2010 Miami Redhawks Football Preview

2009 Results: 1-11, No Bowl Game

Head Coach: Mike Haywood (2nd year @ Miami, 1-11 Overall)

Home Venue: Fred C. Yager Stadium (24,286), Miami, Ohio

There is no sugarcoating it: 2009 was a brutal season for the Redhawks. Their eleven losses set a school record for futility and only two of those losses saw them come within a touchdown of their opponents. It was truly a season to forget for Miami. However, they now have perhaps the most veteran team in the MAC with the vast majority of their starters back. Can the Redhawks compete in the MAC East?

OFFENSE

The offense was an exercise in futility last season as Miami scored a league-low 15.6 points per game. There were two major causes for their struggles. One was a running game that only managed 70 yards per outing and the other was an incredible minus 24 turnover margin!

Things look significantly better this season for the Redhawks. First of all, sophomore quarterback Zac Dysert (2,611 pass yards, 258 rush yards, 17 total TDs, 16 INT in ‘09) started nine games last year and is now battle tested as he prepares for his first full season under center. Second of all, the top two receivers from last season’s strong passing game are back as seniors Armand Robinson (67 catches, 788 yards, 4 TDs) and Jamal Rogers (54 catches, 505 yards, 3 TDs) should form one of the league’s better pass catching tandems this fall.

Where I have my concerns is in the running game. First of all, senior Thomas Merriweather (291 yards, 3 TDs) led the team in rushing but his numbers were really awful for a team’s #1 ball carrier. He’ll get the nod again this season and the running game will be more productive, almost by default considering how poor Miami won on the ground last season.

He’ll run behind an O-Line that returns all five starters from a year ago. This line was pretty miserable overall and should definitely get better with another year of playing together in the 2nd year of their new scheme. Overall, I think that Miami will make some serious progress scoring points this fall as I fully expect their running game to be leaps and bounds better behind an improved line. Combine that with the potential for a big play passing attack and this season should be a much more fruitful campaign for the Redhawk offense.

DEFENSE

The defense was also poor last fall, allowing over 34 points per game. However, turnovers really skew that statistic as Miami only gave up 377 yards per game, placing them in the middle of the league standings. That also seems to indicate that this defense is in for a major turnaround.

Up front, nine players return who started at least one game on the D-Line last year, including four sophomores! That much depth is a great sign, though the line has no front line performer that will command double teams. Meanwhile, junior linebacker Jerrell Wedge (114 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 1 INT) is the team’s premier defender and he was a 2nd Team All-MAC player last season. With this many pieces in place, I think that the Redhawks will have an improved run defense.

As for the secondary, three upperclassmen starters return, led by junior safety Anthony Kokal (105 tackles, 1 INT), who was a break out performer last season. Senior corner Brandon Stephens (57 tackles, 2 INT) is also a solid defender and I think that this veteran unit could end up being the strength of the defense.

Overall, there is no question that this unit should be better than last season. First of all, that terrible turnover margin is very unlikely to rear its head to the same extreme again. Second of all, there is significantly more experience this season and that will definitely play out to the Redhawks’ benefit. Overall, I think that this defense will perform better, but I have to also temper expectations: This is still no better than a middle of the pack defense in the MAC.

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SCHEDULE

One major drawback for the Redhawks is their schedule. Out of conference, they have to travel to Florida, Missouri and Cincinnati, all three of which are likely losses. Their only non-league home game is against Colorado State, which leaves them with only five home games overall. In the league, the Redhawks play six games within the East division, giving them only lowly EMU and depleted Central Michigan from the West. However, that tough non-conference schedule is going to be a serious impediment towards bowl eligibility.

OUTLOOK

Miami will undoubtedly be a much better team this season. Virtually the entire team returns intact and everyone will benefit from being in the system for a 2nd year. On offense, young Dysert is going to be significantly improved this season and the passing game is going to be the main strength on offense. Meanwhile, the defense is going t be better across the board, though there aren’t a lot of playmakers.

That said, the Redhawks aren’t particularly strong in the trenches and still have a long way to come from last year’s 1-11 debacle. While they certainly won’t have to fight the uphill battle with turnovers that they did in 2009, I think that a tough non-conference schedule and a team that could start as many as nine underclassmen will be too tough of a combination to overcome. While I think that this team will be better and I believe that they will be in significantly more close contests, I don’t think that they’ll start pushing towards bowl eligibility for another year. I have trouble picking them this low with such an improved team, but the Miami Redhawks are my choice to finish 6 th in the MAC East Division.

PREDICTED RESULT: 2-10 (2-6 MAC)