The 6-foot, 189-pound Indianapolis native came off the bench to deliver the most consequential performance of his young career, throwing for 185 yards and accounting for two touchdowns in Miami’s 37-20 victory over Buffalo.
The win pushed the RedHawks to bowl eligibility for the ninth time in 10 seasons and kept their MAC title hopes alive heading into Saturday’s regular-season finale against Ball State at Yager Stadium.
It was the culmination of a year spent waiting, working and believing.
Gotkowski didn’t start the game — and he didn’t expect to. But he also didn’t let that change how he approached a week that had him splitting reps with fellow quarterback Henry Hesson.
“I was preparing as if I were going to play the whole game,” Gotkowski said. “That kind of helped me in the long run. It helped me with my preparation and confidence going in and being able to perform under the lights.”
When head coach Chuck Martin tapped him during the third drive, Gotkowski said he felt “a lot of positivity” rather than nerves.
“I was very thankful,” Gotkowski said. “You’ve been waiting for this moment for 365 days. I didn’t really get to feel a lot of emotions — I was locked in.”
His first completion broke the tension, and everything after that flowed.
“In football, we talk a lot about rhythm,” Gotkowski said. “After completing that first ball, in the back of your head you’re like, ‘Now I can complete this.’ It got the ball moving in the right direction.”
At Ben Davis High School, Gotkowski was a force — a state champion, two-time captain and the Marion County Player of the Year who threw for 2,740 yards and 33 touchdowns as a senior.
But even coming from one of Indiana’s powerhouse programs, he acknowledged the jump to the college game is stark.
“It’s always the speed of the game,” Gotkowski said. “Decision-making — there’s a lot more that goes into it. But at the end of the day, it’s just football. Slow your mind down, go out there and compete and have a good time.”
That’s exactly what he did. He tossed a 32-yard touchdown to Kam Perry early in the second quarter, then added a 3-yard rushing score before halftime as Miami seized control.
Gotkowski’s emergence came amid a turbulent few weeks for Miami, including a deflating loss at home against Toledo that left the RedHawks searching for traction.
The recent departure of transfer quarterback Dequan Finn was still lingering, too.
But the quarterback room, he said, never fractured.
“We kind of dumped our emotions in a meeting a week or two ago,” Gotkowski said. “I told the guys, ‘This is the closest I’ve ever felt to a quarterback room.’ Everyone on our team could go home with someone and eat dinner with their family as if it was just another night.”
It’s a bond he credits to both the players and Martin.
“One thing Coach Martin has done well is make sure we’re resilient and stick together,” Gotkowski said. “At the end of the day, you have media saying this, media saying that — and we have each other.”
His teammates certainly rallied behind him in Buffalo.
“They were always right there giving me high-fives,” Gotkowski said. “I almost had to tell them to go sit down because I was trying to watch the iPad and figure out what the defense was doing.”
Gotkowski said Miami’s ability to lean on backs like Jordan Brunson and D’Shawntae Jones — and the goal-line package — made his job easier.
“It’s like knowing you’re going home to sleep in your own bed at night,” Gotkowski said. “It’s a huge relief and a stress saver. Being versatile on offense helps a lot.”
Thanksgiving week has brought plenty of congratulatory texts from a large family back in Indianapolis, but Gotkowski didn’t let the moment linger.
“It was good sharing it with them,” he said. “But I told them I’m still focused on this week against Ball State. Hopefully I’ll see them after the game Saturday and maybe we can talk more.”
Miami (6-5, 5-2 MAC) now enters the final weekend of the regular season with bowl eligibility secured, confidence restored and a young quarterback who proved he could steady the offense on the road with the season hanging in the balance.
Gotkowski insists his Buffalo performance was far from perfect. But it was enough.
“People say I performed well,” he said. “Honestly, I think I performed pretty mediocre. There’s a lot more to do, and I wish I had more plays back. But the biggest thing was knowing my preparation backed up my confidence.”
And Miami, suddenly, has options — and momentum.
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