Miami Ohio University Athletics
Miami Heads West to Take on Rams
9/15/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 15, 2003
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STORYLINES
1. QUARTERBACK DUEL: Saturday's contest features two of the most prolific passers in the nation. Entering this weekend, Colorado State quarterback Bradlee Van Pelt ranks sixth nationally in total offense (319.7) while Miami's Ben Roethlisberger ranks 11th (306.0).
2. HEADING WEST: For just the 14th time in Miami's 115-year football history, the RedHawks are playing West of the Missouri River. The Red and White has not won a game in the Western half of the U.S. since 1971.
3. FINDING ITS LEGS: Miami's ground game, which showed signs of life with a 147-yard rushing effort last weekend, faces the nation's 17th-ranked run defense. The Rams are allowing just 77.3 yards per game.
4. PRESSURING THE QUARTERBACK: An important theme in Saturday's contest could be Miami's ability to pressure the quarterback. Miami totaled 11 hurries and three sacks in last weekend's win at Northwestern, while Colorado State has allowed only three quarterback sacks in three games.
5. MIAMI'S MILLENNIUM MILESTONE: Saturday's game marks the 1,000th game in the illustrious history of Miami's football program. Miami will become just the 14th NCAA Division I-A program to play in 1,000 games.
GENERAL NOTES
A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING: This weekend marks the first time Miami has taken on Colorado State or any member of the Mountain West Conference, which started play in 1999. The Rams have laid claim to a share of the conference title three times in the league's first four seasons, including winning the MWC title outright last year with a 6-1 mark. Since joining the league, CSU has posted a 13-9 (.591) record out of conference.
GO WEST YOUNG MAN: In the late 1800s when Miami University was just starting football (first season was 1888), it was said that there was a great fortune to be made out West. The only problem was Miami never made it there. In 115 years of football, Miami has played just 13 games west of the Missouri River. The last time Miami headed out West was two years ago when the RedHawks lost a shootout at the University of Hawai'i, 52-51. In the game, then-freshman quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw for 452 yards and three touchdowns. Following is a rundown of Miami's games west of the Missouri:
Year Opponent Game Location Result1947 Wichita State Regular Season Wichita, KS W, 22-71947 Texas Tech Sun Bowl El Paso, TX W, 13-121949 Wichita State Regular Season Wichita, KS W, 23-61950 Arizona State Salad Bowl Tempe, AZ W, 34-211951 Wichita State Regular Season Wichita, KS W, 21-131952 Wichita State Regular Season Wichita, KS W, 56-71968 Pacific Regular Season Stockton, CA L, 21-201971 Pacific Regular Season Stockton, CA W, 17-101984 Washington Regular Season Seattle, WA L, 7-531985 Oklahoma State Regular Season Stillwater, OK L, 10-451988 Oklahoma State Regular Season Stillwater, OK L, 20-521986 San Jose State California Bowl Fresno, CA L, 37-72001 Hawai'i Regular Season Honolulu, HI L, 52-51* Miami played the University of Houston in the 1962 Tangerine Bowl in Orlando, FL
ONE OF THE TRULY ELITE: In the history and lore of college football, Miami University stands as one of the sport's most storied programs, and Saturday it makes another legendary step. Now entering its 115th season of play, Miami ranks among the elite in college football as one of just 25 schools with 600 or more wins (611) while holding the 14th-best winning percentage (.635) in college football. Saturday at Colorado State, Miami joins another elite crowd when it becomes just the 14th school in NCAA history to play in 1,000 games. NOTE: For a complete rundown of the NCAA's all-time winning percentage and victories list see page 190 of the Miami media guide.
PLAYING FOR A DECADE OF EXCELLENCE: With its 38-20 win versus Ohio last season, Miami ensured itself of its ninth straight winning season. The RedHawks are 64-35-2 (.643) during this current string. The school record for consecutive winning seasons is 17 (1943-1959), while the record for consecutive non-losing seasons is 33 (1943-1975).
A GAME OF KEEPAWAY: Football is a game of ball control, and Miami has dominated that category through the first two games, holding the ball an average of 32:40. Despite dropping the season opener, 21-3, at Iowa, Miami dominated the time of possession, holding the ball for 33:34, more than seven minutes longer than the Hawkeyes. Last week at Northwestern, the RedHawks did much the same to the Wildcats, winding down the clock and controlling the ball for 31:46. This trend even dates back to last year, when the RedHawks held the ball an average of five minutes longer per game than its opponents.
THE MAC DADDIES: In 55 years of play in the Mid-American Conference, Miami has dominated the conference, winning a MAC-record 231 games on its way to 13 conference titles-three more than second-place Bowling Green.
CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN: For the first time since the early 1990s, Miami heads into the season with permanent captains. After a team vote during preseason camp, the players decided to name two permanent captains who will be joined by two additional game captains each week. Senior linebakcer Terrell Jones (St. Louis, MO/Mehlville) and senior offensive linemen Frank Smtih (Cedarburg, WI/Cedarburg), a former walk-on, are handling the duties. This week, the pair will be joined by two other senior game captains, who will be named later this week.
The "RoadHawks": Miami finished last year with one of the nation's best road records, going 5-2 away from Yager Stadium. The RedHawks' five road wins were just one short of tying the school record of six, which has been equaled eight times. The five road wins were the most by any Terry Hoeppner-led squad, surpassing his 4-2 mark in 1999.
STICKING AROUND THE HOUSE: Becoming bigger ... stronger ... faster doesn't just happen overnight and with the new NCAA restrictions on summer practices and preseason camp, players have had to take on more responsibility to get ready. The Miami football team took that responsibility head on as 95 percent of the team spent the summer in Oxford lifting and running together. That hard work has paid off as 15 RedHawks are now bench pressing over 400 pounds, led by fullback Andy Capper and offensive lineman Joe Serina at 425.
MAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Junior quarterback Ben Roethlisberger picked up his first MAC Offensive Player of the Week honor and his sixth of his career after lighting up Northwestern for 353 yards and three touchdowns on 28-of-37 passing last week. In the process, Roethlisberger broke the school records for passing touchdowns (50) and total offense (7,090).
BUSY AS BEE-SINGS: Identical twins sophomore linebacker John Busing and redshirt freshman wide receiver Ryan Busing (pronounced BEE-sing) have been busy through Miami's first two games. In the RedHawks' season opener at Iowa, John was the RedHawks' fourth-leading tackler with nine takedowns, including two for losses, and Ryan was the second-leading receiver with four catches for 53 yards. Last weekend, John added six more tackles and an interception and Ryan hauled in two more passes. John made his debut last year for Miami as a true freshman, appearing in 10 games and making 17 tackles. Ryan, however, redshirted last year as he learned the Miami offense - not as a receiver, but as one of Miami's back-up quarterbacks. In high school, Ryan threw for 2,335 yards and 23 touchdowns as a quarterback his senior season. Entering camp this fall, Miami coaches were looking for a way to take advantage of Ryan's athletic ability, and he quickly found a home at wide receiver, earning a spot on the two-deep by the end of camp.
THE SCIENCE OF GRASS: Miami's Yager Stadium is joining the ever-growing list of NCAA and NFL teams opting for FieldTurf's grass-like surfacing solution. FieldTurf's recent installation contracts have included the University of Michigan (Michigan Stadium), the University of Missouri (Faurot Field), the University of Wisconsin (Camp Randall Stadium), Penn State (Holuba Hall), the University of Hawai'i (Aloha Stadium-also the site of the NFL Pro Bowl), the NFL's Atlanta Falcons (Georgia Dome) and the NFL's New York Giants and New York Jets (Giants Stadium). Miami's new field debuts Sept. 27 when the RedHawks take on area-rival Cincinnati for the 108th meeting of the Battle of the Victory Bell.
THE OFFENSE
SCOUTING REPORT: After a sluggish start versus Iowa in its season opener, Miami's offense roared to life last weekend versus Northwestern, racking up 515 yards of total offense and putting 44 points on the scoreboard. Junior quarterback Ben Roethlisberger leads the RedHawk attack, averaging 301.5 yards passing through the Red and White's first two contests and completing nearly 70 percent of his passes. Roethlisberger's favorite targets through the first two contests are junior Michael Larkin, who has a team-high 10 receptions for 130 yards, and sophomore Martin Nance, who has nine receptions for a team-leading 175 yards and two touchdowns. Miami's ground game features a three-pronged attack that has been paced by senior running back Cal Murray, who is averaging 4.9 yards per carry on a team-high 22 attempts.
WHERE HAVE YOU BEN: One of the emerging stories in college football this season has been junior quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who entered the season as a dark horse candidate for the Heisman Trophy. In his first 26 games, Roethlisberger has passed for an impressive 6,946 yards, ranking among the top 10 active quarterbacks in college football. One of just four Mid-American Conference quarterbacks to pass for more than 3,000 yards in back-to-back seasons, Roethlisberger aims to join the likes of current NFL quarterbacks Chad Pennington and Byron Leftwich by adding a third straight 3,000-yard passing. A two-time second-team all-MAC selection behind Leftwich, Roethlisberger has completed an impressive 64 percent of his career passes and hooked up on a school-record 50 touchdown passes.
ROETHLISBERGER'S RECORD CHASE: With a brilliant effort versus Northwestern last weekend, Miami's Ben Roethlisberger etched his name on two more RedHawk career records, surpassing former RedHawk Mike Bath (1997-00) for Miami's passing touchdown (50) and total offense (7,090) records. The junior also owns Miami's career marks for pass completions (567) , passing yardage (6,946) and completion percentage (.638). Roethlisberger now sets his sights on the Mid-American Conference record books, where he presently ranks eighth in career touchdown passes, ninth in passing yardage and 12th in pass completions. With 54 yards passing Saturday, Roethlisberger could become the first Miami player to pass for 7,000 yards.
IN THE TRENCHES: Paving the way for Miami's offense is a veteran offensive line that returns four starters from last year and weighs in at an average of nearly 300 lbs. per man. The senior trio of right guard Jacob Bell, left tackle Ben Herrell and left guard Frank Smith have made a combined 68 starts over the past the past three seasons. Redshirt sophomores Todd Londot, who started seven games in 2002, and Nate Bunce, the lone newcomer to the line, round out the offensive line, holding down the center and right tackle responsibilities, respectively. Despite weighing in as one of the heavier offensive lines in Miami history, the RedHawks are not sacrificing athleticism with their front five. According to strength and conditioning coach Dan Dalrymple, four of the five have vertical leaps of at least 30 inches.
NANCE BUSTS OUT: Sophomore wide receiver Martin Nance has burst onto the scene for the RedHawks this season. After a solid 2003 debut in which he hauled in five passes for 49 yards at Iowa, Nance riddled the Northwestern secondary by hauling in four passes for 126 yards and the first two touchdowns of his career, including a game-long 61-yard touchdown reception. A big target at 6-foot-4, Nance hauled in 12 passes for 189 yards as a redshirt freshman.
LIKE MIKE: Junior wide receiver Michael Larkin continues to be a favorite target of RedHawk quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and for good reason. Larkin, who became the fastest player in Miami history to reach 1,000 receiving yards last season-achieving the feat in his first 19 games-leads the Red and White with 10 receptions this season. Since his collegiate debut at Iowa two years ago, in which he totaled 121 yards receiving, Larkin has made at least one reception in each of his 25 games. With a touchdown reception versus Northwestern, Larkin ranks in a fifth-place tie at Miami with 14 career touchdown receptions. He has 86 receptions and 1,238 yards receiving thus far in his career and is on pace to become the eighth Miami wide receiver to surpass 100 career receptions.
THREE IF BY LAND: While senior Cal Murray has been the most effective RedHawk running back thus far, Miami has the luxury of an experienced trio of quality runners to carry its ground game. Murray, who has averaged 4.9 yards per carry this season, is joined by fellow senior Luke Clemens, who rushed for 1,009 yards a year ago, and junior Mike Smith who totaled 46 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries in his 2003 debut at Northwestern. The RedHawk ground game rebounded from a difficult opener at Iowa by rushing for 147 yards and three touchdowns last weekend versus the Wildcats. Miami's running backs also enjoys a role in the RedHawks' prolific passing attack, where, a year ago, they totaled more receiving yards than any RedHawk running back corps since 1986.
IN HIS BLOOD: The son of former Ohio State and NFL standout running back Cal Murray, Sr., Cal Murray, Jr., is poised to finish his Miami career with a memorable senior season. After being plagued by an array of injuries that have caused him to miss action in each of his first three seasons, Murray enjoyed a strong off-season in which he bulked up to 200 lbs. and set personal bests across the board in the Miami strength and conditioning program. Murray leads Miami with 108 yards rushing this season and went over 1,000 for his career last week at Northwestern.
MR. SMITH GOES TO THE HOUSE: Junior running back Mike Smith made his 2003 debut in style last weekend at Northwestern, picking up 46 yards rushing, including an impressive 15-yard touchdown run, versus the Wildcats. Smith, who returned to the team this fall after missing last spring due to personal reasons, has shown a nose for the endzone recently, striking paydirt four times in his last six games. Smith totaled 232 yards and averaged 5.7 yards per carry last season in his Miami debut and presently ranks second on the team in rushing.
ENDS WITH MEANS: Coming off a stellar performance at Northwestern in which he completed passes to 10 different receivers, Ben Roethlisberger has been able to keep everyone involved in Miami's passing game, including a pair of dependable tight ends. Last season, RedHawk senior Matt Brandt hauled in 33 receptions-the most by a Miami tight end since 1990. This season, Brandt and sophomore Dan Tyler have continued to earn Roethlisberger's attention. The duo has combined for seven receptions and 55 yards thus far, with Brandt hauling in five receptions for 41 yards last weekend at Northwestern.
YOUNG TARGETS: With only three returning wide receivers that caught a pass in 2002, Miami's passing game is depending on a lot of fresh faces downfield this season. The trio of redshirt freshmen Ryan Busing and R.J. Corbin and true freshman Ryne Robinson has made a substantial impact over Miami's first two contests, combining for 14 receptions and 134 yards. Busing, who made the transition from quarterback during the fall, leads the way with seven receptions for 74 yards. All three have made at least one reception in each game this season.
THE DEFENSE
SCOUTING REPORT: Two weeks into the tenure of new defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi, things are looking up for the Miami defense. It has allowed just 17.5 points per game and is giving up just 337.5 yards per game - 201.0 passing and 136.5 rushing - against Iowa and Northwestern. Last week, the RedHawks shut down Northwestern's Jason Wright, the nation's sixth-leading rusher, holding him to just 20 yards on 11 carries while the Wildcats posted just 41 total yards on the ground. More impressive was how Miami held the high-powered Northwestern offense to a loss or no gain on 35 of their 71 plays from the line of scrimmage, led by senior Phil Smith with a sack and four tackles for loss.
TAKING THE REINS: Since taking over the Miami defense in late February, new defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi has re-energized a Miami defense that finished 96th in total defense (412.7 ypg) and 109th against the pass (273.0 ypg). Narduzzi is just the second defensive coordinator in head coach Terry Hoeppner's five years at Miami. Narduzzi came to Miami from Northern Illinois where he helped coach the Huskies to shares of back-to-back Mid-American Conference West Division Championships in 2001 and 2002. Last season, the Husky defense was the MAC's stingiest against the run, allowing 131.8 yards per game, along with allowing the league's second-fewest points (24.8 per game), which ranked 39th in the nation.
ONE STEP FORWARD ... TWO STEPS BACK: That's what the Northwestern offense must have felt like last week as Miami held the Wildcats to a loss or no gain on 35 of their 71 plays. Just two games into the 2003 season, Miami has recorded 18 tackles for loss - already one quarter of the way to its total from last season (82). Senior Phil Smith leads the way after a Herculian effort versus the Wildcats last week in which he made four tackles for loss including a sack. Smith ended the game with a game-high 10 tackles - eight solo and two assisted.
UNDER PRESSURE: Last week at Northwestern, the Miami defense had the Wildcats' vaunted offensive line scratching their heads and their quarterbacks scrambling for their lives as the RedHawks showed a rejuvenated pass rush, posting three sacks for minus 10 yards and hurrying the quarterback 11 times. Interior lineman Larry Burt and defensive end Phil Smith did a lot of the work for Miami, led by Burt's three hurries and Smith's hurry and a sack. The Miami defense has its work cut out this week as Colorado State has allowed just three sacks in its first three games.
THIRD AND A WAYS TO GO: The Miami defense put pressure on the Northwestern passing game last week, forcing the Wildcats into 13 third-down situations of six yards or more, including 10 of ten yards or more. Northwestern was only able to convert on five of those 13 attempts and was successful on 7-of-18 (.389) overall.
THE SECOND COACH: Head coach Terry Hoeppner continually calls senior linebacker Terrell Jones, the smartest football player he has ever coached and says, "It's just like having another coach, but one that's out on the field directing the play." Quarterbacking the defense the last two years, Jones has done nothing to discredit his coach. As a true freshman in 2000 Jones was pushed into service due to injuries and went on to be named a Sporting News Freshman All-American, averaging 11.75 tackles per game. If it were not for injuries last season that slowed Jones throughout the season, the St. Louis native might have earned all-MAC honors for a second straight year. In 2001, Jones earned first-team all-MAC honors. After a five-tackle performance last week at Northwestern, Jones is the team's second-leading tackler with 16 takedowns.
TRANAINE "SILLS" THE DEAL: Freshman defensive lineman Tranaine Sills found himself making his debut last week at Northwestern against the nation's fourth-largest offensive line and the 6-foot-1, speedster found a way of disrupting the quarterback. On his first play from scrimmage Sills sped past the Wildcats' left tackle Trai Essex and recorded the first sack of his career. The sack didn't surprise his Miami coaches, because as a senior last year at Florida's Miami Northwestern High School, he earned first-team all-state accolades, totaling 125 tackles but more impressively 27 sacks - just one short of the national high school record.
TRUE SUPER SOPHS: Miami's trio of true sophomores - John Busing, Darrell Hunter and Terna Nande - have taken on key roles in this year's defense after seeing considerable time last year as freshmen. In the first two games, the threesome has combined for 38 tackles, five tackles for loss, an interception and a pass defended. The trio did not take long to make its presence known on the field at Iowa as they combined to make 30 of Miami's 86 tackles, led by Nande's 10. Nande also led Miami in the game with three tackles for loss, followed by Busing with two. Hunter made two of the biggest plays of the game on Iowa running back Fred Russell's two long runs, tracking down one of the Big Ten's fastest players from behind twice. The threesome kept up its impressive play last week versus Northwestern led by Busing who made six tackles and picked off Miami's first pass of the year in the fourth quarter.
CAN'T DODGE HODGE: When Miami broke camp last spring, head coach Terry Hoeppner said he felt good knowing that possibly the team's most improved player was senior corner Alphonso Hodge, who shaved 0.2 of a second off his 40 time in the spring and showed great technical improvement. Hodge, who started the first seven games for Miami last year, was moved into a reserve role the final five games. He finished the year with 40 tackles, two sacks and a seven passes defended. Last week at Northwestern, Hodge started showing a glimpse of his improvement making three tackles, breaking up a pass and picking up his first sack of the year.
PLUGGING UP THE MIDDLE: Anchoring the center of the Miami defensive line are junior Larry Burt and sophomore John Glavin. Glavin is the typical Miami success story going from walk-on status two years ago to starting this season as a redshirt sophomore. Glavin made significant improvement during the spring, improving most in his quickness to the ball. Burt, who is physically intimidating at 6-foot-4 and 299 pounds, is athletic and one of just two RedHawks to squat over 600 pounds. To show off his athleticism, Burt is capable of doing a standing back-flip flat-footed. In the season opener, the pair combined for eight tackles. The duo stepped up their performance last week combining for nine stops. Glavin turned in a career performance making six tackles of his own, including two for a loss.
RACKING UP THE TACKLES: Junior safety Matt Pusateri has become a stalwart in the Miami secondary in just two years. Since making 18 tackles in his collegiate debut at Michigan in 2001, Pusateri has been racking up the tackles and is the only RedHawk to post 100+ tackles in each of the last two seasons (122 in 2001 and 125 in 2002). A 2001 third-team Sporting News freshman all-American, Pusateri needs just 137 more tackles to crack Miami's career Top 10 list. Pusateri is third on the team in tackles after making seven more last week versus Northwestern, including four unassisted.
TEXAN LASSOS MIAMI OPPONENTS: Sophomore Steve Burke from Spring, Texas, made some noise in his debut as a starting safety against Iowa, making a team-high 12 tackles, including eight solo takedowns. Burke, another Miami walk-on with a strong work ethic, has taken advantage of a Miami defense that relies on its safeties to support the run. Against Northwestern, Burke, the team's leading tackler with 19, made another seven stops.
SHARP OUT OF THE BOX: Senior Will Stanley, started his career as a defensive end off with a bang at Iowa. On the first play from scrimmage, the Cleveland, Ohio, native sprung from his end position and sacked Iowa quarterback Nate Chandler. He went on to record five tackles in the game. Stanley continued to impress Miami coaches last week, making three more tackles including one for a loss. Stanley, a former fullback and special teams player, made the transition to defensive end this past spring and quickly moved up the depth chart into a starting position.
SPECIAL TEAMS
SCOUTING REPORT: Following a solid all-around effort versus Northwestern last weekend, Miami's special teams unit looks to take another step forward at Colorado State. With the status of suspended junior place kicker Jared Parseghian still in question, Miami likely will look to sophomore Todd Soderquist, who converted 1-of-2 field goals and 5-of-6 PATs in his collegiate place-kicking debut last Saturday. Soderquist benefits from the experience of returning seniors Scott Sagehorn and J.D. Vonderheide who handle Miami's long-snapping and holding responsibilities, respectively. Heading a promising punting game is junior Mike Wafzig, who's averaging over 44.4 yards per punt through two games.
SPLITTING THE UPRIGHTS: True sophomore place kicker Todd Soderquist, who has handled Miami's kick-off duties since coming to campus last year, made his debut last week as the RedHawks' placekicker. Soderquist, who was brought to Miami as its first scholarship kicker since Kent McCullough who played at Miami from 1997-00, converted a 31-yard field goal in the first half and also connected on 5-of-6 PATs. However, the strong-legged sophomore, also was blocked once each on a PAT and field goal attempt. In high school, Soderquist connected on 10-of-11 field goal attempts, including a career long 52-yarder. His kickoffs were just as impressive as 94 percent went for touchbacks.
STEADY SNAPPER: After missing the 2002 campaign with an injury, Miami long snapper Scott Sagehorn returns for his fourth season as the program's primary special teams snapper. A high school quarterback, Sagehorn showed a remarkable talent for the position as a walk-on freshman and made his collegiate debut in the 2000 season opener at Northwestern. Named Miami's Freshman of the Year in 2000, Sagehorn has been virtually flawless throughout his career as Miami's snapper for punts, field goals and extra points. He is backed up by senior Alan Eyink who saw action last season in Sagehorn's absence.
A VETERAN LEG: Miami's primary punter, junior Mike Wafzig, is in his third season as the RedHawks' leg of choice. A former all-state wide receiver, Wafzig walked on at Miami and was named the 'Hawks first-string punter as a redshirt freshman. Wafzig is off to the best start of his career thus far, averaging 44.4 yards per punt on seven efforts this season, including a career-long 62-yard effort at Iowa. Versus Northwestern, Wafzig averaged 45.5 yards per punt, including a 51-yard punt from the back of his own endzone and one effort that pinned the Wildcats inside their 20-yard line.
BEN'S BIG TOE: While his arm gets most of the attention, opponents cannot afford to ignore the big toe of RedHawk quarterback Ben Roethlisberger either. The double-threat junior, who remains on the field and often drops back to punt on fourth down plays near midfield, has shown a remarkable knack for pinning the opposition deep in its own territory. Over the past three seasons, Roethlisberger has placed 10-of-12 punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line and was even named MAC Special Teams Player of the Week last season after pinning Toledo inside its own 20-yard line three times. Roethlisberger has three career punts of more than 50 yards to his credit, including a career-long 59-yard effort last season at North Carolina.
HERE'S TO YOU MR. ROBINSON: Despite having large shoes to fill, true freshman Ryne Robinson has brought an exciting element to Miami's punt return game. Robinson, who is replacing the RedHawks' all-time leading punt returner Eddie Tillitz (1998-01), showed flashes of brilliance during fall camp and is coming off a break-out performance at Northwestern. Versus the Wildcats, Robinson averaged an impressive 14.0 yards per return, including an exciting 17-yard return that helped set up a key first-half touchdown for the Red and White. He ranks fifth in the MAC and 36th in the nation, averaging 11.6 yards per return on five returns this season.
NO RETURNING RETURNERS: With senior Korey Kirkpatrick out with an injury, Miami's kick return team is counting on a pair of speedsters with limited experience to get the offense into a good position. One year after graduated senior Milt Bowen broke Miami's career kick return yardage record, sophomore Darrell Hunter and junior Alphonso Hodge find themselves fielding the RedHawks' return responsibilities. Despite limited experience, the duo brings explosive speed to the field, with Hunter clocking a 4.29 time in the 40 and Hodge covering the 40 in 4.40 seconds.
