Last Second Field Goal Seals Miami Win Over UMass
By Jack Mueller
(Featured Image: Jeff Sabo)
The Miami RedHawks narrowly defeated the UMass Minutemen 23-20 in overtime as a part of their homecoming celebrations on Saturday. Miami kicker Dom Dzioban connected on the game winning kick after UMass’ Jacob Lurie failed to connect on overtime’s opening drive.
“Dom’s the only specialist I’ve given a scholarship to out of high school.” said Miami head coach Chuck Martin. “He lives for these playoff moments”
“This is what kickers live for, I wouldn’t have wanted it to happen any other way.” said Dzioban. “Coach Martin said he would have been more worried in the first quarter, he likes me in the fourth quarter.”
Even with some mistakes, Miami set their season high in points. Keyon Mozee was the star of the show for the offense. The senior running back racked up 116 yards on the ground, averaging almost 13 yards per carry. Mozee scored the RedHawks first touchdown since their last home matchup, breaking through the lines for a 27-yard score.
Miami quarterback Brett Gabbert rebounded nicely from a poor game against Notre Dame. The veteran signal-caller completed 64% of his passes and completed a touchdown pass to Javon Tracy to give the RedHawks the lead in the first half. Despite the improvement, he knows he still has more to give.
“It was nice to give Dom (Dzioban) the chance to go make that game-tying kick, but it never should have gotten to that point,” said Gabbert. “We’ve played some good defenses, and UMass’ defense gave us some trouble, but we have a long way to go on offense and that starts with me.”
(Brett Gabbert lines up a pass, Photo: Jeff Sabo)
The RedHawks got on the board first after Mozee broke through the UMass defense to give Miami a 7-0 lead. The home team’s offense got off to a slow start on their first drive, and were forced to punt after two incomplete passes. It looked like the second drive would be more of the same before Reggie Virgil drew a pass interference penalty in the end zone. Mozee did the rest, capitalizing on the enhanced field position.
It didn’t take long for UMass to respond. The RedHawks were able to force a 3rd & 13 situation deep in Minutemen territory, but Taisun Phommachanh found Jakobie Keeney-James streaking down the right sideline, and connected with him for a 64-yard touchdown. Penalties proved to be costly for Miami’s defense on the next drive, as a would-be 4th & 6 was taken away by a roughing the passer penalty. UMass capitalized, converting another 4th & 6 before Jacob Lurie connected on a 45-yard field goal, giving the Minutemen a 10-7 lead.
Miami tied the game at 10 after Gabbert connected with Arizona State transfer Andre Johnson for a 44 yard gain to bring the offense into scoring position. The RedHawks struggled to move the ball from there, and were forced to settle for a 37-yard field goal, which Dzioban converted.
(Andre Johnson picks up 44 yards, Photo: Jeff Sabo)
The RedHawks had a chance to build on their momentum to go into the halftime break with the lead for the first time this season. Gabbert connected with Cade McDonald twice for 32 yards, and Dylan Downing added ten on the ground to put Miami inside the redzone. An intentional grounding penalty backed the RedHawks up, forcing Gabbert to throw into double coverage. His pass was picked off by Jalen Harrell just in front of the endzone, sending the teams to the locker rooms tied at 10.
Penalties hurt the RedHawks again early in the second half. Cade McDonald returned a punt 70 yards for a touchdown, but a holding penalty in Miami territory brought the RedHawks back to their own 19. Gabbert and the offense could not overcome the 81-yard field flip, and were forced to punt.
They bounced back on the next drive, largely due to Keyon Mozee’s 66 yard run to take the RedHawks to the ten-yard-line. Miami capitalized two plays later, as Gabbert found Javon Tracy on a fade route in the corner of the end zone to give Miami a 17-10 lead with just over fifteen minutes to play.
The RedHawk defense turned up the heat in the second half, forcing the Minutemen into three straight punts. Miami allowed just 99 yards on those drives and held Phommachanh to two completions. The UMass quarterback recovered well though, picking up 30 yards on the ground to bring his team into the redzone. Running back CJ Hester punched the ball in from a yard out to tie the game at 17-17 with eight minutes to play.
Miami failed to respond, and UMass took over with six minutes to go with the chance to run the clock down and win the game. Phommachanh and his offense put together a 10-play, 59 yard drive that took five minutes off of the clock and culminated in a 23-yard field goal by Jacob Lurie.
Miami took over from their own 25 down three points with just 40 seconds on the clock. Gabbert found Kevin Davis in the flat three consecutive times to push the ball up to their own 49 yard line with 22 seconds left. Gabbert picked up five then found Davis two more times to bring Miami close to field goal range with four seconds on the clock. Dzioban connected from 46 yards (his career high) to bring Miami level and send the teams to overtime.
UMass had the chance to put pressure on the RedHawks, taking over on offense first. It looked like they would do just that, as Keeney-James found the endzone, but an illegal formation penalty wiped out the score. Jacob Lurie then pushed his field goal attempt wide right, giving Miami the ball with a chance to escape with a victory.
The RedHawks wasted no time, giving Dzioban the chance to win the game from 43xa-yards out. The junior placekicker made no mistake with his attempt, dispatching the kick to seal the victory for the RedHawks and sending Yager Stadium into celebration mode. Saturday was a breakout game for Dzioban, who is the full-time kicker for the first time in his Miami career, taking over the vacant spot left by one of Dzioban’s “best friends”, All-American Graham Nicholson.
“The only person in all of Oxford who was somewhat happy that Graham was leaving was me.” said Dzioban, now 7/9 on field goal kicks this season, “Iron sharpens iron…I always knew I was a good kicker.”
With the door closed on the non-conference season, Miami will be hoping to use Saturday’s win to build some momentum in their quest to retain their MAC Championship. However, Coach Martin acknowledged the rough start to the season.
“They don’t wipe away those games, The season doesn’t start over, we’re not 1-0, we’re 1-3” said Martin.
The RedHawks will open their MAC schedule with a rematch of the 2023 MAC Championship game. Miami will face the Toledo Rockets at the Glass Bowl in Northern Ohio on Saturday. The Rockets, led by Jason Candle, are 3-1 on the season, and will be looking to bounce back after a loss to Western Kentucky last week.