While October 27, 2012 may not seem like a very long away,
for the Miami (Ohio) football team that day seems like an eternity.
It was the last time the RedHawks won a football game.
Jumping out to a 20-7 lead early in the first half, Miami’s
Kaleb Patterson connected with a game-winning field goal in the final minutes
for a 23-20 win over then No. 23, and in-state MAC Rival, Ohio.
Since that day, 16 games have passed all resulting in a
Miami loss and the Oxford community is hoping to return to the ways of 2003,
where Ben Roethlisberger commanded the RedHawks to a 13-1 season and a top-10
finish.
But 2014 brings several new looks for this struggling
football team eager to get back to its winning ways.
Chuck Martin was hired as the programs 36th head coach
and inherits a program searching for any signs of life. Martin spent his last
four years at Norte Dame where he worked as the offensive coordinator and
quarterbacks coach (2012-13) and as the defensive backs coach and recruiting
coordinator (2010-11) while serving under head coach Brian Kelly.
During Martin’s tenure of play calling, the Fighting Irish
finished 20-5 including an appearance in the BCS National Championship against
Alabama in 2013. His unit averaged 26.4 points per game with a balanced offensive
attack that tallied 170 yards rushing and 235 yards passing per contest.
However, Miami is nowhere close to Norte Dame’s production
leaving Martin with a serious uphill battle.
Miami is picked to finish sixth in a seven team MAC East
division after a 0-12, 0-8 MAC 2013 season. Another serious problem with the
outlook from this season, while there are several returning members of the
offense, their performance last season was far from stellar.
In seven of the RedHawks 12 games last season, they were
held under 14 points while eclipsing 300 yards only once (Akron 303). Overall,
Miami averaged 3.7 yards per play and just under 226 yards a game including
touting the third worst rushing attack in the nation (1219 yards). More
importantly, it only converted third down 41-of-167 (25 percent) of the time.
The defense was not much better.
Coming in at 108th in the nation last season,
Miami’s defense could not get off the field as opponents converted 80-of-166
(48 percent) third down chances including 9-of-12 (75 percent) fourth down
attempts.
Miami allowed 428 points last season—including three games
it surrendered over 50—while scoring only 117 points of its own.
Needless to say, major work is needed to right the ship in
Oxford.
I will preview each position and how Miami stacks up on both
sides of the ball.
Quarterbacks
After losing starting quarterback Austin Boucher to injury
in late October last year, true freshman Austin Gearing had to command the
ship. Gearing struggled mightily going 24-of-54 for 188 yards with no passing
touchdowns and three interceptions. He was also sacked 22.9 percent of the time
he dropped back to pass. The upside to Gearing, he could run. He led the team
in rushing, totaling 478 yards on 145 carries. Both quarterbacks last year suffered
with a shaky at best offensive line and lacked
a go-to guy that could make a big play.
With the addition of Gearing, Drew Kummer returns to the mix
as well as redshirt freshman Tom Tupa who was recruited after being high-touted
in high school. With three able bodies ready to battle for the starting
position, someone forgot to tell Norte Dame transfer Andrew Hendrix that
three’s company and four is a crowd.
Hendrix enters as a fifth-year senior after spending four
years as a backup under Martin’s system in South Bend but has yet to prove his
is a proven leader on the field. Hendrix finished 25-of-58 with 360 passing and
a touchdown during his time as the Fighting Irish’s backup. He also ran for 229
yards and another score.
Should Hendrix earn the starting nod this season, he best
have his running shoes laced up tight as the RedHawks’ offensive line allowed
49 sacks last season. Hendrix has the athletic ability and a familiarization
with Martin’s system which makes him a favorite for the starting nod.
Running Backs
After looking at a stat sheet from last season, it is no
wonder the RedHawks were ranked 125th in the nation in rushing. The
team’s leading rusher was the quarterback with a wide receiver occupying the
second position. Spencer Treadwell returns as the team’s leading ‘running back’
after a dreadful 2013 season. Treadwell amassed 171 yards on 56 carries with
his lone score coming against Marshall. Not exactly something to write home
about.
However, the running back stable appears to still be empty
entering the 2014 campaign.
Miami returns sophomore Grant Niemiec and Specer McInnis and
welcomes freshman Paul Moses into the backfield with Treadwell. Collectively
Niemiec and McInnis had 48 touches for 147 yards and one touchdown. With a
position that is a must to help alleviate the pressure from a struggling
passing game, keep looking if you thought this was the hidden clue to solving
this puzzle.
Wide Receivers
Leading the way for the RedHawks will be senior Dawan Scott
who returns as the team’s leading receiver and second leading rusher. Scott
pulled in 28 catches for 425 yards and 2 TD’s and 231 yards on 37 carries.
Joining Scott in the receiving unit is fellow senior David Frazier who was
second on the team in receiving with 28 catches for 302 yards and 2 TD’s in
only eight games.
Redshirt junior Alvonta Jenkins and sophomore Rokeem
Williams look to provide an additional target within the unit. Miami adds two
big bodies in the receiving core this season with hopes of improving its
10-of-19 (53 percent) redzone touchdown production from last season.
Redshirt sophomore Sam Shisso and freshman Chris Hudson
stand 6-foot 5-inches 214 pounds and 6-foot 6-inches 259 pounds, respectfully,
have received positive reviews for their production in the redzone during camp.
Shisso had one catch for two yards last season in seven games. Hudson was a
tight end at Hazard High School (KY) but has converted to a wide out in his
first year at Miami. The true freshman caught 13 touchdowns his senior season
which was third best among Kentucky Division 1A tight ends.
Tight Ends
This is a position that is a total unknown for this season.
Exiting is Steve Marck who played all 12 games while catching 12 passes for 133
yards and 2 TD’s and Dustin White’s 9 catches for 84 yards and a touchdown in
12 games.
Who is poised to take over? Notre Dame transfer Alex Welch
stands at the head of the class. Welch played in 22 games in four seasons for
the Irish catching only one pass for eight yards. He also turned in six special
teams tackles. He much like Hendrix understands Martin’s offensive game plan.
Junior Orlando David looks to join Welch on the field after
working on the practice squad last season. David played in 11 games and caught
seven receptions his freshman year.
Offensive Line
There is one word to sum up Miami’s offensive line last
season, bad. With no blocking up front, the RedHawks saw the defense in the
backfield almost as often as its own players. Not only was blocking an issue,
finding a combination that worked well together never happened. Altogether,
Miami used six different combinations in its first nine games.
Gone from the line is center John Anevski who started 11 games while Anevski started nine.
Senior Marcus Matthews looks to take over at center after
playing in five games, three of which he started. Trevan Brown and Jeff Tanner returns
as the most experienced linemen at left guard and tackle respectfully, playing
in all 12 games and starting 10.
While the RedHawks return an experience left side, the right
is not as fortunate. Collin Buchanan played in 10 games behind Lewis could be
in line for a starting spot at right tackle while Wesley Scott, Brandyn Cook
and Julian Green will compete at right guard, none of which played more than
nine games last year.
Defensive Line
Just like the old saying “speed kills”, so can an undersized
line. Miami returns three defensive tackles whose average weight is 275 pounds.
While this is not the worst problem to deal with, the defensive ends only
average 234 pounds. Giving up 50-plus pounds on the ends could spell disaster
for the RedHawks chances of controlling the line of scrimmage.
Junior Bryson Albright recorded a team-high five sacks last
season and 55 tackles—11.5 for loss—returns to one defensive end while
sophomore J’Terius Jones (Brown) provided three sacks and 26 tackles of his
own. Collectively, the tandem accounted for 8-of-14 of the team’s sacks.
This biggest issue with the defensive line, it struggled
much of the season to get a push into the backfield. Without anchors on the
outside, much of the same can be expected from last season.
Working the middle of the line will be senior Mwanza
Wamulumba, Jimmy Rousher and Mitchell Winters. Although all three played
significant minutes last season, their tackling numbers were non-existent.
Considering the team’s three leading tacklers were two linebackers and a
corner, the offense was able to bust past the undersized RedHawks defensive
line.
Miami has two freshmen coming in this season but they
appeared to be at the same level as what is already there. Games are won and
lost at the line of scrimmage and until Miami upgrades its defensive line,
several more losses are in its future.
Linebackers
If there is one
shining spot on this team, this is it. Last season, the linebackers were
responsible for 351-of-988 team tackles (35.5 percent). While Miami loses
middle linebacker Chris Wade, the team’s fourth leading tackler, it returns a
full collection of linebackers in juniors Kent Kern, Josh Dooley and Tyler
Tucker.
Kern led the team in tackles with 98 including five for loss
and Dooley finished third with 87 tackles. Tucker finished inside the top-10
with 50 tackles. The upside of their performance, although the rushing attack
frequently busts into the second level, Miami’s linebackers tackle well,
preventing the break-away run.
Miami allowed only one run of 50-plus yards (53
vs Ohio) and one of 40-plus (45 vs Kent State). The bad part of their
performance, not a single interception was recorded and only a handful of pass
breakups were made. If anything must change in this unit, this is it. Too many
big plays happened through the air.
Defensive Backs
Much like the linebackers, several players return from 2013
in the RedHawks secondary. That is a good thing for a team searching for some
form of consistency. However, possibly the biggest playmaker on the defensive
side of the ball is gone in Dayonne Nunley. Nunley was second in tackles with
88 and had an interception to go along with 13 pass breakups. How big was
Nunley? His 13 breakups were over one-third of the team’s total of 37.
With Nunley gone from the secondary, the duty of controlling
the corner position falls solely on sophomore Heath Harding and senior
Chrishawn Dupuy. Harding had a team-leading three interceptions and 56 tackles
while Dupuy had two interceptions and 25 tackles. Of the team’s 10
interceptions last season, five belonged to Harding and Dupuy.
Another person who plans to throw his name into the mix at
corner is Notre Dame transfer Lo Wood. Wood played in 32 games during his four
seasons with the Fighting Irish, recording 19 tackles with his lone
interception being returned for a 57-yard touchdown in a win over Maryland.
Wood may not bring best stats, but he spent time with Martin at Norte Dame
which benefits every member of a secondary unit that gave up several deep balls
last year including one for 54 yards at Marshall, a season-long 88 yards at
Kentucky and 75 yards at Ball State.
Should the trio of corners be able to lock down opposing
receivers on the outside, safeties Brison Burris and Jay Mastin could take away
the deep balls that showed itself in nearly every game last season. Both had an
interception last season with Mastin’s coming against Marshall. With a combined
137 tackles, only 1.5 for a loss, says that the tandem was responsible for
halting another score for the opposition.
Marshall Taylor returns to the secondary after redshirting
all of last season. Taylor played in all but one game, starting 5-of-7 as a
true freshman in 2012 in which he led all freshman with 40 tackles.
Special Teams
On a team that desperately relies on its kickers, 2014
brings yet another position with complete uncertainty. Gone are punters Zac
Murphy and kicker Mason Krysinski. Murphy sailed 79 punts averaging 46.6 yards
per kick. Murphy placed 25-of-79 punts inside the 20 while earning 18 fair
catches and seven touchbacks
.
Krysinski had a lesser of a duty as he only tallied 30
kickoffs while averaging 54.3 yards per kick.
After the RedHawks special teams finished in the top-50 last
season, place-kicker Kaleb Patterson finds himself the man who must carry the
special teams forward. The junior was a perfect 12-of-12 on PAT’s and 7-of-11
on field goal attempts including booting a season-best 52-yard attempt that
sailed through the uprights. Patterson has been cool under pressure his entire
career at Miami. In his freshman season, Patterson connected on a game-winning
field goal in the final two minutes to knock of No. 23 Ohio.
Reports from camp have Patterson consistently connecting
from 50-plus yards which provides some hope for an offense that struggled to
break 100 points all season. Patterson may not be the answer to all of the
RedHawks problems, but he certainly will help.
The return team consists of senior J.J. Greenwood and
sophomore Fred McRae. Greenwood split kickoff returns with McRae while McRae
handled 12-of-15 punt returns last season. While neither did anything
extraordinary in the return game, McRae possesses the speed to break off a big
gain if he finds daylight in front of him.
Miami opens its season August 30th as it plays host to Marshall. While Marshall struggled early with Miami in last season's matchup in Huntington, the Herd pulled away after being tied at 14 at the half for a 52-14 win.
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