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Miami Notes: Calhoun thrilled to be back on field
Saturday, April 21, 2007
OXFORD — Jimmy Calhoun was glad to be back.
The former Middletown High School standout saw his first game action in exactly one year during Miami University's Spring Game at Yager Stadium on Friday night, and he made the most of it.
Extras
It scored the game's first touchdown on a 1-yard run, he was involved in the game's second touchdown on a flea-flicker play, and later his 42-yard run set up a 44-yard field goal by Nathan Parseghian.
Calhoun finished the night with 59 yards on nine carries.
Calhoun was injured last year during summer workouts and spent the 2006 season on the sidelines.
"It was kind of a shock at first," Calhoun said of his inactivity. "After a while, the team's going away on road trips, and then the guys are talking about games I wasn't involved in. It was frustrating, going through the season doing just therapy and training.
"It's a relief to be back out here with the team, just being involved," he said. "And it feels great to come out here and be successful on the field."
Calhoun said the flea-flicker — a hand-off from quarterback Dan Raudabaugh, then Calhoun flips it back to Raudabaugh, who then fires a 33-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Pat LaMonica — made him feel like he was back with the Middies.
"At Middletown, we ran a bunch of plays like that," he said. "It was sort of like getting back to high school again."
Ara would be proud
Junior place-kicker Nathan Parseghian had an impressive night.
Parseghian, the great-grandnephew of Miami coaching legend Ara Parseghian, drilled a 51-yard field goal in the first quarter which cleared the crossbar with room to spare and he added a 44-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.
Miami's other place-kicker, sophomore Trevor Cook (who finished last season as the team's regular kicker), didn't fare as well. Cook connected on a 20-yard kick in the third quarter, but was wide left with a 29-yard attempt at the end of the first half.
Miami coach Shane Montgomery said Parseghian "has had a good spring. We feel good about both kickers.
There's nothing wrong with having two kickers you're confident in. We'll go with whoever's kicking the best."
Looking at linebackers
Some of the linebackers who might make a difference for the RedHawks this season did not see action Friday night.
Middle linebacker Joey Hudson is four months removed from shoulder surgery and was held out of the action, outside backer Clayton Mullins was held out due to a recent injury, and others have yet to make an appearance in a Miami uniform.
"We're a lot stronger (at linebacker) than we were last year," Miami head coach Shane Montgomery said, but added that once you get past the starters Hudson, Clayton and Caleb Bostic and backup Chris Shula, "we're very thin."
Help should arrive this summer in the form of five freshmen "who we're going to take a look at, and I wouldn't be surprised if two or three of those guys make it as a backup," Montgomery said.
Stock rising
Red-shirt freshman wide receiver Armond Robinson made up for a dropped pass in the first series by finishing the night with nine receptions for 75 yards.
Although none of his catches were longer than 16 yards, quarterback Mike Kokal said it would be a mistake to consider him merely a possession receiver.
The White defense never let him wander far past the line of scrimmage.
"The defense isn't stupid," Kokal said. "They know we were going to try to get him deep."
Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2197 or pconrad@coxohio.com.
