over the Miami RedHawks today at Ryan Field.
The touchdown run followed a personal foul (late hit) penalty called against Miami’s Anthony Kokal.
Northwestern’s Zeke Markshausen caught three passes for 43 yards on the drive.
On the previous possession Miami had driven to the Wildcats’ 28, but a quarterback sack followed by a tipped pass by Zac Dysert which was intercepted at the Northwestern 27 by Nate Williams snuffed out the drive.
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Miami defense hanging tough at Northwestern
By Pete Conrad
Stefan Demos’ 46-yard field goal has produced the only points today at Ryan Field as Northwestern leads Miami 3-0 with 3:18 left in the first period.
Miami’s defense forced Northwestern to punt after allowing just 1 yard on the Wildcats’ second possession.
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RedHawks seem to be mending
By Pete Conrad
The Miami RedHawks’ walking wounded seem to be walking a little more steadily.
Senior defensive tackle Martin Channels, who missed the Cincinnati game with a hamstring injury, is a go to make the trip to Northwestern.
So is junior wideout Jamal Rogers, who missed all but five snaps of the UC game with a high ankle sprain.
“He’s a fast healer,” Miami coach Mike Haywood said of Rogers, who has 18 catches for 143 yards and a touchdown.
Senior wide receiver Dustin Woods also will make the trip, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he will play. Woods, who missed the UC game with a hamstring injury, was guaranteed a spot on this week’s traveling roster because he is a team captain.
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Miami hockey faces tough early schedule
By Pete Conrad
Miami’s hockey team will have to work hard, starting right away, to keep its national preseason rankings of No. 1 (USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine) and No. 4 (USCHO).
“We have one of the toughest schedules in the country,” RedHawks coach Enrico Blasi said today after practice.
It was suggested to Blasi that his defending national runners-up face a couple early stern tests.
“They get don’t any more stern than St. Cloud State and New Hampshire,” Blasi said.
Miami opens with St. Cloud State (ranked 13th by USA Today and 15th by USCHO) at home on Friday and Saturday and then visits No. 16 New Hampshire Oct. 16-17.
By the time the Christmas break arrives, Miami also will have played No. 4 Michigan, No. 5 Notre Dame and No. 18 Ohio State. That’s 10 contests against Top-20 teams by mid-December.
Blasi is wary of St. Cloud State.
“They’re a very talented team, very skilled,” he said. “They’ll eat you up offensively if you turn the puck over. (Ryan) Lasch and (Garrett) Roe are two of the most dynamic players in the country.”
Lasch, a senior forward, and Roe, a junior forward, have 94 career goals between them.
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Bennett suspended by RedHawks
By Pete Conrad
Miami football coach Mike Haywood announced today that “this week Ben Bennett will be suspended from the team for a violation of team rules and regulations.”
Bennett, a junior defensive back, was tied for sixth on the team in total tackles last year with 30 and also returned an interception 78 yards.
Bennett also had been suspended during the 2009 preseason. He has not played in any of Miami’s five games this year.
It was the third straight week a Miami player has been suspended. Two weeks ago it was sophomore defensive lineman Jordain Brown, for a week. Last week it was senior linebacker Caleb Bostic, also for a week.
Brown was back in action last week against the Cincinnati Bearcats.
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Report Card: Cincinnati at Miami
Pass offense
B
Sure, Zac Dysert spent much of the fourth quarter diving for cover, unsuccessfully, when he was sacked six times in that final period. But considering everything, including the fact that Chris Givens, Dustin Woods and Jamal Rogers all were out with injuries, Miami’s passing attack was sharp with its tightly focused short game. Tailback Andre Bratton had career highs in both receptions (11) and passing yardage (90), and wire receiver Armand Robinson finished with 10 catches for 100 yards. In his last three games Robinson has been an absolute machine, hauling in 28 passes.
Run offense
D-plus
Officially, Miami finished with 30 yards on 35 carries. And although the offensive line wasn’t exactly blowing Bearcats away from the trenches, the running game wasn’t quite that bad. The stats reflect Cincinnati’s 10 quarterback sacks for minus-63 yards
Pass defense
B
One of the top-rated passing games in the nation did not light up the RedHawks, who kept a close watch on Mardy Gilyard all day. Gilyard still got loose for six receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown, but that is not one of his best days. And quarterback Tony Pike was good, passing for 270 yards and two touchdowns, but he had no completion longer than 35 yards. A good job by defensive backs Anthony Kokal (13 tackles, one pass break-up), Jordan Gafford (seven tackles, one break-up), Jeff Thompson (six tackles, three break-ups) and Brandon Stephens (four tackles, one break-up).
Run defense
D
It had been more than two years since UC had a running back who gained more than 100 yards. Until Saturday. Overall the Bearcats had 164 yards rushing on 19 carries. That is not good.
Special teams
D
Chris DeCesare’s shanked punt of 6 yards was off set by Eugene Harris’ 36-yard punt return. The failed fake punt early in the second quarter, when Austin Moore ran for it on fourth-and-1 and was stopped for no gain at Miami’s own 27-yard line, and which led to a Cincinnati touchdown, should have been off set by the recovered on-sides kick by the RedHawks, who drove to the UC 3-yard line and then turned the ball over. “There were only six (Bearcats) in the box,” Miami coach Mike Haywood said of his decision to go with the fake punt. “We just didn’t execute. We should have 4-6 yards off that easy.” Tipping the scales was the UC punt, or rather what should have been a punt, late in the first quarter. The Bearcats, leading 6-0, had a fourth-and-8 at the Miami 40-yard line and had lined up to punt. But Miami was called for having 12 players on the field, the ball was moved to the Miami 35, UC changed its mind and decided to go for it, and Pike threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Armon Binns. “That’s not acceptable,” Haywood said of the penalty. “We can’t make those mistakes.”
Intangibles
D
We’re counting two of the special-teams breakdowns — the failed fake punt and the illegal substitution penalty which changed the Bearcats’ minds about punting — in this category, too, because they had such a dramatic impact on the game.
— Pete Conrad
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Final score: Cincinnati 37, Miami 13
By Pete Conrad
The Cincinnati Bearcats pinned their ears back in the fourth quarter and wiped out any thoughts of an upset by the Miami RedHawks. UC’s defense finished with 10 quarterback sacks in a 37-13 win today at Yager Stadium.
Miami’s Zac Dysert completed 33-of-47 passes for 286 yards, one touchdown and two intercepetions.
UC quarterback Tony Pike completed 23-of-42 passes for 270 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
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Ramsey scores third touchdown for UC
By Pete Conrad
Jacob Ramsey scored on his third touchdown run of the day on a 2-yard carry with 11:35 left in the fourth quarter to give the Cincinnati Bearcats a 30-13 lead over the Miami RedHawks today at Yager Stadium.
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Miami trails UC 23-13 going into fourth quarter
By Pete Conrad
The Cincinnati Bearcats take a 23-13 lead over the Miami RedHawks into the fourth quarter today at Yager Stadium.
After Zac Dysert threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Andre Bratton, the RedHawks went for a 2-point conversion and appeared to succeed when Dysert completed a pass in the end zone to Jordan Stevens, but Miami was flagged for offensive pass interference and the PAT kick from 35 yards was wide.
Miami then attemped and recovered an on-sides kick at the Cincinnati 45-yard line and drove to the Bearcats’ 3, but they Dysert threw a pass which was intercepted in the end zone by UC linebacker J.K. Schaffer.
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Miami pulls a little closer to UC
By Pete Conrad
Miami’s Zac Dysert threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Andre Bratton with 5:00 left in the third quarter to pull the RedHawks to within 10 points of the Cincinnati Bearcats, 23-13.
Miami then attempted and recovered an on-sides kick at the Cincinnati 45-yard line. Anthony Kokal made the recovery.
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Cincinnati leads Miami 23-7 at halftime
By Pete Conrad
Miami linebacker DeAndre Gilmore intercepted a pass from Cincinnanti’s Tony Pike on the final play of the first half, and the Bearcats took a 23-7 lead into the locker room.
The Bearcats had driven to Miami’s 31-yard line, but Gilmore made his first career interception at the RedHawks’ 11. Time expired several seconds later as he was run out of bounds.
Miami quarterback Zac Dysert, relying almost exclusively on short, safe passes, has completed 15-of-19 passes for 102 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions.
Pike has completed 15-of-27 passes for 157 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
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Miami gets on the scoreboard
By Pete Conrad
Thomas Merriweather scored on a 1-yard touchdown run for the Miami RedHawks with 4:21 left in the second quarter to slice the Cincinnati Bearcats’ lead to 20-7 today at Yager Stadium.
The drive was aided by a personal-foul penalty on the Bearcats, who hit Dysert out of bounds, and three straight 12-yard gains by the RedHawks (passes to Armand Robinson and Eugene Harris and a scramble by Dysert).
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Game getting away from RedHawks
By Pete Conrad
The Miami RedHawks, who seem bent on self-destruction all of a sudden, gave the ball to the Cincinnati Bearcats in great field position again, this time on a fake punt that was stopped for no gain at Miami’s 27-yard line.
Three plays later Jacob Ramsey scored on a 6-yard touchdown run to give the Bearcars a 20-0 lead with 12:33 left in the second period.
Cincinnati had scored on the final play of the first quarter after a Miami illegal substitution, when the Bearcats had the ball on fourth-and-8 from the Miami 40, moved the ball to the 35 and changed UC’s mind about punting the ball away.
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UC takes 13-0 lead into second quarter
By Pete Conrad
The Cincinnati Bearcats lead the Miami RedHawks 13-0 heading into the second quarter today at Yager Stadium.
UC scored on a 35-yard touchdown pass from Tony Pike to Armon Binns on the final play of the period.
Miami seemed to have UC stopped when the Bearcats faced fourth-and-8 from the RedHawks’ 40-yard line. Cincinnati lined up for a punt, but Miami was flagged for an illegal substitution and the Bearcats decided to go for the first down. The result of the play was Pike’s TD pass.
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UC works hard for 6-0 lead over Miami
By Pete Conrad
After being forced to punt on their first possession, the Cincinnati Bearcats took a 6-0 lead over the Miami RedHawks on their second drive with 4:12 left in the first quarter today at Yager Stadium.
Jacob Ramsey scored on a 4-yard touchdown run to cap a 13-play, 86-yard drive. The attempted PAT kick by Jake Rogers was wide.
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Miami’s Jordain Brown is back after brief absence
By Pete Conrad
Miami sophomore defensive lineman Jordain Brown, who missed last week’s game at Kent State for disciplinary reasons, apparently is back in the good graces of head coach Mike Haywood.
Brown was suspended for the game “due to an incident last Thursday,” Haywood said.
“I think he has great leadership abilities,”Haywood said of Brown. “Sometimes when young men aren’t playing they get frustrated and do certain things they shouldn’t do.
“We welcomed Jordain back Sunday and he had a great day Sunday,” Haywood said. “I really like Jordain Brown. I told him ‘I have to discipline you like your mother would discipline you.’ “
