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StumbleuponMiami D needs to step up vs. Kent State
Golden Flashes feature two of the league's best offensive weapons.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
OXFORD — The Miami University football team got what it needed from its offense — multiple touchdowns — in last weekend's 27-20 victory at Bowling Green. Now it's the defense's turn.
The Kent State Golden Flashes might not have much of a record, but they do have two of the more intimidating offensive players in the Mid-American Conference, and it will be up to the Miami defense to keep them from running wild.
Miami coach Shane Montgomery sees reason for optimism.
"I think (the defense has) played well for a couple weeks now," he said, noting that his unit also "started to step up" last season after they got into the thick of Miami's MAC schedule.
"We've tackled better the last couple games, and that will be very important going into this game," Montgomery said.
He hopes junior linebacker Caleb Bostic can follow the example of senior defensive end Joe Coniglio.
"Caleb Bostic hasn't been quite as effective this year," Montgomery said. "Caleb played much better (against Bowling Green) and, hopefully, he can get back to playing the way he did last year."
Bostic, who ranked second on the team in tackles last year, is fifth among the RedHawks this season but only fourth among the linebackers (Joey Hudson is first with 74, Clayton Mullins is second with 56, Chris Shula is fourth with 34 and Bostic is fifth with 30).
Coniglio, meanwhile, has been putting serious pressure on quarterbacks. This season he has four sacks, giving him a career total of 19.5.
"Joe Coniglio has played the last two games as well as he's played in his career," Montgomery said.
It would be helpful for the RedHawks if Coniglio maintains that trend.
"They have two of the most explosive offensive players in the league," Montgomery said, referring to senior quarterback Julian Edelman and junior running back Eugene Jarvis, the nation's leading returning rusher.
"Edelman leads the team in rushing and also throws the ball extremely well," Montgomery said. "You can have a perfect (defensive) play called, you can execute it, but then you have to tackle him. Some of the things he gets out of is incredible."
Jarvis, who ran for 1,669 yards in 2007, sprained an ankle Sept. 13 and missed the next three games. He returned against Ohio on Oct. 11 and ran 14 times for 50 yards.
