Recap: Miami 46 Central Michigan 7
By: Jack Mueller
The Miami RedHawks extended their win streak to three games, dominating Central Michigan en route to a 46-7 win. Head Coach Chuck Martin registered his 60th win at the helm in Oxford, the most in Miami history, and his team did it in style.
“”The whole thing was pretty dang cool, pretty awesome” said Martin.
“He’s done crazy things” “From a two-win program to now…it’s all what Coach Martin built” said sophomore receiver Javon Tracy.
After a brief stint on the sidelines due to injury, Brett Gabbert returned as the RedHawks’ QB and put together a solid performance. He completed 83% of his passes for 165 yards, and found a wide-open Tracy for his 13th touchdown pass of the season. Tracy has emerged as a massive contributor in the passing game, racking up five catches for 118 yards against CMU. One catch stood out from the rest, a leaping one-handed snag that brought everyone at Yager to their feet.
“Pregame I always do one-handed catches. Every time I do one-handers in warm ups it feels natural.” said Tracy
Central Michigan had no answer for the Miami rushing attack. Keyon Mozee led the way with 125 yards on the ground. Jordan Brunson and Kevin Davis both also broke out for big plays, racking up 150 yards between the pair of them. The team total of 280 yards is by far the most the RedHawks have registered in one game this season.
Miami’s defense was dominant for the second straight game. Central Michigan recorded just 36 yards in the third quarter, managing to pick up just two first downs after the break. Matt Salopek once again led by example in his last season at Miami, racking up eight tackles and two TFL’s. Raion Strader continued to impress in pass coverage, locking down his opponents all game long.
Dom Dzioban set a new Yager Stadium record and tied a Miami record, connecting on five field goals in the game. The senior placekicker is now 16-18 on field goals this season. He also set a new personal best, connecting on a kick in the third quarter from 51 yards out.
Central Michigan took the lead with two minutes left in the first quarter. The RedHawk defense forced a 4th and 1 at their own 24-yard line, but CMU RB Marion Lukes picked up enough yardage for the first down. The defensive unit forced another high-leverage down, leaving Central Michigan with a 3rd and two from the two-yard line, but Myles Bailey bounced to the outside and dove in for the score.
Miami quarterback Brett Gabbert left the game in the first quarter with an injury. Sophomore Henry Hesson entered the game as Gabbert’s replacement, and wasted no time before making an impact, finding Reggie Virgil in the endzone for a nine-yard score. The touchdown pass gave Miami a 10-7 lead.
Henry Hesson under center for Miami (photo: Jack Mueller)
Dom Dzioban extended the lead on the RedHawks’ next possession. After a roughing-the-passer penalty set Miami up from the five-yard line, Hesson was unable to advance the ball. Dzioban made no mistake from 26 yards away, extending a RedHawk lead that would hold for the majority of the half.
Central Michigan had the chance to cut into the deficit with two minutes remaining in the half, but Tristan Mattson missed a 46-yard field goal that would have brought his team within three points. Henry Hesson led the RedHawks down the field, racking up 55 passing yards en route to another Dzioban field goal to end the half. The two teams headed to the locker room with Miami leading 16-7.
After the half, Gabbert reclaimed his spot as the RedHawk quarterback. In his first drive back under center, he drove the offense down to the 33-yard line, setting up Dzioban for a 51-yarder, his fourth field goal of the game. He kept the momentum rolling on the next drive, finding Javon Tracy in the end zone to give the RedHawks a 26-7 lead. Another Dzioban field goal to open the fourth quarter extended the Miami lead to 22.
“There was no way he (Gabbert) was going back in the game, he was cleared but he was hurting.” said Martin “He told me “This is what I came back for.”
The RedHawks kept rolling on their next drive. Just seconds after reclaiming possession after another defensive stop, Kevin Davis burst through the lines and took off down the left sideline before being brought down at the two yard line. Miami made sure to repay their running back, going to him again for a two-yard score that was the icing on the cake, securing Miami’s third straight win.
RedHawk fans thought they had deja vu, as minutes later, another Miami running back, Jordan Brunson broke out for a 75 yard gain before being stopped three yards from the goal line. Once again, the running back was rewarded by getting the ball on the goal line, and Brunson wasted no time before finding the end zone. The RedHawks put a bow on their performance with Kellan McLaughlin drilling another field goal, making the final score 46-7.
“We’re getting huge chunk runs and chunk passes, and that’s how you score 46 points.” said Martin.
Miami, now 4-4 and 3-1 in conference play, are once again in a fight for a spot in the MAC Championship. The RedHawks currently sit at third in the conference standings, tied with Ohio and Bowling Green as things stand.
The RedHawks now have an extended rest period before traveling to Ball State on November 5th for their first midweek game of the season. Martin admitted that his team has been battling some injuries, so the extra time off will be crucial.
“This break is at a perfect time…It’s a nice chance for us to feel a little better.” said Martin.