RedHawks show progress in defeat

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By Pete Conrad, Staff Writer Updated 12:46 AM Monday, October 26, 2009

OXFORD — The Miami RedHawks couldn’t stop their losing streak, couldn’t avoid the big blunder that bites them at inopportune times.

But coach Michael Haywood saw something he liked in Miami’s 27-22 loss to the Northern Illinois Huskies at Yager Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 24.

Liked a lot, as a matter of fact.

“We played a little more of a physical game than we’d played in the past, especially on defense,” said Haywood, whose team trailed 17-0 after one period, and then over the final three quarters outscored the Huskies 22-10 and outgained them 335 total yards to 163.

The Miami coach had wanted to see his players hit harder, run harder, play harder, and to keep doing it all the way to the end of the game. During practice last week, Haywood had worked his team harder and longer than usual.

It showed in the fourth quarter.

Miami pulled to within four points, 20-16, with 1:58 remaining when redshirt freshman quarterback Zac Dysert tossed a 4-yard touchdown pass to Jamal Rogers after having been sacked three times on the drive.

The extra-point kick was blocked, however, to cap a catastrophic day for Miami’s special teams. The RedHawks already had been burned by a 44-yard punt return for a touchdown by Perez Ashford, a 42-yard punt return by Tommy Davis which set up a Northern Illinois field goal, and two missed field-goal attempts by Miami’s Trevor Cook, including one that was blocked.

But the RedHawks kept coming, even after NIU’s Chad Spann scored on a 40-yard touchdown run to give the Huskies an 11-point lead with 57 seconds left on the clock.

On the final play of the game, Dysert fired a 24-yard pass into a crowd of receivers and defensive backs in the end zone and junior Armand Robinson came down with the ball for a touchdown, finishing the day with seven receptions for a career-high 123 yards and two touchdowns.

“The important thing is, we’re playing more physical and they’re competing,” Haywood said. “I think the momentum really picked up because (the offense) started feeding off the defense.”

Dysert completed 27-of-37 passes for a career-high 348 yards, a career-high three touchdowns and no interceptions despite being sacked eight times.

Still, the loss was the 13th in a row for the RedHawks and keeps them winless this season with an 0-8 record, 0-4 in the Mid-American Conference. Their nine straight MAC losses is the longest streak in program history.

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

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