25 Zombie-Winning, Miami RedHawk Body Snatching Questions

What is their body of work?
It is not great. They have won only one game, which was at home against Toledo. They lost their first 2 games 90-0, etc. Their last 3 games have been much better: they pushed NIU, beat Toledo, and lost to Temple (on the road) only after a miraculous Owl finish. Even so, it is amazing how far this program fell during the Montgomery regime.

What is their best result?

By default, beating Toledo.

What is their worst result?

A 22-point loss to WMU.

What is their turnover ratio?

In addition to poor production per play, this has been the major issue. They have turned the ball over 29 times this season, and have gotten only 10 turnovers. That -19 ratio is second to last in the entire NCAA.

Offense:

How is their QB Play?

Well, it is looking up. Zac Dysert took over the starting job in game three. The Redshirt-FR (from Ada, also home to future Falcon Heath Jackson) is the all-time leading passer in Ohio High School football. He seems to have energized the attack when he took over. He is a clear dual-threat player, leading the team in rushing attempts and rushing yardage, if you deduct sacks. He is 7th in the conference passing efficiency, thanks mostly to the interceptions.

What was their scoring and yards per play?

They are 12th in the MAC with 15 points a game, though they have been over 20 their last 3 games. They are averaging 4.5 yards per play, which is awful.

Can they run the ball?

At 2.5 yards per rush, they are second worst in the MAC. BG is worse, but this is the worst running team we have played in weeks. If we make their attack look like a bunch of Heisman Trophy winners, it will be bad.

Do they pass the ball?

A 59% completion ratio with 6.4 yards per catch is only so-so. Against Temple, Dysert had about 60% completion with 8.35 yards per catch, so it may be picking up.

How is their run/pass balance?

Like us, they are increasingly going to the pass. They have 50+ pass attempts the last two games.

Do they convert on 3rd Down.

They convert 35%, which is pretty average. The last few weeks have not seen this improve.

Do they score in the red zone?

They average only 3.8 points per red zone possession, which is not very good. Further, they have generated only 25 red zone trips in 10 games.

Do they protect the quarterback

This blows me away. They have given up 46 sacks, which is 119th in the FBS.

Defense:

Topline: Scoring and yards per play.

They are allowing 33 points per game, which is 11th in the conference. 5.7 yards per play allowed is actually not disastrous. I would suspect that overall, the huge turnover disparity has made it tough for them to produce.

Do they defend the run effectively?

Well, it depends on how you look at it. 4.7 yards per rush is pretty poor, but it pales in comparison to the yardage BG allows. If BG can't run against Miami, there may be no one we can run against. (Sobering thought: they are thinking the same thing).

Could they be passed on?

They are 10th in pass efficiency defense. Their yardage totals are deceptive because teams have a tendency to run on them.

Did they get off the field on 3rd down?

They allow 42% on third down conversions, which is on the low end of average.

Do they defend in the red zone?

They have allowed 42 red zone trips with scoring of 4.6, which are both also on the low end of average.

Do they pressure the QB?

Their 12 sacks in 10th in the MAC.

Special Teams:

Punting?

This just keeps going on. In terms of net punting, they are second to last in the entire country. They have given up a TD.

Punt Return?

They actually have a pretty decent punt return game, though it appears to be heavy on the fair catches.

Placekicking?

They are not trying very many FGs. Like, Gregg Brandon-style. Their kicker is 6-10 and 4-6 inside 40. He does have a 55 yarder and has been blocked twice.

Kickoff?

This is not good. Teams start off on their own 34 after a Miami kickoff. They have given up a TD.

Kickoff Return?

Miami, conversely, starts on their 24, which is below average.

Miscellaneous: Overall atmospherics and intangibles.

So, on paper, this is a very winnable game. Even as Miami plays better, their body of work for this season suggests that this is a very limited football team.

The game is not played on paper, and the Miami Hex does not exist on paper, but in the mind of the entire Falcon Nation.  They are Miami, owners of the Miami Whammy, the team which has ripped the heart from Falcon chests more than any other. The team where we forgot what down it was. The team that got their only D-1 win against us last season. I could go on.

The only team in the MAC, in fact, the BG has a losing record against.

At our last home game, I told someone in our section that I would do harm to myself if we lost to Miami. That might be a little strong. It seems like if there was a year to actually beat these guys, this would be it.

Unless it was last year. See my point?

They are playing better, they have got to be desperate for a win, and they are Miami and we are BG.

Let's hope that the Clawson regime can turn around whatever shrunken head voodoo hold the RedHawks have us, and turn this series in the right direction. Miami is not going to be this bad very long. BG is playing better, too. It would be great to pick up a win in Oxford Thursday.