2008 Miami University RedHawks Season

2008 Miami University RedHawks Season, Game Recaps, Scores and Reviews

2008 Miami University RedHawks

Nov. 28
Ohio 41 … Miami University 26
Chris Garrett ran for 222 yards with touchdown dashes from 22 and 79 yards as Ohio pounded out 326 yards of rushing offense on the way to the win. Miami’s offense was only able to produce four Nathan Parseghian field goals and didn’t get into the end zone until the final 26 seconds on a 15-yard Chris Givens catch. The RedHawks were able to stay in the game with a strange play early in the second half as Givens took an Ohio punt that bounced off an MU player 60 yards for a score. Boo Jackson connected with Taylor Price for a 51-yard touchdown less than a minute later to take the momentum back. Jackson finished with three touchdown passes.
Player of the game: Ohio RB Chris Garrett ran 23 times for 222 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Miami University - Passing: Daniel Raudabaugh, 26-41, 258 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Andre Bratton, 17-100. Receiving: Chris Givens, 5-72, 1 TD
Ohio - Passing: Boo Jackson, 15-20, 190, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Chris Garrett, 23-222, 2 TD. Receiving: Taylor Price, 5-91, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... In the end, the run defense simply didn’t work. Injuries and breakdown after breakdown meant teams were able to run amok, and without the offense needed to hang around in shootouts, the RedHawks never had a chance in way too many games. In this abysmal year, there was nothing the team could count on with little production from the running game, not enough from the passing game, no matter who was at quarterback, and again, the major problems against the run proved to be a killer. Against Ohio at home, the team should’ve played far better.

- 2008 Miami Preview
- 2007 Miami Season

2008 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 7-5
2008 Record: 2-10

Aug. 28 Vanderbilt L 34-13
Sept. 6 at Michigan L 16-6
Sept. 13 Char Southern W 38-27
Sept. 20 at Cincinnati L 45-20
Sept. 27 OPEN DATE
Oct. 4 Temple L 28-10
Oct. 11 at No Illinois L 17-13
Oct. 18 at Bo Green W 27-20
Oct. 25 Kent State L 54-21
Nov. 4 at Buffalo L 37-17
Nov. 11 Ball State L 31-16
Nov. 15 OPEN DATE
Nov. 21 at Toledo L 42-14
Nov. 28 Ohio L 41-26

2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 6-6
2007 Record: 6-7

8/30 at Ball State W 14-13
9/8 at Minn. L 41-35 3OT
9/15 Cincinnati L 47-10
9/22 at Colorado L 42-0
9/29 Syracuse W 17-14
10/6 at Kent State W 20-13
10/13 Bo. Green W 47-14
10/20 at Temple L 24-17
10/27 at Vandy L 24-13
11/3 Buffalo W 31-28
11/14 Akron W 7-0
11/24 at Ohio L 38-29
MAC Championship
Dec. 1 Central Michigan L 35-10

Nov. 28
Ohio 41 … Miami University 26
Chris Garrett ran for 222 yards with touchdown dashes from 22 and 79 yards as Ohio pounded out 326 yards of rushing offense on the way to the win. Miami’s offense was only able to produce four Nathan Parseghian field goals and didn’t get into the end zone until the final 26 seconds on a 15-yard Chris Givens catch. The RedHawks were able to stay in the game with a strange play early in the second half as Givens took an Ohio punt that bounced off an MU player 60 yards for a score. Boo Jackson connected with Taylor Price for a 51-yard touchdown less than a minute later to take the momentum back. Jackson finished with three touchdown passes.
Player of the game: Ohio RB Chris Garrett ran 23 times for 222 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Miami University - Passing: Daniel Raudabaugh, 26-41, 258 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Andre Bratton, 17-100. Receiving: Chris Givens, 5-72, 1 TD
Ohio - Passing: Boo Jackson, 15-20, 190, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Chris Garrett, 23-222, 2 TD. Receiving: Taylor Price, 5-91, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... In the end, the run defense simply didn’t work. Injuries and breakdown after breakdown meant teams were able to run amok, and without the offense needed to hang around in shootouts, the RedHawks never had a chance in way too many games. In this abysmal year, there was nothing the team could count on with little production from the running game, not enough from the passing game, no matter who was at quarterback, and again, the major problems against the run proved to be a killer. Against Ohio at home, the team should’ve played far better.

Nov. 22
Toledo 42 ... Miami Univ. 14
Toledo jumped out to a 21-0 lead highlighted by Morgan Williams runs from eight and 86 yards, on his way to 330 yards, but MU was able to get close going into the fourth quarter on Chris Givens touchdown catches from two and 30 yards out. Williams put the game away on a 14-yard dash in the fourth, and Adonis Thomas made it a blowout with a ten-yard scoring dash. Toledo outgained MU 516 yards to 271.
Player of the game: Toledo RB Morgan Williams ran 28 times for 330 yards and three touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Toledo - Passing: Aaron Opelt, 14-26, 139 yds
Rushing: Morgan Williams, 28-230, 3 TD. Receiving: Nick Moore, 9-92
Miami Univ. - Passing: Daniel Raudabaugh, 29-46, 196 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: J.R. Taylor, 21-68. Receiving: Chris Givens, 9-85, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... After a good performance in the loss to Ball State, Miami came up with a total and complete clunker against Toledo. The run defense that was supposed to be a strength this year because of the linebacking corps allowed huge play after huge play, giving up 330 yards to Morgan Williams, and the offense couldn't keep up the pace. Daniel Raudabaugh's passes didn't lead to enough big yards, and there was no running game to speak of after getting down early. The season closes out next week against Ohio after losing four straight games. This has been the MAC's most disappointing team, and now it has to show that there's some life for the final home game.

Nov. 11
Ball State 31 … Miami University 16
Miami hung tough in a wild second quarter as Chris Givens caught a 49-yard touchdown pass to pull within 14-13, and then it was all Ball State as MiQuale Lewis ran for 165 yards and two one-yard touchdowns and Nate Davis ran for a one-yard score and threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Darius Hill. The Cardinals had a hard time closing out, MU kept pushing and just missed on what looked would’ve been a sure touchdown catch late in the game, but Ball State held on allowing just three points in the second half.
Player of the game: Ball State RB MiQuale Lewis ran 26 times for 165 yards and two touchdowns, and he caught two passes for 51 yards
Stat Leaders: Miami Univ. - Passing: Daniel Raudabaugh, 25-42, 254 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Thomas Merriweather, 18-65. Receiving: Jamal Rogers, 5-61
Ball State - Passing: Nate Davis, 17-24, 289 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: MiQuale Lewis, 26-165, 2 TD. Receiving: Briggs Orsbon, 7-97
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The MU defense did what it could against a loaded Ball State team, but the offense didn’t provide much help in the second half. The chances were there for scores, especially a misfire on a mid-fourth quarter play that looked like was going to be a sure touchdown, and the points simply didn’t come. The lost season continues to slide, but give MU credit for not giving up. The team appeared to play extremely hard throughout.

Nov. 4
Buffalo 37 … Miami University 17
Buffalo got up early and had few problems the rest of the way as Drew Willy ran for a one-yard score and threw two touchdown passes including a 34-yarder to Naaman Roosevelt. Miami hung around with a few key turnovers and touchdown runs from Clay Belton and J.R. Taylor, but Buffalo always had an answer. James Starks took over late with a one yard run and a 62-yard scoring dash as part of a 16-point run to close things out.
Player of the game: Buffalo RB James Starks ran 26 times for 177 yards and two touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: Miami - Passing: Clay Belton, 17-30, 178 yds
Rushing: J.R. Taylor, 16-69, 1 TD. Receiving: Dustin Woods, 9-82
Buffalo - Passing: Drew Willy, 18-29, 245 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: James Starks, 26-177, 2 TD. Receiving: Naaman Roosevelt, 8-148, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Miami continues to be tremendously disappointing, and it starts with the play of the defensive front seven. Buffalo was able to dominate when it had to in the second half with the ground game pounding away late. The MU offense isn’t blameless, there wasn’t much of a push for the running game and the passing game didn’t get anything going deep. After losing five of the last six games, the RedHawks are now playing out the string, but they can be a major spoiler against Ball State next week. It’ll take an effort the team hasn’t come up with all year to come close against the mighty Cardinals.

Oct. 25
Kent State 54 … Miami University 21
Julian Edelman ran for a 58-yard touchdown and Eugene Jarvis scored four times in the second quarter as Kent State ran by MU. Helped by six MU turnovers, Kent State had few problems scoring on short fields and finished with 305 rushing yards. Jarvis scored three times from the one and once from two yards out as part of a 41-point run that wasn’t stopped until a one-yard Clay Belton run in the fourth.
Player of the game: Kent State QB Julian Edelman completed 10-of-17 passes for 107 yards and a touchdown, and ran 16 times for 158 yards and a score
Stat Leaders: Miami - Passing: Clay Belton, 18-31, 171 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: J.R. Taylor 20-113. Receiving: Chris Givens, 4-35, 1 TD
Kent State - Passing: Julian Edelman, 10-17, 107 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Julian Edelman, 16-158, 1 TD. Receiving: Derek McBryde, 3-54
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Miami’s disappointing season continues to go into the tank. At home, the defense and the linebackers were supposed to keep Kent State in check, but instead the offense couldn’t stop giving the ball away, the run defense was non-existent, and the RedHawks fell further into the abyss. A winning season is now toast, and things could get worse in a hurry with a road trip to Buffalo ahead before facing Ball State.

Oct. 18
Miami University 27 … Bowling Green 20
Miami got its first win of the year over an FBS team as J.R. Taylor ran for a five-yard score with 2:35 to play to cap off a 13-point scoring run. The RedHawks had a 14-3 first half lead thanks to a six-yard Andre Bratton touchdown run and a 53-yard pass play to Chris Givens, but the lead wouldn’t last. Bowling Green, took the lead on two Tyler Sheehan touchdown passes and a 34-yard Sinisa Vrvilo field goal, but the defense couldn’t hold late and the offense was stopped in the fourth.
Player of the game: Miami University RB J.R. Taylor ran 18 times for 127 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Bowling Green - Passing: Tyler Sheehan, 21-34, 224 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Anthony Turner, 12-41. Receiving: Anthony Turner, 7-88
Miami - Passing: Clay Belton, 11-23, 129 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: J.R. Taylor, 18-127, 1 TD. Receiving: Chris Givens, 3-71, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Miami, even with the nightmare of a season so far, is still in the MAC title hunt after beating Bowling Green. The emergence of J.R. Taylor as a legitimate rushing threat could be the key to the second half of the season, but the play of QB Clay Belton, outside of the long scoring pass to Chris Givens in the second quarter, was spotty at best. The defense did its job, especially against the Bowling Green running game, and now the team has to build off this performance and stop the Kent State running game next week.

Oct. 11
Northern Illinois 17 … Miami University 13
Northern Illinois held on with two broken up passes in the end zone in the final seconds to stop a last-gasp MU drive. The RedHawks took a 13-10 lead on a 63-yard punt return for a score from Eugene Harris and two Nathan Parseghian field goals, but NIU grabbed the lead for good late in the third quarter on a two-yard Chad Spann run. Miami only managed 284 yards of total offense to NIU’s 326.
Player of the game: Northern Illinois RB Meco Brown ran 11 times for 101 yards
Stat Leaders: Miami Univ. - Passing: Daniel Raudabaugh, 14-23, 115 yds
Rushing: Thomas Merriweather, 13-40. Receiving: Andre Bratton, 4-41
Northern Illinois - Passing: DeMarcus Grady, 7-12, 63 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Meco Brown, 11-101. Receiving: Marcus Perez, 2-42
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... With 284 yards of offense, 12 penalties, and several missed chances, Miami sunk further into the abyss. The offense failed to get into the end zone, and while Daniel Raudabaugh wasn’t bad, he didn’t show enough to deserve to hang on to the starting job for the rest of the year. MU needs more out of the offensive line and it needs a far better push for the running game.

Oct. 4
Temple 28 … Miami University 10
Temple only came up with 11 first downs and 294 yards of total offense, but it made the production count as Chester Stewart hit Bruce Francis on touchdown passes from 42 and six yards out in the fourth quarter and connected with Steve Maneri on a two-yard touchdown pass in the second. Miami struggled to keep the offense moving, hurt by four turnovers, with Clay Belton stepping in to replace an ineffective Daniel Raudabaugh. The RedHawks managed 10 points in the third quarter with Thomas Merriweather running for a two-yard score.
Player of the game: Temple QB Chester Stewart completed 11-of-23 passes for 178 yards and three touchdowns with an interception
Stat Leaders: Temple - Passing: Chester Stewart, 11-23, 178 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Kee-ayre Griffin, 6-36, 1 TD. Receiving: Marquise Liverpool, 4-52
Miami University - Passing: Clay Belton, 14-22, 147 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Thomas Merrriweather, 26-133, 1 TD. Receiving: Jamal Rogers, 8-62
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The coaching staff seemed close to pulling Daniel Raudabaugh a few times this year, and it finally happened against Temple. After a stunning, disappointing loss, this might be Clay Belton’s offense to run. Nothing seems to be clicking this year. Four turnovers against the Owls and a porous defense in the fourth quarter just added to the clunker. Now MU has to go on the road to face NIU and Bowling Green over the next two weeks.

Sept. 20
Cincinnati 45 … Miami University 20
Tony Pike was nearly perfect as the new Cincinnati quarterback throwing three touchdown passes, while John Goebel ran for scores from five and 20 yards out. Miami stayed alive with two Daniel Raudabaugh touchdown passes including a 34-yarder to Chris Givens to pull within four in the third quarter, but Cincinnati scored 21 unanswered points sparked by a 72-yard Mike Mickens interception return for a touchdown.
Player of the game: Cincinnati QB Tony Pike completed 20-of-24 passes for 241 yards and three touchdowns, and ran five times for 33 yards
Stat Leaders: Cincinnati - Passing: Tony Pike, 20-24, 241 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: John Goebel, 13-63, 2 TD. Receiving: Dominick Goodman, 6-94
Miami Univ. - Passing: Daniel Raudabaugh, 28-42. 235 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Thomas Merriweather, 17-50. Receiving: Andre Bratton, 9-54
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Miami might have gotten blown away late by Cincinnati, but the offense hung tough for three quarters with Daniel Raudabaugh coming up with a nice performance to keep the team in the game. Even so, 1-3 is 1-3 and the RedHawks have yet to beat an FBS team. With the MAC season kicking off in two weeks at Temple, the pass defense has to tighten up in a big way. New UC QB Tony Pike did whatever he wanted to.

Sept. 13
Miami University 38 … Charleston Southern 27
Miami spotted Charleston Southern the first 13 points of the game on two Tribble Reese touchdown passes, and was down 27-17 late in the third on two more Reese scoring throws, but a run of 21 points to close out finally ended the nervousness. Eugene Harris took a punt 44 yards for a score, Armand Robinson caught an 18-yard touchdown pass and Thomas Merriweather ran for three short touchdowns for the RedHawks.
Player of the game: Miami RB Thomas Merriweather ran for 74 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries, catching a pair of passes for 18 yards.
Stat Leaders: Charleston Southern - Passing: Tribble Reese, 26-39, 257 yds, 4 TDs, 2 INTs
Rushing: Gerald Stevenson, 6-37. Receiving: Markus Murry, 6-91
Miami Univ. - Passing: Daniel Raudabaugh, 19-30, 305 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Thomas Merriweather, 26-74, 3 TDs. Receiving: Eugene Harris, 4-51
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The defense isn’t playing anywhere near as well as it should. This is a veteran group with a fantastic linebacking corps, but too many teams are having few problems producing. Charleston Southern should not be hanging up four touchdown passes on this MU defense. The offense finally got going, but it was almost too late. On the plus side, Daniel Raudabaugh threw well and Thomas Merriweather came through with a nice day, but soon, this team needs to start playing up to its potential.

Sept. 6
Michigan 16 ... Miami University 6
Michigan got a nine-yard touchdown run from Steven Threet to start the scoring and and a 15-yard run from Brandon Minor in the fourth quarter to put the game away, and in between the two scores was a great game from the defense. Miami only managed two field goals, one from 27 yards out and one from 23, and came up with just 252 yards of total offense. Miami held on to the ball for 35:13 and allowed Michigan to convert just two of 13 third down conversions.
Player of the game: Michigan RB Sam McGuffie rushed 17 times for 74 yards and had three receptions for 32 yards.
Stat Leaders: Miami  Univ. - Passing: Daniel Raudabaugh, 20-33, 191 yds
Rushing: Thomas Merriweather, 21-77. Receiving: Jamal Rogers, 9-78
Michigan - Passing: Steven Threet, 6-13, 63 yds
Rushing: Sam McGuffie, 17-74. Receiving: Martavious Odoms, 3-57
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Michigan has a good defense, so there's no reason to go into full-blown panic mode, but after two games the MU offense has done next to nothing. That's what Charleston Southern is for next week. The RedHawks have to come up with something it can do right, and it has to get the running game going after averaging just 1.5 yards per carry against the Wolverines. Daniel Raudabaugh was decent throwing the ball, but he couldn't come through in the red zone.

Aug. 28
Vanderbilt 34 ... Miami Univ. 13
Miami scored first on a 37-yard Nathan Parseghian field goal and got a 30-yard touchdown catch from Eugene Harris midway though the second, but the defense couldn't contain Vanderbilt QB Chris Nickson, who ran for 166 yards with two scores. The Commodore defense held tough in the second half allowing just a 29-yard Parseghian field goal. Vandy outgained MU 269 yards to 96 on the ground. MU LB Joey Hudson made 14 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss with a fumble recovery.
Player of the game: Vanderbilt QB Chris Nickson completed nine of 16 passes for 91 yards and a touchdown, and ran 20 times for 166 yards and two scores.
Stat Leaders: Miami - Passing: Daniel Raudabaugh, 19-41, 244 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Thomas Merriweather, 10-59. Receiving: Eugene Harris, 4-52, 1 TD
Vanderbilt - Passing: Chris Nickson, 9-16, 91 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Chris Nickson, 20-166, 2 TD. Receiving: Sean Walker, 2-53, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Miami has to be tremendously disappointed by the performance, especially on defense, in the loss to Vanderbilt. It should've set up perfectly considering the great RedHawk linebacking corps should've been able to contain the running of Vandy QB Chris Nickson, and couldn't. On the other side of the ball, it's not time to panic about the MU passing game, the Commodore secondary is among the best in the country, but things weren't clicking. The offense isn't likely to get better next week against Michigan's great secondary.

2008 Recruiting Class

Star of the Class

Zac Dysert QB 6-4 195 Ada, OH (Ada HS)
Miami Coaches' Comments: A tremendous athlete who is a threat both passing and running the ball. Expected to make a smooth transition to Miami due to the pass-happy offense in which he played as a prep. Notes: A highly acclaimed quarterback who ranks second on Ohio prep football's all-time passing yardage list with 11,174 yards. The Ohio Coaches Association named him the winner of the 2007 Art Teynor Award as the state's all-division Player of the Year. Previous Teynor Award winners include Ben Roethlisberger and Ted Ginn, Jr. Dysert also was named Ohio Division 6 and Northwest Conference Player of the Year. Last season, despite missing three-and-a-half games with a broken thumb, he passed for 3,714 yards and 35 TDs. During that span last season when he couldn't pass the ball, he played wide receiver and linebacker for the Bulldogs. He threw 100 TD passes during his career. Dysert also was an adept runner, compiling more than 1,000 yards on the ground with 16 TDs.

Potential Instant Impact Players

Dan Green RB 5-10 195 Oak Park, IL (Walther Lutheran HS) Miami Coaches' Comments: A very fast, elusive back with tremendous cutting ability. His ability to participate in 2008 spring drills will give him a good chance to contribute next fall. Notes: Currently enrolled in classes at Miami University and will participate in RedHawks' 2008 spring drills. A business major at Miami. Earned all-state honors in Illinois and was a back-to back all-conference and all-area selection. Recorded consecutive 1,000-plus rushing seasons as junior and senior, averaging more than six yards per attempt. Captained Walther Lutheran his senior year, starring at both running back and strong safety. Honor roll student. His high school coach was Bruce Toumi. Other Schools Interested: Air Force, Bowling Green, Cincinnati, Illinois State, Wyoming.

Nick Kemper OL 6-3 275 Winter Springs, FL (Lake Howell HS) Miami Coaches' Comments: A smart player with great fundamental skills. Because of his background at center, he could compete for playing time early. Notes: A four-year football letter winner at Lake Howell High, he won first-team 5A honors in Florida his senior year and was selected to play in the state's North-South All-Star Game. Nick also was a unanimous first-team All-District choice. As the team's offensive center, defensive end and long snapper, his squad was district runner-up in the Florida play-offs in both 2006 and 2007. Also lettered in wrestling and weight-lifting. Academically, he has been an honor roll student each of the last two years. Both his mother, Vicki, and his father, Matt, are Miami University graduates. Dad lettered in football at Miami from 1985-87, starting at offensive tackle. Matt originally hailed from North Gallia H.S. in Kerr, Ohio. Nick is undecided about his major at Miami. Other Schools Interested: South Florida and Central Florida.

Rest of the Class
Brad Bednar OL 6-4 245 Mentor, OH (Mentor)
Trevor Behmke TE 6-5 250 Paoli, PA (Conestoga)
Jim Broadway K/P 6-0 175 Roswell, GA (Roswell)
David "D.J." Brown DB 6-1 175 West Chester, OH (Lakota West)
Joe Clarke WR 6-3 190 Tampa, FL (Alonso)
Andy Cruse WR 6-4 210 Cincinnati, OH (Turpin)
Zac Dysert QB 6-4 195 Ada, OH (Ada)
Dan Green RB 5-10 195 Oak Park, IL (Walther Lutheran)
Juilian Harrell WR 6-3 205 Harrisburg, PA (Bishop McDevitt HS)
Michael Johns DT 6-4 260 Oak Forest, IL (Oak Forest)
Luke Kelly LB 6-2 210 Cincinnati, OH (Turpin)
Nick Kemper OL 6-3 275 Winter Springs, FL (Lake Howell)
Matt Kennedy OL 6-5 240 Mt. Prospect, IL (Prospect)
Evan Klepec DL 6-3 245 Canfi eld, OH (Boardman)
Andrew Phelan OL 6-4 285 West Chester, OH (Lakota West)
Brian Sutherland DB 5-10 170 Smyrna, GA (Campbell)
Jaytee Swanson LB 6-2 210 Buford, GA (Buford)
Jay "J.R." Taylor RB 5-9 195 Reynoldsburg, OH (Reynoldsburg)

2008 Early Lookahead
Why to get excited: The passing game should be more consistent and far more explosive. Daniel Raudabaugh took over the quarterback reins and turned into a good passer as the season went on, and his baby-young receiving corps should be better with Chris Givens and Eugene Harris getting through freshman seasons and Dustin Woods ready to step up as a number one. Nine starters are back on a defense that finished second in yards allowed and first in scoring D. The linebacking corps could be the best unit in the MAC.
Why to be grouchy: Will there be more points? The running game needs to find a new back to carry the mail hoping that Thomas Merriweather can provide a bit of balance. While the rest of the skill players are more experienced, they have to figure out how to get into the end zone after the offense averaged just 19.23 points per game. Two key starters, C Steve Meister and OT Charlie Norden, are gone.
The number one thing to work on is: Passing efficiency. The offense threw for a bunch of yards, but it was hardly consistent or efficient. Raudabuagh had to press a little bit down the stretch, and it showed with seven interceptions in the final three games and with only two touchdown passes. He struggled in a defensive slugfest against Akron, and he couldn't get things going in the blowout loss to Central Michigan in the MAC title game.
Biggest offensive loss: C Steve Meister
Biggest defensive loss: DE Craig Mester
Best returning offensive player: QB Daniel Raudabaugh, Jr.
Best returning defensive player: LBs Joey Hudson, Sr., Clayton Mullins, Sr., Caleb Bostic, Jr.

2007 Recap
Recap: Although the RedHawks enjoyed a nice recovery by tripling their two-win total in 2006, they failed to complete the journey, losing badly to Central Michigan in the MAC title game and slipping under .500.  After nipping Ball State in the opener, Miami was a victim of streaky behavior, losing three straight, winning three straight, dropping two in-a-row, winning two-in-a-row, and finally, losing its last two games to finish 6-7.  The RedHawks never quite overcame season-ending injuries to their top two backs, Andre Bratton and Brandon Murphy, relying almost exclusively on one of the league’s stingiest defenses.      

Offensive Player of the Year: G Dave DiFranco

Defensive Player of the Year: LB Clayton Mullins

Biggest Surprise: In a game of evenly-matched programs, Miami destroyed Bowling Green, 47-14, to take control of the East Division.  The RedHawks played their most complete game of the season, outgaining the Falcons 499-232, and sacking Tyler Sheehan six times.      

Biggest Disappointment: The RedHawks went stride-for-stride with the Big Ten’s Minnesota in Week 2, but fell, 41-35, in three exhausting overtimes.  Miami rallied for 16 points in the final 6:35 of regulation to send the game into extra sessions, making the final outcome that much harder to digest.           

Looking Ahead: Provided Miami can shake off last year’s sluggish finish, it’ll be right back in the hunt for a league championship in 2008.  Only three of last year’s starters were seniors, and the linebacker trio of Mullins, Joey Hudson, and Caleb Bostic will be one of the best in the country among non-BCS schools.