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Sports TwitterMIAMI FOOTBALL SEASON OPENER
RedHawks have major motivation
Miami nearly knocked off Vanderbilt last season, and that memory has RedHawks fired up for season opener.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
OXFORD — When the Miami University football team begins a new season tonight, Aug. 28, the RedHawks will be thinking, at least a little bit, about the past.
About Oct. 27, 2007, to be exact.
On that date, the RedHawks held a 13-10 lead at Vanderbilt midway through the third quarter.
This was big. It had been four years since Miami had earned what has traditionally been called a "Tomahawk" victory against a major nonconference opponent on the road. But the Commodores came back to win 24-13. The RedHawks continue to wait for that major victory.
Tonight, they get a second chance.
"We've got to use (last year's game) to our advantage," Miami coach Shane Montgomery said. "Our guys feel we should have won that football game. We went toe-to-toe with a team that had beaten South Carolina on the road the week before. We make a few more plays, we win that football game."
Last year's game put Vanderbilt within one victory of qualifying for a bowl berth, but the Commodores also found disappointment. They lost their last four to finish 5-7 and out of the bowl picture.
This year the Commodores have 10 returning starters, with only nine available to play tonight, but none among their receiving corps.
"It'll be interesting to see what happens early in this game," Montgomery said. "This year it's hard to tell what they'll try to do offensively. They lost five of their leading receivers, including the best receiver in (Southeastern Conference) history. They have both quarterbacks back (senior Chris Nickson and junior Mackenzi Adams). It'll be a chess match."
Earl Bennett caught 75 passes last season to break the SEC career record. He is gone, and for the moment so is the receiver expected to carry much of the load in his absence.
George Smith, a sixth-year senior who had 32 receptions for 397 yards last year, underwent foot surgery recently (due to a stress fracture) and is out.
The RedHawks' own receiving corps is loaded, but Montgomery wants balance. He needs a running game, which means a huge effort from his huge offensive line.
"The biggest thing is matching up against them, especially the front seven," Montgomery said. "We've got to run the ball pretty good, establishing a balance so that we can stay out of a lot of third and longs."
