Miami has short week to prepare for Zips

RedHawks are trying to keep momentum from 41-13 win over Buffalo.

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By Pete Conrad, Staff Writer Updated 11:49 AM Tuesday, November 1, 2011

OXFORD — Four days between games has put the squeeze on Miami University’s football team.

“The time to prepare for Akron is the key,” Miami coach Don Treadwell said Monday during his weekly press conference, which, like everything else with the RedHawks, was moved up and condensed into a smaller time period.

“This is the shortest week we have ... It’s really short,” he noted, “but Akron is working on the same time frame as we are.”

The RedHawks are playing the Zips on Thursday night at Yager Stadium, part of a strategy by the Mid-American Conference to get as many of its games as possible on national TV — ESPNU in this case — during the final four weeks.

Certain kinds of information were lacking.

When Treadwell was wished a happy Halloween, his reply: “Is today Halloween? I wouldn’t even know.”

When he was asked about the Zips, he explained that he still was waiting for an updated two-deep depth chart from Akron and joked “I do know they’re located in northeast Ohio.”

One thing the RedHawks do know is that, with three victories in their last four games, they are in the thick of contention for the MAC Eastern Division championship.

Miami (2-2 in the MAC) trails Temple (3-2) by just a half-game. Should Temple lose at Ohio (2-2) Tuesday and the RedHawks win their game Thursday, Miami and Ohio would be tied for first place.

“Our guys know that anything’s possible, but we still just dwell on who’s next,” Treadwell said.

Right now the Miami coach has other things on his mind than standings and scenarios, such as how to squeeze four full days of practice into 48 hours.

“Monday is sort of like a Monday-Tuesday combination practice,” he said, “and Tuesday will be like a Wednesday-Thursday combination.”

Thankfully for the RedHawks, whose last five regular-season games are being played in a span of 25 days, they suffered no significant injuries in Saturday’s 41-13 victory over Buffalo.

“I don’t know if anything’s really changed,” he said, noting that defensive ends Will Diaz and Wes Williams and defensive back Brison Burris will continue to be sidelined with an assortment of injuries.

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