Rated as the No. 1 running back in the area by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Merriweather gained 1,163 yards on 149 carries and scored 15 touchdowns during his senior campaign.

 

Miami University liked what it saw in Merriweather, and the sentiment turned out to be mutual when Merriweather visited the Miami campus in December.  He committed before leaving Oxford.

 

Almost two years later, the former Hazlewood East High School star is striving to shine on the collegiate level. He hopes last Saturday’s performance against Temple was just a glimpse of what is to come.

 

Merriweather topped 100 yards for the first time as a collegian, picking up a total of 133 yards on 26 carries (5.1 ypc) against the Owls. He also scored a third quarter touchdown which pulled Miami within four points. Temple withstood the charge, however, and added a fourth quarter TD for a 28-10 victory.

 

Merriweather’s touchdown gave him four TD’s on the season. That puts him second behind kicker Nathan Parseghian for the team lead in points scored.

 

Overall, scoring has been a problem area for the RedHawks. Miami ranks last among MAC teams in scoring with 87 total points. It is also last in rushing with 80.4 yards per game and a 2.5 yards per carry average.

 

Part of the reason for the low rankings is related to Miami’s very tough out-of-conference schedule, which included three teams - Vanderbilt , Michigan and the University of Cincinnati - with strong defenses. Miami also faced a stout defense in its MAC opener against Temple. The Owls entered that contest with solid defensive rankings in several categories,

 

If anything, the challenge could be even tougher Saturday.

 

Merriweather and the RedHawks offensive players will be lining up against the MAC’s top defensive team at Northern Illinois. The Huskies rank first among conference teams in total defense (289.4 ypg), and acquitted themselves well in a 13-9 loss at Tennessee last week.

 

“They seem like they’re a pretty aggressive defense,” Merriweather said of the Huskies.

 

While specifically preparing for the Huskies, the RedHawks continue to work on their own game, and Miami’s offense is certainly a part of the process. The RedHawks rank last among MAC teams in scoring with nine touchdowns and 87 points. Miami is also last in rushing offense with 80.4 yards per game (2.5 yards per carry).

 

Given the early struggles, it was rewarding to finally go over 100-yards last week. “I felt like the line was improving and I was improving – like on my reads and keys,” said Merriweather, who is starting sooner than he expected.

 

“I wasn’t supposed to play last year. I was supposed to be redshirted, but with the injuries that happened, I got a chance to play,” he said. “At first, I felt like redshirting would be better for me, but the experience I gained kind of helped me out this year.”

 

Like other former high school standouts, Merriweather needed to adjust his game to play at a Division I collegiate level, where outstanding speed and physical skills are more common.

 

“Coming in, I had no clue what to do,” he said. “I’m trying to be more of a student of the game.”

Noting footwork is important, Merriweather said he has also improved at reading blocks and picking holes.

 

“I’m bigger and stronger. I feel more comfortable with what is going on,” said the sophomore, who has improved his bench press from 335 pounds to 385 pounds. “My squatting is decent right now, but I’ve got to get in the weight room and get stronger. "There’s a lot of things I have to work on, (such as) my footwork.”

 

And so it is with the RedHawks, who would like to put their best foot forward this week.

 

“We’re trying to fix our game, as well as concentrate on the other team,” Merriweather said. “We definitely feel like we can turn it around. We feel like we haven’t played our best game yet …. Everybody (in the MAC East) has a loss, so we still feel confident,”

 

With seven MAC games (including five against MAC East foes) remaining for Miami, there is a lot of football to be played. But as with the rest of the would-be champions, it is now “Show Me” time. Merriweather and the RedHawks would like to do just that.