The goal was a breakout performance against a winless opponent. The reality was another struggle for Miami University’s football team.

Getting outgained for the fourth straight week, the RedHawks still managed to snag a homecoming victory and began Mid-American Conference East Division play with a 27-16 triumph over Massachusetts at Yager Stadium.

“In the MAC, the margin of error from top to bottom is very small,” MU coach Don Treadwell said. “You have to earn every victory. There are no gimmes.”

Quarterback Zac Dysert had a hand in all four touchdowns and Miami chewed up 216 yards on the ground, evening its record at 2-2 despite losing the yardage battle 471-408 before an announced crowd of 15,159.

The Minutemen (0-4), in their first season of Football Bowl Subdivision competition, had been outscored 145-19 in their opening three contests.

“I’m very pleased with our effort and attitude across the board,” Treadwell said. “We’ve got a good senior class, and I think that’s what’s showing right now.”

Dysert completed 12-of-22 passes for 192 yards and three touchdowns. Two of his TD tosses went to Dawan Scott (three catches, 92 yards). One went to Spencer Treadwell.

The RedHawks’ ground attack was boosted by Dysert, who had 76 yards and a score on 12 carries, and true freshman Jamire Westbrook, who ran 17 times for 105 yards.

“We saw some things in their defense. We game-planned for it, and we got what we wanted from it,” Dysert said of MU’s running success. “The offensive line played awesome. They controlled the line of scrimmage.”

Michael Cox turned in a bruising performance for UMass, rushing 30 times for 188 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Mike Wegzyn was 19-of-40 for 213 yards and got picked off thrice (by Dayonne Nunley, Justin Bowers and D.J. Brown).

The visitors trailed 14-3 at halftime. In those first two periods, they had a touchdown negated by a penalty and a missed field goals. They also turned the ball over on downs twice inside the Miami 30.

“We moved the ball with confidence somewhat effectively. We just couldn’t finish it for whatever reasons,” UMass coach Charley Molnar said. “I know we’re getting better, so I expected a better performance today. It didn’t matter who we were playing. I expected us to start to show the fruits of our labor.”

The Minutemen certainly competed better Saturday, yet Molnar didn’t view that as a moral victory.

“I lump this with the other three. It’s a loss,” he said. “I told the players, ‘Let the coaches find the positives and point them out.’ I didn’t walk off that field feeling very positive.”

UMass dodged a bullet at the beginning of the second half when the RedHawks nearly executed an onside kick, but on the first play from scrimmage, Wegzyn was intercepted by Bowers.

Miami then drove 44 yards for a touchdown, Dysert’s 7-yard scamper, to make it 21-3.

Molnar liked much of what Wegzyn did Saturday. That interception wasn’t among the positives.

“He started thinking maybe he was more Superman than he is,” Molnar said. “You could just feel the winds leave our sails when that happened. I’m not sure we ever got it back after that.”

Chris Wade racked up 11 total tackles, Wes Williams had 10, and Nunley and Bowers added nine apiece for Miami. It was the third straight double-digit tackle effort by Wade, an outside linebacker.

“My confidence is through the roof right now,” Wade said. “It’s basically trusting what the coaches say and trusting myself and not second-guessing myself.”

MU resumes MAC East play at Akron next Saturday afternoon.