Tag it:

?

Erik Finklea (above and bottom left) picks up yardage. Nick Harwell, below, had his third consecutive game with over 100 yards in receptions (168). Andy Cruse (below right) gets loose down the middle. Top left, the Miami

“It’s been a long time overdue to sing the fight song, but the good thing about it, being an alumni, I knew it pretty well,” Treadwell said.  “I was just ecstatic for our guys. I was so proud of them. This was a game that tests your character. … They just keep coming at you.”

He continued,  “A lot of times ... you’re sitting there and your record says one thing, but you believe … you are so close. I think our young men just had an attitude and a will that we weren’t going to be denied, and I think they demonstrated that today.”

Wide receiver Nick Harwell was once again the prime target for Dysert as the sophomore pulled in 10 catches for 186 yards and two touchdowns. Andy Cruse and Justin Semmes also had second-half receiving TDs in the comeback win.

“The offensive line really stepped up protection-wise, and Zac reads the field,” Treadwell said. The line “gave him a chance to set up in the pocket at times, and he’s pretty darn good when he’s got a chance to deliver the ball. “

"With a couple of rare exceptions, I think we controlled his legs a little bit. But, obviously, he’s a very accurate and really confident guy when he got comfortable," Ellerson said. "They changed some things up, and when they went to max protection, we couldn’t get to him. Even though they didn’t have a lot of guys in routes, we don’t match up especially well."
 

After Dysert’s 20-yard pass play to Harwell put the hosts ahead for the first time with 7:05 remaining, Army mounted a final drive. Quarterback Trent Steelman, making his 31st consecutive start, quickly put the Black Knights in Miami territory when he immediately connected with Malcolm Brown for 23 yards, moving the visitors to the MU 45.

Steelman was a perfect 8-for-8 on the day, good 124 yards and a TD. The option-heavy, pass-light Knights came into the contest averaging 45 yards per game in the air and 368.4 ypg. rushing (second nationally).

Army’s final drive included three more passes, the second of which  -- good for 14 yards to Patrick Laird – gave the Knights a first down at the Miami 13 yard line.  That was as far as Army could get, though. 

Brison Burris hit Raymond Maples for a two-yard loss. After a one-yard completion, Mike Johns stopped Trent for a loss of one yard and Jaytee Swanson led a defensive charge that dropped Steelman for an eight yards loss on 4th and 12 to end the threat.  Miami took over and ran out the clock with a kneel.

“I guess in the second half, we got our second wind,” said MU senior linebacker Jerrell Wedge, who acknowledged the RedHawks were a tired bunch at intermission.

They were also an injured bunch as the Army pounding took its toll along the trenches. Several key cogs along the defensive front left the game at various points. “We were carrying guys off the field left and right – sometimes due to fatigue, sometimes we got dinged,” Treadwell said. "Those guys do a great job of chopping you. If you don’t get your hands out in front of you on defense, they will get you on the ground.”

Eventually, Miami started to get some stops.

"We just had to settle down," said Wedge, whose high school team used an option attack. "The second half we played our keys."

“It just took us a little bit of time to adjust. I even thought  in the second quarter  (that) we started slowing them down a little bit,” Treadwell said. “When we went back in at the halftime, we had a little more time to talk about a few things…. I think it made a big difference, and when you have a defense that will not only stop an offense, but create turnovers – when you win the turnover margin, that’s huge, especially with a team like Army that wants to ball control you.

 

Miami drew first blood in the game, driving 83 yards in six plays in 1:37 for a TD on the game’s opening possession. A Dysert-to-Harwell pass for 13 yards completed the drive and Krysinski added the extra point.

"We knew that (Harwell) was going to be a challenge, Ellerson said. "We knew whoever was going to be in that vicinity was going to need help.  There was some, but the scary thing about him is what he can do after he catches the ball."

"It's an awsome feeling for me. When I get in trouble, I know I can look for Nick," MU quarterback Zac Dysert said. "I've got the easy job. I just throw him the ball. He does all the other work for me."

Army came right back on it's first possession, grinding out 75 yards in 11 plays. Steelman’s one-yard rush rush capped the drive at 8:01.

After a Miami punt, Army took it’s second possession to the house, again covering 75 yards – this time in eight plays. Running back Raymond Maples finished the drive with a quick 25-yard burst up the middle. The sophomore, who broke the century mark in his two previous outings and had 141 yards against Tulane a week earlier, gained 111 net yards on 19 carries (5.8 ypc) with one  touchdown on the day.

Miami wasted little time in tying the game. Dysert completed three passes in a six-play drive to close out the first quarter. An Andy Cruse reception put MU at the Army one, and Dysert went in on the next play.

C.J. Mark forced a fumble and Na’eem Outler recovered to end a 12-play Army drive on the next possession, but MU could not capitalize.

Army, which did not punt in the first half, came back with a seven-play, 66-yard scoring drive on its next possession. The final 45-yards came off a Steelman pass as he found Malcom Brown open down the middle. Alex Carlton converted the extra point , and the West Pointers went into halftime with 21-14 lead.

“Their focus is to lull you to sleep – to (let you) see the run, over and over,” Treadwell said. “ You have to be physical to come up on the run … It’s a real challenge, because at some point, you know he is going to pull the ball and come off the line and throw it down field. They hit a couple of those.”

"They were playing that safety very aggressively, daring us to throw the ball, and we threw it okay.  We probably needed to throw it more," Ellerson said. We can throw and catch a little bit."

The advantage quickly became a 14-point lead when Army scored coming out of the gate after intermission.  Maples ran for 22 yards around right end and Steelman went 40 yards around left end on the first two plays.  The latter finished it with a five-yard TD run at 12:37 of the third period.

Given Army’s ball control (18:26 of 30:00 in the first half) and style of play, MU could hardly afford to let the visitors pull any further away. 

After a Justin Semmes kickoff return to the MU 46, the RedHawks marched to the Army four-yard line. But on a second-and-one play, Finklea fumbled . Army recovered to end the 13-play drive.

Miami’s defense stiffened and forced Army’s first punt of the afternoon on the Black Knights’ possession. MU then mounted another drive, this time finishing the job with a 17-yard pass from Dysert to Semmes.

A RedHawks pass interference penalty allowed Army to covert a 3rd-and 14 on the following drive, but C.J. Marck forced a fumble and recovered the ball on the next play. 

"We can’t turn the ball over. If we don’t turn the ball over, I think we’ve got a chance. We’re dead awful (with turnovers this year), and that is one of those things that will consistently correlate with success," Ellerson said. "We’re battling through some things from a youth standpoint…. There is nobody on our schedule that won’t beat us if we don’t win the turnover battle."

Given a short field, MU covered 35 yards of real estate in six plays.  Dysert hit Cruse on a nine-yard slant on the first play of the fourth quarter for a touchdown, and Krysinski converted the PAT to draw the teams even.

Miami’s special teams, which had struggled through four games, were conspicuous by their low profile Saturday. Krysinski made all four PATs and the punting  unit averaged 43 yards per kick with no problems.

Army’s punt unit did its job when the Knights’ next possession fizzled at the MU 43. Chris Boldt’s punt was downed at the RedHawks’ two-yard line.  But unlike the previous two weeks, when opponent’s were driving the length of the field for key scores, this time Miami mounted the monumental drive.

Finklea pushed Miami out of the shadow of its own goal line with two runs for a total of 15 yards.  Dysert then hit Wilie Culpepper with two passes for a total of 33 yards. Five plays later, Dysert found Harwell on a 20-yard play for what proved to be the game-winner.

Dysert completed 24-of-37 on the day with no intereptions and four TDs.  He was sacked once.

Finklea led Miami with 90 yards on 17 carries (5.3 ypc). Dysert had a net of plus-39 and Chrishawn  Dypuy added 25 as the RedHawks had their best day of rushing the football in 2011.

“It was nice to see it unfold. A balanced offense, in my opinion, is going to give you a chance to have a positive outcome.  We’ve been talking about being able to run the football.  One thing will enhance the other. Most teams can’t stop both.,” Treadwell said. “We challenged out offense all week, and I think they responded. “

"The guys opened the holes up, and I had choices about where I wanted to run the ball at today," Finklea said.

Army, which has now lost to three MAC teams (Northern Illinois, Ball State and Miami) missed a chance to get back to .500 on the year. The Black Knights are now 2-4, while Miami is 1-4, (0-1 MAC).

Army picked up a net of 326 yards rushing the football. Steelman went 8-for-8 passing for 124 yards and one TD. He was sacked once.  As a runner, Steelman netted 99 yards  on 24 carries (4.1 ypc) and scored two TDs.

Miami returns to MAC action next week when it travels to Kent State. The Golden Flashes fell at Northern Illinois, 40-10.  Army will be at Vanderbilt.

NOTES AND QUOTES
- With the win, Miami leads the series with Army 3-2. It was MU's third consecutive victory. The two teams didn't meet until 1960 and played three times between 1996-1998. Army won its only other contest in Oxford, 27-7, in 1996.
- There were several factors which aided Miami's running game against Army. One plus was the return of couple starters along the line. Another was MU's success in the passing game. Ellerson said it sometimes became a case of "picking our poison. You have to push help around." 
- Neither team threw an interception on the day. 
- Senior Jerrell Wedge led MU with 14 tackles (six solo), while freshman Brison Burris came up with 10 tackles - all solo. Treadwell said Burris is one of several freshmen who are improving with game experience.
- "We knew this was the week when we were going to have to turn things around, and starting up front, that's what we did,"  Dysert said. The junior also noted he was "happy to be a part" of getting Treadwell his first win as a head coach. "He's going to have a lot more victories."
- Harwell's fourth-consecutive game with 100 or more yards of receiving yardage ties him with Martin Nance's all-time record.