 OHIO 21, MIAMI 14 The first half belonged to Miami who blew its way through the Ohio secondary behind the arm of quarterback Zac Dysert.
Dysert was a standout performer, completing 35-of-53 passes for 372 yards and one passing touchdown.
“We have put a lot on his shoulders at quarterback, and certainly he was able to respond,” Miami Head Coach Don Treadwell said.
His favorite target, Nick Harwell, pulled in 14 receptions for 163 yards and a receiving touchdown. During the game he broke Miami’s record for receptions in a season, surpassing the mark of 94 that was set by Armand Robinson last season.
While the RedHawks moved the ball with ease on the opening drive, a missed field goal left the team with nothing to show for it.
On its second drive, Miami would not be denied as Dysert led a long drive that was capped by a two-yard keeper around the right side to open the scoring.
Ohio saw the ball very little in the first half as Miami dominated the time of possession. When Ohio got its hands on the ball, the offense struggled to find a rhythm, due in part to the Miami secondary, which held Ohio standout receiver LaVon Brazill to just 34 yards.
Tettleton also said he felt the pressure of trying to deliver on Senior Day for his teammates.
“With all the friendships I’ve made with the seniors in my three years, I really wanted to do it for them,” he said.
Tettleton was able to complete six passes in the first half, giving him the school’s single-season record for completions.
Despite the shortcomings, Ohio was able to escape the first half down just 7-0.
In the second half, Ohio came out fast on its opening drive, but it ended abruptly when Tettleton threw an interception to Jaytee Swanson in the red zone.
Ohio’s defense got tough in the second half, as a bend-but-don’t-break strategy kept Miami at bay.
“We knew they were going to throw a lot but the speed at which they played caught us off guard,” senior defensive lineman Jeff King said. “We then made the adjustments at halftime and then made the stops when we needed them.”
Ohio finally get on the board with 5:49 remaining in the third quarter when Tettleton found Jordan Thompson for a 4-yard pass. The 13-play, 89-yard drive featured a key LaVon Brazill reception that broke the school’s all-time reception yards record.
The Bobcats took the lead early in the fourth quarter on a productive 12-play, 80-yard drive, capped by a 4-yard Tettleton pass to Donte Foster to make it 14-7
After Miami controlled the game early, Ohio gradually seemed to take over. Defensively, OU forced six consecutive Miami punts, including the first three possessions after intermission. Offensively, the Bobcats got on a roll, Despite Tettleton’s interception on the opening drive of the half, the Bobcats scored passing touchdowns on three consecutive drives.
Tettleton nearly accounted for Ohio’s final touchdown with his legs, scrambling
48 yards to the Miami 2-yard line on the first play after a Miami punt. The RedHawks defense stuffed two runs, but Tettleton calmly found Riley Dunlop in the back of the end zone on third down. The simple look-in post play actually saw a lot of work in practice leading up to the game.
“We tried it all week in practice and their defense bit on [tight end Jordan Thompson] just like ours had done practicing,” Dunlop said.
The score broke Ohio’s single-season record for points scored as a team, and Matt Weller’s extra point tied him for most in school history.
Facing a 21-7 deficit with just 8:43 remaining in the game, Dysert made quick work getting Miami back into the game, leading an 80-yard drive in just 2:12 to make it 21-14. Harwell caught a 16-yarder to end the drive.
An Ohio three-and-out gave the RedHawks the ball with 4:17 remaining and their best shot at tying the score.
Dysert led the visitors into Bobcat territory yet again, and Miami the red zone with less than two minutes to play.
That’s when the Ohio defense dug in for one last stand.
A furry of blitzes and pressure put an end to the Miami rally, with the dagger being a crushing sack by Mose Denton on fourth down.
“We just told each other ‘this is it,’” King said. “It was just the determination of beating Miami (and) getting the win tonight that got it done.”
Despite the poor start, Tettleton ended up with 314 total yards and led the Bobcats with 111 rushing yards. His playmaking down the stretch was the difference, according to Coach Treadwell.
“There were some plays when we had everything covered downfield and he was able to make plays with his legs and arm,” he said.
Although the game didn’t mean anything in the standings, there was still plenty on the line for the Bobcats.
“I don’t buy into that you lose your focus because you have things locked up,” Ohio Head Coach Frank Solich said. “There was a clean way to get to Detroit and that was to win our last regular season game.”
The game also had emotional value given the rivalry and Senior Night.
“I was in tears hearing Alma Mater, Ohio for the last time,” Dunlop said. “The fact that us seniors are leaving our mark with a game like that against Miami is a great feeling.”
Miami finished the season 4-8 in Treadwell’s first season as head coach and will look to find ways to get back to contending for the MAC East title in 2012.
Ohio wraps up the regular season with a 9-3 mark and will take on either Northern Illinois or Toledo in the MAC Championship Game December 2 in Detroit.
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