 Braydon Combs set a new Miami record with 14 catches but was stripped of the footbal by Buffalo's Dominic Cook on this play. Photo by Mike Smith
Wednesday’s football game at Yager Stadium showed where one team is and the other team wants to be.
The Buffalo Bulls won’t be winning a MAC East title this year (as they did in 2008), but UB wants to end the season with some wins. It used size, strength and speed to get one of those wins Wednesday with a 42-17 win over Miami.
Brandon Thermellius, a 5-11, 224-pound junior, showed his strength and power as he racked up a career high 126 yards on 11 carries while scoring three touchdowns against the RedHawks.
One of the scores was a 29-yard pass from quarterback Zach Maynard. The sophomore signal-caller ran for 61 yards and connected on 13 of 18 for 126 yards and two touchdowns in the win.
Maynard did not throw an interception, but Miami redshirt freshman Zac Dysert was picked off once. A Miami fumble at the Bulls one-yard line also added to a staggering minus-22 turnover rating that is twice as generous as any other team in the league.
“I think (there) is a level of frustration when you drive the ball down the field, and you turn the football over,” Miami head coach Michael Haywood said after the game. “One of the things that we have to do a much better job of (next season) is ball security, because we’re turning the football over on too many occasions.”
Both teams were missing starters and/or key contributors Wednesday. Among the missing for Buffalo was standout receiver Naaman Roosevelt. Miami, already fielding freshmen in a number of spots, was scrambling to fill holes.
“One of the things that happened was the lack of defensive linemen (that) were going to be able to play in this game,” Haywood said, adding, “One of the reasons why we weren’t blitzing like we normally do is that we went into the game with just six defensive backs.”
Throw in a couple trick plays, and the Bulls were at times were unstoppable.
Neither team scored in the first quarter, but once Thermellius got rolling, so did the Bulls. Buffalo scored touchdowns on three straight possessions during the second quarter and added another TD on the opening drive of the third quarter to build a commanding 28-3 advantage. Three of the four drives were 69 yards or more.
Thermellius scored his first touchdown on a three-yard run at 6:49 to erase a 3-0 Miami lead.
After a Miami punt, the Bulls drove 79 yards in six plays for another touchdown.
Thermellius started the drive with runs of 18 and 14 yards. He finished it off with a 31-yard TD run in which he went through the middle of the line and then cut outside to the left side of the end zone.
“Since I’ve been here in this program, the running backs have been the depth of our football team,” Bulls coach Turner Gill said. “Obviously, this year it’s great that we do have that depth.”
“I don’t think we did a very good job of getting off blocks,” said Haywood, who vowed to make his squad bigger, faster and stronger in 2010. “One of the things you notice when you watch (our opponents’) wide receivers and running backs, when we go up and hit them, they are always falling forward. We have a lack of upper body strength as a team. We have to increase that upper body strength, and we also need to get bigger and faster.”
Haywood indicated the RedHawks’ need for speed – on both sides of the ball - will be reflected in this year’s recruiting and workout regimens.
Buffalo’s third TD drive followed a Miami punt and 15-yard face mask penalty against the hosts. Maynard completed six straight passes before covering the last two yards himself after an effective fake handoff to his running back.
Establishing a running game – maybe something like the one Buffalo used against the RedHawks – is a priority as Miami tweaks its offense for next year, according to Haywood. The first year head coach said the RedHawks need to establish an outside running threat who has some breakaway speed.
That, Haywood said, will not only help the running game, but also allow the Red and White to utilize some effective play-action passes.
He’s also looking at more speed among the receiving corps – something that “will stretch the field.”
“I don’t think we had a long ball all year,” Haywood said.
Holding a 21-3 halftime lead, Buffalo went to its gadget bag to score a quick touchdown on the opening drive of the second half. Terrell Jackson found Jesse Rack uncovered for a 30-yard TD to finish a triple-reverse option pass. “We executed our plays really well (and) we ran a couple trick plays,” Maynard said.
Miami finally scored a touchdown with 7:30 left in the third quarter when Dysert hit Dustin Woods with a six yard pass.
Woods, a senior and team captain, has been hampered by injuries his entire career and saw very limited action in 2009.
Despite the rainy conditions and a still-lingering hamstring problem, it just felt “good to be out there and contributing and playing,” Woods said. Woods had five catches for 51 yards and the touchdown.
Another senior finishing his career was Brayden Combs, who set a new Miami record with 14 receptions (100 yards). Combs, who came to Miami as a defensive back, was moved to end during his junior year but remained low on Miami’s depth chart entering 2009. Injuries to other receivers and Combs continued work eventually moved him into a starting spot, where he was particularly effective working underneath routes.
A rollout right by Maynard and throw back left to a wide open Thermellius gave the Bulls a 35-10 lead after A.J. Principe’s PAT.
Miami senior Daniel Raudabaugh, who started the season at quarterback before giving way to Dysert, managed to end his career on a positive note as he connected with Jamal Rogers on a 36-yard TD pass at 6:01 of the final quarter.
Jeffvon Gill scored from 23 yards out for Buffalo’s final touchdown at 3:47.
“It wouldn’t have necessarily needed to be a blowout; we just needed a win,” Bulls coach Turner Gill said.
“I think it was important for us to come out here and get a win like this, because the past few games we were struggling at the end and couldn’t finish,” said safety Davante Shannon, who led both teams in tackles with 15 stops, including two tackles for loss.”
Buffalo (4-7, 2-5 MAC) finishes its season Nov. 27 at Kent State. After that, it can work on trying to find the form that made the Bulls MAC champs in 2008.
Miami, meanwhile, turns the page toward next year after completing a 1-11 season. The only win came at home against Toledo, although the RedHawks were competitive in several other games and lost at Temple in the final minute two weeks ago.
The RedHawks have a number of issues to address. Among them are sacks allowed, turnovers, the running game, stretching the field on passes, red zone effectiveness and special teams.
Answers?
The maturation of a young team may help. Also, the staff will be considering position and other changes during the coming weeks. Three words, however, are central to success, according to Haywood.
Bigger, stronger, faster.
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