Head football coach Don Treadwell observes his team during summer practice. Treadwell and the RedHawks are seeking their first win of the season Saturday and their first non-conference road game victory since 2005. (Contributed by Michael Pearson)
The Miami University football team will look to improve from their opening week loss when they travel to Minneapolis, Minn. to take on the University of Minnesota this Saturday.
"We definitely have some things to clear up but we need to keep working hard the next couple of days and stay focused," redshirt sophomore offensive lineman John Anevski said. "Our goal every game is to play hard. [Minnesota] is a great team and we are excited about the opportunity [to play them]."
Miami has lost 14 straight non-conference road games dating back to the 2005 season and will try to break that streak against the 0-2 Golden Gopher squad that has struggled both offensively and defensively this year.
Minnesota is ranked 82nd in total offense and 81st in total defense this year and has been outscored 40-17 in the first half of games. The RedHawks went 5-2 last season when they got on the board first, and a quick start offensively could give Miami the upper hand early in Saturday's contest.
The Red and White will also try to shake off the rust from their bye this past week. The team focused on individual drills and on staying polished during their week off, according to Head Coach Don Treadwell, as well as concentrating on the players' academic work.
"The thing you are always looking to evaluate are attitude and effort because those are things that take no ability, and I think our young men collectively across the board, offensively, defensively and special teams, have tremendous attitude and they gave great effort throughout the [Missouri] game," Treadwell said. "And then it is our job as coaches to continue to work with the technical side of the game to make sure we continue to give our kids a chance to perform at the highest level."
Offensively the 'Hawks will look to capitalize on all of their scoring opportunities this week, something that they did not do against Mizzou. However, Miami's strong rushing attack led by redshirt sophomore running back Erik Finklea should help to balance out an offense that has relied heavily on its air attack the past few seasons.
"It is a big thing to have a great running game," Anevski said. "[Our running backs'] ability to cut through little spaces makes them very dangerous. They can take it to the house at any moment. It is a great feeling to have as an offensive lineman."
Defensively, the Red and White will look to shut down Minnesota's dual-threat junior quarterback MarQueis Gray, who leads the team in both rushing and passing yards. Gray has averaged over half of the Golden Gopher's total offense in both of their first two games, but Miami's ability to slow down Missouri's sophomore quarterback James Franklin in week one should help prepare them for Gray.
"[Gray's] a big factor," Treadwell said. "If a team's balanced, which they are, it's never just one key, but he is certainly someone you are very aware of … [and] the fact that we just played a Missouri team who had a very talented quarterback who not only could throw the football but was a very talented runner probably does help us from that standpoint in terms of preparation."
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Miami is a five-point underdog this week, but despite the added media pressure and hype from playing another team from a BCS conference, the RedHawks are staying focused on playing fundamentally sound and disciplined football.
"The things you're evaluating constantly are always attitude and effort," Treadwell said. "You have adversity but what's the attitude? You can let it affect you negatively, which our team did not do [against Missouri] and I do not anticipate them [being affected negatively] in the future, and I think that's a positive of our team."
Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcasted on Miami's IMG Sports Network and on the Big Ten Network.
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