“This one hurts — bad,” Martin said. “We did a lot of good things against a really good football team. We jumped on them. We got them back on their heels.
“But our mistakes are so bad. I love good football. I don’t care who plays it. I can’t stand bad football. We did so many good things that I am proud of, but our bad stuff is so bad.”
Here are six takeaways from Miami’s loss to UNLV:
1. Hot start slips away
The RedHawks (0-3) surged early, jumping out to a 14-point lead and stunning a UNLV (4-0) team fresh off an upset of a Big Ten opponent.
Martin said his team should have been up 24-3 at halftime. Instead, an interception returned for a score kept the Rebels within striking distance.
“We should be 24-3 at half,” Martin said. “That pick was really bad football. Then we come out in the second half and don’t stop them at all. Credit to UNLV — they executed better. But we didn’t run our defense the right way.”
2. Third-down woes
UNLV converted 12 of 17 third downs, a figure Martin compared to previous struggles.
“Looks like Rutgers all over again,” he said. “We were on our heels — soft, soft, soft. If I was coaching in third grade and you had man coverage, I’d expect you to cover your man. That’s not a tall task."
The RedHawks, meanwhile, went just 1-for-8 on third down offensively, which stalled drives.
3. Finn’s injury, Hesson’s opportunity
Starting quarterback Dequan Finn exited the game in the second quarter after throwing an interception that was returned for a UNLV score.
Finn was hit during the throw and remained on the ground for roughly five minutes before being helped off the field. Finn did not return and is expected to be evaluated.
Backup quarterback Henry Hesson jumped into a pressure-packed role. Martin praised Hesson for being “ready to compete” and leading a potential game-winning drive that ended in Kenny Tracy’s fumble.
“Hank did good,” Martin said. “He made a couple mistakes, but he battled. If we hold onto the ball, we’re talking about him leading the game-winning drive. That’s sports — the story changes in one play.”
Finn is “banged up” but optimistic the injuries are minor, Martin said. “He’s got three different things going on, but I think he’ll be fine sooner than later.”
4. Special teams sparks
Keith Reynolds electrified the crowd with a 100-yard touchdown kickoff return — just the second in program history.
Martin credited the blocking unit for creating “about as clean a seam as you’ll see” and Reynolds’ speed for finishing the play. That score put Miami on top 31-24 with 7:33 left in the third quarter.
“That’s the margin in football,” Martin said. “Earlier we turned down blocks and got stopped at the 15. This time we put our face on someone, and it went for 100.”
5. Mental toughness, missed opportunities
Martin hammered home a message about consistency and composure. He said his team’s lapses weren’t from lack of effort but from letting frustration linger.
“You take your foot off the gas for half a second against a twitchy, athletic team and it goes bad,” Martin said with emotion. “Momentum isn’t real — it’s about doubt. We still have too many guys who get down and let things snowball.”
Even after blowing two 14-point leads, Martin reminded his players they were one first down from victory late in the fourth quarter.
“We had first down at the 18 with two minutes left. Get a first down, you kick a field goal with no time left. But we made critical errors again.”
6. Frustration mixed with belief
Despite the sting, Martin said the RedHawks are better than they were two weeks ago and that the loss can be used as a turning point.
“This could have been our springboard,” Martin said. “It still will be. We’ve got another home game next week and a chance to get momentum before conference play.
“We’re not going to pout or kick the dog. We got what we deserved tonight. But there are a lot of positives that makes it even more frustrating.”
The RedHawks welcome Lindenwood for Homecoming next Saturday for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff.
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