The start of Mid-American Conference play is coming at the right time for Miami University’s football team.

The RedHawks are bruised, battered and coming off their second blowout loss in three weeks, a 39-12 setback at Boise State over the weekend. Now winless Massachusetts will come to Yager Stadium for a noon homecoming contest Saturday.

“The way we see it, all of our goals are still ahead of us. They’re still tangible,” Miami quarterback Zac Dysert said. “So the MAC starts (this) week, and that’s when our real challenge begins.”

While the RedHawks are 1-2, UMass is 0-3 and hasn’t been within sniffing distance of a victory in 2012, its first season in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

The Minutemen lost to Connecticut 37-0, fell to Indiana 45-6, then lost to Michigan 63-13. The trip to Oxford will be the first-ever MAC contest for UMass.

Miami gave up 599 yards to Boise State. The RedHawks are allowing an average of 495.3 yards per game.

“It starts with the players,” MU outside linebacker Pat Hinkel said. “We’ve got to tackle. Too many missed tackles, including me. You’ve got to wrap up, and we’ll work on that in practice.”

Miami played without star receiver Nick Harwell against BSU, and his status for the rest of the season is unknown. Coach Don Treadwell has refused to say anything about Harwell beyond the fact that he’s sidelined with a leg injury (Harwell confirmed last week that it was a knee issue).

The RedHawks are 42-21-1 in MAC openers, but have lost five of their last seven. They are 60-31-4 in homecoming games, also losing five of their last seven.