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Staff photo by Robert Leifheit Miami head coach Mike Haywood looks on while players run drills prior to a scrimmage game Saturday, August 15, 2009.

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By Pete Conrad, Staff Writer Updated 8:42 AM Tuesday, September 29, 2009

OXFORD — Miami University football coach Mike Haywood wasn’t as pleased as you might think about those 552 yards of total offense recorded last weekend by his once-dormant offense.

In fact, he wasn’t pleased at all.

“Pleased? No,” Haywood said Monday, Sept. 28, at his weekly press conference. “Do I think we’re getting better? Yes.”

But, oh, those turnovers. For the second straight week Miami lost the ball five times. The RedHawks dominated Kent State in just about every offensive category except the one that counts — points.

Miami’s 29-19 loss to Kent State was in reality a victory that got away.

“You don’t turn the ball over, you win the football game,” Haywood said.

He did say there is light at the end of the tunnel despite the fact that Miami now must face the 10th-ranked Cincinnati Bearcats, the highest-ranked team ever to visit Oxford, in its Yager Stadium opener Saturday, Oct. 3.

After all, it took more than six quarters for the RedHawks to score their first point of the season. In the last six quarters they’ve scored 45 points, the last 33 with redshirt freshman quarterback Zac Dysert at the helm.

But Haywood can’t help but think about the points which Miami should have scored at KSU.

Late in the first quarter tailback Thomas Merriweather lost a fumble at the Kent State 5-yard line.

Early in the fourth quarter wideout Armand Robinson took a 19-yard pass to the KSU 18-yard line but coughed up the ball.

“There were two scores there (lost),” Haywood said, “because we were moving the football and they’re having a hard time stopping us.”

Six of the 10 turnovers over the last two weeks have come on lost fumbles.

The RedHawks plan to have a laser-beam focus on preventing those fumbles this week, starting with two sessions at practice today. The first session will involve the wide receivers and quarterbacks. “The second part of the day it will be running backs and tight ends,” Haywood said.

“We work on it every day,” he added. “You have to make sure the ball is carried the appropriate way.”

The players should carry the ball low and protect it with both hands, Haywood said, rather than try to fight off tacklers with one hand.

Saturday’s game

Who: No. 10 Cincinnati Bearcats (4-0, 1-0 Big East) at Miami RedHawks (0-4, 0-2 MAC)
When: 1 p.m.
TV: ESPN360
Radio: WMOH-AM (1450), WPFB-AM (910), WPFB-FM (105.9), WONE-AM (980), WLW-AM (700)

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I disagree, Timmy. What is a disaster is the program the guy inherited. What is a disaster is the apathy of the student body with regards to supporting Miami's athletic teams. What is a disaster is the hokey fundraising and sloganeering Brad Bates and his club attempt. It's going to be a very, very long season, but I don't fault the new coach.

Baraksatfault
1:32 PM, 9/30/2009

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The turnover he needs to worry about is the turnover in the head coaching position. His hiring is a disaster.

Timmy
2:00 PM, 9/29/2009

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