Another week, another big loss for the Miami RedHawks. But if ever in the history of football a 36-point loss could be considered progress over a 14-point loss a week before, today's 'Hawks performance was just that.
The RedHawks were awful in the first half of the game. Netting just 104 yards of offense and 1 completed pass. But head coach Don Treadwell opened up the offensive playbook in the second half as Miami managed two offensive touchdowns—the first offensive scores in a nearly 200 minute offensive drought—in the second half.
One came late in the third on a 1-yard pass from Austin Boucher. The other score came early in the fourth on the RedHawks next possession, with freshman running back Grant Niemiec scampering in on a one-yard score.
Miami more than doubled its offensive output from last week, and put up more than 100 yards better than its season average, finishing with 250 yards of offense. Boucher actually had some time to make some throws—though not much—and the running game, despite averaging just 3.8 yards per attempt, looked much improved. Miami had a total of 14 first downs in the game, that's twice it's average.
The only negative, if you can even consider it a negative, from the 'Hawks moral victory was that punter Zac Murphy, who entered the game averaging 465 yards a game, finished with just 199 yards on the day.
Miami's defense still needs serious work as well. It allowed 601 yards of total offense.