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b>Pass offense: C

The two red-zone interceptions on passes from Miami quarterback Daniel Raudabaugh hurt, but RedHawks head coach Shane Montgomery noted that the second of those two picks, a deep pass down the middle grabbed by Reggie Corner early in the third quarter, wasn't totally Raudabaugh's fault. "We tried to hit a home run, and their defensive back made a great play," Montgomery said.

Rush offense: B

A decent job by both the line and the runners, especially since the RedHawks found themselves down to their fourth- and fifth-string tailbacks (Cory Jones and Thomas Merriweather) after Austin Sykes re-injured his ankle.

Pass defense: A

One of the best performances by the RedHawks in recent memory, holding Chris Jacquemain to 12-of-33 passing for only 116 yards and two interceptions (by Jeff Thompson and Jerrid Gaines). Clayton Mullins turned in an All-American performance, not only forcing the turnover that resulted in the game's only touchdown, but by recording 11 tackles overall, including five for losses totaling 22 yards. And the defensive backs were consistently excellent.

Rush defense: B

Akron barely made it to the 100-yard mark on the ground, and the Zips averaged only 2.8 yards per carry. Starting linebackers Mullins, Caleb Bostic and Joey Hudson combined for 23 tackles, including eight for loss.

Special teams: B

Jake Richardson was a busy man (eight punts, a 42.5-yard average); Nathan Parseghian was not (one extra-point kick, which was good). Miami's punt return team was outstanding, allowing an average of only 1.8 yards on five returns.

Intangibles: A

The RedHawks never seemed to get too discouraged, even though they had plenty of reason with an offense that never got on track.

— Pete Conrad, Staff Writer