DaytonDailyNews.com

OXFORD — The Miami University football team is hurting in the defensive backfield at a time when pass defense is at a premium. The RedHawks are preparing to face a quarterback who ranks 12th in the nation in passing efficiency.

At the start of the season, Miami's coaches felt pretty good about junior free safety Jordan Gafford and junior cornerback Jeff Thompson, two of the team's top six leading tacklers in 2007.

That good feeling is gone now.

Gafford suffered a stress fracture in his left shin against Michigan and hasn't played since. Now Thompson is highly questionable for the RedHawks' home game Tuesday, Nov. 11, against Ball State.

Thompson injured his knee in the first series of Miami's 37-17 loss at Buffalo. "I'm not sure if he'll be back," Miami coach Shane Montgomery said.

If Thompson can't play, he would be replaced by redshirt freshman Cornelius Ward, who would have to fend off passes from junior quarterback Nate Davis, a leading candidate for Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Year.

"Injuries have been tough the last few weeks," Montgomery said.

Miami had gone into the Buffalo game without sophomore defensive tackle D.J. Svabik (ankle injury) and lost a pair of redshirt freshmen, defensive tackle Jordain Brown and quarterback Clay Belton during the game. Also dinged up was true freshman running back J.R. Taylor, who Montgomery said "got hit pretty hard; I'm not sure he didn't get knocked out."

Taylor had recorded back-to-back 100-yard rushing games against Bowling Green and Kent State. He suffered a concussion and is questionable for the Ball State contest.

Surviving Love's loss

Ball State has thrived on offense despite the horrific loss of wide receiver Dante Love, whose career was ended Sept. 20 when he suffered a broken spine against Indiana.

Love underwent five-hour emergency surgery, was able to move his arms and legs afterward, and is expected to lead a normal life.

At the time of the injury, Love, who played high school football at Withrow in Cincinnati, was the fourth-leading receiver in the nation and the second-leading receiver in school history.

"It was a big loss, obviously," Montgomery said. "But they haven't lost a beat on offense. They've been able to overcome it and they've drawn a lot of inspiration from him."

Love caught a 23-yard touchdown pass from Davis early in the fourth quarter last season to give Ball State a 13-7 lead over Miami in the season opener. The RedHawks came back to win 14-13 following a 6-yard touchdown run by Brandon Murphy with 17 seconds remaining, but Love went on to amass 1,398 receiving yards in 2007.

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