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EVANSTON, ILL. – It may be some time – years perhaps – before any current Miami University football coaches will be interested in eating turnovers. They’ve had more than their share of turnovers this season and got another unwanted helpingSaturday as the visiting RedHawks fell to Northwestern 16-6.
Haywood’s team has shown improvement through the first six games of 2009, but a spate of injuries and a slew of turnovers continue to plague a young team that has now fallen to 0-6 (0-2 MAC).
Saturday was a particularly rough day for redshirt freshman quarterback Zac Dysert, who was intercepted three times, lost a fumble and failed to either get out of bounds or throw the ball away on a critical play ending the first half.
Stymied throughout the first half by Northwestern’s defense, Miami had a chance to cut into a 10-0 Wildcats lead on its final drive of the second quarter. After stopping Northwestern (4-2) on fourth-and-one at the Miami 31-yard line, the RedHawks advanced to the hosts’ 16.
Eleven seconds remained when Dysert rolled right on a second down play. Unable to find an open receiver, the freshman waited too long and was tackled inbounds with three seconds left. Out of time outs, Miami was unable to get another play off.
“Coach (Morris) Watts told him before hand, ‘You’ve got to throw the ball away if its not open in the back of the end zone,”
Miami head coach Mike Haywood said. “That is a field goal opportunity to put points on the board, and then you go in with a little momentum at halftime.”
Neither team could sustain a drive through much of the third quarter. Dysert, sacked 10 times the previous week against Cincinnati, was pulled down seven times by the Wildcats. Even when they didn’t get an official sack, the Wildcats were often either hitting the quarterback as he threw or forcing him out of the pocket.
Dysert threw his second interception of the day on the third play of the third quarter. Miami dodged the bullet, however, when Anthony Kokal came up with an interception at the Miami one-yard line to halt Northwestern’s drive.
Two possessions later, Miami moved the ball into Wildcats territory, only to lose the ball on a fumble. Brian Peters picked up the loose ball and raced 27 yards to the Miami-27-yard stripe.
Mike Kafka hit Jacob Schmidt on a 25-yard pass to the Miami two, and after an incompletion and short run, Schmidt took it in from one yard out. The extra point kick failed.
Miami finally made it on the board with 1:19 remaining when Dysert hit Andrew Cruse with a 23-yard TD pass along the right side. A two-point conversion attempt failed, as did the following on-side kick.
As has been the case in a number of recent games, the RedHawks stats are comparable to the opposition with the exception of turnovers. Miami had four turnovers to the Wildcats one Saturday.
Overall, Northwestern out-gained Miami 319-302, although the visitors had a 20-17 edge in first downs. Both teams drew a number of flags, with Miami being penalized nine times (67 yards) and Northwestern eight (80 yards).
Individually, Dysert completed 17-of-36 for 176 yards while throwing three interceptions and one touchdown. “Right now, due to injuries, we don’t have a deep threat. And without a deep threat, we’re going to have to commit to our underneath routes and some trick plays,” said Haywood, who is looking for better play on both ends of passes.
Haywood said Dysert has been getting better in each of his three starts and must continue to improve. The Miami mentor also wants to see improvement from a decimated receiving corps.
“We have to make sure that we do a better job out wide. When they are playing the press coverage outside, we have to be able to get off the press coverage and do a better job,” Haywood said.
The RedHawks recorded 126-yards on the ground, but Dysert led the way with 63 yards in spite of being sacked seven times. Northwestern had 128 yards rushing.
Defensively, Haywood felt his team played reasonably well over the course of 60 minutes.
The RedHawks entered Saturday’s game ranked next to last in scoring defense (40.8 ppg). However, turnovers and a brutal schedule which has included Kentucky, Boise State and Cincinnnati in non-conference play, have fanned the opponents’ scoring fire.
“Defensively, I think that we did a decent job,” Haywood said. “We put them in some bad positions at times, but I think thedefense did a pretty good job.”
NOTES:
- Miami stays on the road for a game at Ohio Univeristy next week. The RedHawks play just one of their first seven games in Oxford. The next home game is a homecoming tilt against Northern Illinois Oct. 24.
- Despite the loss, Miami still controls the all-time series with Northwestern, 6-3. The loss snapped a five-game winning streak for Miami in Evanston. The Wildcats beat Miami in Evanston for the first time since 1963. NU has now won two straight against Miami overall, however.
- The 16 points allowed by Miami were the fewest this season and the fewest since giving up 16 Sept. 6, 2008 at Michigan (a 16-6 loss, as well). Northwestern was averaging 31.8 points per game entering the contest.
- Freshman defensive lineman Austin Brown blocked a Northwestern field goal in the second quarter, marking Miami's first blocked field goal this season and the first of Brown's career.
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