MIAMI FACES BOWLING GREEN TODAY TO OPEN LEAGUE PLAY
Of all the freaky plays that plagued Miami last season, none was freakier or more heartbreaking than the mishap that cost the RedHawks a win over Bowling Green.
Miami was trailing by one but 1 yard away from the go-ahead touchdown in the last two minutes. The RedHawks lined up in a shot- gun formation and defensive tackle Nate Trawick, used as an additional blocking back, shifted slightly to his left a split second before center Mitch Palmer snapped the ball. It grazed Trawick and never reached quarterback Billy Bahl before Falcons linebacker Brandon Harris picked it up and rambled 93 yards for the clinching touchdown.
Obviously, it’s a play Miami is trying to forget, but it’s also a play that will enjoy a long life in Bowling Green football lore.
“The whole sideline went crazy,” Falcons safety Jerry McBride III recalled at Bowl- ing Green’s weekly media session earlier this week. “Let’s just hope it doesn’t go down to the fourth quarter like that again. It had everybody’s nerves bouncing.”
Today’s 3 p.m. Mid-American Conference opener for both teams at Bowling Green’s Doyt Perry Stadium also is the third straight home game for the 1-2 Falcons, who finished fifth in the MAC East last season at 2-6 and were picked to finish fifth again in the preseason MAC media poll. They are looking at this game as crucial.
“It’s one that can really set the tone for the season,” Falcons coach Mike Jinks said.
“The out-of-conference games, they’re fun and all, traveling to Oregon, battling Maryland at home, but at the end of the year, everybody wants a MAC championship, and the road to a MAC cham- pionship starts right now,” McBride added.
Miami, winless in three nonconference games and outscored by a combined 47-3 in the past two, also is hoping to get off to a good start in conference play. The RedHawks were picked to finish third in the East after tying Buffalo for third at 4-4 last season.
Miami’s more immediate concern is replacing several injured starters, including wide receiver James Gardner, who is likely lost for the season. Also out or question- able are senior running back Kenny Young, sophomore offensive right tackle Tommy Doyle and junior tight end Nate Becker. Martin is counting on the depth from two highly regarded recruiting classes to help fill the gaps.
“Any time you lose a good player, it’s going to hurt you, but I don’t see our game plan totally changing,” Miami coach Chuck Martin said, pointing out the losses also could have an impact on special teams. “You feel awful for the guys who can’t play the sport they love, but on the other hand, there is some- one standing there waiting.”
One of them is junior run- ning back Maurice Thomas, who ranks second on the RedHawks with 15 carries but leads with 76 rushing yards and an average of 5.1 yards per rush. He has yet to be tackled for a loss. The Tala- wanda graduate, who missed nine games last season with a knee injury, has become the most consistent performer in a stagnant offense that ranks last in the MAC with an aver- age of 10.3 points and sec- ond-last in total offense with an average of 280.3 yards.