![]() The Chippewas responded with a 21-yard touchdown run by Wildcat QB Tommy Lazzaro to knot it up at 7-7. ![]() Miami seized the momentum right away, with a 98-yard kickoff return my Maurice Thomas allowing Tyre Shelton to convert for a two-yard rushing touchdown and give the RedHawks an early 7-0 lead. ![]() The MAC Championship Game saw the RedHawks as 6.5-point underdogs, going into neutral (though hostile) territory against Central Michigan. Special teams were some of the best in the NCAA in 2019, with Sam Sloman (26-of-30 field goal) and Kyle Kramer (43.36 yards per punt average 19 punts of 50+ yards on 75 attempts) setting the tone in terms of field position. Those players who would go on to the next level of football included Emmanuel Rugamba (85 tackles, three TFLs, eight passes defensed), Travion Banks (40 tackles, team-leading five interceptions, six pass break-ups) and Mike Brown (56 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, three interceptions, two pass break-ups), who all helped anchor a stiff pass defense. a former walk-on turned captain, who was ultimately the heart and soul of the group. The secondary was littered with future Sunday players, though it was Bart Baratti (93 tackles, 11.5 tackles-for-loss, three sacks, interception). Kameron Butler would wind up transferring to Virginia in 2022 as a graduate transfer, collecting 52 tackles, 9.5 TFLs and 6.5 sacks over two seasons. Along the defensive line, Doug Costin (59 tackles, 12 TFLs, four sacks) and Kameron Butler (45 tackles, 14.5 TFLs, 5.5 sacks) were the biggest penetration threats. Ryan McWood (99 tackles) and Sterling Weatherford (98 tackles) topped the tackling charts, tying for eighth on the team with 5.5 tackles-for-loss each. Their performance especially turned around come conference play after a brutal non-conference slate (which included a 76-5 loss to Ohio State), with the defense giving up more than 24 points just twice in MAC play- both of their league losses. As a unit, the defense was fairly effective, giving up an average of 28.14 points and 381.9 total yards per game, with 20 takeaways (11 interceptions, nine fumble recoveries), 114.5 tackles-for-loss and 40.5 sacks. The 2019 RedHawks made their name on defense, with five future professional football players littering the starting lineup and rotation. ![]() Maye, who eventually changed his last name name to Burns, transferred to Austin Peay in 2022, where he started nine games and hauled in 517 yards and five touchdowns. James Maye (Burns) was the team’s second-leading receiver as a freshman, with 20 receptions for 506 yards and one touchdown. The receiving corps featured a few curious names, with fan favorite receiver Jack Sorenson (44 receptions, 568 yards, four touchdowns) leading the way for a passing game which could be described as “perfunctory”, averaging 178 yards per game as a unit. Shelton, then a redshirt freshman, was a relief back with 587 yards and two touchdowns. The running back pair of Jaylon Bester and Tyre Shelton held down the backfield, with Bester finishing the 2019 campaign as one of the MAC’s most effective short-run backs, with 741 yards and 14 touchdowns on 171 carries. Gabbert had 1,634 yards, 14 touchdowns and five interceptions on a 58 percent completion rating and 140 yards and two touchdowns rushing prior to his injury. Gabbert has been the team’s starting QB as long as he’s been healthy, and led the RedHawks to a 6-1 record prior to the game against Toledo, when he suffered a lower leg injury which ended his season. Gabbert is still with the RedHawks to this day, even despite a brief flirtation with the transfer portal at the end of the 2022 season. Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen, Iowa City Press-Citizen via Imagn Content Services, LLC Over the season, Gabbert would put up 1,987 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 12 games prior to the MAC Championship, earning 2019 MAC Freshman of the Year honors. His first start was an encouraging one, finishing 17-of-27 for 186 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in a 38-14 loss to Iowa. Louis, Missouri, the first true freshman in program history to log a start for the RedHawks. The team that season was led by a familiar name: Brett Gabbert.Īt that point, Gabbert was a brand new face from St. The pride of Oxford, Ohio will be back in the Motor City for the first time since 2019, when Miami survived and advanced en route to a 7-5 overall record (6-2 MAC)- including three straight one-possession wins in conference play- to win the opportunity to play against the MAC West division champion Central Michigan Chippewas for the MAC title. The Miami RedHawks (10-2, 7-1 MAC) arrive in Detroit, Michigan this weekend for the 2023 edition of the MAC Championship Game, securing the MAC East division title back on Nov.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |