MAC Tuesday 11/12

[hellah10]

The game is a PK.

Miami(OH) is my pick. Leftwich or no Leftwich...Miami(OH) will host the 2002 MAC Champ game, by defeating the Marshall Thundering Herd :jump:

 

[hellah10]

Chances are I`ll be on Miami(OH)....so I`ll represent the avatar

Air Findlay.....

 

[hellah10]

little scouting report on the Redhawks..

Miami-Ohio Redhawks

A tall, slim pocket passer with a pencil thin build, Ben Rothlisberger shows all the makings of a terrific quarterback prospect for the future and one that many will soon be talking about. Poised in the pocket, Roethlisberger displays complete control of the offense, looking off the safety, scanning the field and taking what the defense gives him, always working to make something positive happen. He has a major league arm and drives the ball down the field, smartly placing his passes in front of receivers while also showing the ability to zip the outs as the ball quickly gets to its' intended wide out. Though he needs to work on the fundamentals and iron out a few rough edges, Roethlisberger is definitely one that belongs near the top of a very talented group of passers available for the draft the next few years. One of Roethlisberger's favorite targets is Jason Branch, a king sized wide out that extends to pull the ball out of the air and a receiver best in the intermediate field. Lacking overall quickness and speed, Branch is more than likely a free agent. We've watched guard Joe Costello a few seasons now and have come to like his tenacity, headiness and overall pass blocking skills. Costello is strong at the point and anchors against defenders but is limited in both his athleticism, ability to block on the move or sustain his blocks for anything other than a short period. Still, he'll get into a camp next summer.

Miami-Ohio has a trio of defenders to keep an eye on, first of which is tackle Ryan Terry. Powerful on the interior, Terry plays low with leverage, stays on his feet and drives up the field, collapsing the pocket. Quick off the snap, he works his hands to stay off blocks but is slow shedding opponents once engaged at the point of attack and takes even longer locating the ball. He has a good amount of future potential and a prospect on the defensive line such as Terry deserves late round consideration, if not earlier should he step it up this season. Matt Robillard is not explosive or overly athletic but a super-smart defender that anticipates the action as it unfolds and one that could add inexpensive depth at the next level, earning his wage on special teams. The third player we really like from this side of the ball is junior Larry Burt, a defensive tackle that is a big thug in the middle and causes a lot of problems for opponents.

 

[Thegridiron]

While I respect your opinion on the Mid American Conference, I really don't see a huge drop off if Leftwich doesn't play. I think Marshall has better all around athletes and will win this game by a touchdown at least. I would be slightly shocked if the line is not closer to 3, due to the injury situation. Hellah, between you, Goat and Master Capper, I dont think any site can touch the knowledge that you guys bring to the table on this conference, I have made a boatload of cash following you guys in this league, thanks!

 

[baltimore buc]

hellah10 -

I got Toledo at -6.5. Still think it has value. I think Toledo rolls by 20 points. Just wondered what your thoughts were on this particular MAC clash.

Always enjoy your MAC analysis.

I am sure you have posted this before, but what is your record on your MAC games only?

Thanks

Raiders ML tonight

 

[bigdad2]

hellah - As a '00 alum it is great to see you flying the Redskin's flag. I'm anxious to see the line when it comes out and feel that this will be a shoot-out even without Leftwich. MU is vulnerable to the pass but Big Ben can throw it with the best of them. Next year Miami could run the table in the MAC with most of their tough games @home. (Marshall, Akron, BG, Toledo I think.) Depending upon their non-conference schedule they should be the equivalent of BG this year. Point is, this team is a year away from great things for a MAC team and playing @Marshall is our Achilles' heel. Actually MU is 0-4 ATS the last 4 years. I was at the last game when we beat Marshall and Randy Moss in Oxford 45-21 in '97. Moss had about 11 catches for 238 yards and 3 TD's. Still one of the most impressive individual performances I've ever seen... Hate to say it but I'll take the 'Herd this year.

 

[hellah10]

Gridiron...Actually...I think Maimi(OH) has the better athletes. They got Big Ben who nobody seems to talk about. You Iowa fans should know alllllll about Big Ben....as well as you Michigan fans. They got a good running game with Luke Clemens and of course they got the 3 amigos...including NFL prospect and probable All-American Jason Branch. Nobody on the Marshall D will be able to defend him...he`s 6-6 215 lbs....big WRs...makes big catches...great skills.

Now, this game is gonna mean everything...The MAC Championship...a bowl game....recruiting...exposure...Big Ben getting noticed....

I think since 1997(when Marshall joined the MAC) they have ONLY LOST 1 HOME GAME interesting huh?!?! And I`ll tell ya from experience...there fans SUCK! Damn hillbilly rednecks.....throw hot dogs at you...scream at you...just no class what so ever. Ive been Ohio St games...been to Michigan games...been to all sorts of games....but playing at Marshall sucks...the fans are REALLY REALLY close to the visitors and the student section is RIGHT behind them. Soooo drunk Marshall fans doesnt do so well for the visiting team.

If Leftwich dont play (and he will play...count on it), I dont think Stan Hill has anything near his ability to lead his team. He does not have the gun...the smartness...the fast release....and most important of all...the leadership. Although.....Leftwich's severely bruised shin has shown steady progress, improving to the point that he rode a stationary bicycle with no pain during practice Saturday.

I`ll have a full write up later tonight...

 

[redsfann]

You're right, Hellah10...this Iowa fan knows all about that stiff they call a QB at Miami(oh). What a freaking joke..... reminds me a lot of that stiff down there at Tech Tech... Kliff Kingsbury...Yeah, I know.... Miami(Oh) almost beat Iowa......see the other thread about Ohio State for your almosts..... respect your 'capping ability in the MAC, but if you really think for one second that there is a team in the MAC that is worthy of being in the Big-10, well.......

 

[hellah10]

redsfann you really should know better then that....if you dont think a school like toledo or one of the other elite MAC teams cant hang in the shit 10....then your mistaken...when Toledo has a winning record against the shit 10 then you REALLY shouldnt be saying anything...but I dont want to discuss this matter in my Marshall/Miami thread....save this for another time...

 

[hellah10]

He`s a stiff and a joke?!!? I`ll make sure to bring this back up to you when he`s in the NFL

 

[redsfann]

With 90 QB jobs in the NFL, you'd think he'd be good enough to grab one..... Nah....he is a world-class stiff......I take it back, you really don't know dada about much of anything, do you? What's up? Can't get any of those heifers on campus to give you a hummer? You need to get out more if threads like these are making you all upset.....

 

[hellah10]

now you hurt my feelings

 

[hellah10]

Can't get any of those heifers on campus to give you a hummer? You need to get out more if threads like these are making you all upset.....

well how do ya like that.....some beneficial friends just came over...

 

[hellah10]

so much for beneficial friends...

==============================================

HUNTINGTON -- Count Miami (Ohio) quarterback Ben Roethlisberger among those predicting another dramatic Byron Leftwich comeback.

The status of Marshall?s senior quarterback has been the focus leading to Tuesday?s game with Miami (Ohio). Thundering Herd coach Bobby Pruett has listed Leftwich (left shin injury) as doubtful, but Roethlisberger won?t be surprised to see his counterpart on the field when the teams meet before a national television audience.

Marshall (6-2, 4-1 Mid-American Conference) hosts Miami (7-3, 5-1) at 8 p.m. Tuesday. ESPN will televise the game.

"I expect him to play," Roethlisberger said. "He?s a phenomenal athlete. This is a gigantic stage for Miami, for Marshall and for Byron.

"He?s my Heisman vote. This is a great chance for him to shine, obviously. But hopefully our defense won?t let him do that."

A strong performance by Roethlisberger would go a long way in placing Miami?s sophomore quarterback on the national map. He?s already respected within MAC circles, but Roethlisberger has yet to perform before a national stage.

What fans can expect is a playmaker with talents quite similar to Leftwich. The 6-foot-5, 240-pound athlete combines arm strength and precision, and he?s a capable scrambler from the pocket.

Since taking over Miami?s offense in 2001, the RedHawks have transformed from a control-the-clock, power offense to a diverse, spread attack. This season, Miami is averaging 275.6 passing yards, compared to 129.8 on the ground.

Roethlisberger has been the key, spreading the ball to numerous receivers. He's completed 65 percent of his passes for 2,720 yards and 18 touchdowns with eight interceptions.

Like Leftwich, Roethlisberger operates primarily from a three wide receiver set and keeps his deep group of pass catchers involved throughout the game. Seven different RedHawks have at least 20 receptions this season.

"He?s a heady player," Pruett said. "Their offense is very, very similar to ours. It looks exactly like ours.

"He does a good job of hitting the open guy. He handles pressure well. He moves around and scrambles well. He?s a field general."

With Roethlisberger leading the way, Miami is playing its best football of the season. The RedHawks snapped Toledo?s 18-game home winning streak two weeks and followed with a 38-20 victory over Ohio to surpass Marshall for first in the MAC East Division.

Tuesday?s winner will be in the driver?s seat to win the division title and host the MAC Championship Game on Dec. 7.

By taking advantage of a rare ESPN appearance, both Miami and Roethlisberger could earn some much-deserved national respect.

"You can?t get any better than two teams like this," Roethlisberger said before again hinting that a Leftwich sighting wouldn?t be a shock. "That's what?s important. We don't want anything other than their best."

 

[hellah10]

RedHawks may have learned a good lesson in Oct. 12 loss

Monday November 11, 2002

By Doug Smock
Staff writer


Miami (Ohio) defenders probably are not taking solace that Northern Illinois just knocked Bowling Green from the unbeaten ranks.

The Huskies downed BG 26-17 to remain unbeaten in the MAC and atop the West Division standings. Along the way, they beat Miami 48-41 in a memorable game.

Too memorable, according to Miami linebacker Matt Robillard. He and the RedHawks did a lot of chasing and not a lot of tackling that Oct. 12 afternoon in Oxford, Ohio.

?It was a wakeup call for us,? Robillard said. ?They got the momentum, and we couldn?t make the plays to get it back. We were doing a lot of running but not doing anything else.?

It wasn?t just that the RedHawks gave up 48 points, the most all season by far. They were up 27-7 with six minutes left in the third quarter.

From there, everything caved in. NIU rushing start Michael Turner reeled off touchdown runs of 73, 31, 15 and 5 yards. Dan Sheldon caught TD passes of 25 and 40 yards from Josh Haldi. No drive took more than five plays or consumed more than 1:46.

The game wasn?t even that close ? Miami scored on a 51-yard pass on the game?s last play.

?For us to dominate the game like we did, have it turn around so quickly and for me not to have the guys prepared to the point where we can stem the tide and change the momentum back in our favor is unacceptable,? a stunned coach Terry Hoeppner said after that game. ?We have to take a hard look at what we?re doing and how we?re doing it.?

From that point, the defense has been strong early in all three games ? a 49-0 blasting of Buffalo, a 27-13 win at Toledo and a 38-20 win over Ohio. Those foes have managed just one touchdown before halftime, allowing quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to pile up big leads.

?We?ve come together and played good games,? Robillard said. ?We?ve been able to stop the run ? that?s a big part of our game plan.?

The RedHawks will try to stop Marshall running backs Franklin Wallace and Brandon Carey when the teams clash at 8 p.m. Tuesday in a battle for the MAC East Division lead. Miami (7-3 overall) is a half-game ahead of the Herd at 5-1.

Marshall is 6-2 overall, 4-1 in the MAC after its stunning loss Nov. 2 at Akron.

Marshall?s running game is even more important with the probable absence of Byron Leftwich. Leftwich suffered an injury to his lower left leg early in the Akron game.

Miami linebackers are typically well-regarded and Robillard mans the strong side as elder statesman of the RedHawks? trio. A true freshman, Terna Nande, has emerged on the weak side, and junior Terrell Jones is an all-MAC candidate in the middle.

?Terrell, he?s the best defensive guy I?ve played with,? Robillard said. ?He makes the great play, plays you never expect.?

Strong safety Matt Pusateri leads the team in tackles with 941/2. Right end Matt Edwards leads in sacks (seven) and tackles for loss (101/2). Robillard is right behind in those categories with five and 10, respectively.

 

[Monkeynuts]

HeyBigDad2 - As a fellow alum I can't believe you are going with the thundering turd. You should be forced to be on crutches for a second time.

 

[hellah10]

agreed :nooo:

 

[hellah10]

One Miami fan put this game into GREAT perspective

One Miami fan put this game into GREAT perspective

OK, folks, we've had a great time yapping gums here. We've even got the prediction thread going. But despite all the calls for "serious football discussion" from Herd fans who then seemed more obsessed with our travelling fan count than our Xs and Os, we have not yet seen much about the actual game. Sooooooo....with less than 24 hours to kickoff, how about a little serious analysis?

I'll start with these couple of tidbits from the Miami side, and a couple of uninformed opinions:

1. The crowd will be a factor. Not as much of a factor as Tiger Stadium was in Baton Rouge, but it will be a factor. The Miami players will need to stay focused on the sidelines and tune out the Pruett Institute for Situational Ethics fans. Even better, the units on the field will need to do everything they can to take the crowd out of it. Besides making it easier for Miami to concentrate, it has been clear that Pruett Institute for Situational Ethics feeds off their own crowd.

2. As others have already pointed out, defense CANNOT give up third and long repeatedly like we did last year. Doing so keeps the crowd in the game, keeps the defense on the field, and takes away our most potent weapon: Ben

3. Even though Ben is a capable passing threat -- probably the biggest passing threat Pruett Institute for Situational Ethics has seen this year besides their own QB -- this game will be won and lost for Miami with the running game. In something like all but one game this season, Pruett Institute for Situational Ethics has held opponents to significantly less than their average passing yards; however, they usually let the opponent run about 25% more than their season average, and are giving up about 192 yards per game on the ground. A significant ground effort would keep the Miami offense on the field, keep the crowd out of the game, and keep the ball away from Sandwich. (And make no mistake: He will play.)

4. If we do have to give up the ball, I look for Ben to punt as much as Mike Wafzig and try to pin The Boogercats like he did against Toledo. Granted, a long field is not as much of a hindrance to Pruett Institute for Situational Ethics as it was to Toledo, but the further we keep Lefty away from the goal line, the happier I would be.

5. When it comes to defense, Miami must think about the pass first, simply because of the quality of Pruett Institute for Situational Ethics's receivers. Their run offense is about the same as ours, but we have contained better rushing attacks, and Pruett Institute for Situational Ethics has had trouble running against the better teams on their schedule. (According to Sagarin, we will be the second best team they have faced this season.)

Among other things, Miami has the following going in their favor:
1. They have played the harder schedule, and been better tested thus far this season.
2. They have a more balanced attack
3. They have been tested in harsher environments

Among other things, Pruett Institute for Situational Ethics has the following going in their favor:
1. They are playing at home with an incredible homefield advantage
2. They have the more explosive offense
3. Who can forget the crown on the field?
4. They have more experience on the national stage.

Miami needs to play a disciplined game for 60 minutes in order to have a shot at winning this game. This means not letting the other team get into their heads -- and being ready for either Stan Hill or Byron Sandwich -- and not letting the fans get in their helmets. One of the things that I have been proud of with this team is their ability to minimize the number of stupid, emotional penalties this year, unlike last year. They are currently 6th in penalty yards in conference while Pruett Institute for Situational Ethics is 13th. The key to keeping this stat proportional is to stay cool under pressure.

As many of you know, I do not make predictions on our threads, so this is as far as I will take this analysis. But I am interested to think of what the rest of you think about THE GAME -- and I am interested in both side. Not the attendance. Not the stereotypes of each opponent. Not the number of championships won in the past. Not the idle threats. THE GAME.

Let the discussion begin. If it gets going good, I may even turn off a few more word filters to make the thing more readable.

 

[hellah10]

Iam reading EVERYWHERE including other gambling forums that they are pounding Marshall with or without Leftwich.......fade these brainless fools.

 

[Boneinthehouse]

Redsfann, You are really showing your ignorance here. Ben Roethlisberger is a top prospest QB. The stats say it, the scouts say it, his performance says it. I've known Ben from birth and what puts Ben above players with equal ability is that he is extreamely intelligient. He processes very well. If he doesn't play on Sundays in a couple years it will be because he chooses not to. There are plenty of other opportunities for Ben. Bone. and hallah I know you said this for another thread but if Toledo was playing Big Ten schools as a Big Ten School they would'nt be able to suprise anyone. and getting beat up every week by superior athletes would make it very difficult on their depth.