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Despite all of the woes of the 2018 season, the Miami RedHawks now find themselves undefeated in MAC play after 38-23 victory on the road against the Bowling Green Falcons. On the flip side, BG needs to find some answers if it expects to win some games this season. What were the big takeaways from the game? Let’s find out below.
RedHawks Romp in the Running Game
Miami fans have to feel good about the commitment to the running game on Saturday as the team rushed 52 times for 289 yards and three touchdowns. Alonzo Smith had himself a career day with 164 yards while Maurice Thomas added to his highlight reel with a 30-yard burst for a touchdown. Miami is better when it has success running the ball, and we’ll see if it can maintain its success in MAC play.
Defense Dominates
The RedHawk defense continues to be a strength for this team as it held BG to 2.5 yards per rush while recording 13 TFLs and five sacks. Junior McMullen and Brad Koenig were all over the place as they each had ten tackles with the former leading the way with 2.5 TFLs and a fumble recovery. Giving up 20 points in the fourth quarter is a little disconcerting, but 154 passing yards came in the fourth quarter so there should be little reason for concern.
Special Teams Made A Difference
Miami held the field position advantage in the game as Kyle Kramer pinned the Falcons inside their own 20-yard line three times, Thomas accumulated 52 yards on two kickoff returns, and Sam Sloman registered four touchbacks on kickoff. The RedHawks will need production from this unit going forward into MAC play, but playing this well in a conference game on the road is a positive sign.
Doege City
Despite the loss, Jarrett Doege played admirably for BG as he went 30-45 for 237 yards and a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns. He battled back despite not having a running game and getting hit six times on top of five sacks. If the Falcons win a game this season, it will be because Doege put the team on his back and carried them to victory.
“Gentleman” Jack Sorenson
In a game where Miami didn’t have to do much offensively, Sorenson had another strong outing with six receptions for 72 yards and a score. With James Gardner done for the year, Miami needs someone to fill that void and Sorenson has the potential to be a playmaker in this offense. We’ll see if he can keep this up as we head deeper into the conference schedule.