Week 9: Kent State at Miami (OH)

By mid-October, these two teams have lost a combined 11 games, so this is no battle for a divisional lead or to lock up bowl eligibility. Instead we find Miami knowing it cannot lose again and still stay in the picture in the ho-hum East Division, while Kent State is likely playing to save the job of head coach Doug Martin.

The RedHawks, who dodged the crowded doldrums in the East by knocking off pre-season division favorite Bowling Green last week on the road, know they can still get a piece of this thing, even with their two losses. When Miami has been good in the past, the RedHawks have done it with defense, and that unit was superb last weekend. An interception stopped a Bowling Green drive that had advanced inside the five, and pressure up front kept the Falcons’ passing game from ever finding a comfort zone.

Offensively, Miami coach Shane Montgomery seems to have made an investment in futures, and had it pay off sooner than he thought.

Freshman running back J.R. Taylor rushed for 127 yards on 18 carries and scored the winning touchdown last week. Redshirt freshman quarterback Clay Belton made his first start, and was a modest 11-of-23 for 129 yards, but did not hurt his team.

Kent State, which comes off a bye week, has lost four straight since beating up on I-AA Delaware State early in the season.  The Golden Flashes head into the game staggered by a pair of recent losses that came as a result of sloppy special teams play. Three times this season that has been the recipe for a Kent State defeat.

“It just takes guys that don’t make a play at a critical time,” a disgusted Martin said. “Catch a punt, you win the Akron game. Make a kick, you win the Ohio game. That’s the truth of that. It only takes one guy in a critical situation to make a play.”

Martin has essentially called his players out, frustrated over performances where his team was dominant in the first half, and then inept in the second half. He said the losses are easy to explain.

“I’ll tell you why, because they’re afraid of it,” Martin said. “That’s just flat out the truth. That’s what’s on film, that’s what shows up each week, and either they can grow up and begin to win football games or they won’t. It’s on them. It’s on the players.”

Notes:

Miami freshman running back J.R. Taylor averaged 7.1 yards per carry in the win over Bowling Green.

So frustrated over Kent State’s special teams play is head coach Doug Martin that he stated he is seriously considering having quarterback Julian Edelman return punts.

Kent State running back Eugene Jarvis missed three games after suffering a sprained ankle Sept. 13 against Delaware State. Jarvis had 50 yards on 14 carries against Ohio, and had the bye week to rest before facing Miami.

Miami senior safety Robbie Wilson had the biggest play in the win over Bowling Green, intercepting a pass at the Miami 2-yard line after the Falcons looked like they were about to take the lead. Wilson returned the ball to the RedHawks’ 25, and the game-winning score came a short time later.

The Golden Flashes expect linebackers Cedrick Maxwell and Cobrani Mixon, both sidelined since the Ball State game, to return to the lineup.

Key Player (Golden Flashes) — Julian Edelman, QB

The Flashes don’t need this guy to throw five touchdown passes to win, they need to play with the same fire as Edelman does. At times he seems a bit reckless, but his passion would do wonders if it becomes contagious.

Key Player (RedHawks) — Joe Coniglio, DE

The senior will lead the corps responsible for keeping track of Kent State’s mobile and free-wheeling quarterback. If Coniglio can create at atmosphere of great pressure around Kent’s Julian Edelman, good things happened for Miami.

Miami by 6