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Football / MAC notebook
Upset of Bowling Green puts Miami back in East race

Comeback victory was RedHawks' first of season. Canton McKinley back playing well for Toledo

By Tom Gaffney
Beacon Journal sports writer

Published on Wednesday, Oct 22, 2008

Miami University desperately was in need of a victory, and not just for the health of its won-loss record.

The RedHawks took a 1-5 overall record and 1-1 Mid-American Conference mark to Doyt Perry Stadium last Saturday and upset Bowling Green 27-20.

It got Miami back into the East Division race and calmed the collective nerves of a team that had been competitive most of the season, but with little results to show for it.

''Hopefully, it gives us a lot of confidence, which is something we have been lacking,'' Miami coach Shane Montgomery said. ''We had a bunch of close losses and you worry about your kids getting discouraged and doubting themselves.''

Bowling Green (3-4, 1-2) was leading the MAC East coming into the game but could not hold a 20-14 lead in the third quarter.

Miami, which plays host to Kent State on Saturday, scored the game's final 13 points to pull the upset. Nathan Parseghian kicked two field goals to tie the score at 20-20. Miami then won it when tailback J.R. Taylor scored on a 5-yard run with only 2:35 remaining for the winning points.

''We had given ourselves a chance to win this season, we just hadn't gotten over the hump,'' Montgomery said. ''To go on the road like that and come up with a win will give us some confidence.''

Miami got major contributions from quarterback Clay Belton, a redshirt freshman, and Taylor, a true freshman.

Belton, in his first college start, completed 11-of-23 passes for 129 yards and one touchdown. Taylor, who took over for injured starter Thomas Merriweather (ankle) in the first quarter, ran for 127 yards on 18 carries.

''We had some young kids that stepped up,'' Montgomery said. ''Those older guys have been leading very well, even through some tough times. But when you have a couple of young guys in there and they have success . . . it picks up the team.''

Among the other highlights for Miami was a 6-yard touchdown run in the first quarter by Andre Bratton.

It's was Miami's first touchdown in the first quarter this season. The only other points in the opening 15 minutes came via a field goal by Parshegian against Vanderbilt on Aug. 28, a span of 52 days.

In other MAC developments:

Toledo (2-5, 1-2) — Tailback Morgan Williams (Canton McKinley) scored the Rockets' only touchdown Saturday in a 38-7 loss at Northern Illinois. He scored on a 21-yard run in the third quarter and led UT in rushing with 50 yards on eight carries. Williams, a redshirt freshman, also returned two kickoffs for 50 yards. He is second on the team in rushing with 365 yards on 85 carries.

Northern Illinois (4-3, 3-1) — The Huskies' 38-7 victory over Toledo was the first time they had beaten the Rockets in DeKalb, Ill., since 1989. UT had won there seven consecutive times. The Huskies now have allowed only three touchdowns in their past five games. NIU has won four of those games — the only blemish was a 13-9 defeat at Tennessee on Oct. 4 — after opening 0-2.

Western Michigan (6-2, 4-1) — Junior quarterback Tim Hiller (Orrville) has rewritten the school record book in the past two games. On Oct. 11, he set records for completions (42) and attempts (63) in a 34-28 overtime victory at Buffalo. Last Saturday, he set a record for passing yards (471) in a 38-28 loss at Central Michigan. The yardage total also was a record at CMU's Kelly/Shorts Stadium.

Central Michigan (5-2, 4-0) — Against Western Michigan, the Chippewas were without quarterback Dan LeFevour, the 2007 MAC Offensive Player of the Year. LeFevour was a late scratch with an ankle injury suffered against Temple on Oct. 11. Senior Brian Brunner was a game-day decision in making his first start since Sept. 30, 2006. He responded by completing 20-of-28 passes for 346 yards and a touchdown.

Buffalo (3-4, 1-2) — Four of the Bulls' past five games have been decided on the final play. Included were overtime games against Western Michigan (34-28 loss on Oct. 11) and Army (27-24 win last Saturday). Against Army, Buffalo trailed 24-10 after three quarters but rallied to force overtime when quarterback Drew Willy threw touchdown passes to Naaman Roosevelt with 12:44 left and to Ernest Jackson with 4:19 left. In the overtime, A. J. Principe kicked a 34-yard field in the first possession, and Army missed a 51-yarder on the final play.

Tom Gaffney can be reached at tgaffney@thebeaconjournal.com.

 

Miami University desperately was in need of a victory, and not just for the health of its won-loss record.

Get the full article here.



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