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Sunday, October 28, 2007
Pass offense: C
Considering that Vanderbilt forced Miami into becoming a one-dimensional offense for much of the game, it could have been worse. Daniel Raudabaugh did have a 40-yard touchdown strike to true freshman Jamal Rogers, and it was a beauty. And Raudabaugh, though sacked five times, did not throw an interception. And Miami got some solid contributions from Eugene Harris (four catches, 54 yards), Jared Elliott (four catches, 25 yards) and Chris Givens (three catches, 39 yards). Elliott, the former quarterback, was playing near his hometown of Franklin, Tenn. for the first time as a RedHawk. "I think I might have set a record for this game (for most tickets handed out)," he said. "I had a ton of family and friends here."
Extras
Rush offense: D
It doesn't get much worse than 27 carries, 26 net yards. It's slightly misleading, however, since Austin Sykes ran well before hurting his ankle, picking up 49 yards on 10 carries. Miami's low total was partly, though not totally, a result of Raudabaugh's five sacks for minus-20 yards. Cory Jones also had a tough day, running eight times for minus-2 yards.
Pass defense: B
The Commodores passed for only 121 yards, but they didn't really try much after quarterback Mackenzi Adams got hurt in the third quarter, and especially after Vanderbilt took a 17-13 lead a few minutes later behind Chris Nickson, who had started the first half of the season. However, Jordan Gafford (nine tackles and an interception) rates an A.
Rush defense: D
Seven different runners racked up 290 rushing yards behind Vanderbilt's experienced offensive line. Miami's linebackers did the best they could, with a massive number of tackles recorded by Clayton Mullins (15), Chris Shula (14) and Joey Hudson (14). The hammering along the line finally took its toll over the final 22 minutes.
Special teams: D
On the plus side, Jamal Rogers had a couple good kickoff returns and Nathan Parseghian made 2-of-3 field goal attempts. Jake Richardson had a so-so day (for him) with a 42,7 punting average. On the minus side, Parseghian's one miss also was his shortest attempt, from 35 yards, and the RedHawks were extremely fortunate D.J. Moore did not cause more damage on kickoff returns. He ran back two returns for a total of 81 yards.
Intangibles: B
The RedHawks seemed loose and willing to take chances early in the game, and this time they weren't flat in the first quarter. Vanderbilt's crowd of 26,450 wasn't exactly overwhelming. But any game on the road at an SEC stadium can be intimidating. The RedHawks were not intimidated in the least.
— Pete Conrad, Staff Writer
