After making history at Yager Stadium two weeks in a row, Miami University football (4-4, 3-1 in conference play) is back on the road tonight for a midweek MACtion game against the Ball State University Cardinals (3-5, 2-2 in conference play).
Chuck Martin first tied and then broke the all-time win record of Miami head coaches with back-to-back home victories against the Ohio University Bobcats (5-3, 3-1 in conference play) and the Central Michigan University Chippewas (3-5, 1-3 in conference play).
A glaring improvement for the RedHawks last week was their ground attack. Miami had its best running game last week, with 277 yards and two touchdowns, one from redshirt junior Jordan Brunson and the other from senior Kevin Davis.
Miami’s running backs have gotten more involved since conference play began. The team has posted more than 100 rushing yards and at least one touchdown in its last three games.
Senior Keyon Mozee led the way with 125 rushing yards against the Chippewas, including a 72-yard breakaway. Brunson and Davis also had large breakaways for 75 and 60 yards respectively in the second half.
The RedHawks’ improvement on the ground combined with their continued excellence with sixth-year quarterback Brett Gabbert behind center.
Despite a scare in the second quarter that saw him exit the game with an injury, Gabbert threw for 165 yards and one touchdown against Central Michigan. Redshirt junior backup Henry Hesson stepped up for 76 yards and a passing touchdown, his first at Miami.
Last week proved that even with Gabbert missing, the offense can rely on the running backs and Hesson to keep Miami in the game. However, if they want to keep him on the field, the RedHawks’ offensive line needs to protect him. The Chippewas sacked him three times.
While Miami handled business at Yager, the Cardinals earned an exciting victory over the Northern Illinois University Huskies (4-4, 1-3 in conference play).
Redshirt first-year quarterback Kadin Semonza found junior tight end Tanner Koziol for seven points early in the first quarter. From there, the Cardinals and the Huskies traded scores until Northern Illinois took its first lead of the game 23-22 with 19 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
Semonza threw for 34 yards to senior receiver Malcolm Gillie to put Ball State at the opposing 40. Another short pass allowed sophomore kicker Jackson Courville to nail a 50-yard field goal and win the game 25-23.
Ball State’s receivers carried the day with 222 combined yards and two touchdowns. Semonza targeted five players but favored Koziol for nine receptions, 78 yards and both touchdowns.
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Defensively, the Cardinals held Northern Illinois to 374 total yards, including 142 rushing yards.
A sack and a forced fumble from graduate student defensive lineman Riley Tolsma highlighted an impressive attribute of the defense. Ball State is fourth in the conference for forced fumbles with seven.
The secondary doubled their interceptions this season with two on Huskies quarterbacks Ethan Hampton and backup Josh Holst. Redshirt junior linebacker Joey Stemler and graduate student defensive back George Udo came away with the picks.
The RedHawks face a difficult task. Despite their ranking in the conference, Miami cannot afford another loss if it hopes to make the Mid-American Conference (MAC) championship in December.
A key to Miami’s success is its ability to stop the run-game. The RedHawks defensive backs have pressured conference quarterbacks, including holding Central Michigan to 62 passing yards. However, they have allowed running backs to combine for more than 100 rushing yards and at least one touchdown in almost every MAC game so far.
Brandon Sloan, the Cardinals’ leading running back, has posted 502 yards and four touchdowns this season, good for 10th in the conference.
Stopping Sloan and the Cardinals’ running backs will be vital for a RedHawks victory. The game kicks off at 8 p.m. to open midweek MACtion for the 2024 season.
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