Miami (OH) Redhawks
2015 Results: 3-9 (2-6, 6th in East)
Returning Starters: 9 OFF, 7 DEF, 0 SP
2016 Schedule:
September:
3rd @ Iowa
10th EASTERN ILLINOIS
17th WESTERN KENTUCKY
24th @Cincinnati
October:
1st OHIO
8th @ Akron
15th KENT STATE
22nd @ Bowling Green
29th @ Eastern Michigan
November:
4th CENTRAL MICHIGAN
12th @ Buffalo
22nd BALL STATE
Miami is an intriguing team. They are SUPER young and have only one direction to go. They have been a powerful team in the past, but have fallen upon dreadful times. Head coach Chuck Martin is a proven winner, leading Grand Valley State to a 74-7 record during his six year tenure there. He then moved on to Notre Dame where he served as an assistant coach, moving his way up to Offensive Coordinator. He inherited a dumpster fire at Miami, but has recruited well and has a roster filled with his recruits playing prominent roles in it.
Offensively, they were a middle of the pack team that was better at passing than rushing. They ranked near the bottom of the NCAA in rushing yards per game, checking in at 109th with less than 130 rushing yards per game. Knowing this, coach Martin has a feel for what he should be doing, but unfortunately 40% of his starters on the offensive line are no longer on campus. Should the new guys step in and perform, this offense can rise up and cause problems for most teams they'll face.
As a team, the defensive unit carried the load last year, ranking 68th nationally. The rushing defense was strong while the pass defense fell behind just a bit with rankings of 67 and 79 for each, respectively. The secondary loses 2 productive members, but should be able to overcome those due to the maturation of the existing players and the return of Heath Harding from a season-ending knee injury. As seems to be the case with every MAC team, the defense will determine how far they can go.
Player to Watch: Heath Harding
As previously stated, Harding is returning from a season-ending injury in 2015. With the secondary being the weak link of the team, having a player return with the abilities that Harding possesses cannot be stressed enough. If he is able to recover and get back to his 2014 self, the secondary should be able to make the leaps forward to match up with the offense. That would lead to a dangerous team.
If you only watch them once, watch:
10/15 vs Kent State
Last year, they nearly got the job done at Kent State, losing 14-20. This year, Kent State is GOING DOWN! Yep, you heard it here first. Miami is ready for the next step, but it isn't going to be a assive leap this season.
Prediction: 3-9 (2-6 MAC)
All my love,
@corbeech
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