OXFORD, Ohio— It wasn't quite football gameday at Yager Stadium.
But it felt like the next best thing.
Five weeks before Miami Football's first home game of the season, the RedHawks held their annual 'Kickoff with the Community' event this morning in Oxford. Over the course of an hour or so, the Miami offense, defense, and special teams were all involved in scrimmage periods that gave the crowd gathered in the east stands a sneak peek at head coach
Chuck Martin's 2025 team.
"Today was really about communication," Martin said afterward. "Getting on and off the field, getting substitutions, getting personnel right, getting lined up and trying to play our offense and defense – which they did a pretty nice job of."
"It was all about the fans and trying to get better," running back
Jordan Brunson added. "We've been going through a long camp —a lot of preparation and hard work— and today we got to showcase to the fans what we're all about."
After nearly three weeks of practices, the routine changed significantly for the Red and White this morning. With coaches in the press box, the entire team sharing the same sideline (as opposed to offense and defense on opposite sides during a usual practice), and Miami using its usual in-game technology, the RedHawks got a little more of a gameday feel during the fan-friendly event.
Saturday was a chance for Miami's defense to share
the same sideline with the offense, just like in a real game
Between having a live audience in the stadium, Steve Baker, the 'Voice of the RedHawks', serving as PA announcer, and upbeat music playing over the sound system throughout the scrimmage, the entire event was "a good exercise at blocking out noise and being focused," said director of football operations
Matt Yoches.
Of course, there's only so much that the Miami staff can do to prepare the RedHawks for 'Jump Around' and what a Week One prime-time showdown with the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium will bring.
"You've got to go play college football to learn how to play college football. It's not like practice…guys that have played understand that," Martin pointed out.
"I asked Kenny [Tracy], 'Hey Kenny, is this practice anything like a game?' He just laughed," Martin continued. "There's no way until you go do it. We can't simulate what it's going to be: 9 o'clock, playing a Big Ten team on the road. We can try to make everything game-like, but they've got to go do it and they've got to live it.
"They've got to feel what it feels like to have a Big Ten guy run full-speed into you. Then it's, 'How are you going to respond from there?'"
While this year's Miami roster is undoubtedly younger and less experienced than past iterations, Martin said his team is making 'slow and steady progress.' Today was another step in that direction.
"I was pleased with the organization," Martin commented. "The first time we've had guys in the [press] box, and there was not a lot of chaos with substitutions. We're going to need to get better at it, but that flow was good. That's what we were trying to do.
"Can we get 11 guys out there? Can we change personnels on offense? Can we change personnels on defense? Can we change personnels based on what the offense is doing on defense? Can we change personnels based on down and distance?
"The communication and flow was good today; that was a huge positive."
Miami is scheduled to practice again on Sunday morning, August 17 in Oxford.
HOME 'STRETCH': Even the warmup and stretching routine for Miami was different today than how the RedHawks usually begin practice. The scrimmage format of the morning's festivities allowed the Red and White to simulate how they would take the field before a game and what the specifics of the pregame routine look like.
"If you want some efficiency to everything, you've got to practice it," said Yoches. While a sharp and focused warmup doesn't necessarily guarantee a win when the final whistle sounds, it's an important first element to helping Miami have a successful gameday.
Brunson
"About 45 [guys], that was their first pregame at Miami; close to half our roster doesn't know [yet] where to go in pregame," Martin smiled. "Again, we're excited with this group – it's a great group of kids and there's plenty of talent. We're going to grow and grow as a team together, but everything is new.
"Today is always a big day, but we spent more time [since] these guys have no idea 'where do we go' [or] where the offense goes when we come off the field. So today was more important because of the newness of our roster."
As a redshirt senior, Brunson is one of the veterans who
does have plenty of experience in how to get physically and mentally prepared for a Miami Football game. His advice to younger teammates? "Find what works for you," he said later.
"Everyone's going to be different. Not everyone's going to have the same routine like everyone else," Brunson said. "Just find what works for you and keep doing that."
PLAY OF THE DAY: Brunson, who owns an average of 6.3 yards per carry with five career touchdowns, was the first RedHawk to find the end zone today. He ran to the left and powered through contact on a first-and-goal play from the four-yard line to spark the Miami offense.
INSIDE SLANT: The next series lasted all of one play. With the offense beginning at the opponent's 15-yard line,
Henry Hesson connected with
Cole Weaver on his right on the opening snap. After a short catch on a hitch route, Weaver eluded the first defender and raced into the end zone. The redshirt sophomore wideout broke down the play for us afterward.
"They talked to me before the play about just making sure I get my depth and try to push the corner back a little more," Weaver said. "It's funny: I had a conversation with DQ [
Dequan Finn] right before that. He was telling me, 'Cole, don't be afraid of the ball; meet the ball in the air. And if you have that opportunity, go inside, because you're going to make somebody miss.'
Weaver
"How he said it two minutes earlier is literally just how it played out. I caught the ball, was able to go inside and make a man miss, and I got into the end zone. It was great."
"We expect big things out of Cole this year," Martin said after practice. "He showed a glimpse last year of what he can do...you're waiting in the wings for your opportunity, and this is his opportunity.
"We think he's going to knock the door down and have a huge year."
Weaver's father and brother were in attendance this morning, which made Kickoff with the Community extra-special for the Roswell, Ga. native. "This is what it's all about: Being able to perform for the fans and family members here," Weaver said. "It's been a long fall camp, and fall camp's never easy: We're putting a lot of work in to try and get ready for this long season.
"But just being able to have the family come out here and all our friends and fans, it's a good experience!"
Season tickets and single-game tickets are on sale now! Call (513) 529-4295 for more information. Miami Football will kick off its home schedule with a clash against UNLV on Saturday, Sept. 20 at Yager Stadium.
Miss a RedHawk Report? Catch up on fall camp with our daily MiamiRedHawks.com notebooks: Aug. 14 | Aug. 13 | Aug. 12 | Aug. 9 | Aug. 7 | Aug. 6 | Aug. 5 | Aug. 2 | July 31 | July 30 | July 29
