Flash player is required to view weather conditions. Download

site web  

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The Miami University football team is getting really good at giving the heebie-jeebies to the Big Ten Conference, but for the third straight year, it turned out to be nothing more than a good scare.

The Michigan Wolverines, after threatening to blow Miami out of the water early in the first quarter, were forced to hang on to defeat the RedHawks 16-6 on Saturday, Sept. 6, at Michigan Stadium.

"It's frustrating. It feels like déjà vu three times over," said RedHawks senior guard Dave DiFranco, who watched Miami lose at Purdue 38-31 in overtime in 2006, watched Miami lose at Minnesota 41-35 in overtime in 2007, and watched Miami come inches within tying the score against Michigan midway through the third quarter.

"I'd rather win ugly than lose pretty," said Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez, whose Wolverines (1-1) claimed their first victory for the first-year head coach. "We made a few good plays in the end, and our defense played great. We'll take it."

Miami (0-2) got a scare itself when quarterback Daniel Raudabaugh was forced out of the game with 6:31 left in the fourth quarter after he took a hard shot to the head.

"I think he'll be OK," Miami coach Shane Montgomery said. "We're not sure if it's a concussion. We'll just monitor him over the next couple days."

The RedHawks defense was magnificent, holding Michigan scoreless over eight straight possessions from the middle of the first quarter to the middle of the fourth quarter.

Only one thing prevented Miami from achieving greatness, from scoring a major upset victory — coming up with a big play in "The Big House."

The RedHawks averaged only 1.5 yards per running attempt, completed only one pass longer than 25 yards, and came away with only six points after moving to the Michigan 6-yard line not once, but twice.

"We had some opportunities," Montgomery said.

Miami didn't even cross midfield until Raudabaugh threw a 42-yard pass down the middle to wide receiver Dustin Woods to the Michigan 9-yard line. Three plays later, Nathan Parseghian's 27-yard field goal cut the Wolverines' lead to 10-3 with 3:58 left in the half.

A 23-yard field goal by Parseghian made it 10-6 with 6:37 remaining in the third quarter. The RedHawks had moved to the Wolverines' 6 with the help of three third-down conversions, including two passes to Jamal Rogers. Miami came within an eyelash of scoring a game-tying touchdown, but Raudabaugh's pass to Chris Givens in the Michigan end zone glanced off his hands.

"Daniel made a great throw in the corner of the end zone that Givens got stripped on," Montgomery said.

Michigan answered with an 87-yard scoring drive capped by Brandon Minor's 15-yard touchdown run with 8:12 to go. K.C. Lopata missed the PAT kick, but Michigan had its breathing room back.

Michigan took a 10-0 lead a little more than seven minutes into the game with a 9-yard touchdown run by quarterback Steven Threet and a 47-yard field goal by Lopata.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2197

or pconrad@coxohio.com.