For Miami of Ohio it was a tale of 2 halves of the season. The Redhawks started 0-6 and then finished 6-0. Basically having QB Gus Ragland back from a knee injury transformed the Redhawk offense and season. I have watched the last 3 games these guys have played and they are not a bad team and we can't overlook this team. Our staff needs to have a solid game plan all around. So let's talk about some keys to getting the W over the Miami of Ohio Redhawks.

First, keys to the game offensively. In the 6 losses, the Redhawks D gave up 125-212 yards on the ground. In 3 of the 6 wins the D gave up 145-245 yards on the ground, but those teams also averaged 3-4 turn overs to Miami of Ohio. In 3 of the 6 teams rushed for less than 80 yards. In the 6 losses teams passed for 56-276 yards...however the teams that put up more than 200 yards of passing also committed 2-3 turn overs. Those teams who didn't turn the ball over didn't need more than 175 yards of passing. In the 6 victories, teams threw for 99-389 yards through the air. Those that really lite up the Redhawks secondary lost because again those teams turned the ball over 3-4 times in the game. So while on paper at first blush it looks like having a big day passing is a necessity it's actually not. The key is having 200-250 yards of rushing and a passing day for 175-200 yards. We need long drives that kill clock and keep Ragland and the Redhawk O sitting on the bench. We do that by featuring A Williams as the RB and rotating in Shump, Dear, and Mixon. If we put Holloway into the game, he doesn't need to be lined up in the backfield. He needs to be deployed in the slot or flank. We also should run some 2 back sets in this game to give Nick the option on changing with side of the line a rushing play is going to without tipping our hat to the Redhawk D. We also need to play Jamal Couch in the game and get him the ball given his height enough that the Redhawks rotate Montgomery off of Ross. Montgomery is the tallest DB starter at 6-2 and also has 4 INTs. Its much better to have Ross being covered by Harding as he is 5-10 and 180 and their second best cover man who also has 4 INTs.

Second, keys to the game defensively. In the losses the Redhawks were kept in check on the ground. In the Victories they made more than 200 yards on the ground in 4 of the 6 games and passed for more than 180 yards in all but one game. Rushing was kept at less than 50 yards in 2 games but passing made up for it. In games where they threw for less than 200 they had more than 200 on the ground. The key for the D will be to keep the Redhawks off balance and allow no more than 3-7 true plays a series. We need to not only shut down their run attack but also apply enough pressure to keep the passing game desynched and Ragland rush and off target. We can't allow him to sit in the pocket and pick our secondary apart. The big cushions to opponent's receivers needs to stop. We need to play press coverage on these guys and make sure tackles, as their top 3 threats all have made TDs of over 45 yards and 2 have made 70 or just a tad longer TDs. We also want to put a spy on Ragland. No he doesn't rush like Fitz does, but he does average 30 yards a game and usually when receivers are covered but the lanes wide open. We want our DBs tipping the balls to better our chances of a pick. We also need the D to force at least 2 and more likely 3 turn overs in the game. We need to play like we did against TSUN for a full 4 quarters and not just 3 of 4 quarters.

Third, keys to the game special teams. We need our special teams to set us up with great position and keep Miami of Ohio penned deep. A special team's return TD on a punt is something that could help really break the game open. We also need Graves to have his head in the game, no more missed Extra Points or FGs.