PISCATAWAY, N.J.— The Miami University football team came up short at Rutgers Saturday, dropping a 45-17 decision at SHI Stadium. Dequan Finn threw for 251 yards and added 85 on the ground for the RedHawks (0-2). Keith Reynolds (120 yards) and Kam Perry (108) became the first Miami teammates to each record 100 receiving yards in the same game since Jalen Walker and Jack Sorenson (against Buffalo in 2021).
 
Ian Strong caught two touchdowns for the Scarlet Knights, who scored the game's final 21 points to hold off the Red and White and improve to 2-0 on the year.
 
"Offensively, we did some better things: Made some big plays – two 100-yard receivers," head coach Chuck Martin said after the game. "We learned a ton of hard lessons on offense last week…we learned some really hard lessons on defense [today]…
 
"We've got a lot of work, but I like our group. I like that we fight. I like that we stuck together two weeks in a row. I like that everybody's competing hard…
 
"We made plenty of plays the last two weeks, but we didn't make enough…we got better this week and did some better things. We're going to learn some more lessons, and you get better from those lessons, and we're going to be fine."
 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Rutgers opened the scoring with an 11-play, 75-yard drive on its first possession of the game. Strong's 14-yard catch on a 3rd-and-12 play put the home team up 7-0 midway through the first quarter.
• The RedHawks answered back immediately, as a 62-yard completion to Perry (his second catch of the series) got the visitors down to the 1-yard line. D'Shawntae Jones scored a rushing touchdown on the next play to cap a quick four-play drive and even the game at 7-7.
• After Rutgers re-took the lead on a 39-yard field goal, Miami moved the ball down the field again, reaching RU's 10-yard line thanks to two carries from Finn totaling 48 yards. However, an interception and run-back by Bo Mascoe set the home team up at the Miami 12 and the Scarlet Knights found the end zone three plays later, converting on a one-yard rush to make it 17-7.
• Rutgers added an 11-yard touchdown pass on its next drive to make it 24-7, but Miami quickly pushed the ball down the field for a successful Dom Dzioban 40-yard field goal with two seconds remaining in the half. Finn escaped near-certain sacks for 13-yard rushes twice to help move the Red and White into Rutgers territory and set up Dzioban's kick.
• Miami came out of the locker room strong, forcing the Scarlet Knights to punt on their opening possession of the second half after a textbook pass break-up by Koy Beasley over the middle. On the RedHawks' first offensive play, Finn connected with a wide-open Reynolds running down the middle of the field for a 69-yard strike. Two plays later, Finn out-ran two defenders to the right pylon for a five-yard touchdown to pull Miami within seven points at 24-17.
• The Scarlet Knights responded, with Strong pulling in a 17-yard touchdown grab on third down to once again give the home team a 14-point lead at the 6:08 mark of the quarter. Later in the third, Rutgers had a chance to further stretch the margin, but Devin Bell dropped a ballcarrier for a three-yard loss on 4th-and-inches at the Miami 21 to force a turnover on downs as the period expired.
• The home team drained six and a half minutes off the game clock with a 78-yard drive in the fourth quarter, capping the march with a five-yard touchdown catch by DT Sheffield. Rutgers then concluded the scoring on a four-yard touchdown run with 1:53 remaining.

 
 
LIGHTS, 'KAM'ERA, ACTION: Perry had his biggest day as a RedHawk, setting a new career high for single-game receiving yards and producing the longest reception of his career on Miami's first scoring drive.
 
"We worked that play in practice a lot and got the perfect look," Perry said afterwards. "I ran a pretty good route, and DQ threw a great ball."
 
"It's all about practice," Martin agreed. "We ran a really good double move early and we protected it….that's how it's supposed to look, and then –guess what— we got a big chunk play out of it. It takes 11 guys on both sides…we practiced better on offense; we got better results."
 
Perry finished with four grabs for 108 yards and became the first Miami player to collect 100 receiving yards in a half since Reggie Virgil against Northern Illinois last season.
 
 
AGENT ZERO: Reynolds also finished with a career-high in receiving yards, making a team-high seven catches for 120 yards to lead the Red and White. More than half of his yards (68 in all) came after the catch. Reynolds and Perry each recorded a reception of more than 60 yards, a feat last accomplished by multiple RedHawks in the same game back in November 2021 (Sorenson and Mac Hippenhammer vs. Bowling Green).
 
 
KU'WATCH' THIS: Jackson Kuwatch set a career high for tackles with a team-high 11, including a key third-down sack in the second quarter —the first of his career— to force a Rutgers field-goal attempt.
 
 
JUST FOR KICKS: Dzioban's field goal was his first of the season and improved his career percentage at Miami to 87.1% (27-for-31). It was the redshirt senior's eighth career make from at least 40 yards.
 
 
JONES' JAUNT: Jones' one-yard touchdown plunge in the first quarter was the redshirt freshman running back's first career carry.
 
 
WEATHER OR NOT: Kickoff was delayed by 55 minutes due to a thunderstorm in the area, with heavy winds knocking over tents and equipment on both sidelines and quickly-accumulating rainwater pooling around the corners of the stadium. However, the rest of the game was played without stoppage, although the rain once again picked up significantly again in the final quarter.
 
 
ROLL CALL: Among the fans in attendance at this afternoon's game were former Miami hoops great and five-time NBA champion Ron Harper and former RedHawk defensive lineman Brian Ugwu. Harper's sons, Ron Harper Jr. and Dylan Harper, both played basketball for the Scarlet Knights; Ugwu (a First Team All-MAC selection last season) began his college football career with Rutgers before transferring to Miami in 2022.
 
 
UP NEXT:
The RedHawks will be off next week before hosting UNLV on Saturday, Sept. 20 in the 2025 home opener at Yager Stadium. Tickets are available here.