NIU coach sees a bright future for RedHawks

Kill sees Miami as a threat despite its struggles the past couple of weeks.

OSU kicker thrust into rose-hued spotlight
3:00 a.m.
OSU looking to extend winning streak over UM
11/21/09
Coles dismayed as RedHawks lose again
11/21/09
Miami hockey blanks Western Michigan 3-0
11/21/09
Miami volleyball advances in MAC tourney
11/21/09
> More sports headlines

By Pete Conrad, Staff Writer 1:28 AM Saturday, October 24, 2009

OXFORD — Right now, timing is everything to Northern Illinois football coach Jerry Kill.

Frankly, he couldn’t care less that his team is a 13-point favorite to beat Miami University today, Oct. 24.

Or that the RedHawks have lost a program-record 12 straight games.

Or that in a comparison of common opponents, NIU won by 35 points over a Western Michigan team that defeated Miami by 22 points.

Kill sounded slightly concerned when he said it’s just a matter of time before Miami puts it all together.

“They’re starting to get an identity,” Kill said of the RedHawks. “Defensively, they’re very physical. They run and play hard. I think they’re getting better ... I see good things on the horizon for this football team. I just hope it isn’t against us this week.”

The RedHawks’ identity — that of a young, hungry team with a sound defense that is creeping closer to that first win for coach Michael Haywood — took a hit last week with an unimpressive 28-7 loss at Ohio.

It was a clear step back for Miami, though Kill didn’t seem to notice.

“Fundamentally, they’re playing very good football,” said Kill, who apparently doesn’t include turnovers, penalties and the ability to run the ball on his list of fundamentals.

“You can say what you want,” Kill said, “they have played a very, very, very difficult schedule, and I think the coach has done a great job of keeping his kids in the wheelbarrow, so to speak, and have them get better each week.”

NIU ranks third in the Mid-American Conference in rushing defense, which is bad news for a Miami running game that ranks 12th out of 13.

“Defensively they line up and play good, solid defense,” Haywood said of the Huskies. “They’re not a big blitzing team.

“It’s really not about what they do, it’s about what we do on offense,” he pointed out. “We’ve got to do a better job of running our offense. We didn’t play with confidence (at Ohio), which is really surprising when you take the first drive of the game and go down the field and score.”

After an outburst which saw the RedHawks score 45 points in six quarters against Western Michigan and Kent State, their offense is sputtering again, having scored just 13 points in its last two games.

Many of Miami’s veteran skill players have struggled with injuries. Over the last two games, tailback Andre Bratton (turf toe) and wideouts Dustin Woods (hamstring) and Eugene Harris (hamstring) have totaled just 58 yards, and all three are expected to be out today.