RedHawks rush to 62-20 victory over Delaware State

Before Saturday, Miami University football hadn’t rushed for 400 yards in a game since 1975. That year, the team finished 11-1 on the heels of two undefeated seasons and finished the season ranked No. 12 in the country.

On Saturday, the RedHawks rushed for 466 yards in its first home game of the season against Delaware State. Ten different RedHawks toted the ball against the opposing team, and seven rushed for more than 40 yards. It was the first time since 2003 Miami played a game without punting.

Photo by Jessica Monahan | The Miami Student

Miami University announced an attendance of nearly 16,000 for its first home football game of 2023.

By the end of the night, the RedHawks had scored 62 points to Delaware State’s 20.

“Coming off Cincinnati it’s a tough one,” Miami head coach Chuck Martin said. “... I think the kids and coaches did a good job. But it’s still hard to come back with that same [intensity].”

Star junior receiver Gage Larvadain, who entered the game leading Division I in receiving yards, didn’t play after Miami’s first drive of the day because of an injury. Martin said he wouldn’t know for sure about the receiver’s status until the middle of the week.

“But there’s a good chance he’ll be ready to go in the near future,” Martin said.

According to Martin, the RedHawks are banged up, like any team would be after four weeks of play. He didn’t mention any serious new injuries, though.

Twenty-three different RedHawks recorded a defensive stat in the game, including many first-year players who hadn’t yet entered a game for Miami.

Redshirt-sophomore Nate Milanowski recorded his first career carries on Saturday, finishing with 69 yards and a touchdown on 11 touches.

“A bunch of kids played in their first college game,” Martin said. “... That was awesome, to get those kids out there and start building their confidence, building their knowledge base, building their experience.”

Miami took care of business on Saturday, and they did it with a touch of flair. This week starts the Mid-American Conference (MAC) schedule. The RedHawks travel to Kent State on Saturday, hoping it’s their first stop on the way to their first MAC Championship since 2019.