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I was at the Miami-Akron game in Oxford Saturday. Both teams are future BG opponents.

Akron is not impressive. They have a mediocre QB, a good receiver (Hixon) and a good RB (Biggs) but Miami was able to get pressure on passing plays and shut down the running game from the second quarter on. The Akron D gave up big plays, medium and all kinds of plays. Once the game turned Miami's way, they lost their cool and were lousy in the second half.

How they Zips beat Northern Illinois is a mystery. Akron came in with gaudy offensive numbers but wasn't effective at all after the first quarter.

Miami is a different story. They're pretty good. They have a real fine QB in Betts and two excellent receivers (Nance, Robinson). Betts was protected well and RB Brandon Murphy rushed for over 180 yards through some massive holes. Miami's defense started poorly but shut down the run game and the pass game from the second quarter on. Miami still misses their best player on defense, Nande.

Both teams had major special teams foul-ups. Miami missed a PAT and had a FG blocked and crushed a 33 yard kick on a kick-off. Akron drilled a 16 yard punt and missed a PAT.

If the Falcons play well, they should pound Akron at the Doyt. To beat Miami in Oxford, we'll have to be on top of our game on both sides of the ball but it can be done.

Akron looks like its having real road woes, lots of growing pains.

Sounds like Miami is pulling it together for the homestretch. The game in Oxford will be a real dogfight.

Thanks for the updates. I still think the MAC East is going to come down to BG and Miami. Yeah, I know BG is 3-0 and Miami is 2-2 in the MAC, but we play head-to-head in Oxford and we have struggled big-time vs. Miami in the last decade. If Miami were to win out (which would mean beating BG) it would force us to have to beat Toledo for the MAC East title. If we lost to both Miami and UT, we'd fall into a tie with Miami and they would get the tie-break. I know this is all woulda, coulda, shoulda talk at this time, but my point is we need to keep winning and I'll be hoping Miami gets tripped up again by someone. The GREAT thing is, we control our own destiny. If we keep winning, it doesn't matter who else does what. But I will always take some insurance help from other teams.

This weekend is another big MAC weekend, and is a complete MAC East vs. MAC West showdown. It features WMU @ BG, Miami @ EMU, BSU @ OU, NIU @ KSU and UB @ UT. Akron takes on Army in a non-conference game and CMU is off. Obviously, gotta get a BG win and I'll be pulling for EMU to knock off Miami.

33 thanks for the MAC sked!

Quick thoughts ...

WMU @ BG: We all know what we need to do. It probably won't be a repeat of last year's 52-0 shellacking, but ...

Miami @ EMU: It will be interesting to see if Miami can maintain momentum. Likewise, the Hurons showed some real promise early in the year. This is a chance to show it wasn't a fluke. Clearly, BG fans should be rooting hard for an EMU upset here. FWIW, Eastern hasn't lost at home yet this year.

BSU @ OU: The Snobcats are reeling and the buzz from that big Pitt win is long gone. A shiny nickel says Frank defends the home turf; if not, his honeymoon may be over.

NIU @ KSU: NIU's last road trip still gives them nightmares; actually, the Huskies or 0-3 on the road and 3-0 at home. Meanwhile, Kent came pretty darn close to upsetting Navy. Still, can't help but think the Flashes are overmatched here.

UB @ UT: Rockets will decimate the Bulls.

Would love to see CMU upset TU next week!

--MH

1987alum wrote:Miami @ EMU: It will be interesting to see if Miami can maintain momentum. Likewise, the Hurons showed some real promise early in the year. This is a chance to show it wasn't a fluke. Clearly, BG fans should be rooting hard for an EMU upset here. FWIW, Eastern hasn't lost at home yet this year.

I'm calling it right now. Eastern will beat Miami. Just a hunch. But if you play that ole who beat who game, EMU beat CMU, CMU beat Miami, so logic follows that EMU must beat Miami. Simple as that.

I was also at Saturday's Maimi- Akron Game and it was very tight until the fourth quarter when all hell broke loose......

Oct. 17, 2005
OXFORD, Ohio--Miami University's Athletic Media Relations Office has confirmed that Miami's football team set an NCAA Division I-A record last Saturday when it scored 21 points in just one minute of clock time during a 51-23 Mid-American Conference defeat of the University of Akron.

According to the Official 2005 NCAA Football Records Book, the previous fastest time for a team to score three touchdowns and convert three PATs was 1:04 during a 1996 game between Kent State University and Akron, in which the Golden Flashes recorded two rushing touchdown and an interception return for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

Miami's remarkable minute began at 6:46 in the fourth quarter, when junior running back Jimmy Murray </sports/m-footbl/mtt/murray_jimmy00.html> (Louisville, KY/Trinity) capped a 73-yard RedHawk scoring drive with a two-yard touchdown plunge that put Miami in front 37-23. Place kicker Todd Soderquist </sports/m-footbl/mtt/soderquist_todd00.html> (College Grove, TN/Battle Ground Academy) added the PAT.

After a touchback on the ensuing kickoff, Akron completed a five-yard pass before RedHawk cornerback Ryan Redd </sports/m-footbl/mtt/redd_ryan00.html> (Pickerington, OH/Pickerington) intercepted the next Luke Getsy pass at the 50-yard line. On the very next play, Miami junior quarterback Josh Betts </sports/m-footbl/mtt/betts_josh00.html> (Vandalia, OH/Butler) connected with a wide-open Martin Nance </sports/m-footbl/mtt/nance_martin00.html> (Maryland Heights, MO/Pattonville) on a 50-yard touchdown pass to complete an eight-second scoring drive. Soderquist once again converted the PAT.

Akron returned the ensuing kickoff to its 21-yard line but gave up the ball on its next play from scrimmage, when Getsy was sacked and stripped of the ball by Miami senior defensive end Marcus Johnson </sports/m-footbl/mtt/johnson_marcus00.html> (Youngstown, OH/Ursuline). Otto Linwood (Frankfort, IL/Lincoln-Way East) recovered the fumble to give Miami the ball at the Akron 15-yard line. Murray responded on the next play by dashing 15 yards up the middle for his second touchdown run in a minute, crossing the goal line at 5:46 to cap the five-second scoring drive. Soderquist tacked on the PAT to complete the record-breaking minute for the RedHawks.

The record for three touchdowns in a minute was accomplished in 0:55 by Colorado State University in a 1997 win over San Jose State University, but the Rams, who returned two interceptions for touchdowns during the span, failed on one of their three PAT conversions to finish with 20 points.

RobbyFalcon wrote:I was at the Miami-Akron game in Oxford Saturday. Both teams are future BG opponents.



Miami is a different story. They're pretty good. RB Brandon Murphy rushed for over 180 yards through some massive holes.

Both teams had major special teams foul-ups. Miami missed a PAT and had a FG blocked and crushed a 33 yard kick on a kick-off. Akron drilled a 16 yard punt and missed a PAT.

If the Falcons play well, they should pound Akron at the Doyt. To beat Miami in Oxford, we'll have to be on top of our game on both sides of the ball but it can be done.

Robby,
I saw Murphy play in HS while at Stronsville...I know we went after him at least a little, not sure how hard...he's short and weighed only about 175 or so at the time, but you could see the PLAYER in him... He's now listed at about 195 or so, most of which, I assume, is muscle mass, and obviously hasn't lost the speed and elusiveness which I saw.... he's the kind of RB who's given us fits in the past (read: Wolfe of NIU): of course, THIS year most decent RB's have given us fits.

I live in Strongville and watched Murphy play. He has put on about 20+ pounds since his high school days. He has unbeleivable moves but needs a hole. Arm tackles would always bring him down. But if he has a seam...look out because he has the speed and quickness to take it to the house.