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Injuries continue to pile up for RedHawks in loss
Sunday, October 28, 2007
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Miami RedHawks started Saturday's game at Vanderbilt without one of their top players and finished the day without two other starters.
Which positions were affected? Anyone who has followed the team over the past two years might like to take a guess.
Extras
Linebacker. Running back. Offensive line.
Outside linebacker Caleb Bostic did not start in Miami's 24-13 loss at Vanderbilt due to an injured hip suffered a week earlier. Bostic didn't practice until Thursday, and Chris Shula said he was notified in "a gametime decision" that he would start in Bostic's place.
Shula was dominant in the first half, recording 12 tackles before the break. He finished with 14.
Midway through the second half left guard Dave DiFranco injured an ankle and did not return. In the third period tailback Austin Sykes also injured an ankle, and also did not return.
Montgomery said he doesn't know how serious either ankle injury is.
A kick in the head
Kickers. You can't live with them, you can't live without 'em.
Miami junior Nathan Parseghian hit a perfect pooch kickoff which teammate Brandon Stephens recovered at the Vanderbilt 36-yard line late in second quarter.
Four plays later Parseghian came back onto the field for a 35-yard field goal attempt. He missed it.
Parseghian and Trevor Cook have combined to make only 5-of-10 field goal attempts from 30-39 yards. In the last two weeks, however, they've attempted one pooch kick and three onside kicks and Miami has recovered all four.
Suspended, ejected
Two Vanderbilt reserves, sophomore defensive tackle Greg Billinger and red-shirt freshman center Joey Bailey, each served a one-game suspension Saturday for a violation of team rules.
On the sixth play of the second quarter, the Commodores' Alan Strong, a red-shirt freshman cornerback playing on the punt return team, was called for a personal foul and kicked out of the game.
So what else is new?
For the seventh time in nine games this season, Miami's opponent took the first lead.
Vanderbilt took the opening kickoff and marched 67 yards on 10 plays, taking a 7-0 lead on a 1-yard touchdown run by Jeff Jennings.
Busy Earl Bennett
It didn't take long on the game's opening drive for Vanderbilt junior wide receiver Earl Bennett to tie and then break the Southeastern Conference record for career pass receptions. He tied the record with a 2-yard catch on the second play from scrimmage and broke it with catch No. 209 on the next play.
The old record was held by Kentucky's Craig Yeast (1995-98).
On the final play of the first quarter, Bennett cost his team a chance to score when he spiked the ball after making a 2-yard catch (yes, a 2-yard catch) at the Miami 41. He was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2197 or pconrad@coxohio.com.
