by T.J. Lasita

OXFORD, Ohio ? A late fourth-quarter comeback attempt fell short for the Ohio football team on Saturday as the Miami RedHawks defeated the Bobcats 40-20 to open up the Mid-American Conference season at Yager Stadium.

Ohio (1-2 overall, 0-1 MAC) posted 13 points in the final quarter but the effort was not enough. Miami (2-2, 1-0 MAC) mounted 414 yards of total offense to capture the victory.

In the first, the RedHawks took advantage of an Ohio special teams miscue and put the first mark on the scoreboard. The Bobcats forced Miami to punt the football away but the RedHawks recovered their own punt after the ball came in contact with an Ohio blocker. Miami took over at the Ohio 27 and three plays later settled for a 39-yard field goal, putting the RedHawks on top 3-0.

Before the half, Miami found the end zone for the first time on the afternoon and padded its lead. RedHawk quarterback Josh Betts threw for 24 yards and ran for 21 more, setting the stage for running back Mike Smith to cap a six-play, 60-yard drive with a 10-yard carry into the end zone. The ensuing point-after attempt was good as Miami took a 10-0 lead into intermission.

Out of the break, the Bobcats quickly got back in the game. After Ohio gained 67 yards of total offense in the entire first half, quarterback Ryan Hawk (Centerville) engineered an eight-play, 83-yard drive to begin the third quarter, culminating in a 39-yard touchdown pass to Kalvin McRae (Decatur, Ga.). Brooks Rossman (Seal Beach, Calif.) completed a successful PAT attempt and the Bobcats pulled to within three, 10-7.

Miami didn?t waste any time getting its two-possession advantage back, though. It took less than two minutes for Betts to lead the RedHawks down the field as he hooked up with Smith once again ? this time through the air ? completing a 38-yard touchdown toss, giving Miami a 17-7 lead.

Ohio was forced to punt on its next possession and the RedHawk special teams unit took advantage. Miami?s Ryne Robinson fielded the punt at his own 26 yard line and scampered 74 yards down the left side and into the end zone for the score, putting Miami on top 24-7.

Miami tacked on a safety with 6:24 remaining in the third quarter, then running back Luke Clemens ran the ball in for a touchdown from two yards out, giving the RedHawks a 33-7 edge at the end of three periods.

The Bobcats continued to fight, however, in the last quarter of play. On the fourth play of the fourth quarter, Hawk called his own number, taking it to the end zone on an option keeper from a yard out. The PAT was good and the Bobcats trailed 33-14.

Ohio continued to chip away on its next possession. Hawk hooked up with sophomore Scott Mayle (Philippi, W.Va.) for a 24-yard touchdown with 5:27 left. The two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful but the Bobcats pulled to within 13.

Ohio attempted an on-side kick but the effort came to no avail as the RedHawks covered up the kick and took over near midfield. Miami moved down the field as Betts found Martin Nance in the end zone with 37 seconds remaining for the final tally of the game.

Sophomore wide receiver Chris Jackson (Seale, Ala.) tied a school record with 12 receptions. Hawk completed 23 passes for 253 yards and two scores while McRae led the ground attack, picking up 65 yards on 21 carries.

Cornerback T.J. Wright (Beaumont, Texas) and safety Rashad Butler (Pearson, Ga.) paced the Bobcat defensive unit as each recorded seven tackles on the afternoon. Senior safety Chip Cox (Columbus) picked off his first pass of the season in the second quarter.

The Bobcats continue MAC play next weekend when they play host to the Buffalo Bulls. Kickoff at Peden Stadium is set for 7 p.m. For ticket information, please contact the Ohio Athletics Ticket Office at 740-593-1300, toll-free at 800-575-CATS or online by CLICKING HERE.