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September 2010
Miami faces nation’s top-ranked run defense
The Miami RedHawks have been very good at stopping the run this season, except for their 51-13 loss at Missouri where the Tigers gained 236 yards on the ground.
The RedHawks still are ranked 23rd in the nation in run defense. But on Saturday they’ll be facing the nation’s top-ranked run defense.
That’s right, Kent State leads the nation, allowing only 61.3 yards per game and only 1.8 yards per rush.
“We’re got some young defensive linemen who’ve come in and surprised us with how well they’ve been able to play,” Kent State coach Doug Martin said. “That’s been a big factor for us being as good as we are.”
Kent State’s defense got off to a spectacular start when it held Murray State to minus-65 yards rushing in a 41-10 victory. Boston College beat KSU 26-13 the following week but was held to 87 yards and a 2.2-yard per carry average. The Flashes were respectable in a 24-0 loss at Penn State on Sept. 18; the Nittany Lions ran for 162 yards with a 4.1 average.
Kent State did not play last weekend.
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TweetMiami picked first and second in CCHA polls
Miami University’s hockey team has been picked to finish first in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association media poll and second in the CCHA coaches poll, the league office announced today.
The RedHawks, the defending CCHA regular-season champions, were the overwhelming favorite in the media poll, receiving 57 out of 75 first-place votes.
Michigan, however, received eight first-placed votes in the coaches poll. Miami got three.
Following are the results of each poll:
Media poll — 1. Miami 877 total points (57 first-place votes); 2. Michigan 825 (17); 3. Michigan State 651 (1); 4. Alaska 618; 5. Notre Dame 567; 6. Ferris State 546; 7. Northern Michigan 536; 8. Ohio State 428; 9. Lake Superior State 312; 10. Western Michigan 225; 11. Bowling Green 190
Coaches poll — 1. Michigan 108 points (8 first-place votes); 2. Miami 103 (3); 3. Alaska 81; 4. Michigan State 76; 5. Notre Dame 75; 6. Northern Michigan 65; 7. Ferris State 64; 8. Ohio State 56; 9. Lake Superior State 35; 10. Western Michigan 29; 11. Bowling Green 23
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TweetMU hockey tickets have gone quickly
The challenge for Miami’s hockey team this season will be the ability to make a third straight trip to the Frozen Four.
The challenge for Miami’s fans interested in purchasing tickets for home games this season, and being able to sit down, is only a little less daunting.
Single-game tickets for Miami’s 2010-11 home season went on sale last week and were almost completely sold out within an hour, the school announced.
The number of single-game ticket orders was much higher this season than in the past two years. A line started at the Miami athletic ticket office window in Millett Hall at 6 a.m. There was a larger walk-up crowd for tickets and the ticket office fielded more calls than in 2009.
For those unable to buy single-game tickets, the ticket office recommends purchasing standing-room only tickets for the series in which you’re interested, if tickets are available. Fans can then upgrade from standing-room only tickets for just $5 per adult ticket should seats become available at a later date.
Single-game tickets do sometimes become obtainable for purchase during the week prior to a weekend series, should the visiting team return tickets or other circumstances arise.
The athletic ticket office recommends calling during the week of a home series to see the likelihood of tickets opening up; often it is not known until Thursday or Friday of that week whether any additional tickets will be available. For more popular series, such as the Michigan series, the likelihood of tickets becoming available is much slimmer.
For questions regarding hockey tickets, contact the ticket 0ffice at 513-529-HAWK or 1-866-MUHAWKS.
The RedHawks begin the season Sunday, Oct. 3 with an exhibition against Waterloo at 3:05 p.m. and will open regular-season play Oct. 8-9 at home against New Hampshire.
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TweetMiami lands four on preseason All-CCHA team
Four Miami RedHawks have been voted onto the preseason All-Central Collegiate Hockey Association team, the league announced this afternoon. RedHawk players took three of the six positions on the first team.
Senior forward Andy Miele, junior defenseman Chris Wideman and senior goaltender Cody Reichard, last season’s CCHA Player of the Year, were named to the first team.
Senior forward Carter Camper was selected to the second team for the RedHawks, the defending CCHA regular-season champion. This is Camper’s third consecutive appearance on the preseason team.
Michigan senior forward Carl Hagelin topped the voting, receiving the maximum of 50 points for a unanimous selection.
Other first-team selections were Michigan senior forward Louie Caporusso and Ferris State senior defenseman Zach Redmond.
Michigan tied Miami for most players selected overall with four.
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TweetBad luck continues for Gafford
Jordan Gafford can’t seem to catch a break.
The Miami senior strong safety and co-captain is one of the more likable and capable players on the RedHawks roster, the kind of student-athlete you’d love to have as a friend but not as an opponent. He also is one of the unluckiest.
He suffered a concussion last Saturday at Missouri, according to head coach Michael Haywood, who said Gafford will miss the next two games.
Haywood noted that after Gafford had boarded the team bus following the flight from Missouri, “he was making phone calls to the guy sitting behind him, so he was still pretty dazed. He was a little bit better (on Sunday). But this is his third concussion. I think he had two as a freshman or something like that, so he’s going to be down for at least two weeks.”
Gafford was sensational in 2007, the year Miami played Central Michigan in the Mid-American Conference Championship Game. The next year, however, he missed most of the season after getting injured in the second game at Michigan, and last year sat out the final four games with another injury.
Miami’s current depth chart lists true freshman Dante Taylor as Gafford’s replacement as the starting safety. Senior Peris Edwards, a veteran who missed last season with an injury but who has played in 20 games as a RedHawk, is listed as No. 2 at the position.
“Dante Taylor is a really smart young man,” Haywood said. “He’s a brilliant student, but he’s also a really physical football player. When we had those guys going out during camp with concussions like (wide receiver Chris) Givens, he was the one who was delivering all the concussions. I mean, he’s a flesh bomb.”
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TweetStarting time announced for Miami-UC game
The 115th football game between the Miami RedHawks and Cincinnati Bearcats will begin at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 9 at Nippert Stadium.
The contest will be televised via the internet on ESPN3.com, the Bearcats announced Monday in a news release.
The “Battle for the Victory Bell” in the oldest non-conference rivalry in the United States. The RedHawks lead the all-time series 59-48-7 but UC has won the last two matchups.
ESPN3 is a broadband network for live sports programming.
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TweetMiami ranked No. 3 in preseason hockey poll
Miami University will begin the 2010-11 hockey season in the same place it finished last season in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine top 15 poll — at No. 3.
Defending national champion Boston College was announced on Monday as the top-ranked team in the preseason poll, followed in the top five by North Dakota, Miami, Michigan and Yale.
The RedHawks, who made their second straight Frozen Four appearance last season under coach Enrico Blasi, was one of just three teams to receive first-place votes. Boston College got the overwhelming majority, 28. North Dakota received four and Miami got two.
The RedHawks finished 29-8-7 last season after being defeated 7-1 by Boston College in the national semifinals.
Miami opens the new season with a home series Oct. 8-9 against New Hampshire, which is ranked No. 8 in the poll.
Other ranked teams on Miami’s schedule include Central Collegiate Hockey Association opponents Michigan (Feb. 4-5, at home) and No. 6 St. Cloud State (Oct. 15-16, away).
The RedHawks also face No. 7 Maine in the Florida College Classic on Dec. 29, and in the second game of that tournament on Dec. 30 will play either St. Cloud State or No. 10 Cornell.
The poll is conducted each week in conjunction with the American Hockey Coaches Association. It includes input from coaches and journalists representing each of the five NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey conferences, as well as composite votes from officers of the AHCA and USA Hockey Magazine.
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TweetMiami’s lopsided loss pales in comparison with others
The Miami RedHawks’ 51-13 defeat at Missouri on Saturday was not a highlight-reel kind of day for coach Michael Haywood’s team, but there have been worse.
A look at some other Miami lowlights in ascending order of margin of defeat (it’s no wonder the RedHawks no longer play the Battling Bishops of Ohio Wesleyan):
• Sept. 12, 2009: Boise State 48, Miami 0
• Sept. 16, 1989: Michigan State 49, Miami 0
• Nov. 7, 1987: Miami (Fla.) 54, Miami 3
• Sept. 26, 1931: Pittsburgh 61, Miami 0
• Nov. 5, 1904: Wittenburg 68, Miami 0
• Oct. 1, 1904: Ohio State 80, Miami 0
• Nov. 26, 1891: Ohio Wesleyan 104, Miami 0
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TweetReport Card: Miami at Missouri
Pass offense
C
Zac Dysert completed 20-of-27 passes, which is a high percentage, but the total yardage of 178 isn’t great. And although Armand Robinson caught 10 passes for 99 yards, his first-play fumble set the day’s tailspin in motion.
Run offense
D
A few good runs, 70 net yards and a lost fumble. Not much to show for 34 attempts.
Pass defense
C
Quarterback Blaine Gabbert didn’t fill the air with footballs. He didn’t need to. But when he did pass, he was pretty successful, going 15-for-21 for 187 yards and a touchdown. Pat Hinkel’s interception in the end zone keeps this from being a D.
Run defense
F
The nation’s fifth-ranked run defense allowed 12 yards on Missouri’s first run, 27 yards on Missouri’s second run, 39 yards on Missouri’s third run, 11 yards on Missouri’s fourth run. The Tigers racked up 236 yards and a bunch of touchdowns on the ground.
Special teams
B
Trevor Cook hit 2-of-3 field goal attempts, Robert Partidge hit a punt which rolled out of bounds at the Missouri 6-yard line, DeMarco Paine returned a kickoff 35 yards, and nobody broke a long one for Missouri.
Intangibles
F
The RedHawks fell apart quickly, exactly the big thing they did not let happen at Florida.
— Pete Conrad
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TweetMiami beaten 51-13
The Missouri Tigers defeated the Miami RedHawks 51-13 today, Sept. 25 at Memorial Stadium, ending Miami’s two-game winning streak.
Quarterback Austin Boucher made his Miami debut and threw his first touchdown pass, a 12-yard toss to Jamal Rogers, late in the game.
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TweetAfter three quarters, it’s ugly for RedHawks
The Missouri Tigers hold a 51-6 lead over the Miami RedHawks after three quarters of their non-conference game today, Sept. 25 at Memorial Stadium, also known as Faurot Field.
Miami’s only points have come on a pair of field goals by Trevor Cook.
The RedHawks, who had fumbled only twice and lost none in their first three games, have fumbled four times today, losing both, and both were turned into Missouri touchdowns.
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TweetMiami trails 28-3 at halftime
The Missouri Tigers have taken a 28-3 halftime lead over the Miami RedHawks in a non-conference game today, Sept. 25 at Memorial Field.
The Tigers, who led 21-0 after the first period, made it 28-0 on a 7-yard touchdown run by De’Vion Moore. Defensive end Michael Sam had intercepted a Zac Dysert pass and returned it to Miami’s 38-line.
The RedHawks finally scored on a 23-yard field goal by Trevor Cook, who later missed a 46-yard attempt.
Missouri drove deep into Miami territory in the closing seconds of the half, but Miami free safety Pat Hinkel intercepted a pass from quarterback Blaine Gabbert in the end zone.
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TweetMissouri leads Miami 21-0 after one quarter
The Missouri Tigers lead the Miami RedHawks 21-0 after one quarter today, Sept. 25 at Memorial Stadium.
Miami wideout Armand Robinson fumbled a completed pass from Zac Dysert on the game’s first play from scrimmage and it was returned for a touchdown.
Missouri also scored on two long touchdown runs by Kendial Lawrence (27 yards) and Henry Josey (28 yards) against a Miami run defense that was ranked fifth in the nation.
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TweetSmith injury could ease pressure on Miami, a little
Miami redshirt freshman Josh Harvey, who stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 322 pounds, has a definite advantage in size over whichever Missouri defensive ends he will face on Saturday.
“He matches up pretty well with their defensive ends (whose weights range from 245 to 250 pounds) because their defensive ends are speed guys,” Miami coach Michael Haywood noted. “He’ll have his work cut out for him, but I think Josh will do a good job.”
Missouri’s pass rush took a major hit when it was announced earlier this week that sophomore end Aldon Smith, who had 11.5 sacks last year and three this season, would miss the Miami game with a broken fibula.
The Tigers (3-0) are expected to rotate sophomores Brad Madison (6-4, 250 pounds) and Marcus Malbrough (6-5, 250) and redshirt freshman Michael Sam (6-3, 245) at end. Madison and Sam each have recorded one sack this year.
Harvey will man the right tackle position for Miami and sophomore Matt Kennedy (6-5, 271) is expected to start at left offensive tackle.
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TweetFinally, Miami has fake-punt info on opponent
In terms of making the game of football even more interesting to watch, Miami University’s trick plays on special teams, especially the fake punt, have been a huge success. In terms of those plays actually working, uh, not so much.
Miami coach Michael Haywood hopes that will change this weekend against Missouri for one simple reason.
“We’re fortunate because this week we see two teams (Missouri has) gone against that has the fake punt, McKeese (State) and San Diego State,” he said.
“In our three previous games we had no video tape,” Haywood said. “So we go to practice and we create different rushes (against a fake). We’re seeing a rush this week, probably, that we (saw) the first week vs. Florida.”
Haywood said Miami practiced against that rush against the fake punt by creating the rush out of thin air, not realizing Florida used it. “We didn’t know it was coming. But fortunately enough we’ve already gone against it now, so we already have the answer for it.
“You’d better protect yourself against fakes,” he pointed out. “The first thing going in, we watch all the special teams tape, to see every game, every play to see what tricks have been run. I go through the tape we have from last year to see what tricks have been run. You have to protect yourself against the fakes, whatever the team.
“You have to evaluate their personnel so that when the personnel runs onto the field, you have to make sure it’s the same personnel that’s always been on the field,” Haywood added.
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TweetMiami’s Merriweather expected to play Saturday
Miami University football coach Michael Haywood said this morning, Sept. 22 following practice that senior tailback Thomas Merriweather is “100 percent” likely to play in Saturday’s non-conference road game at Missouri.
Merriweather was removed from last weekend’s game against Colorado State in the first quarter after experiencing blurred vision.
The first three games have been quite a rollercoaster ride for Merriweather, who will be returning to his home state.
The native of Florissant, Mo. (which is just outside St. Louis) was limited to minus-2 yards on 5 carries in the 34-12 loss at Florida, rebounded for 105 yards and three touchdowns in the 28-21 victory at home over Eastern Michigan, and last Saturday ran just one time for minus-1 yard in the 31-10 win over Colorado State.
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TweetRedHawks have a few injuries to deal with
The Miami RedHawks are “pretty healthy” for this weekend’s game at Missouri, according to head coach Michael Haywood. But their health is far from perfect.
In addition to outside linebacker Luke Kelly missing his third straight start due to an injured shoulder, the status of senior tailback Thomas Merriweather is up in the air, senior left guard Bob Gulley is questionable and junior left guard Brandon Brooks is doubtful.
“Merriweather went out in the first quarter (against Colorado State),” Haywood said. “I’m not really sure what happened. He just stated that he couldn’t see. We decided that we weren’t going to put him back in.”
Merriweather, who apparently got hit in the head, carried only one time for minus-1 yard.
“Tracy Woods stepped into his position and did a really good job,” Haywood noted. “Danny Green did a sufficient job when he got in as well.
“Bob Gulley, we’re not sure if he’s going to be back,” Haywood said of his co-captain, who missed last week’s game. “We don’t anticipate Brandon Brooks being back. Jo Jo (Williams) stepped in and did a solid job with one day’s practice. He played the best you can expect a guy to play with one day’s practice.”
Gulley injured an ankle in the second game against Eastern Michigan and was replaced for the rest of that game by Brooks, who had missed the opener at Florida, but Brooks (hamstring) was not able to play against Colorado State. Redshirt freshman John Anevski is expected to make his second straight start at left guard, and Williams also should see more action on the line.
“Jamal Rogers will be back,” Haywood said of his senior wide receiver, who also sat out the Colorado State game. “It was a game-time decision that we decided not to play Jamal Rogers because he was having some adversity prior to the game.
“Other than that, we should be pretty healthy going into this game.”
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TweetMissouri defensive standout to miss Miami game
Sophomore defensive end Aldon Smith, who recorded 11 1/2 sacks last season for Missouri, will miss Saturday’s game against the Miami RedHawks with a fractured fibula in a lower leg, Tigers coach Gary Pinkel announced today, Sept. 20 during the weekly Big 12 coaches press conference.
“Hopefully we’re going to get him back in a couple weeks,” said Pinkel, the former head coach at the University of Toledo (1991-2000).
Smith, who has three sacks this season, suffered the injury last weekend in Colorado’s 27-24 victory over San Diego State.
Miami also will be without one of its top defensive players, outside linebacker Luke Kelly, who will miss his third straight start due to a shoulder injury suffered in the opener at Florida.
“Luke won’t play this week,” Miami coach Michael Haywood said Monday during his weekly press conference with the local media. “He’ll sit out this week as well. He’ll have some individual practices, but he won’t do any team (practices) this week.”
Ryan Kennedy, who leads Miami in tackles (26) and tackles for loss (six for minus-22 yards), will continue in his role as Kelly’s replacement.
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TweetMiami has interesting decision at linebacker
If outside linebacker Luke Kelly is able to return from his injury and play for the Miami RedHawks in Saturday’s game at Missouri, head coach Michael Haywood will be faced with an interesting dilemma.
Who will get the majority of playing time at the two outside linebacking positions?
“We’re going to have to make some adjustments when Luke Kelly gets back,” Haywood said following his team’s 31-10 victory over Colorado State. “When Luke Kelly was on the field he was our best linebacker, and now the guy replacing him (Ryan Kennedy) is the best linebacker.”
Kennedy, who has started in place of Kelly the last two weekends, had five tackles for loss against Colorado. Those aren’t All-MAC numbers. Those are All-American numbers.
And Miami’s other outside linebacker, Evan Harris, isn’t exactly a liability. It was Evans’ 56-yard interception return for a touchdown in the second quarter that gave the RedHawks a 17-3 halftime lead over Colorado State.
And yoiu don’t want to move one of them to middle linebacker. Not unless you want to replace Jerrell Wedge, who led the MAC in tackles for loss last season. In three games this year Wedge is second among the RedHawks with 22 total tackles and tied for second with four tackles for loss.
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TweetMiami beats Colorado St. 31-10
The Miami RedHawks defeated the Colorado State Rams 31-10 today, Sept. 18 in a non-conference game at Yager Stadium.
Miami wrapped up its scoring with a 62-yard touchdown pass from Zac Dysert, his third of the day, to Armand Robinson with 2:35 left in the fourth quarter, after which Colorado State scored its first TD of the season.
This marked the first time the RedHawks (2-1) had recorded back-to-back victories since the 2007 season.
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TweetRedHawks lead 17-3 at halftime
A 6-yard touchdown pass to Justin Semmes from Zac Dysert, followed 2 minutes later by a 56-yard interception return by Evan Harris, have propelled the Miami RedHawks to a 17-3 halftime lead over Colorado State in a non-conference game today, Sept. 18 at Yager Stadium.
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TweetMiami, Colorado St. tied 3-3 after one quarter
The Miami RedHawks and Colorado State Rams are tied 3-3 after the first quarter of their non-conference football game today, Sept. 18 at Yager Sradium.
CSU took its first lead of the season on a 25-yard field goal by Ben DeLine with 5:53 left in the period. Miami’s Trevor Cook answered with a 39-yard field goal with 1:23 on the clock.
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TweetPenn State announces hockey plans
After weeks of speculation, Penn State University finally made it official today. The school is starting a new varsity ice hockey program which will start competition in the 2012-13 season.
As of now, there is no conference affiliation. The plan, according to a school spokesman, is for Penn State to compete as an independent for two years.
And that, of course, means that the speculation is not over. Not by a long shot.
There are more than a few possibilities. One which has been worrying Miami hockey fans is the formation of a Big Ten Conference for men’s hockey. Penn State would be the sixth Big Ten school to field a hockey team and that would give the Big Ten enough teams to form a league with an automatic NCAA bid.
That would take a lot of the punch out of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, losing Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State. And anything that affects the CCHA, of course, affects the RedHawks.
But there are other possibilities. The CCHA, which currently is down to 11 teams, no doubt will try to entice Penn State to join its ranks.
There also might be the possibility of a new Big Ten hockey league, if it comes into being, inviting other schools to join, such as Miami. That would make the new conference all the more powerful, but perhaps a bit too competitive to suit Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Or there could be a mega-conference which incorporates the Big Ten teams and the teams from the hockey conferences to which they currently belong, the CCHA and Western Collegiate Hockey Association.
The only thing certain right now is that Penn State will be playing hockey in a couple years.
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TweetRedHawks’ offensive line making strides
Despite injuries to two of Miami’s more experienced offensive linemen, coach Michael Haywood likes what he is seeing in the trenches, which has been one of the RedHawks’ major weaknesses in recent years.
“I think the offensive line is getting better each and every week,” Haywood said. “The majority of them are playing physical football. The gentlemen that I didn’t think were playing physical football, they’ve already been in my office and we’ve had that conversation, because if anything, you’re going to play physical up front and you’re not going to make mental errors. And that is the way in which we’re going to win football games here.”
Senior left guard Bob Gulley injured his right ankle in last weekend’s 28-21 win over Eastern Michigan and was replaced by junior Brandon Brooks, who had missed the Florida game (after having started 24 straight games) with a hamstring injury. Gulley’s streak of 12 straight starts is likely to end today.
“Brooks looked like it was his first game,” Haywood said. “You’ll have to remember, Brooks hadn’t played since the last game of last season because he didn’t go through spring practice. And so he looked raw.”
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Tweet‘Understanding’ is key for Miami’s Merriweather
It has been a long, often discouraging grind for Miami University’s running game and its featured tailback, senior Thomas Merriweather, who finally broke loose last Saturday when he rushed for 105 yards and three touchdowns in the 28-21 victory over Eastern Michigan.
Merriweather had nothing even close to those numbers last season. In the opener against Kentucky, he had five carries for 12 yards. At Boise State, 18 carries for 20 yards. Against Western Michigan, nine carries for 14 yards. Against Cincinnati, two carries for 2 yards. Against Northern Illinois, three carries for 0 yards. Against Buffalo, seven carries for 11 yards.
He did run for 56 yards at Northwestern. That was the only game Merriweather topped the 50-yard mark on the ground.
So what has been the difference?
“Merriweather has had a great camp,” Miami coach Michael Haywood noted. “He has gotten into better shape, and he’s always been a physical runner. The thing that he’s showing now is that he has more endurance and he really has more speed.
“And he’s doing a really good job in understanding how the runs are supposed to be made,” he said. “I was talking to him (on Sunday) and I said, you know, you have 100 yards but you probably would have had 200 if you had read two plays the right way. Because all you have to do is beat a safety to go for six (points). He knew exactly what I was talking about. So he’s starting to understand the blocking schemes.”
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TweetScholarship to honor Miami legacy of Randy and Tammy Walker
From Miami athletic department:
Tammy Weikert Walker ’75, the widow of Miami University’s all-time winningest head football coach Randy Walker ’76, has made a substantial private gift to Miami University’s Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and the Miami Football program. Part of that gift helps launch the Randy and Tammy Walker Endowed Football Scholarship, which will provide annual assistance to one or more Miami Football student-athletes.
“It was because of Miami football that we had the chance to live the life we always dreamed of,” Tammy Walker said. “Miami was a springboard to Randy as a player, as a coach just starting out, and again as a head coach. It was so important to us. We were so grateful for the experiences it made possible, and it just seems natural to give back.”
Randy Walker, a standout fullback on Miami’s legendary football teams of the mid-1970s, served as Miami’s head football coach from 1990-98, posting seven winning seasons and a Miami record 59 football coaching victories. He later went on to lead Northwestern University to an unprecedented three consecutive bowl game appearances and a share of the 2000 Big Ten title.
Walker, who is enshrined in both the Miami University Athletic Hall of Fame and the Cradle of Coaches Association, passed away unexpectedly in 2006.
“Coach Walker dedicated 29 years of his life to the coaching and mentoring of student-athletes, and Tammy played a crucial role in his success,” said Miami Director of Athletics Brad Bates. “There are few names more synonymous with the modern era of Miami football than those of Randy and Tammy Walker, and it is fitting that their legacy will be preserved through a scholarship supporting future generations of Miami football student-athletes.”
The Walker family, including Tammy Walker, and the memory of Randy Walker are being honored following the first quarter of Saturday’s home football game vs. Colorado State University. Kickoff at Yager Stadium is 3:30 p.m.
The Randy and Tammy Walker Endowed Football Scholarship, which specifically supports football student-athletes playing offense, will yield support in perpetuity, and its impact will grow through additional contributions from those wishing to honor the Walker legacy.
Those wishing to learn more about supporting the scholarship can contact Director of Development for Intercollegiate Athletics Jude Killy at 513-529-0343 or killyja@muohio.edu, or can link directly to the scholarship website at www.ForLoveAndHonor.org/GiveToWalkerScholarship.
The gift also supports the Miami University Campaign For Love and Honor, a $500 million initiative supporting scholarships, faculty, student-learning opportunities, academic programs, and facilities and grounds.
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TweetMiami’s Robinson off to dominating start
So far this season, Miami University quarterback Zac Dysert has had two main targets in his passing game.
One is wide receiver Armand Robinson. The other is anyone who’s name is not Armand Robinson.
The senior from Reynoldsburg already has 18 catches through two games, slightly less than half of Miami’s total receptions. His 200 receiving yards are slightly more than half of Miami’s total and he has the team’s only touchdown reception.
“Armand studies the game, he does a nice job of running routes, and he’s becoming a pretty good blocker as well,” Miami coach Michael Haywood said. “Once he gets the ball, he’s tucking the ball away and getting downfield. And you can throw short to him, you can throw intermediate to him, you can throw deep to him.
“There were scouts in here (on Monday) who (asked) how fast is he and I said I don’t know, all I can say is that no one on the team has ever caught him. He has some speed and some quickness and he’s finding his little niche within this offense and is playing pretty well.
“But the good thing about it,” Haywood said, “is that he practices the same way every day, and that’s what the other receivers have to learn.”
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TweetMiami’s Gulley probably out for Colorado State game
Miami University football coach Michael Haywood said today, Sept. 14 that he still was waiting for the results of the MRI performed on the right ankle of senior offensive lineman Bob Gulley, but said, “he probably is out this week.”
Gulley (6-foot-4, 297 pounds), one of four team captains and the starting guard at left tackle, injured his ankle late in the third quarter of Miami’s 28-21 win over Eastern Michigan last Saturday.
True freshman cornerback Dayonne Nunley also has not been cleared to practice yet because of a concussion, Haywood said.
Two other RedHawks are on the mend but probably won’t be ready for Saturday’s home game against Colorado State.
Sophomore linebacker Luke Kelly (shoulder) returned to non-contact drills on Tuesday but Haywood, who had said last week he probably would miss the Eastern Michigan and Colorado State games, hasn’t changed his mind.
“Right now we’re still thinking he’s going to be out (a total of) two weeks,” Haywood said. “He’s a tough guy, now. He has a torn labrum, but the way he’s come back, he must have a high tolerance for pain because he’s recovered really fast.”
True freshman defensive back Allen Veazie “is still about 2-3 weeks away,” the Miami coach said.
“Once he’s back, we’ll put him into the mix and see how he is health-wise and see how much he has retained,” Haywood added. “If he’s able to get into the mix and play, we’ll play him. He’s an enthusiastic young man. He hasn’t played one down. However, he got voted on by his freshman class as a Leadership Council member.”
Sophomore defensive tackle Austin Brown, who has totaled nine tackles, including 3.5 for loss, in addition to a pass breakup, a quarterback hurry, a forced fumble and a recovered fumble, sat out the end of practice today with a turned ankle.
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TweetMiami’s Merriweather earns MAC honor
Miami University senior tailback Thomas Merriweather has been named Mid-American Conference East Division Offensive Player of the Week, the league office announced today, Sept. 13.
Merriweather rushed 15 times for 107 yards and three touchdowns in the RedHawks’ 28-21 win over Eastern Michigan on Saturday.
The three rushing touchdowns tied a career high for the 5-foot-10, 213-pound native of Florissant, Mo.
Merriweather had reached the 100-yard mark one other time in his career, in 2008 when he ran for 133 yards against Temple.
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TweetMiami favored again; Gulley questionable
The early betting line lists the Miami RedHawks as a 7-point favorite in Saturday’s home game against Colorado State.
This makes the second straight week in which the oddsmakers have made Miami the favorite. Last week’s early line had the RedHawks as a 16.5-point favorite to beat Eastern Michigan.
Miami, however, might be without senior offensive lineman Bob Gulley, who had started the first two games at left guard. He suffered an ankle injury with 1:43 left in the third quarter of the RedHawks’ 28-21 victory over Eastern Michigan and coach Michael Haywood said he was due to have an MRI done today.
Haywood also said true freshman cornerback Dayonne Nunley is being tested for a possible concussion, to see if he can practice Tuesday. If Nunley can’t practice, the Miami coach said senior Brandon Stephens and true freshman Dematrius Quarles would fill in.
The Rams, who lost to the RedHawks 41-21 in the only meeting between the two teams in 2003 in Fort Collins, Col., were routed late last Saturday night 51-6 by Nevada.
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TweetMiami run defense shows drastic improvement
It’s easy to pinpoint the area in which the Miami RedHawks have made their greatest strides from 2009 to this season — their running defense.
Last season the RedHawks allowed an average of 186.9 rushing yards per game and 4.9 yards per attempt.
Through two games this season those numbers are down to 82.5 running yards per game, which is tied for 20th-best in the nation, and 2.62 yards per attempt, which also ranks No. 20.
“We feel we can stop the run of any team now because of the speed of our team,” Miami linebacker Jerrell Wedge said on Saturday following the RedHawks’ 28-21 victory over Eastern Michigan.
Miami finds itself high in the national rankings of several other categories as well.
Team rankings:
Total defense, 267.0 yards per game, 26th
Passing defense, 184.5 yards per game, tied for 48th
Red zone defense efficiency, .667, tied for 27th
First downs allowed, 14.5 per game, tied for 26th
Red Zone Efficiency, 100 percent, tied for first
Time of Possession, 32.38, 22nd
Individual rankings:
Passes defended, Jordan Gafford, 1.50 per game, tied for 23rd
Receptions per game, Armand Robinson, 9.0 per game, tied for fourth
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TweetMiami Report Card
Eastern Michigan at Miami
Pass offense
C
Zac Dysert completed 16-of-25 passes for 164 yards, one interception and one touchdown. An improvement over last week, but still an average day. Of course, the run game was good enough that Dysert didn’t need much of a vertical passing game, and only a handful of his throws went straight downfield. He was sacked only once, so the protection was good, and Armand Robinson had another very good day with seven catches for 89 yards and a touchdown. But there was only one completed pass as long as 20 yards.
Run offense
B
A bright spot for the RedHawks, one of Thomas Merriweather’s more memorable days with 107 yards and three touchdowns. And Dysert was outstanding, running for 43 yards.
Pass defense
C
On the minus side, EMU quarterbacks Alex Gillett and Devontae Payne and wide receiver Josh Leduck, who took a lateral and completed a 71-yard touchdown pass, combined for 256 yards and three touchdown strikes. But the RedHawks also came up with three interceptions, one apiece by Jordan Gafford, Pat Hinkel and Dayonne Nunley. Gafford also broke up two passes and Austin Brown had a sack.
Run defense
A
Definitely the highlight of Miami’s victory. Linebackers Ryan Kennedy (14 tackles, three for loss) and Jerrell Wedge (11 tackles, one for loss) and Brown at defensive tackle (three tackles for loss) were outstanding as the RedHawks held the Eagles to 66 yards on 32 attempts. This was the same team which had two 100-yard rushers a week earlier against Army.
Special teams
C
Punter Zac Murphy was OK, averaging 39.8 yards on five kicks with one inside the 20, but he paled in comparison with EMU’s Jay Karutz, who averaged 49.5 yards on four punts, two of which landed at or inside the Miami 1-yard line. The RedHawks did have one very good kickoff return by DeMarco Paine for 44 yards.
Intangibles
C
It was good that Miami was able to rally from a 21-14 deficit to score the last 14 points of the game. That’s a sign of good character. It would have been even better had the RedHawks not surrendered a seven-point lead not once, but twice.
— Pete Conrad
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TweetMiami wins 28-21 over Eastern Michigan
The Miami RedHawks won their home opener for the first time in six years by beating the Eastern Michigan Eagles 28-21 today, Sept. 11 at Yager Stadium.
Thomas Merriweather scored what proved to be the game-winning touchdown, his third score of the day, on a 9-yard run with 9:03 left in the fourth quarter.
Eastern Michigan drove to the Miami 22-yard line in the closing minutes, but was stopped with an incomplete pass on fourth-and-11 with 35.1 seconds to play.
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TweetRedHawks, Eagles tied 21-21 after three quarters
The Miami RedHawks and Eastern Michigan Eagles are tied 21-21 going into the fourth quarter of today’s Mid-American Conference game at Yager Stadium.
The RedHawks tied the score on a 20-yard touchdown run by Thomas Merriweather with 4:00 left in the period.
EMU had taken a 21-14 lead on a 40-yard touchdown pass from Alex Gillett to Kinsman Thomas.
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TweetAt halftime, Miami, E. Michigan tied 14-14
The Miami RedHawks and Eastern Michigan Eagles are tied 14-14 at halftime of their Mid-American Conference opener today, Sept. 11 at Yager Stadium.
Miami took a 14-7 lead on a 24-yard touchdown pass from Zac Dysert to Armand Robinson with 11:05 left in the half. The Eagles tied it 28.4 seconds before the break on an 11-yard TD pass from Alex Gillett to Josh LeDuc, who had thrown a touchdown pass in the first quarter.
Thomas Merriweather has run 11 times for 73 yards and a touchdown for the RedHawks.
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TweetMiami, E. Michigan tied 7-7 after one quarter
The Miami RedHawks and Eastern Michigan Eagles are tied 7-7 after one quarter of their Mid-American Conference opener today, Sept. 11 at Yager Stadium.
The RedHawks took a 7-0 lead when Thomas Merriweather scored on a 23-yard touchdown run with 12:06 left in the first quarter.
Miami appeared to be driving toward more points when a pass from Zac Dysert was intercepted by EMU at the RedHawks’ 22-yard line with 3:25 left in the period.
Two plays later the Eagles tied the score on a 79-yard, lateral-type pass from wide receiver Josh LeDuc to wide receiver Kinsman Thomas.
The quarter ended with an interception by Miami’s Jordan Gafford on a pass thrown by EMU quarterback Devontae Payne, who had replaced starter Alex Gillett, at the RedHawk 15-yard line.
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TweetInjuries are starting to heal for RedHawks
The Miami RedHawks figure to be a little healthier when they take on the Eastern Michigan Eagles in Saturday’s home opener than they were last week at Florida.
On the minus side, Miami will be without starting outside linebacker Luke Kelly, who probably will miss two weeks with a shoulder injury.
On the plus side, the RedHawks have four players coming back from injuries.
“We went in with a half-loaded gun in a lot of positions, especially at defensive end, vs. Florida,” Miami coach Michael Haywood said.
“This week we’re going to get back Jason Semmes, we’ll get back Morris Council, we’ve got those two guys coming back at defensive end,” he said. “We’ve got Peris Edwards coming back at safety, and we’re going to have Brandon Brooks coming back at offensive guard.
“But Brandon’s going to be on the second team,” Haywood said, “because he’s going to have to earn his rights. Other guys are playing a little bit better. He’s going to have to earn his position back.”
Senior Nate Williams started at right guard against Florida and Bob Gulley started at left guard. Williams has started 13 straight games, and Gulley, one of Miami’s captains, has made 12 consecutive starts.
Brooks started all 12 games last year at left tackle before being switched to guard.
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TweetMiami football and a few interesting numbers
Here is a look at a few intriguing numbers concerning Miami University and its very young 2010 football season:
Miami is favored by 16.5 points over Eastern Michigan in Saturday’s home opener at Yager Stadium.
At the end of last season, Miami was ranked 101st in the nation in run defense. After one game this year against SEC powerhouse Florida, the RedHawks are ranked 41st.
Despite the fact that Miami’s 34-12 loss to Florida was much closer than the final 22-point margin, and that early in the fourth quarter the Gators led by a scant 9 points, at home, one version of the NCAA Division I-A Football Power Ratings has Florida ranked No. 1 and Miami ranked No. 114 (out of 120 teams).
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TweetMiami to induct six into hall of fame
Four All-Americans, an NCAA record holder and former Major League Baseball player, and a former American Football League player comprise the Miami University Athletic Hall of Fame class for 2010-11.
To be inducted during halftime of the Saturday, Oct. 23 football game vs. Ohio University are Danielle Berkemeier ’03 (women’s soccer), Andrea Cunningham ’03 (women’s soccer), Walt Podgurski ’69 (wrestling), Buddy Schultz ’73 (baseball), Becca Williams ’97 (women’s track & field) and Mack Yoho ’58 (football).
Miami’s first two women’s soccer players to enter the Hall of Fame, Berkemeier and Cunningham were a dynamic force that propelled Miami to four Mid-American Conference Tournament championship game appearances (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002), including three-straight titles and NCAA Tournament berths (2000, 2001, 2002) and a regular-season MAC crown in 2002. Berkemeier and Cunningham spearheaded the RedHawks to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in both 2001 and 2002.
Berkemeier earned Third-Team All-America honors in 2002 from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). A four-time NSCAA All-Region selection, Berkemeier also garnered First-Team All-Ohio distinction all four years and was a four-time All-MAC selection, capturing first-team recognition in 1999, 2001 and 2002. She was the 2002 MAC Player of the Year, the 1999 MAC Freshman of the Year and was Miami’s Female Athlete of the Year in 2002-03. Additionally, she was a three-time selection for the MAC All-Tournament Team.
Berkemeier is the MAC record holder for career goals and points and owns five Miami career records (goals, points, assists, game-winning goals and games played). She is the MAC co-record holder for single-season goals and owns Miami single-season records in goals, points and game-winning goals.
Cunningham is Miami soccer’s only First-Team All-American, earning the honor from the NSCAA in 2000. A four-time NSCAA All-Region selection, Cunningham also garnered First-Team All-Ohio distinction all four years and was a four-time All-MAC selection, capturing first-team recognition in 2000, 2001 and 2002. She was named the 2000 Ohio Player of the Year, 2001 MAC Player of the Year and Miami’s Female Athlete of the Year in 2000-01. Additionally, she was voted to the MAC All-Tournament team in 1999.
Cunningham is Miami’s career record holder in shots and games started and ranks second at Miami in career assists, game-winning goals and games played. She ranks second in the MAC in career goals and points. She also is Miami’s co-record holder for single-season multiple-goal games and ranks second at Miami for single-season game-winning goals, ties for second in goals and shots and ties for third in points.
Podgurski became Miami’s first wrestling All-American, finishing sixth at the 1969 NCAA Championships at the 191-pound weight class. He was the first of seven Miami wrestlers to garner All-America distinction. Podgurski was a three-time MAC Champion, capturing the MAC crown at the 177-pound weight class in 1967 and 1968 and at the 190-pound weight class as a senior in 1969.
He was just the second wrestler in Miami history to win three MAC titles. Podgurski, a three-year letterwinner who also earned a freshman letter in 1966, spearheaded Miami to a pair of MAC titles in 1967 and 1968. The 1967 squad posted a 12-0 mark during the regular season.
Schultz continues to hold the NCAA record for most strikeouts in a nine-inning game, a record that has remained the standard for nearly 40 years since he sat down 26 batters against Wright State on April 3, 1971. His 1.06 ERA in 1970 led the nation and remains a Miami single-season record. Schultz posted a career ERA of 1.77, which ranks third all-time at Miami, and fanned 240 batters in his three years with the Red and White. When he finished his career he held six Miami records.
He earned All-MAC distinction three times, garnering first-team accolades in 1970 and 1971 and honorable mention honors in 1972. He helped Miami to a No. 29 national ranking in 1971 and reach No. 14 in 1972 in the final polls. Schultz was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 1972 and retired from baseball in 1981.
Williams was a two-time All-American (1996, 1997), Miami’s second two-time All-American in women’s track and field. A two-time NCAA Championship qualifier, she placed fourth at the 1996 NCAA Championships in the 400-meter hurdles—the second-best finish of any women’s track & field athlete in Miami history. Twice named the Most Valuable Performer of the MAC Championships (1996 and 1997), Williams also became just the second Miami athlete to twice garner athlete of the year honors being named the Miami Female Athlete of the Year in 1996 and 1997.
A five-time MAC Champion—capturing the 100-meter hurdles title in 1995, 1996 and 1997, and winning the 400 meters and the 400-meter hurdles in 1996—Williams was one of just a handful of athletes to win three MAC crowns in a single meet, doing so at the 1996 MAC Championships. She was a U.S. Olympic trial qualifier, becoming the first alternate for the U.S. Olympic Team in 1996. She continues to own five Miami records: 100-meter hurdles (outdoor), 400-meters (outdoor), 55-meter hurdles (indoor), heptathlon (outdoor) and the pentathlon (indoor), still owning the MAC record in the 100 and 400 hurdles. Additionally, she earned CoSIDA Academic All-District First-Team honors, was a United States Track Coaches Association Scholar All-American and was a three-time Academic All-MAC selection.
Yoho was a First-Team All-MAC defensive end for the Red and White in 1957 and also earned First-Team All-Ohio honors that same year. He helped spearhead Miami to a pair of MAC Championships, winning the league title in 1955 and 1957. A three-year letterwinner at Miami, Yoho and the Red and White never lost a MAC contest, compiling an impressive 14-0-1 league record during his three-year playing stint and amassed a 22-4-1 overall record.
He helped Miami to an undefeated 9-0 season, including a 5-0 MAC record, under coach Ara Parseghian in 1955. During his senior campaign in which he was a team captain, Miami again went undefeated in MAC play (5-0) under coach John Pont. After Miami, Yoho spent two years in the Canadian Football League (1958-59) before playing in the AFL from 1960-63 with the Buffalo Bills.
A Hall of Fame brunch will be held at the Shriver Center Heritage Room on Miami University’s campus at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 23 and the inductees will be further recognized later that afternoon during the football game versus Ohio. The game is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Space is limited for the brunch and reservations will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis. NO walk-up tickets will be available. Reservations will be taken until 5 p.m. Oct. 18. Cost of the brunch is $18 per person and reservations can be made by contacting the Miami Athletics Ticket Office at 1-866-MUHAWKS or 513-529-HAWK.
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TweetDysert’s on-field education continues
Miami University football coach Michael Haywood said the emotions of the game and perhaps the pre-game hype about Florida’s defense might have had something to do with Zac Dysert’s four interceptions last week.
“It’s a learning curve,” Haywood said about the continuing education of his sophomore quarterback. “We talked about methodically going through your reads and your progress, to make sure that we have the right play. Each one of those interceptions outside of one — which was a poor route — were emotionally based interceptions.
“One you get flushed out of the pocket,” Haywood noted, “all you’ve got to do is re-set your feet. But because of your adrenaline and your emotion you try to make an unbelievable play. All you’ve got to do is set your feet and throw the ball. And guys are open.”
The “most devastating” interception, he said, was the one returned 67 yards for a touchdown by Janoris Jenkins to give the Gators a 7-3 lead with 13:14 left in the second quarter.
“They bring a blitz, the defensive back is undercutting the receiver … they undercut hitch routes all the time but they don’t cover the wide receiver from (the area) they’re blitzing from,” Haywood said. “Natural instincts (should be): blitz coming, no rotation, throw it to the uncovered defender. We throw it into the undercut and he goes back the other way for six. That’s a 14-point turnaround.
“Once we got him calmed down and settled down he was a little bit better,” Hayward said of Dysert. “He’s going to be a lot better this week.”
Miami’s opponent in Saturday’s home opener, Eastern Michigan, didn’t get much of a test with its pass defense last week when the Eagles played and lost 31-27 to Army, which gained 309 of its 374 total yards on the ground.
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TweetMiami hockey No. 3 in College Hockey News poll
The Miami University hockey team is ranked No. 3 in the College Hockey News’ preseason poll.
The RedHawks, who have made back-to-back appearances in the Frozen Four, finished the 2009-10 with a 29-8-7 record. They spent 17 weeks atop the USA Today/College Hockey Magazine poll.
Defending national champion Boston College, who ousted Miami in the national semifinals last season, is No. 1, followed by North Dakota. Michigan is ranked fourth and Yale is fifth.
St. Cloud State, Maine, Alaska, Minnesota-Duluth and New Hampshire round out the top 10.
Five of the top 10 teams — Michigan, St. Cloud State, Maine, Alaska and New Hampshire — are on Miami’s 2010-11 schedule.
Miami returns 17 letterwinners from its CCHA Championship team, including all seven defensemen and both goalies — juniors Cody Reichard, the CCHA Player of the Year, and Connor Knapp, the Midwest Regional Most Oustanding Player.
The RedHawks host Waterloo on Sunday, Oct. 3 in exhibition play, before hosting New Hampshire Oct. 8-9 for open the regular season.
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TweetThis could be big opportunity for Miami RB
True freshman tailback Tracy Woods could be in the starting lineup when the Miami RedHawks make their Yager Stadium debut against Eastern Michigan in Saturday’s Mid-American Conference opener.
That’s because senior tailback Thomas Merriweather was ejected from the Florida game in the second quarter and Haywood said he won’t be able to play, according to MAC rules, until the same point of the EMU contest.
Woods picked up 19 yards on five carries against the Gators, which is pretty good, considering that Miami as a team gained only 4 net yards in 22 attempts on the ground.
Other possibilities to run the ball against Eastern will be Danny Green, who is back from his one-game suspension, and sophomore Roman Lawson.
“He won’t be playing the first quarter,” Haywood said of Merriweather, “so we’ve got to get these other guys ready to go. The bad thing (for Merriweather) that happens now, when you get somebody else ready to go and they have a great game, you don’t see the field. I look forward to seeing some of these other guys run the football.
“Tracy did a good job for a freshman,” he said. “When I said to him, ‘Tracy, nice job,’ he said, ‘Coach, I played against all these guys in practice.’ He’s out of North Shore High School in Houston where they’ve got four or five (major-college recruits) every year. He said this is like practice.”
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Tweet“Reckless” defenders impress Miami coach
Sometimes it helps to be young and reckless. Just ask Miami football coach Michael Haywood, who watched his defense dominate the highly touted University of Florida offense for the first three quarters of last Saturday’s opener.
“(Dayonne) Nunley didn’t play like a freshman,” Haywood said of the true freshman cornerback from Monroeville, Pa., who recorded four tackles and recovered a fumble. “He played with a lot of confidence, and he didn’t back away from the talent of the other receivers, or the running backs when they were coming his way. He really stepped up and did a good job.”
“Demetrius Quarles (true freshman cornerback) stepped up as a freshman and made a couple good plays,” Haywood added. “Mwanza (Wamulumba, true freshman defensive end), he’s an unusual young man, and he gets in there and he fights on every snap. He’s a good change of pace for us.
“The thing about them, those young guys are fast and they fly around and they make plays,” the Miami coach said. “They are reckless, because they are undersized football players. But they throw their bodies around and it’s fun to watch them because they play with a lot of passion and emotion. But they practice the same way.”
Sophomore cornerback D.J. Brown didn’t used to be reckless, according to Hayward, but apparently that is changing.
“D.J. Brown has never been physical since we’ve been here,” Hayward said. “D.J. Brown breaks up a pass (at Florida), knocks the ball loose and really delivers a significant blow to the wide receiver, and he comes over and he says, ‘Now I know it’s in me.’ I said, ‘Well, did it hurt? Because you used to think it would hurt.’ ‘No coach, it feels good now.’ “
The only major breakdown by Miami’s defense — other than the fluke, fourth-down touchdown pass from quarterback John Brantley in the final two minutes — came on Jeff Demps’ 72-yard touchdown run with 12:31 left in the fourth quarter.
“You look at the Demps run … It was the same play as in the Ohio U. game,”Haywood said, referring to Miami’s 28-7 loss in Athens last Oct. 17, when the Bobcats ran for 226 yards.
“It was basically a mental error that the play bust out because we’re locating the coverage the other way,” he said, noting that if the RedHawks had read the play correctly, “the safety would have made the play and it probably would have been a 5- or 6-yard gain. But because of a missed assignment he jumped out of the gate.”
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TweetNumbers show Miami’s progress
Last week before the Miami RedHawks took off for their season opener at Florida, head coach Michael Haywood looked at the progress his program had made in his eyes and said, “From where we ended up last year and where we ended up in the spring, we’re a significantly better football team.”
Those words proved to be prophetic when Miami found itself trailing the Gators by just nine points 2 minutes into the fourth quarter at The Swamp on Saturday.
And if nothing else, the numbers show the RedHawks are a much, much more competitive team compared to where they were at the start of last year.
In 2009, the RedHawks opened with a 42-point loss to an unranked Kentucky team in what technically was a home game for Miami.
On Saturday, they opened with a 22-point loss on the road to the fourth-ranked team in the nation.
In 2009, it took the RedHawks 157 minutes and 51 seconds of game time to score their first points of the season and 190:12 to take their first lead.
On Saturday, it took them only 7:59 to score their first points and take their first lead when Trevor Cook kicked a 33-yard field goal to put them ahead 3-0.
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TweetRedHawks running game struggles at Florida
Although the Miami RedHawks kept their season-opening game against Florida more than a little competitive deep into the fourth quarter today, Sept. 4, their running game wasn’t competitive at all.
Miami gained a net total of only 4 yards in 22 attempts, and it would have been a lot worse had it not been for true freshman Tracy Woods, who replaced Thomas Merriweather after Merriweather had been ejected. Woods ran five times for 19 yards.
It will be interesting to see what Merriweather’s status will be for next weekend’s home opener against Eastern Michigan. He was ejected after being called for committing a personal foul in the first half; in his five carries Merriweather had minus-2 yards.
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TweetMiller steps in as Miami’s No. 2 fullback
Redshirt freshman Justin Semmes Miller is likely to see his first action in today’s opener at Florida as Miami’s first-string tailback, and RedHawks coach Michael Haywood has said that sophomore Sascha Miller is the new No. 2 fullback.
“Semmes has done a really good job and he’s getting better each and every day,” Haywood said. “Vince Helmuth is a young man who’s been out with an injury for the last week and a half, two weeks, so he hasn’t had any practice. Sascha Miller has stepped in as a two.”
This is primarily a blocking position for the RedHawks, though Miller, who joined the RedHawks in 2008 as a walk-on, did average more than 10 yards per carry at Afnorth High School in Las Vegas, Nev., Semmes once scored five touchdowns in a playoff game at St. Mary’s High School in Clarkson, Mich., and Helmuth, the University of Michigan transfer, rushed for 1,536 yards and 22 touchdowns as an all-state fullback at Saline High School in Ann Arbor.
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TweetRedHawks should be wary on kickoffs
Kickoff coverage could be an extreme danger point for the Miami RedHawks in Saturday’s opener at Florida.
Not that anyone expects the RedHawks to spend much time kicking off. But that has been, and continues to be, a sore spot for Miami.
“We still have some concerns on kickoff coverage,” Miami coach Michael Haywood said. “However, in the scrimmage the other day you look at the lane distribution and the understanding of the returns, and as a team they’re starting to perform better.
“Kickoff return, I don’t think we’re there yet,” he added. “We’re getting better, but I don’t think we’re there.”
What makes the situation even more dangerous for the RedHawks is the fact that world-class sprinter Jeff Demps, Florida’s starting tailback who also is the defending NCAA champion in the indoor 60-meter dash and the outdoor 100-meter dash, is Florida’s new kickoff returner.
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TweetMallory returning to Gainesville
Bill Mallory, the man who coached Miami University’s football team to a 16-7 Tangerine Bowl victory over Florida in the only meeting between the two teams, is going back to Gainesville, Fla., the site of that triumph and of the RedHawks’ season opener against the Gators on Saturday.
He’ll be doing about the same thing on Friday night that he did prior to the game played on Dec. 22, 1973 — trying to rile up the Miami players.
“We’re going to have him speak to the team on Friday night at our team meeting,” Miami head coach Michael Haywood said of Mallory, who compiled a 39-12 record in five seasons in Oxford (1969-73) and went on to coach at Colorado (1974-78), Northern Illinois (1980-83) and Indiana (1984-96).
“Coach Mallory and I go back a long way,” Haywood noted. “In m\y second year in coaching, Doug Mallory, who’s his second son, he and I were roommates at West Point Military Academy. Doug went on to Western Kentucky the following year and I went on to Ohio U., but I was a groomsman in Doug’s wedding, so we’ve been really close from that point on.
“When coach Mallory was at IU we used to go over and watch him in practice,” Haywood continued. “You want to talk about intense. He was extremely intense.”
Mallory’s last game at Miami was that Tangerine Bowl victory. His defense, led by middle guard Brad Cousino and linebacker Mike Monos, held the Gators to 189 yards of total offense. Chuck Varner rushed for 157 yards and a touchdown for Miami and Dave Draught kicked field goals of 26, 45 and 27 yards.
It was the first of three straight Tangerine Bowl wins for Miami, which beat Georgia 21-10 in 1974 and South Carolina 20-7 in 1975.
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TweetMiami coach deals with freshman nerves
Zac Murphy, who has been looking very good as Miami University’s new punter, recently had what you might call a freshman moment or two.
Miami coach Michael Haywood recalled what happened to the former Kings High School kicker, who was redshirted last season.
“The other day we’re out in warm-ups and we have a mock scrimmage, we have pregame music … We’re trying to create the atmosphere of a game-like situation of Florida week, and he drops the first two snaps, and I just start laughing,” Haywood said.
Haywood noted that he has been involved with college football as a coach and player for 23 years. Many of those years were spent with teams Notre Dame, Texas and LSU, so a large, hostile, noisy crowd is old hat to him.
“But you have to go back to when you were a freshman to realize how tight he really was,” the Miami coach said.
“I took him over to the side and I said, ‘Hey Zac, there are only 11 people on the other side of that field,’ ” Haywood said. “Those people in the stands will never matter. I said all they can do is scream and yell. They can’t come down and attack you. All you’ve got to do is worry about your technique and focus on getting the ball off and let’s get down and cover, all right?
“And then he just smiled,” Haywood said, “and he punted about 45 (yards) once and he punted another one 50 yards with five-point (second) hang time. I said alright, now we’re getting back into the rhythm. But sometimes you forget, young people haven’t had this experience before.”
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