DaytonDailyNews.com

OXFORD — Eugene Harris said he wouldn't mind playing more basketball for coach Charlie Coles. But right now "Geno" has other things on his mind.

As a walk-on guard last season who saw little playing time (except in practice), he nevertheless brought speed and enthusiasm to a Miami University team short on numbers that persevered through some tough times and eventually won a Mid-American Conference championship.

Now he's trying to accomplish the same feat in football, and this time his role isn't limited at all.

"Coach (Shane Montgomery) told me I could make a big play any time I touch the ball," said Harris, an explosive wide receiver and punt returner who will try to burn the Central Michigan Chippewas in the MAC Championship Game.

Although Harris has started just four of Miami's 12 games, the 5-foot-10 red-shirt freshman from Atlanta leads the RedHawks in pass receptions with 40 (for 501 yards and two touchdowns).

He also ranks second in the MAC in punt returns, averaging 9.7 yards on 28 tries.

"I get the ball and try to make something happen and give our defense a chance to stay off the field," Harris said.

And when Harris touches the ball against the top teams in the MAC, something often does happen.

It was his 56-yard punt return in the season opener at Ball State with 1:54 remaining in the fourth quarter which set up Brandon Murphy's game-winning touchdown run.

In Miami's 47-14 victory over Bowling Green, he scored the team's second touchdown on a 6-yard run, and late in the second quarter reached the end zone again on a 73-yard pass from Daniel Raudabaugh, the offense's longest play of the season.

And it was his 6-yard touchdown catch from Raudabaugh which provided Miami with its winning points against Buffalo.

Harris is part of a remarkable young receiving corps. Five of the top six pass catchers are either true freshmen (Chris Givens and Jamal Rogers), red-shirt freshmen (Harris and Armand Robinson) or sophomores (Dustin Woods).

"Coach has high expectations on all of the receivers even though we're young," Harris said.

"I think we can be a lot better."

They have experience now, however, and hope to bring something else to Saturday's contest — a chip on their shoulders. In 2006, this had been a team that didn't know how to win.

"It's very exciting, coming from a 2-10 record," Harris said. "Nobody in the country thought we had a chance to be champions and to go to a bowl. We've had to overcome a lot of adversity. We're hungry right now."

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2197 or pconrad@coxohio.com.