Mayer came off the bench to throw three touchdown passes, two to Coldiron, as the RedHawks pulled out the win over at mostly empty Yager Stadium in a Mid-American Conferenceopener delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.
1. The quarterback situation is in good hands
Third-year sophomore A.J. Mayer stepped in when true sophomore Brett Gabbert went down with an injury and went 16-of-24 for 212 yards and three touchdowns, two to redshirt freshman tight end Jack Coldiron, his former Covington (Ky.) Catholic teammate.
“Obviously, it meant a lot,” Mayer said of leading Miami to the win under those circumstances. "It was surreal experience. I’ve been looking for that ever since I’ve been here. When I got best out, I kept my head down and kept working to get to this position.
“I don’t think I was really nervous,” he added. “It was more trying to take it all in at one time. I wouldn’t say the situation was too big. I just wanted to get it going.”
“I feel like we’ve got two really quarterbacks,” coach Chuck Martin said. “ ... A.J. stayed really prepared this whole offseason. He worked hard every day.”
Changing quarterbacks didn’t sweeping changes in the playbook.
“A.J.'s probably a little bigger,” Martin said. “People say A.J., probably runs a little more, but they’re both pocket guys. Brett looks a little weird running away from defensive guys.”
2. Gabbert’s status uncertain
Gabbert left the game after being sandwiched by two Ball State defenders while trying for a first down on third-and-9 play. He lay on the artificial turf for several minutes while being attended to before walking off the field under his own power and later to the RedHawks locker room with 12:33 left in the second quarter. The 2019 MAC Freshman of the Year did not return.
Ball State senior safety Bryce Cosby was penalized and disqualified for targeting.
It was too soon to project when Gabbert might be ready to return, Martin said.
“I haven’t talked to anybody about it,” he said. “Who knows? The doctors will figure that out. I have talked to him. I saw him at halftime and he was alert and talking. He wasn’t sitting in a dark room, which is what those guys have to do sometimes.”
3. Fifth-year senior linebacker Ryan McWood’s interception was the first of his career
He tipped the ball to himself and returned it 18 yards to the Ball State 6-yard line.
“We were in man coverage,” said McWood, who led both teams with 14 tackles, six unassisted. “The back checked out of the backfield. We flushed the quarterback and he ran out of the pocket and started to double back. I came off the coverage a little bit and got my hand up there and said, ‘Go, catch the ball.’”
He was disappointed about not scoring.
“I was upset,” he said, adding jokingly, “I was waiting for my guys to throw a block.”
McWood and fifth-year senior running back Zach Kahn are two former walk-ons who’ve earned scholarships. Kahn scored two touchdowns, including the game-winner following McWood’s interception. His performance was more crucial since the RedHawks are missing their top two returning rushers from last season.
4. Former wide receiver Dominique Robinson made his first appearance at defensive end
He earned a sack on the first defensive snap of his career and another later in the game.
“He was tremendous," Martin said. "He’s pretty natural out there. He’s got a motor.”
5. Miami logged its conference-leading 300th conference win with the victory
Miami also regained possession of the Red Bird Trophy, which goes annually to the winner of the inter-division series with Ball State.
The RedHawks can start on their second 300 and notch their 700th overall win at Buffalo on Tuesday. The Bulls were picked in a preseason MAC media poll to dethrone Miami as East Division champions. Kickoff is 8 p.m. on ESPN.
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