2006 Miami University RedHawks Season, Game Recaps, Scores and Reviews
Nov. 24
Ohio 34 ... Miami University 24
Ohio ran for 304 yards led by a season-high 180 yards from RB
Kalvin McRae with touchdown runs from 48 and 66 yards. Miami stayed in
the game thanks to QB Mike Kokal, who threw for two touchdowns and ran
for a score that tied it at 24 in the fourth, but the Bobcats pulled
away with a one-yard Josh Febus scoring run and a 27-yard Matt Lasher
field goal. The Ohio defense did the rest helped by three sacks to snuff
out the second-to-last drive. Player of the game
... Ohio
RB Kalvin McRae ran 22 times for 180 yards and two touchdowns Stat Leaders: Ohio- Passing: Brad Bower, 10-17,
133 yds Rushing: Kalvin McRae, 22-180, 2 TD Receiving:
Scott Mayle, 3-88 Miami Univ. - Passing: Mike Kokal, 20-36, 180 yds,
2 TD, 1 INT Rushing: Mike Kokal, 13-95, 1 TD Receiving: Ryne Robinson, 8-91, 1
TD Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Who knew
Mike Kokal could run? The MU quarterback was efficient when he took off
against Ohio and had a nice all-around game, but as has been the case
all season long, the lines were terrible. When Ohio needed to get a sack
late, it didn't just get one, it got three on three straight plays. The
D line got pushed around way too much against the run and didn't
generate nearly enough pressure. The 2-10 season has mercifully come to
a close, and now priority one this off-season will be to figure out how
to run the ball again.
Nov. 15
Miami University 9 ... Bowling Green 7
Bowling Green's Sean Ellis missed a 25-yard field goal with 35
seconds to play to let Miami hang on for the win. The Falcons had a 7-0
lead in the first half on a 31-yard Anthony Turner run. MU came up with
all the scoring in the second half with a 27-yard Trevor Cook field goal
and a 28-yard Dustin Woods touchdown catch, but the extra point was
blocked. The two teams combined for five sacks.
Player of the game ...
Miami WR Ryne Robinson caught nine passes for 86 yards
Stat Leaders: Bowling Green - Passing: Anthony Turner, 13-24,
131 yds Rushing: Anthony Turner, 18-91, 1 TD Receiving: Corey
Partridge, 5-77 Miami - Passing: Mike Kokal, 12-24, 130 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Austin Sykes, 13-41 Receiving: Ryne Robinson, 9-86 Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Finally, Miami got a break the right was
with the missed short field goal by Bowling Green to give the RedHawks
the win. The offense was awful with no consistent running game yet
again, but the defense played well keeping Anthony Turner and the Falcon
running game in check. Ohio has nothing to play for next week now that
it wrapped up the division title, so the RedHawks have to take advantage
to end this disastrous year on a two-game winning streak.
Nov. 4
Western Michigan 27 ... Miami University 24
Nate Meyer hit a 21-yard field goal with 1:16 to play for the
win. Brian Ledbetter caught touchdown passes from three and two yards
out, and Brandon West ran for a 12-yard score, but Miami always had an
answer up until the final score with Mike Kokal bombing away for a
47-yard touchdown pass to Dustin Woods in the first quarter and to Ryne
Robinson from 56 yards out in the fourth. Player of the game ...
Western Michigan WR
Brian Ledbetter caught nine passes for 101 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Western Michigan - Passing: Ryan Cubit, 23-35,
205 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT Rushing: Mark Bonds, 28-142 Receiving: Brian Ledbetter,
9-101, 2 TD Miami - Passing: Mike Kokal, 16-26, 282 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Andre Bratton, 12-72 Receiving: Ryne Robinson, 10-180,
1 TD Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Miami
might be having a nightmare of a year, but at least it's battling hard
and losing close games. The defense simply isn't coming up with the big
stop late, evidenced by allowing an 18-play, 84-yard drive leading to
WMU's final score. Mike Kokal is good at pushing the ball deep, and Ryne
Robinson continues to have an All-MAC caliber season. To have a shot
against Bowling Green or Ohio, the run defense has to be far tighter.
Oct. 28
Ball State 20 ... Miami University 17
Ball State scored on a one-yard Madaris Grant touchdown catch
with 1:11 to play to take the lead, and then the D held as Trey Buice picked off
Mike Kokal to end the game. Kokal connected on an 11-yard touchdown pass to Ryne
Robinson and ran for a one-yard score, but Ball State came back in the final
seven minutes with a 50-yard Brian Jackson field goal and the Grant score. Nate
Davis hit Terry Moss for a 19-yard touchdown to start off the Ball State
scoring. Player of the game ...
Ball State QB
Nate Davis was 11-of-24 for 98 yards, one interception and two touchdowns,
including the game-winner with 1:11 left.
Stat Leaders: Ball State- Passing: Nate Davis, 11-24, 98 yds,
2 TDs, 1 INT Rushing: Larry Bostic, 16-85 Receiving: Dante Love, 5-58 Miami - Passing: Mike Kokal, 19-34, 205 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Andre Bratton, 17-48 Receiving: Ryne Robinson, 5-84, 1 TD Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... And the
woes keep on for Miami. After winning a close game over Buffalo last
week, the RedHawks lose in the final moments against Ball State in a
late fourth quarter collapse. The team played relatively well with
decent offensive balance and more of a running game than the team has
seen for most of the year, but the D couldn't hold in the final seven
minutes. Now MU has to go on the road for two games before finishing up
with a home date against current MAC title favorite Ohio.
Oct. 21
Akron 24 ... Miami University 13
Dennis Kennedy ran for two second half touchdown to put Akron
ahead and keep it ahead. David Harvey caught a 36-yard touchdown pass
and Jon McClain kicked two first half field goals, but Miami was able to
get two Trevor Cook field goals and a four-yard Ryne Robinson touchdown
catch to take a lead late into the third quarter. The two teams combined
for 18 penalties. Player of the
game ... Akron RB Dennis
Kennedy ran 31 times for 129 yards and two touchdowns. Stat Leaders: Akron- Passing: Luke Getsy,
14-24, 197 yds, 1 TD Rushing: Dennis Kennedy, 31-129, 2 TD Receiving:
Jermaine Lindsay, 5-58 Miami - Passing: Mike Kokal, 21-46, 263 yds, 1
TD
Rushing: Andre Bratton, 3-43 Receiving: Ryne
Robinson, 9-135, 1 TD Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Two of 17 on third downs. Two of 17 on third
downs. Two of 17 on third downs. Miami's defense did a decent job
against Akron, but the offense all continues to be on Mike Kokal's
shoulders and he's not up to the task behind an offensive line that's
getting him killed. The lack of a running game will be something the
team has to keep working on over the final few games so the same
problems don't crop up again next year.
Oct. 15
Miami University 38 ... Buffalo 31
Played a day late thanks to the snowstorm that socked in the
Buffalo area, Miami held on in a wild fourth quarter getting up 38-21
thanks to two Andre Bratton touchdowns and two short scoring runs from
Andre Sykes, but Buffalo made it interesting with a 45-yard Naam
Roosevelt touchdown catch with 1:50 to play. After recovering the onside
kick, UB got a 32-yard field goal but couldn't get the second onside
kick. The two teams combined for 23 penalties for 217 yards. Player of the game
... Miami QB
Mike Kokal completed 17 of 28 passes for 167 yards and a touchdown with
an interception and ran 11 times for 23 yards Stat Leaders: Buffalo - Passing: Drew Willy, 13-23,
174 yds, 2 TD, 3 INT Rushing: James Starks, 19-113, 1 TD Receiving: James
Starks, 5-68 Miami Univ. - Passing: Mike Kokal, 17-28, 167
yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Andre Bratton, 15-54, 2 TD Receiving: Ryne Robinson, 6-55 Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
It might not have been a thing of beauty,
but the win over Buffalo finally broke the ugly losing streak. That's
the good. QB Mike Kokal saved the day with an efficient passing game
setting up several scores. The bad is that the team struggled to beat
Buffalo. Penalties, mediocre offensive play, and an inability to close
cleanly after getting up was a problem. Averaging only 2.3 yards per
carry isn't going to get it done, but that's Miami football this year.
Oct. 7
Northern Illinois 28 ... Miami University 25
In an entertaining game, Garrett Wolfe ran for two touchdowns
and Phil Horvath threw a three-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Davis,
followed up by a Wolfe two-point conversion, to take the lead for good.
Miami got two Andre Bratton touchdown runs in the second half and an
80-yard touchdown catch fro Dustin Woods, but couldn't stop Wolfe and
the NIU offensive balance. Player of the game
...
Northern Illinois RB Garrett Wolfe ran 29 times for 162 yards and two
touchdowns Stat Leaders: Miami- Passing: Mike Kokal, 21-29,
324 yds, 1 TD Rushing: Brandon Murphy, 10-53 Receiving: Dustin
Woods, 8-178, 1TD Northern Illinois- Passing: Phil Horvath, 15-25,
186 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Garrett Wolfe, 29-162, 2 TD Receiving:
Britt Davis, 4-30 Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Miami
might be the best 0-6 team of all-time. It did a good job of keeping the
red-hot Garrett Wolfe under relative check, and Mike Kokal had a
terrific game mixing up his passes well. Problems on third downs and
issues on defense against the NIU offensive balance turned out to be too
much to overcome. Now the team has to win out to be bowl eligible, and
it's possible if the offense can keep exploding and if the offensive
line can start to play better.
Sept. 30
Cincinnati 24 ... Miami University 10
Cincinnati turned two of Miami's three turnovers into
touchdowns with the big blow coming on a 20-yard Derrick Stewart
touchdown catch to put the game away. Miami's offense only managed 226
yards and got a 49-yard Trevor Cook field goal. Ryne Robinson got the
other RedHawk score on an 80-yard punt return for a touchdown in the
third quarter. Cincinnati got all the points it would need in the first
quarter on a 37-yard Butler Benton touchdown run and converted a fumble
by MU QB Daniel Raudabuagh into an 11-yard scoring drive finished off by
a two-yard Greg Moore touchdown. Player of the game
...
Cincinnati RB Greg Moore ran for 119 yards and a touchdown on 20
carries. Stat Leaders: Miami- Passing: Daniel Raudabaugh,
21-47, 190 yds, 2 INTs Rushing: Brandon Murphy, 13-59 Receiving: Ryne Robinson,
4-52 Cincinnati - Passing: Dustin Grutza, 5-11, 43 yds,
1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Greg Moore, 20-119, 1 TD Receiving: Derrick
Stewart, 2-22, 1 TD Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... This
might sound like a broken record, but the Miami offensive line is
killing the team. There's no time whatsoever for anything to work.
Daniel Raudabaugh didn't do anything replacing Mike Kokal. Brandon
Murphy is too good a back to only be gaining 59 yards and to be
struggling as much as he is. The team needs a spark from someone other
than Ryne Robinson, who's having a fantastic season that no one's paying
attention to. The run defense has to be much stronger next week against
Northern Illinois.
Sept. 23
Syracuse 34 ... Miami University 14
Syracuse came up with eight sacks and held Miami to a net of
31 rushing yards on the way to the easy win. The Orange offense exploded
in the first quarter with a 52-yard Taj Smith touchdown catch, and then
broke the game open in the fourth quarter on Perry Patterson's second
touchdown pass of the game and a 27-yard interception return for a
touchdown from Ben Maljovec. Miami managed a nine-yard Ryne Robinson
touchdown catch in the second quarter, but didn't get back on the board
until the final minute with a second Robinson scoring grab with 35
seconds to play. Player of the game ... Syracuse RB Curtis Brinkley ran
15 times for 108 yards and a touchdown Stat Leaders: Syracuse- Passing: Perry
Patterson, 14-20, 163 yds, 2 TD Rushing: Curtis Brinkley, 15-108, 1 TD. Receiving:
Tom Ferron, 5-54 Miami Univ. - Passing: Mike Kokal, 17-28,
171 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Mike Kokal, 16-24. Receiving: Ryne
Robinson, 7-72, 2 TD Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Where's
the Miami offensive line? It did nothing to keep the Syracuse defense
off the quarterbacks, and the running game continues to be non-existent.
How can the offense start to put points on the board? First, it needs to
take advantage of every chance it gets. It didn't get many against the
Orange, but the game was tight for a half, and then the defense couldn't
come up with a key stop in the third quarter. Until there's some
semblance of balance, Mike Kokal needs to start bombing away and try to
get more big deep plays, but that only happens if he gets time.
Something has to change in a hurry.
Sept. 16
Kent State 16 ... Miami University 14
Kent State broke an 11-game losing streak after getting out to
a 16-0 lead and then hanging on. Julian Edelman ran for a one-yard score
and threw a 16- yard touchdown pass to Najah Pruden, but the RedHawks
came back on a three-yard Brandon Murphy touchdown run and a two-yard
scoring run from Mike Kokal coming with just over a minute to play.
Kokal misfired on his two-point conversion and Kent State recovered the
onside kick. Player
of the game ... Kent State QB Julian
Edelman was 14-of-22 for 244 yards and a touchdown and ran for 62 yards
and a score. Stat Leaders: Kent State- Passing: Julian Edelman,
14-22, 244 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT Rushing: Eugene Jarvis, 12-63 Receiving: Najah Pruden,
5-145, 1 TD Miami - Passing: Mike Kokal, 20-35, 165 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Brandon Murphy, 20-92, 1 TD Receiving: Ryne
Robinson, 8-61 Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
If this isn't the nation's most disappointing team, it's in the team
photo. To lose to Northwestern and Purdue is one thing, but there's no
excuse to lose at home against Kent State. The passing attack did
nothing to push the ball down the field averaging a mere 4.8 yards per
attempt. Penalties, ill-timed turnovers, and not enough of a running
game proved costly. Unless the offense is more consistent, MU will lose
at Syracuse next week and at Cincinnati the week after before facing
Northern Illinois. Yes, 0-6 is very possible unless the O figures out
how to put points on the board earlier.
Sept. 9
Purdue 38 ... Miami University 31 OT
Purdue got four touchdowns from Kory Sheets including the
game-winner on an 11-yard run in overtime. Miami failed to score on its
possession with the final drive stalling at the Purdue eight to close
out a tough ending. The RedHawks had a chance to win in regulation, but
a Nathan Parseghian field goal attempt was blocked with :17 to play. It
was a see-saw game with neither team every getting up by more than a
touchdown. Mike Kokal threw for 355 yards and four touchdowns for the
RedHawks with two to Ryne Robinson and a 52-yard scoring play to Dustin
Woods. Sheets scored from two, two, ten and 11 yards out. Player of the game ... Purdue RB Kory Sheets ran 14
times for 60 yards and four touchdowns and caught two passes for five
yards. Stat Leaders: Miami Univ.- Passing: Mike
Kokal, 29-43, 355 yds, 4 TD, 2 INT Rushing: Austin Sykes, 18-51. Receiving:
Ryne Robinson, 9-161, 2 TD Purdue - Passing: Curtis Painter,
17-31, 208 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Dorien Bryant, 3-62. Receiving:
Dorien Bryant, 7-74 Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Where's the Miami running game? It wasn't there against Northwestern,
and it failed to show up against Purdue gaining a mere 97 yards. The big
disappointment has to be how well the team played in so many areas, but
how many mistakes it made to stall drives. Outgaining Purdue 483 yards
to 391 showed how well QB Mike Kokal and the offense can move the ball,
and now it has to keep it going in the MAC opener against Kent State.
Even in a loss, this might have been Kokal's coming out party.
Aug. 31
Northwestern 21 ... Miami University 3
On a night that both teams honored the late Randy Walker,
Northwestern showed off a defense that played better than it did all of
2005 by holding Miami to 255 yards of total offense and allowing only
two of 12 third down conversions. After a scoreless first half, NU's
Erryn Cobb blocked a punt and returned it for a score. Tyrell Sutton
caught a 19-yard touchdown pass and Terrell Jordan ran for a four-yard
score to put it away for the Wildcats. Miami only managed a 22-yard
Nathan Parseghian field goal. Player of the game ... Northwestern QB Mike Kafka
completed 13 of 17 passes for 104 yards and a touchdown and ran 17 times
for 93 yards.. Stat Leaders: Northwestern- Passing:
Mike Kafka, 13-17, 104 yds, 1 TD Rushing: Mike Kafka, 17-93. Receiving:
Shaun Herbert, 4-32 Miami University - Passing: Mike Kokal,
16-26, 182 yds
Rushing: Mike Kokal, 15-38. Receiving: Ryne
Robinson, 9-143 Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Either
Northwestern's run defense is night-and-day better since last season, or
Miami has a lot to worry about going into next week's trip to Purdue.
The RedHawk offensive line and backfield are good enough to get more
than 73 yards of rushing offense, but QB Mike Kokal didn't do enough to
stretch things out or get the Wildcats worried about the pass. Overall,
the defense did a fantastic job with a strong performance against the
run.
After what could only be described as a tremendously disappointing
season, now Miami has to rebuild and reload to keep pace in the
improving MAC.
The 2005 RedHawks were the MAC's most experienced, most talented
team showing enough firepower to obliterate eventual league champion
Akron 51-23, but they couldn't seem to get any respect. It wasn't like
the team tanked winning seven of the final nine games, but a 42-14
home loss to Bowling Green ended any conference title hopes and
soured any potential bowl suitors. Now the
program has to hope it doesn't slip in the second year under head
coach Shane Montgomery.
Miami hasn't just been a MAC power
over the last few years, it's been the league's second most
consistent program behind Toledo with the last losing season coming
in 1993. But being consistent isn't enough for the RedHawks. They
want to be winning MAC titles, and despite a ton of issues on both
sides of the ball, there's no reason they can't be back in the
championship game representing the East.
Only five starters return, but it's not
like the cupboard is completely bare with good prospects returning to
fill most of the holes with the biggest question at quarterback, where
Mike Kokal, Jared Elliott and Daniel Raudabaugh will try to be next in
line after Josh Betts and Ben Roethlisberger. Yes, the talent level will
be there to be competitive, but can Miami get the momentum back after
tremendous seasons in 2003 and 2004? Absolutely.
No, this isn't going to be anywhere near the 13-1 monster of 2003, and
it's not going to be nearly as good as last year, but the East is the
far weaker of the two divisions. If the linebacking corps can come
together in a hurry and a steady starting quarterback can be found,
there's no reason this can't be a more rewarding year even if the final
record isn't any better.
The
Schedule:
It isn't all that bad considering the only road game
against a bowl team from last year is at Akron. The first two MAC games
are at home highlighted by a potential MAC title game preview against
Northern Illinois. And then comes the nasty part with four road games in
five dates with the only oasis coming against Ball State. Road trips to
Western Michigan and Bowling Green will make or break the season.
Best
Offensive Player:
Senior WR Ryne Robinson.
One of the best punt returners in college football history, Robinson has
grown into a reliable, explosive receiver. With Martin Nance gone,
Robinson not only needs to be the deep threat in the big receiving
corps, he needs to be a steady target for the new starting quarterback.
That won't be a problem if he plays like he did last year.
Best
Defensive Player: Senior FS
Joey Card. With only two returning starters on defense, the speedy
veteran is the leader of the defense by default. He's a good hitter with
great range, and he's rarely out of position. The RedHawks need him to
be an All-MAC performer.
Key player
to a successful season:
Junior QB Mike Kokal. It'll be a battle for the starting job, but Kokal
will likely be the number one man when the Northwestern game comes
around. He's not as big or as good a passer as Josh Betts and Ben
Roethlisberger were, but he's a better runner.
The season
will be a success if ... Miami wins the East. Even with all the new starters this will
still be among the league's most talented teams. Anything less than
playing for the MAC title will be a disappointment, but that's setting
the bar way too high if the injury bug strikes early on.
Key game:
Nov. 15 at Bowling Green. Akron might be the defending champs, but
the real test for East title will likely come late in the year on a
nationally televised Wednesday night game against Bowling Green. The
RedHawks will likely be playing in the MAC championship if they can beat
the Zips and the Falcons.
The Last Time Miami University…
…played in a bowl game…2004 (Independence Bowl vs. Iowa State)
…missed a bowl game…2005
…pitched a shutout…2004 (Indiana State)
…was shutout…1993 (Ball State)
…scored 50 points…2005 (Buffalo)
…went undefeated…1974
…won a conference title…2003 (MAC)
…had a 3,000-yard passer…2005 (Josh Betts)
…had a 1,000-yard rusher…2005 (Brandon Murphy)
…had a 1,000-yard receiver…2005 (Ryne Robinson and Martin Nance)
…had a first-round draft choice…2004 (QB Ben Roethlisberger)
