Didn't Mia O open as a 2pt fav and now...
- Thread starter Morris
- Start date
- Mar 19, 2006
- 38,407
- 458
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- 74
<TABLE class=data cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=time><TD colSpan=7>8:00 PM EST</TD></TR><TR class="team odd"><TD style="TEXT-TRANSFORM: uppercase" class=name>261 Middle Tenn St</TD><TD class=line>48</TD><TD class=line>-1 / -1.5 / -2 </TD><TD id=ajaxUpdating-53052-261-Current class="currentline ">-2.5 </TD><TD id=ajaxUpdating-53052-261-Line class="line ">-130</TD><TD id=ajaxUpdating-53052-261-HalftimeLine class="halftime "></TD><TD id=ajaxUpdating-53052-261 class="score "></TD></TR><TR class="team even"><TD style="TEXT-TRANSFORM: uppercase" class=name>262 MIAMI OHIO</TD><TD class=line>-1.5 -05</TD><TD class=line>48</TD><TD id=ajaxUpdating-53052-262-Current class="currentline ">48.5</TD><TD id=ajaxUpdating-53052-262-Line class="line ">+110</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
- Mar 19, 2006
- 38,407
- 458
- 83
- 74
check highlight Morris,,
can't believe someone hasn't chimed in to answer your question..
I don't :shrug:
Middle Tenn St @ MIAMI OHIO
<TABLE class="gradient data" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><THEAD><TR><TH class=first>Time</TH><TH width=100>Pointspread</TH><TH width=100>Total</TH><TH width=100>Away ML</TH><TH width=100>Home ML</TH></TR></THEAD><TBODY><TR class=odd><TD class=lm_time>12/06/2010 6:20 PM EST</TD><TD noWrap>MIAMI OHIO -1.5 -05</TD><TD>off</TD><TD>off</TD><TD>off</TD></TR><TR class=even><TD class=lm_time>12/06/2010 6:23 PM EST</TD><TD noWrap>MIAMI OHIO -1.5 -08</TD><TD>48</TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=odd><TD class=lm_time>12/06/2010 6:26 PM EST</TD><TD noWrap>MIAMI OHIO -2 -07</TD><TD></TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=even><TD class=lm_time>12/06/2010 8:57 PM EST</TD><TD noWrap>MIAMI OHIO -2 </TD><TD></TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=odd><TD class=lm_time>12/08/2010 1:44 PM EST</TD><TD noWrap>MIAMI OHIO -1.5 </TD><TD></TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=even><TD class=lm_time>12/10/2010 12:03 AM EST</TD><TD noWrap>MIAMI OHIO -1.5 -05</TD><TD></TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=odd><TD class=lm_time>12/10/2010 10:39 AM EST</TD><TD noWrap></TD><TD>48.5</TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=even><TD class=lm_time>12/10/2010 4:37 PM EST</TD><TD noWrap></TD><TD></TD><TD>+104</TD><TD>-115</TD></TR><TR class=odd><TD class=lm_time>12/11/2010 12:04 AM EST</TD><TD noWrap>MIAMI OHIO -1.5 </TD><TD></TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=even><TD class=lm_time>12/14/2010 2:11 PM EST</TD><TD noWrap></TD><TD></TD><TD>-104</TD><TD>-106</TD></TR><TR class=odd><TD class=lm_time>12/15/2010 11:20 PM EST</TD><TD noWrap>MIAMI OHIO -1 </TD><TD></TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=even><TD class=lm_time>12/17/2010 12:05 AM EST</TD><TD noWrap>MIAMI OHIO -1 -05</TD><TD></TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=odd><TD class=lm_time>12/18/2010 12:03 AM EST</TD><TD noWrap>MIAMI OHIO -1 </TD><TD></TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=even><TD class=lm_time>12/18/2010 7:42 PM EST</TD><TD noWrap></TD><TD></TD><TD>+101</TD><TD>-111</TD></TR><TR class=odd><TD class=lm_time>12/18/2010 7:45 PM EST</TD><TD noWrap></TD><TD></TD><TD>-102</TD><TD>-108</TD></TR><TR class=even><TD class=lm_time>12/24/2010 12:09 AM EST</TD><TD noWrap>MIAMI OHIO -1 -05</TD><TD></TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=odd><TD class=lm_time>12/25/2010 12:04 AM EST</TD><TD noWrap>MIAMI OHIO -1 </TD><TD></TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=even><TD class=lm_time>12/26/2010 6:02 PM EST</TD><TD noWrap>MIAMI OHIO PK </TD><TD></TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=odd><TD class=lm_time>12/28/2010 8:00 AM EST</TD><TD noWrap>MIAMI OHIO -1 </TD><TD></TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=even><TD class=lm_time>12/28/2010 5:35 PM EST</TD><TD noWrap></TD><TD></TD><TD>-103</TD><TD>-107</TD></TR><TR class=odd><TD class=lm_time>12/29/2010 11:50 AM EST</TD><TD noWrap>MIAMI OHIO PK </TD><TD></TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=even><TD class=lm_time>01/01/2011 1:33 PM EST</TD><TD noWrap></TD><TD></TD><TD>off</TD><TD>off</TD></TR><TR class=odd><TD class=lm_time>01/02/2011 2:03 PM EST</TD><TD noWrap></TD><TD></TD><TD>-113</TD><TD>+102</TD></TR><TR class=even><TD class=lm_time>01/03/2011 12:22 AM EST</TD><TD noWrap>Middle Tenn St -1 </TD><TD></TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=odd><TD class=lm_time>01/03/2011 11:51 PM EST</TD><TD noWrap></TD><TD></TD><TD>-115</TD><TD>+104</TD></TR><TR class=even><TD class=lm_time>01/04/2011 4:27 AM EST</TD><TD noWrap></TD><TD></TD><TD>-116</TD><TD>+105</TD></TR><TR class=odd><TD class=lm_time>01/04/2011 1:09 PM EST</TD><TD noWrap></TD><TD></TD><TD>-127</TD><TD>+115</TD></TR><TR class=even><TD class=lm_time>01/04/2011 1:11 PM EST</TD><TD noWrap>Middle Tenn St -1.5 </TD><TD></TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=odd><TD class=lm_time>01/04/2011 4:11 PM EST</TD><TD noWrap>Middle Tenn St -2 </TD><TD></TD><TD>-130</TD><TD>+110</TD></TR><TR class=even><TD class=lm_time>01/05/2011 4:47 PM EST</TD><TD noWrap>Middle Tenn St -2.5 </TD><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
can't believe someone hasn't chimed in to answer your question..
I don't :shrug:
Middle Tenn St @ MIAMI OHIO
<TABLE class="gradient data" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><THEAD><TR><TH class=first>Time</TH><TH width=100>Pointspread</TH><TH width=100>Total</TH><TH width=100>Away ML</TH><TH width=100>Home ML</TH></TR></THEAD><TBODY><TR class=odd><TD class=lm_time>12/06/2010 6:20 PM EST</TD><TD noWrap>MIAMI OHIO -1.5 -05</TD><TD>off</TD><TD>off</TD><TD>off</TD></TR><TR class=even><TD class=lm_time>12/06/2010 6:23 PM EST</TD><TD noWrap>MIAMI OHIO -1.5 -08</TD><TD>48</TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=odd><TD class=lm_time>12/06/2010 6:26 PM EST</TD><TD noWrap>MIAMI OHIO -2 -07</TD><TD></TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=even><TD class=lm_time>12/06/2010 8:57 PM EST</TD><TD noWrap>MIAMI OHIO -2 </TD><TD></TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=odd><TD class=lm_time>12/08/2010 1:44 PM EST</TD><TD noWrap>MIAMI OHIO -1.5 </TD><TD></TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=even><TD class=lm_time>12/10/2010 12:03 AM EST</TD><TD noWrap>MIAMI OHIO -1.5 -05</TD><TD></TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=odd><TD class=lm_time>12/10/2010 10:39 AM EST</TD><TD noWrap></TD><TD>48.5</TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=even><TD class=lm_time>12/10/2010 4:37 PM EST</TD><TD noWrap></TD><TD></TD><TD>+104</TD><TD>-115</TD></TR><TR class=odd><TD class=lm_time>12/11/2010 12:04 AM EST</TD><TD noWrap>MIAMI OHIO -1.5 </TD><TD></TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=even><TD class=lm_time>12/14/2010 2:11 PM EST</TD><TD noWrap></TD><TD></TD><TD>-104</TD><TD>-106</TD></TR><TR class=odd><TD class=lm_time>12/15/2010 11:20 PM EST</TD><TD noWrap>MIAMI OHIO -1 </TD><TD></TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=even><TD class=lm_time>12/17/2010 12:05 AM EST</TD><TD noWrap>MIAMI OHIO -1 -05</TD><TD></TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=odd><TD class=lm_time>12/18/2010 12:03 AM EST</TD><TD noWrap>MIAMI OHIO -1 </TD><TD></TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=even><TD class=lm_time>12/18/2010 7:42 PM EST</TD><TD noWrap></TD><TD></TD><TD>+101</TD><TD>-111</TD></TR><TR class=odd><TD class=lm_time>12/18/2010 7:45 PM EST</TD><TD noWrap></TD><TD></TD><TD>-102</TD><TD>-108</TD></TR><TR class=even><TD class=lm_time>12/24/2010 12:09 AM EST</TD><TD noWrap>MIAMI OHIO -1 -05</TD><TD></TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=odd><TD class=lm_time>12/25/2010 12:04 AM EST</TD><TD noWrap>MIAMI OHIO -1 </TD><TD></TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=even><TD class=lm_time>12/26/2010 6:02 PM EST</TD><TD noWrap>MIAMI OHIO PK </TD><TD></TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=odd><TD class=lm_time>12/28/2010 8:00 AM EST</TD><TD noWrap>MIAMI OHIO -1 </TD><TD></TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=even><TD class=lm_time>12/28/2010 5:35 PM EST</TD><TD noWrap></TD><TD></TD><TD>-103</TD><TD>-107</TD></TR><TR class=odd><TD class=lm_time>12/29/2010 11:50 AM EST</TD><TD noWrap>MIAMI OHIO PK </TD><TD></TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=even><TD class=lm_time>01/01/2011 1:33 PM EST</TD><TD noWrap></TD><TD></TD><TD>off</TD><TD>off</TD></TR><TR class=odd><TD class=lm_time>01/02/2011 2:03 PM EST</TD><TD noWrap></TD><TD></TD><TD>-113</TD><TD>+102</TD></TR><TR class=even><TD class=lm_time>01/03/2011 12:22 AM EST</TD><TD noWrap>Middle Tenn St -1 </TD><TD></TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=odd><TD class=lm_time>01/03/2011 11:51 PM EST</TD><TD noWrap></TD><TD></TD><TD>-115</TD><TD>+104</TD></TR><TR class=even><TD class=lm_time>01/04/2011 4:27 AM EST</TD><TD noWrap></TD><TD></TD><TD>-116</TD><TD>+105</TD></TR><TR class=odd><TD class=lm_time>01/04/2011 1:09 PM EST</TD><TD noWrap></TD><TD></TD><TD>-127</TD><TD>+115</TD></TR><TR class=even><TD class=lm_time>01/04/2011 1:11 PM EST</TD><TD noWrap>Middle Tenn St -1.5 </TD><TD></TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR class=odd><TD class=lm_time>01/04/2011 4:11 PM EST</TD><TD noWrap>Middle Tenn St -2 </TD><TD></TD><TD>-130</TD><TD>+110</TD></TR><TR class=even><TD class=lm_time>01/05/2011 4:47 PM EST</TD><TD noWrap>Middle Tenn St -2.5 </TD><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
you are very wise, sir.
the mac is so godawful bad... they make the sunbelt look good.
miami did have a storybook season, but i think there is an unhappy ending tomorrow night.
Midd Tenn for me.....:0074 Don't look too much into that 6-6 record. They've played the tougher schedule. Like someone mentioned also...the MAC is weak!! This Dasher kid for Midd Tenn is a play maker and can run!! Don't look too much into the 14 int's as 8 of those came in two games. So..he had two really bad games...:shrug: Big deal. Line movement tells me enough that Midd Tenn is the right side here. Winning the TO battle will be key for them in this match up.....
Miami, Ohio's coach left the program then was arrested for domestic abuse and fired by Pitt. I don't believe the Redhawks currently have a coach and the MAC's abysmal bowl record something like 1-13 ATS their last 14 makes it tough to back Miami. Add in the fact Middle Tennessee will have far more fans and the best player on the field in Dasher and I understand why the line is moving.
It just so happens that I had a lot of wagers on both teams this year and happened to watch both teams more than expected. Mia. O is a good sound football team IMO. They play mistake free football and r very disciplined. Mid tenn on the other hand has Dasher which was hurt most of the year but looked very lost in the mix. In the last few years he was the director so to speak and this year he looks like he's trying to make to much happen and has no supporting cast around him. Teams have "dialed" in on him as he is the only thing they got. To say the least Mid Ten did not impress me @ all this year and Mia O did. Mia o had some quality wins and played fla very tough. . They reminded me of the Steelers with their style of play. Very conservative but effective. Mid Ten to me just looked like. High school team with a qb with good legs. Its Mia for me with confidence.
Morris: FWIW to answer ur ? When I see a line off of the magic 3 hovering around the 2-pk range imo its irrelevant. Might as well play ML. To me the line movement and line in general is no factor and generally doesn't end up being one. .
Morris: FWIW to answer ur ? When I see a line off of the magic 3 hovering around the 2-pk range imo its irrelevant. Might as well play ML. To me the line movement and line in general is no factor and generally doesn't end up being one. .
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best player on the field is Merriweather..NOT Dasher..Dasher is a spazz. He is nowhere near the player Hornish is and Miami Oh bottled him up. Merriweather might run for 200 yards..easy win for Miami.
Thomas Merriweather has run for an average of 111.4 yards and six touchdowns during the win streak, and he could be in line for another big day against a Middle Tennessee defense which has allowed 193.7 yards per game on the ground and 23 rushing TDs.
Thomas Merriweather has run for an average of 111.4 yards and six touchdowns during the win streak, and he could be in line for another big day against a Middle Tennessee defense which has allowed 193.7 yards per game on the ground and 23 rushing TDs.
From another site
Division I FBSDivision I FCSDivision IIDivision III Division I Bowl Subdivision College Football Middle Tennessee (6-6) vs. Miami-Ohio (9-4)
GAME NOTES: The Miami-Ohio RedHawks will look to complete a record setting season when they take on the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders on January 6th in the Godaddy.com Bowl.
Just one year removed from a 1-11 campaign, the RedHawks will attempt to capture their 10th win of the season against Middle Tennessee. No team in the history of Division I football has ever recorded double-digit losses in one season and double-digit wins the following year.
Early on, the prospect of a 10-win campaign seemed like a long shot, as Miami began the 2010-11 campaign at 4-4. Since then, the RedHawks have reeled off five consecutive victories, culminating with a 26-21 upset of Northern Illinois in the Mid Atlantic Conference title game.
The game against Middle Tennessee will mark the RedHawks' 10th bowl game appearance in history and will mark their first bowl appearance since 2004, when they fell, 17-13, to Iowa State in the Independence Bowl. Miami has a 6-3 all-time record in the postseason.
The Blue Raiders struggled through an up and down year, but found their stride late, winning three straight games to become bowl eligible. The crucial and deciding win came in a narrow, 28-27, win over Sun Belt Conference co- champion FIU in the regular-season finale.
Middle Tennessee has participated in just two previous bowl games during the FBS era. The Blue Raiders lost to Central Michigan in the 2006 Motor City Bowl and defeated Southern Miss in the 2009 New Orleans Bowl.
Thursday's game will mark the first-ever meeting on the gridiron between Miami and Middle Tennessee.
Highly-touted dual-threat quarterback Dwight Dasher leads the charge for the Blue Raiders. A playmaker of the highest-caliber, Dasher set a bowl record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 201, while totaling four touchdowns in last year's New Orleans Bowl. Expectations were put on hold this season however, as he was suspended for the first four games for accepting a $1,500 loan, but returned in an record-setting manner, becoming just the 15th player in FBS history to pass for 5,000 yards and rush for 2,000 yards during his career.
On the year, Dasher completed 127-of-222 passes for 1,388 yards and six touchdowns, but did throw 14 interceptions. Of course, it isn't Dasher's arm that terrifies opposing defensive coordinators, but rather, it's his legs, as he ran for 453 yards and seven touchdowns in his shortened season.
Middle Tennessee's leading rusher is Phillip Tanner, who has run for a career- best 841 yards and 11 touchdowns on 5.6 yards per carry. The Blue Raiders ride these two horses to 178.5 rushing ypg and have compiled 29 rushing touchdowns as a team. They pass for 193.6 ypg and score 26.9 ppg
Ironically, while the Middle Tennessee offense flourishes with the run, the defense has struggled mightily attempting to stop it. The Blue Raiders allow 193.8 rushing ypg and have surrendered 23 rushing touchdowns.
They do boast Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year Jamari Lattimore, although he proves to be more of a hindrance to opposing quarterbacks than running backs, per se. Lattimore has racked up 11.5 sacks on the year, the sixth- highest total in the nation. He has also tallied 64 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and 10 quarterback hurries. Following Lattimore's lead, the Blue Raiders' thrive on disrupting opposing teams' backfields, as they enter the Miami game ranked 14th in the nation in sacks and 15th in tackles for loss
Jeremy Kellem paces the Blue Raiders with 101 tackles and has recorded two interceptions. As a team, Middle Tennessee gives up 384.5 ypg and 27.5 ppg.
As a senior, Kellem realizes the importance of the Miami game:
"Last year it was a whole bunch of excitement. My first two years things didn't go as we had planned, and I was at home watching every single bowl game. Last year at New Orleans, it was just so much fun. To me that was the biggest game I had ever played in my life. This year, we are going in with the same attitude. We just want to get a victory. As seniors, we know what to expect, and we want to have fun, but we know our objective is to win the game"
Fundamental to Miami's turnaround was MAC 2010 Coach of the Year Michael Haywood. So fundamental was the second year coach, in fact, that he was recently lured away from Miami and handed the keys at Pitt. His stay there was brief however, as the school fired Haywood this past Saturday after he was arrested on charges of domestic violence.
With Haywood's departure from Miami, defensive backs coach Lance Guidry was named the interim head coach and charged with preparing the RedHawks for their bowl date amid the upheaval. He has served as the team's defensive backs coach for the past two seasons. This past Friday it was announced that Michigan State offensive coordinator and former RedHawks player Don Treadwell has been named the team's head coach.
"Lance's unbridled enthusiasm for the game and the respect he has with the players made him an excellent candidate to assume interim head coach responsibilities," said Miami athletic director Brad Bates. "We think that he and the other assistant coaches will do a great job in preparing our players for the bowl game."
Guidry has the luxury of taking over an offense which is manned by surging redshirt freshman quarterback Austin Boucher, who took over for injured starter Zac Dysert (lacerated spleen) on Nov. 10th.
Boucher has been crucial to the RedHawks' win streak, as he started the final three games, throwing for 701 yards and three touchdowns. In the MAC title game, Boucher was excellent, as he completed 29-of-46 passes for a career-high 333 yards and a touchdown. His lone touchdown pass proved to be the game winner, as he found wide receiver Armand Robinson in the end zone with 33 seconds remaining.
Robinson was brilliant in the wildly exciting upset as well, as he caught 14 passes for 176 yards and the deciding score. He is the team's leading receiver on the season with 90 catches for 981 yards and six touchdowns. Nick Harwell has also been a force in the passing game, as he has racked up 57 catches, 785 receiving yards and five touchdowns. The RedHawks throw for 250.3 ypg.
Balancing the Miami offense is senior running back Thomas Merriweather, who ran for an average of 111.4 ypg and amassed six touchdowns during the win streak. He was crucial in the win over Northern Illinois as well, as he racked up 85 yards and two scores on 7.7 yards per carry. On the year, Merriweather has rushed for 821 yards and 10 scores on 5.5 yards per carry.
The RedHawks' offense averages 347.1 yards and 20.5 points per game, having thrown for 17 touchdowns and rushed for 12.
The defense is led by linebacker Evan Harris, who has racked up 85 tackles, including 9.5 tackles for loss. He also has a team-leading five interceptions. Harris, along with Miami's tackles leader, Jerrell Wedge, created an imposing tandem at the linebacker position. Manning the middle, Wegde had racked up 88 tackles, including a team-high 14.5 tackles for loss and three and a half sacks. Defensive end Jason Semmes received the starting nod in 10 games this season and rewarded the coaching staff, posting a team-high five sacks.
The RedHawks truly showed their defensive prowess against Northern Illinois. The Huskies had averaged 65 ppg during their final three regular season games, but were held to just 21 points in the MAC title game. Chad Spann, the MAC's leading rusher, was held to just 54 yards, which his around half of what he was averaging coming into the game.
Both Middle Tennessee and Miami finished their respective regular seasons with strength. A relative weakness of Middle Tennessee though, has been its run defense, which Miami certainly has the ability to exploit. Dasher's heroics may be a given, but will they be enough to down one of the tougher teams the Blue Raiders have faced all season? The answer, likely, is no.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Miami-Ohio 42, Middle Tennessee 27
Division I FBSDivision I FCSDivision IIDivision III Division I Bowl Subdivision College Football Middle Tennessee (6-6) vs. Miami-Ohio (9-4)
GAME NOTES: The Miami-Ohio RedHawks will look to complete a record setting season when they take on the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders on January 6th in the Godaddy.com Bowl.
Just one year removed from a 1-11 campaign, the RedHawks will attempt to capture their 10th win of the season against Middle Tennessee. No team in the history of Division I football has ever recorded double-digit losses in one season and double-digit wins the following year.
Early on, the prospect of a 10-win campaign seemed like a long shot, as Miami began the 2010-11 campaign at 4-4. Since then, the RedHawks have reeled off five consecutive victories, culminating with a 26-21 upset of Northern Illinois in the Mid Atlantic Conference title game.
The game against Middle Tennessee will mark the RedHawks' 10th bowl game appearance in history and will mark their first bowl appearance since 2004, when they fell, 17-13, to Iowa State in the Independence Bowl. Miami has a 6-3 all-time record in the postseason.
The Blue Raiders struggled through an up and down year, but found their stride late, winning three straight games to become bowl eligible. The crucial and deciding win came in a narrow, 28-27, win over Sun Belt Conference co- champion FIU in the regular-season finale.
Middle Tennessee has participated in just two previous bowl games during the FBS era. The Blue Raiders lost to Central Michigan in the 2006 Motor City Bowl and defeated Southern Miss in the 2009 New Orleans Bowl.
Thursday's game will mark the first-ever meeting on the gridiron between Miami and Middle Tennessee.
Highly-touted dual-threat quarterback Dwight Dasher leads the charge for the Blue Raiders. A playmaker of the highest-caliber, Dasher set a bowl record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 201, while totaling four touchdowns in last year's New Orleans Bowl. Expectations were put on hold this season however, as he was suspended for the first four games for accepting a $1,500 loan, but returned in an record-setting manner, becoming just the 15th player in FBS history to pass for 5,000 yards and rush for 2,000 yards during his career.
On the year, Dasher completed 127-of-222 passes for 1,388 yards and six touchdowns, but did throw 14 interceptions. Of course, it isn't Dasher's arm that terrifies opposing defensive coordinators, but rather, it's his legs, as he ran for 453 yards and seven touchdowns in his shortened season.
Middle Tennessee's leading rusher is Phillip Tanner, who has run for a career- best 841 yards and 11 touchdowns on 5.6 yards per carry. The Blue Raiders ride these two horses to 178.5 rushing ypg and have compiled 29 rushing touchdowns as a team. They pass for 193.6 ypg and score 26.9 ppg
Ironically, while the Middle Tennessee offense flourishes with the run, the defense has struggled mightily attempting to stop it. The Blue Raiders allow 193.8 rushing ypg and have surrendered 23 rushing touchdowns.
They do boast Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year Jamari Lattimore, although he proves to be more of a hindrance to opposing quarterbacks than running backs, per se. Lattimore has racked up 11.5 sacks on the year, the sixth- highest total in the nation. He has also tallied 64 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and 10 quarterback hurries. Following Lattimore's lead, the Blue Raiders' thrive on disrupting opposing teams' backfields, as they enter the Miami game ranked 14th in the nation in sacks and 15th in tackles for loss
Jeremy Kellem paces the Blue Raiders with 101 tackles and has recorded two interceptions. As a team, Middle Tennessee gives up 384.5 ypg and 27.5 ppg.
As a senior, Kellem realizes the importance of the Miami game:
"Last year it was a whole bunch of excitement. My first two years things didn't go as we had planned, and I was at home watching every single bowl game. Last year at New Orleans, it was just so much fun. To me that was the biggest game I had ever played in my life. This year, we are going in with the same attitude. We just want to get a victory. As seniors, we know what to expect, and we want to have fun, but we know our objective is to win the game"
Fundamental to Miami's turnaround was MAC 2010 Coach of the Year Michael Haywood. So fundamental was the second year coach, in fact, that he was recently lured away from Miami and handed the keys at Pitt. His stay there was brief however, as the school fired Haywood this past Saturday after he was arrested on charges of domestic violence.
With Haywood's departure from Miami, defensive backs coach Lance Guidry was named the interim head coach and charged with preparing the RedHawks for their bowl date amid the upheaval. He has served as the team's defensive backs coach for the past two seasons. This past Friday it was announced that Michigan State offensive coordinator and former RedHawks player Don Treadwell has been named the team's head coach.
"Lance's unbridled enthusiasm for the game and the respect he has with the players made him an excellent candidate to assume interim head coach responsibilities," said Miami athletic director Brad Bates. "We think that he and the other assistant coaches will do a great job in preparing our players for the bowl game."
Guidry has the luxury of taking over an offense which is manned by surging redshirt freshman quarterback Austin Boucher, who took over for injured starter Zac Dysert (lacerated spleen) on Nov. 10th.
Boucher has been crucial to the RedHawks' win streak, as he started the final three games, throwing for 701 yards and three touchdowns. In the MAC title game, Boucher was excellent, as he completed 29-of-46 passes for a career-high 333 yards and a touchdown. His lone touchdown pass proved to be the game winner, as he found wide receiver Armand Robinson in the end zone with 33 seconds remaining.
Robinson was brilliant in the wildly exciting upset as well, as he caught 14 passes for 176 yards and the deciding score. He is the team's leading receiver on the season with 90 catches for 981 yards and six touchdowns. Nick Harwell has also been a force in the passing game, as he has racked up 57 catches, 785 receiving yards and five touchdowns. The RedHawks throw for 250.3 ypg.
Balancing the Miami offense is senior running back Thomas Merriweather, who ran for an average of 111.4 ypg and amassed six touchdowns during the win streak. He was crucial in the win over Northern Illinois as well, as he racked up 85 yards and two scores on 7.7 yards per carry. On the year, Merriweather has rushed for 821 yards and 10 scores on 5.5 yards per carry.
The RedHawks' offense averages 347.1 yards and 20.5 points per game, having thrown for 17 touchdowns and rushed for 12.
The defense is led by linebacker Evan Harris, who has racked up 85 tackles, including 9.5 tackles for loss. He also has a team-leading five interceptions. Harris, along with Miami's tackles leader, Jerrell Wedge, created an imposing tandem at the linebacker position. Manning the middle, Wegde had racked up 88 tackles, including a team-high 14.5 tackles for loss and three and a half sacks. Defensive end Jason Semmes received the starting nod in 10 games this season and rewarded the coaching staff, posting a team-high five sacks.
The RedHawks truly showed their defensive prowess against Northern Illinois. The Huskies had averaged 65 ppg during their final three regular season games, but were held to just 21 points in the MAC title game. Chad Spann, the MAC's leading rusher, was held to just 54 yards, which his around half of what he was averaging coming into the game.
Both Middle Tennessee and Miami finished their respective regular seasons with strength. A relative weakness of Middle Tennessee though, has been its run defense, which Miami certainly has the ability to exploit. Dasher's heroics may be a given, but will they be enough to down one of the tougher teams the Blue Raiders have faced all season? The answer, likely, is no.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Miami-Ohio 42, Middle Tennessee 27
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I have 60% on Miami and the line has moved 4 points in the opposite direction... MTSU is the play for me
At first, I was all about Miami, OH, but after seeing how MTSU played in the Sun Belt game against FIU, I have to side with them as well. I know the teams in the bowls this year have done well with outgoing coaches or coaches that left, but the MAC has not impressed me at all in the bowls.
Just saw that The Venetian in Vegas has the total at 49.5....Interesting considering that a lot of touts are predicting that the score will go under....
they were crushed by three of the four .....never in those games ....... they opened against a fla team that many teams could have played close that day .....
