Nov. 21, 2005
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ATHENS, Ohio - Despite jumping out to an early 7-0 lead, Ohio surrendered 38 unanswered points and dropped its season finale, 38-7, to Miami Monday night at Peden Stadium.
The Bobcats (4-7, 3-5 Mid-American Conference) scored the game's first points with 7:28 left in the first quarter, but the RedHawks (7-4, 5-3 MAC) rallied to put up 24 points before half time and posted two more touchdowns in the second half to secure the MAC East Division victory.
Kalvin McRae (Decatur, Ga.) and Austen Everson (Brentwood, Tenn.) combined to rush for 142 yards to lead the Bobcat ground attack. With 1,153 on the season, McRae moved into sole possession of third place on Ohio's all-time single season rushing list. He and Justin Riley (Grove City, Ohio) each caught a pair of passes.
Miami's Josh Betts tossed for 297 yards and two scores, completing 22 of his 44 pass attempts. Martin Nance caught eight Betts passes for 123 yards. Jimmy Murray ran for 113 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries.
After recovering an Ohio fumble on the game's first drive, the Miami offense crept into Bobcat territory. Facing 4th down and three yards to go from the 36, the RedHawks attempted to convert the 4th down, but were unsuccessful, as Betts' pass fell incomplete.
The Bobcats took over on downs, and after turning the football over on its first drive of the game, the Ohio offense settled in with a steady dose of the ground attack and turned it into points. On the seventh play of the drive, McRae took a sweep around the left side, cut the corner and scampered 41 yards, untouched, into the end zone for the game's first score. Matt Miller's (Westerville, Ohio) point-after attempt was good, and with 7:28 remaining in the first quarter the Bobcats led, 7-0.
Miami chose to go to the air on the ensuing possession, but it was a 17-yard run that finished off the drive. Betts completed three passes for 52 yards on the drive, but tailback Murray found the end zone on the ground, taking it in from 17 yards out to tie the score at seven with just better than four minutes left in the first quarter.
The Bobcats started out the second quarter with possession of the football, but the RedHawks forced an Ohio punt. Miller's punt from deep in Ohio territory was blocked by Miami's Jeff Schroeder and knocked out of bounds.
The RedHawks took over, 1st and goal from the Ohio 1 yard line, but couldn't turn the prime field position into a touchdown. Miami was knocked back on consecutive running plays up the middle on first and second down, then after a false start penalty pushed the RedHawks back five more, Betts' 3rd down pass to Nance fell incomplete and forced 4th down. Miami settled for a field goal and went ahead 10-7 with 12:39 remaining in the half.
The Bobcats went quietly on the ensuing possession, surrendering another punt attempt. This time Miller got his punt off, but the Miami special teams unit still took advantage. Ryne Robinson fielded the punt at the Ohio 46 and took it right up the gut and into the end zone for the sixth punt return touchdown of his career and six points for the RedHawks. The point-after attempt was good, and Miami led 17-7 with just more than 11 minutes left in the half.
After both teams traded punts, the Miami offense took its turn to light up the scoreboard again. The RedHawks took over at the Ohio 43 and used seven plays in just less than three minutes to pick up the score. Betts found Josh Williams on the left side of the end zone to put Miami ahead, 24-7, with 4:02 left in the half.
The RedHawks held on to that 17-point edge into intermission.
For the half, Ohio gained 127 yards of total offense--119 on the ground. Miami went for 230 yards in the half--162 through the air. Dion Byrum (Matthews, N.C.) led the Bobcat defense with four tackles and a pair of pass break-ups.
After trading punts to start off the second half, Miami worked the football into Ohio territory. The Bobcat defense quelled the threat, though, as Todd Koenig (Nanty-Glo, Pa.) picked off a Betts pass, returned it eight yards and put the football back in Ohio's hands.
The Bobcat offense, however, could not take advantage of the turnover and punted away the ball. Punts dominated the third quarter, with neither team able to touch up the scoreboard.
In the fourth, however, the Miami offense finally broke through in the second half. Betts capped a 13-play, 80-yard drive that lasted 4:40 with a one-yard touchdown run. The point-after attempt was true, and Miami led 31-7 with 11 minutes left in the game.
The RedHawks punched it again six minutes later, as Betts found Robinson on a 35-yard touchdown strike to put Miami ahead 38-7 with just more than five minutes left.
That margin stood through the game's final gun.
For the game, Ohio gained 185 yards of total offense, while Miami picked up 421.
T.J. Wright (Beaumont, Texas) recorded 10 tackles with three pass break-ups and Tyler Russ (Stetsonville, Wis.) made eight stops for the Bobcats.
The Miami defense was led by Derek Rehage, who notched 10 tackles.
Monday's affair marked the final in the collegiate careers for Ohio's nine seniors: Dion Byrum, Dave Cody (Auburn, Calif.), Phillip Fountain (Kennesaw, Ga.), Miller, Mike Nelson (Sinking Spring, Pa.), Seth Ream (Smithville, Ohio), Isiah Simmons (Gallipolis, Ohio), Cole Wesley (Vandalia, Ohio) and Brad Young (Wellston, Ohio).
