 MIAMI 21, BUFFALO 9 Harwell caught eight passes for 97 yards and two touchdowns Saturday as Miami battled to a 21-9 victory over Buffalo on a windy day at UB Stadium.
“He’s really starting to show at this time how good he really is,” said MU head coach Michael Haywood, who was quickly impressed with Harwell when he took the field in spring drills.
He’s “got really good speed,” Haywood said. “He runs really good routes and has turnover speed to make the big plays. He has great hand-eye coordination and is a physical blocker.”
Harwell, who recorded two receptions for 15 yards through the RedHawks first five games, had a huge day a week ago against Ohio U. He caught 11 balls for 219 yards, but also had one gaff.
The gaff came on a long pass play. Though clear of defenders, the excited Harwell – about to score his second career touchdown - dropped the football inches before crossing the goal line. Since the ball rolled through the end zone, Ohio gained possession following a touchback.
Disconsolate after the loss, Harwell this week helped the RedHawks move on under difficult circumstances. The windy conditions favored running, but neither team could muster a strong ground game. MU gained 66 rushing yards, while Buffalo managed just 55 on the ground.
Passing against the wind was difficult and passing with the wind required some adjustments.
Harwell and the Miami offense were also working against the league’s top-rated pass defense. Buffalo came in yielding 183.7 ypg. The RedHawks got 231 passing yards as quarterback Zac Dysert completed 21-of-36 with two TDs and two interceptions.
Both passing TDs went to Harwell, who pulled in three receptions (27, 11, 5) on a five-play, 48-yard first quarter drive. “I personally felt like I owed my team something after last week,” Harwell said.
Classmate Mason Krysinski, seeing his first action of the season, made the first of three extra points on the day to give MU a 7-0 lead.
Haywood indicated he hoped the RedHawks could get out in front of Buffalo early. With the wind at its back in the first quarter, Miami did that, but could only get the one touchdown. By the end of the frame, UB was threatening.
The first of two Dysert interceptions gave Buffalo possession with 3:22 left in the period, and the Bulls drove into Miami territory. But facing a fourth and one at the MU 24-yard line, the hosts had a decision to make. After allowing the clock to run out on the first quarter, UB had the wind at its back. The decision was made to go for the first down, but Jeffvon Gill was stopped inches short of the stick.
Taking advantage of Buffalo’s only turnover of the day – an Alex Zordich fumble – Miami moved out to a 14-0 lead just before halftime. Dysert found three receivers for six completions during an eight-play, 54-yard drive that ended with a one-handed grab by Harwell on a 29-yard TD pass play. They were the only points on the day scored by an offense going into the wind, which gusted to 40 mph.
“I think that one-hand catch really exemplifies what a great player and what great concentration that young man has,” Haywood added. “At the same time, Zac is starting to get a lot of confidence in him and is throwing to him a little bit more frequently.”
A mere 22 seconds remained when Miami bounced a kickoff to Ed Young at the UB 32. The 6-1, 195-pound junior brought the crowd to its feet when he appeared to return the kick for a long touchdown. However, a review of the play indicated he stepped out of bounds at the Miami 45.
The Bulls got one more chance after a Miami personal foul penalty, but A. J. Principe’s 47-yard attempt was wide right.
The hosts posted both of their scores for the day in the third quarter. Alex Zordich’s 34-yard pass to fellow freshman Branden Oliver was the big gain in an eight-play drive for the first Bulls points.
Zordich, who was sacked five times by Miami defenders, went down for a seven-yard loss seven plays into the drive. However, John Rachuna stepped onto the turf and converted a 52-yard field goal. It was the second longest in school history and longest by a Bulls player since the school moved up to Division I-A.
Buffalo, which still has not scored a touchdown in either the first or fourth quarters this season, put its only TD on the board after forcing a Miami punt on the next possession.
That punt traveled just six yards, setting up the Bulls at MU’s 33-yard line. Five plays later, Zordich took ball around left end for a 12-yard TD. Principe’s kick failed.
With 56 seconds remaining in the third quarter, plenty of time remained. Most of that time, however, would be spent with Buffalo going into the wind.
Peter Fardon’s 25-yard punt into the wind gave Miami possession at UB’s 42-yard line with 11:00 left. After an incompletion, Dysert hit Chris Givens on a 40-yard play. Senior running back Thomas Merriweather went in from two yards out on the next snap.
Domonic Cook’s interception at 7:19 started a promising Bulls drive that made it to the MU 15-yard line, but after three incompletions, Zordich was sacked for a 10-yard loss.
Miami took over, and although the Bulls’ defense forced a three-and-out, Zac Murphy boomed a 66-yard punt into the UB end zone. That effectively finished any potential comeback by the hosts.
“We don’t have to be better than the other 119 teams in the country,” Haywood said. “We just have to be better than the one team that we’re playing, and we were fortunate enough to get the win today.”
The visiting RedHawks held slight advantages in most areas, including a 297-265 edge in total offense.
“We didn’t play well enough to win. We didn’t make the plays when we needed to make the plays,” Bulls head coach Jeff Quinn said. “Give credit to Miami and their players. They made the plays when they needed to, and there was a difference in that respect.”
He continued, “I know this, our team definitely cares. They want to succeed, and they want to be successful. … These are tough times, and we are going to fight through it.”
The victory was a key win for Miami, which stayed in the MAC East title race after falling to Ohio 34-13 the previous week. The RedHawks (5-4, 4-1 MAC) will not play again until Nov. 10 at Bowling Green. They will then complete their three-game road stretch Nov. 17 at Akron before a final matchup at home against MAC East favorite Temple.
Buffalo (2-6, 1-3 MAC) has a short week as it will meet Ohio Thursday in Athens.
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