Slow start hurts RedHawks, who fall 35-28 to Marshall

Threatening OXFORD — weather delayed the kickoff for Miami’s nonconference game against Marshall on Saturday by 2 hours, 25 minutes.

The RedHawks opened the game by acting as if the delay was about 45 minutes longer. The Thundering Herd piled up 177 yards of total offense to Miami’s 28 while scoring on their first two drives, forcing Miami to battle from behind all night on the way to a 35-28 loss before an announced attendance of 15,827 at Yager Stadium.

“Those first two drives, we didn’t play very well,” said Miami coach Chuck Martin, pointing out crucial penalties that kept both drives alive. “You can’t give up a 75-yard drive and then an 80-yard drive out of the chute.”

The loss was Miami’s second straight to Marshall in a season-opener, fifth straight overall in the series and 10th in the last 11 games against the Thundering Herd. The RedHawks haven’t won an opener against a Foot- ball Bowl Subdivision team since edging Ball State 14-13 in 2007. The RedHawks’ only first-game win in that span was 26-7 over Football Cham- pionship Subdivision Pres- byterian in 2015.

Quarterback Gus Ragland shook off Miami’s first two punchless possessions to finish 25 of 46 for 357 yards and three touchdowns, including a 3-yard pass to Kenny Young to pull Miami within 35-28 with 3:31 left in the game.

Third-year sophomore tight end Andrew Homer made his first two career catches — including a 6-yard touchdown catch on a threeplay, 61-yard, 49-second drive that cut Marshall’s lead to 28-21 with 9:20 left in regulation. Marshall regained control when Tyler King returned a punt 50 yards to Miami’s 11-yard line, setting up redshirt freshman Isaiah Green’s second touchdown pass of the game.

Green went 7 for 10 for 94 yards in the first quarter of his debut. He responded to Miami’s first touchdown, Ragland’s 19-yard fourthdown pass to Sorenson with 2:32 left in the first half, by marching Marshall 75 yards in 11 plays and 2 minutes, 11 seconds for a touchdown that gave the Thundering Herd a 21-7 halftime lead. Alonzo Smith scored on a one-yard run with 4:32 left in the third quarter to cut the Thundering Herd lead to 28-14, but Ragland’s pass to James Gardner in the end zone on fourth-and-goal from Marshall’s 2 was batted away.