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Harris makes up for dropped pass
Sunday, September 14, 2008
OXFORD — A bad beginning for Miami University sophomore Eugene Harris turned into a good and gratifying day.
Harris dropped what seemed to be a sure touchdown pass, but later returned a punt 44 yards for a touchdown in Miami's 38-27 victory over the Charleston Southern Buccaneers Saturday, Sept. 13 at Yager Stadium.
About that drop.
"I was so anxious to get the ball, I knew I had to be the playmaker on some of the plays," Harris said. "I was so anxious, I was so wide open ... I took my eyes off the ball before I caught it."
"I looked back and Eugene is looking at me ... He was stunned that he didn't (catch it)," said Miami quarterback Daniel Raudabaugh, who had thrown the pass and then gone over to shake hands with coach Shane Montgomery, not knowing the ball had landed on the ground, not in Harris' hands.
"But Eugene, he's going to make plays," Raudabaugh added.
In the third quarter, Andy Brown punted to Harris.
"I didn't think they were going to kick me the ball," Harris said. "A lot of teams have been keeping it away from me.
"They did it like a rugby kick," Harris explained. "I saw guys go left and I knew I had two defenders to beat.
Coniglio called it
Joe Coniglio's 18-yard interception return to the Charleston Southern 1-yard line, the first pick of his college career, enabled the RedHawks to take a 17-13 lead early in the third quarter.
"This week I'd been joking around with my friends in practice during the stretch drills," said the senior defensive end who used to play fullback in high school. "I was saying, 'Oh yeah, I'm going to pick one off and take it to the house.' Fortunately, I tipped it enough times so I was able to catch it.
"T.J. Lattimore is the one who tackled me," Coniglio added with a grin. "He played here last year."
Williams starts on line
Nate Williams made his first collegiate start for Miami at left guard, replacing the injured Bob Gulley.
Technically Williams, a 6-foot-5, 302-pound sophomore from Parma, replaced senior Steve Sutter, who in turn replaced Gulley, the RedHawks' starting right tackle who injured his shin in last weekend's game at Michigan.
C-Rod gets the ball
Miami senior Chris Rodriguez made his collegiate debut as a running back Saturday late in the fourth quarter, carrying the ball three times for 8 yards.
"Rodriguez played baseball for a couple years but had an extra year of eligibility left in football," Miami coach Shane Montgomery said. "He came to me in the spring and talked to me about trying out for the team.
"He's a physical kid and a pretty good athlete," Montgomery said. "We wanted to stick him in there and see what he could do. It's the first football he's played in five years, I believe."
