Jake Wurzelbacher picks up yardage as Trey Payne and Na'eem Outler close in during Miami's spring intrasquad game Friday at Yager Stadium. Below, new head coach Don Treadwell addresses his squad after the final whistle. Bottom left, Tracy Woods looks for runnng room. Photos by Mike Smith.
OXFORD, OH – With two very successful quarterbacks and a variety of weapons returning, the Miami RedHawks won’t sneak up on anybody this fall. They did, however, keep a low profile Friday night in a spring practice-ending scrimmage at Yager Stadium. The offense produced just one touchdown and special teams added a pair of field goals as defensive coordinator Pete Rekstis crew owned the upper hand much of the night.
While generally pleased with the defense, new head coach Don Treadwell wasn’t all that displeased with the White team offense. He noted the offense is a work in progress.
“We wouldn’t evaluate them on ‘Did you score or not score’” Treadwell said. “The emphasis was (to) get everyone out there and play … so you may have had guys in there who didn’t play much in the course of the spring, but really got a lot of reps today.”
The RedHawks – MAC doormats for several years before last year’s historic season (no NCAA Division I team had ever gone from double digit losses to double digit wins in one year) – are defending MAC champs. Moreover, they return a wealth of skill at numerous positions on both sides of the ball.
Nonetheless, after taking the reins as head coach, Treadwell insisted on football 101 – the basics. As spring practice continued, the coaching staff’s plans began to unfold.
“We’re really just trying to draw upon what we tried to do all spring, which is to teach fundamentals, put in a system of plays – concept-wise, and then have that re-enforced by repetition,” Treadwell said. “The emphasis (now) will be gaining strength and getting (them) into tip-top shape … come August.”
O-LINE MIAs While participation was a priority for Friday’s scrimmage, nine players were sidelined either due to recent injuries or previous injuries that they are rehabbing. Treadwell noted all position groups were hit at some time during the spring, but the offensive line was missing several key cogs. Tyler Grubbs, Brandon Brooks, Matt Kennedy and tight end Steve Marck were all unavailable.
“We had some guys that weren’t in there. We’re always going to protect the guys healthwise, first,” Treadwell said. “We never really had a full compliment of everyone, which we anticipate (having) once we hit the ground running in the fall.”
DYSERT BACK One player who was finally available following a notable absence last fall was quarterback Zac Dysert. The junior was among league leaders in several passing categories before suffering a season-ending injury Nov. 10 at Bowling Green.
“I feel great. It’s great to be back out here with the guys and compete,” said Dysert, who hit J. J Greenwood across the middle on a four-yard scoring play for Friday’s only touchdown.
While he has come a long way in recovering from the lacerated spleen, he still lists himself at “about 95 percent.”
“It’s getting better every day, and I could feel myself getting stronger, but I’m a little slow still,” Dysert said. “I’m not back 100 percent speed-wise or weight-wise right now. Strength-wise, it’s getting there. I just started (lifting) in March.”
The Ada, Ohio native, however, was given the green light to throw toward the end of January. His arm feels strong and he’s looking forward to using it in the fall.
“We’ve got a lot of weapons that we’re really excited about,” he said. “I’m excited about getting the ball in their hands.”
BOUCHER BACK WITH EXPERIENCE The same could be said for sophomore quarterback Austin Boucher, who will battle Dysert for the starting quarterback job when practice resumes in August.
Boucher stepped in for Dysert and guided the RedHawks down the stretch to a MAC championship and GoDaddy.com bowl victory.
“They’re both quarterbacks that you can win with, Treadwell said.
In addition to Boucher’s clutch play, Miami also found its running game for the stretch run. Running back Thomas Merriweather was a key contributor in the wins, but he seemed to find running room about the same time MU’s offensive line got healthy.
“It opened up a lot of things. It made it easier on everybody,” Dysert observed.
Treadwell and his staff hope the line can get healthy again before the Sept. 3 opener at Missouri. They also hope a quality replacement for the departed Merriweather will emerge.
RUNNING GAME STRUGGLES Tracy Woods had nine yards on four carries Friday. The remaining four backs accounted for nine yards on six attempts. Competition for a running back spot will resume in the fall and include newcomers. “The incoming freshman at every position, not just at running back, … will certainly be given an opportunity to see if they can contribute early,” Treadwell said.
Whoever gets the carries, they will be tested by a defense that is progressing quickly and has significant potential.
Treadwell pointed out the RedHawks current defense is similar to what was previously in place. Hence, the defense is ahead of the offense, which is dealing with relatively more change – at least in terminology.
For the most part, all the plays that we have in now, we ran last year. It’s just terminology, and that’s the biggest thing,” Dysert said.
There’s more to come, of course, but Treadwell and staff wanted to concentrate the focus during a limited spring practice schedule.
“They did a great job of how they explained everything to us. They didn’t rush anything,” Dysert said. “They knew we would have (a lot of) things running through our head. They knew we wouldn’t remember (some) things. They were very understanding, and that helped a lot.
NOTES AND QUOTES:
- QUARTERBACKS AND PICKS: Dysert and Boucher combined to complete 25-of-36 passes for 203 yards in the Red & White intrasquad game. They also combined for three interceptions – one each by D. J. Brown, Pat Hinkel and Trey Payne. Brown returned his pick 49 yards. - RECEIVERS: Chris Givens (42 yards) and Andy Cruse (65 yards) each had four catches to lead the receiving corps. Greenwell’s four-yard TD reception from Dysert was the only TD of the evening. - MIX AND MATCH: ‘We made sure everyone played, so we might have had guys in there that may not have played much during the course of the spring, but (they) really got a lot of reps today. … The emphasis was (to) get everybody out there to play, see if they are playing hard and do they understand what we want them to do.” - TREADWELL LOOKING FORWARD: Strength training will continue to be a key factor through the summer, as well as getting healthy. - TREADWELL ON THE OFFENSE: “There’s going to be a learning curve there, because there is a new system in place. I think our guys did a good job of installing things in small increments and giving them time to digest it and rep it over and over. - QUARTERBACK DEPTH: Dysert and Boucher handled the offense Friday. Treadwell said there will be “five or six” quarterbacks when fall practice arrives. “We’ve got a freshman coming in (and) we’ve got a couple walk-ons coming in. - UP FRONT: “The running game still starts up front. I think once you get your full compliment (up there), I think you’ll have a better feel for where we’re at,” Treadwell said. - PLACE KICKS: Mason Krysinski converted two field goals (39, 37) - SCHEDULE: Miami opens its 2011 season at Missouri, where it fell, 51-13, to a Blaine Gabbert-led squad last season. Gabbert is gone (headed for the NFL), but the RedHawks will hope to both compete and stay healthy after a rough trip to Columbia last September.
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