Posts Tagged ‘Miami Redhawks’

January 6th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The MAC champs will be back on the field for the first time in over a month on Thursday night at the GoDaddy.com Bowl. The Miami Redhawks will take on the disappointing Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders, who are really just fortunate to be here in a bowl game this year. These two make for very interesting bedmates though on Thursday night, as they have two vastly different styles of playing, which should make the analysis of the GoDaddy.com Bowl lines very, very interesting.

GoDaddy.com Bowl Matchup: Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders vs. Miami Redhawks
Date: Thursday, January 6th, 8:00 ET
Location: Ladd Peebles Stadium, Mobile, AL
GoDaddy.com Bowl Line: MTSU -2.5
Over/Under 48.5

Blue Raiders Notes: We know that you probably didn't pay all that much attention to Sun Belt football this year, and the two times that you saw the Blue Raiders on national television, they were getting destroyed by the Arkansas State Red Wolves and the Troy Trojans. However, this is a team that is chock full of talent, and it was absolutely a legitimate hope for this team to run the table at the outset of the season. The four game suspension for QB Dwight Dasher really set the whole season up for failure though, and it started right out of the blocks when the Minnesota Golden Gophers, who turned out to be a giant train wreck this year, came into Murfreesboro and beat down the Blue Raiders. All things considered, ranking No. 65 in the nation in total offense at 375.7 yards per game and No. 67 in defense at 376.4 yards per game allowed wasn't all that bad this year. The play of Dasher is critical though, as he is clearly going to be the best athlete on the field at all times, and he is the man that can bust this game wide open… one way or the other… Dasher did had 14 picks this year, which was awful considering the fact that he only played in eight games, and he did account for 13 TDs as well. These numbers were down from last year, but when bowl season rolled around for the Blue Raiders at the New Orleans Bowl in 2009, he accounted for over 350 yards of offense and four TDs in a magnificent display. Obviously, if he does that again, the Blue Raiders are well on their way to beating the GoDaddy.com Bowl odds.

Redhawks Notes: At least for the whole of the calendar year 2009, there isn't a man in the nation that probably deserves more credit for what he did on the field than Mike Haywood. The former head coach of these Redhawks flew the coop for the Pitt Panthers just before New Years, and though we don't approve of the fact that he was arrested on New Year's Day for a suspicion of domestic violence, thus fired from U-Pitt, we know that he brought a lot to Miami this year. The Redhawks were an embarrassment at 1-11 last season, and they would have just been thrilled with a four or a five win season this year. Even though the schedule at times was rough, particularly out of conference, Miami really excelled, winning nine games, including the MAC Championship Game over the Northern Illinois Huskies in fine fashion. The Redhawks were led by QB Zac Dysert this year, but the second year man lacerated his spleen in the middle of November and hasn't been back on the field since. He probably won't be in the fold this week either, which leaves freshman QB Austin Boucher to lead the troops. Boucher is going to need some help from RB Thomas Merriweather, who rushed for over 800 yards this year and had 11 of the offense's 29 TDs on the season. The real transformation came on the defensive side of the ball. This was one of the best defenses in the MAC this year, allowing 341.7 yards and 23.4 points per game.

The Final Word: The Blue Raiders have a lot more to prove and lot more to be happy about if they beat the GoDaddy.com Bowl odds in this one than the Redhawks do. Miami could be beaten by 120 in this game, and the season will still be looked at as a tremendous success. For MTSU though, finishing above .500 and with a bowl win in a season that really had so much on the line is paramount, as the program really might not recover if this were to be a losing season. Though we know that Dasher hasn't shown us much of anything all year long, we tend to believe that he gets the job done and puts together another fantastic bowl preparation in a GoDaddy.com Bowl victory on Thursday night.

GoDaddy.com Bowl Free Pick: Middle Tennessee State -2.5
GoDaddy.com Bowl Prediction: Middle Tennessee State 31 – Miami 24

 
December 2nd, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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There was never much of a doubt this season that the Northern Illinois Huskies were going to be playing in the MAC Championship Game this December, but who their opponent would be was very much so up in the air. In a vicious three team battle that came down to the very last second of the very last game, the Miami Redhawks got the job done and are here in Motown ready to pull off what would be a shocking upset of a team that just finally cracked into the Top 25.

Matchup: Miami Redhawks vs. Northern Illinois Huskies
Date: Friday, December 3rd, 7:00 ET
Location: Ford Field, Detroit, MI
Game Line: Northern Illinois -18
Over/Under 54.5

Redhawks Notes: Things aren't going all that well for the Redhawks right now, as they know that they have a huge mountain to climb in this game. They did finish up the regular season with four straight wins both SU and ATS and took a year in which might not have ended in a bowl game and made it a guarantee. It's unfortunately that QB Zac Dysert won't be here to join in the celebration of winning the East Division of the MAC, as he has a ruptured spleen that will keep him out of the fold until the bowl game, only if it is played late in December or in January. Dysert threw for 2,406 yards and 13 TDs this year against a dozen INTs, and he was a tremendous asset to a team that went just 1-11 last year. Now, the ball belongs to QB Austin Boucher, who has thrown for 498 yards and has led the team to two wins in its final two games this year. RB Thomas Merriweather has come quite some way as well. The senior was thrown out of the first game of the year against the Florida Gators, and he fell out of favor for quite some time with his team. However, over the last three games, he has been the brightest star on the team. The Redhawks' back has rumbled for at least 80 yards in three straight, and at least 140 in his last two since Dysert has been out of the lineup. Merriweather has also scored in four consecutive games, and one would like to think that that number needs to reach five for the Redhawks to have a chance of pulling off this upset. Don't rest on this 'D' either. Miami has a defense that has allowed just 339.1 yards per game on the season, one of the best totals in the MAC and ranking No. 39 in the country.

Huskies Notes: Then there are the Huskies, who have not just been beating teams this year, but they have been beating them down as well. If not for a push against the Western Michigan Broncos, this would be a team with ten covers on the campaign, and ten straight at that. Since losing to the Illinois Fighting Illini in Champaign back in September, the Huskies have rolled off ten straight wins. The last three victories have come with at least 59 points hitting the scoreboard. Northern Illinois has outscored its foes by almost three full TDs this year. The 'O' ranks No. 17 in the country at 454.0 yards per game, while the 'D' is conceding just 18.5 points and 319.6 yards per game. All of those numbers are tops for teams in the MAC. QB Chandler Harnish has had a fantastic season this year, and he is taking care of the pigskin. Harnish has completed 66.0 percent of his passes for 1,949 yards with 17 scores and just five INTs. On the ground, there are few like RB Chad Spann in the country. Spann will absolutely earn a bunch of All-MAC honors for his 2010 campaign in which he rushed for 1,239 yards and a whopping 20 TDs. Over his last five games, Spann has rushed for at least 70 yards in all five and has scored a total of 12 times. Harnish has also added 761 yards on the ground for a team that is averaging just over 280 rushing yards per game. NIU has always been one of the better teams that this conference has to offer, but when push really came to shove over the last four seasons, QB Dan LeFevour and the Central Michigan Chippewas often ruled the day. Now's the time for the Huskies to shine.

The Final Word: Though NIU isn't going let that opportunity go, we still have to realize that this is a conference championship game between two teams that are awfully solid. No, the Redhawks aren't going to be the victorious team in this one, and it probably wouldn't have mattered whether Dysert played or not. The Huskies dumped the rest of the contenders in the MAC in the regular season, but they hasn't gotten their hands on Miami yet. The Redhawks will represent well, but come up short by a comfortable margin to give NIU the league title.

MAC Championship Game Picks: Miami +18
Prediction: Northern Illinois 37 – Miami 24

 
November 16th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Matchup: Miami Redhawks @ Akron Zips
Date: Friday, November 17th, 6:00 ET
Location: InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field, Akron, OH
Game Line: Miami -10.5
Over/Under 48

The 6-4 Miami of Ohio Redhawks will look to keep their hopes at a MAC East title alive Wednesday night when they travel to Akron to take on the 0-10 Zips. The Redhawks have been impressive in conference this year, putting up a 5-1 mark with their only loss being to the Ohio Bobcats. Last week against Bowling Green, Miami withstood a late charge from the Falcons to prevail 24-21 thanks to a 33 yard Trevor Cook field goal with a second remaining. QB Zac Dysert had a very good game, considering the foggy conditions. Dysert completed 19 of 25 passes for 221 yards and a score and also ran for 20 yards and a TD in the win. RB Thomas Merriweather had a good game running the ball as well, carrying the rock 17 times for 88 yards and a touchdown. As for Akron, the season can’t end soon enough for the Zips. Akron has lost eight of their 10 games by double digits and even lost to FCS opponent Gardner-Webb (a team that is only 3-7 themselves) earlier this year. Two Saturdays ago, the Zips almost got their first win of the season but fell 37-30 to Ball State in double overtime. QB Patrick Nicely had an up and down game, throwing for four touchdowns but also throwing three interceptions while only completing 46% of his passes for 178 yards. RB Alex Allen had a very good game for the Zips on the ground, rushing 25 times for 165 yards. If Akron has any hope of beating Miami, they must stop turning the ball over after another multiple turnover game last week.

Free College Football Picks: Miami -10.5
Prediction: Miami 34 Akron 10


Matchup: Bowling Green Falcons @ Toledo Rockets
Date: Wednesday, November 17th, 8:00 ET
Location: Glass Bowl, Toledo, OH
Game Line: Toledo -10
Over/Under 54

The 6-4 Toledo Rockets will host the 2-8 Bowling Green Falcons Wednesday night in the battle for the Peace Pipe. The last time college football betting fans saw the Rockets, Toledo was getting its doors blown off by Northern Illinois 65-30 on national television last Tuesday night. Toledo was dominated in all aspects of the game, mainly putting up their gaudy numbers in the second half when they were already down four scores. RB Adonis Thomas had some huge second half runs, finishing the day with 10 carries for 152 yards and two touchdowns. QB Terrance Owens had a decent game as well, completing 18 of 38 passes for 186 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Defensively, Toledo must improve after allowing the Huskies to rack up 584 yards of offense on 70 plays for 8.3 yards per play. As for Bowling Green, the Falcons suffered a tough loss last week on a last second FG when they fell 24-21 to the Miami (OH) Redhawks. In the game, RB Willie Geter was pretty much held in check with only 16 carries for 34 yards but did manage two touchdowns on the day. QB Matt Schilz must improve on his numbers from last week as well, completing 17 of 29 passes for 176 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.

Free College Football Picks: Bowling Green +10
Prediction: Toledo 27 Bowling Green 24

 
September 3rd, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Miami (OH) Redhawks @ Florida Gators (-37.5)
Saturday, September 2nd
12:00 ET, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, FL

The Gators are probably going to end up dominating this game. They are out to make a real statement now that QB Tim Tebow is gone. QB John Brantley is going to be getting a good test to begin his career as a starter. Many feel as though he might be better than Tebow as a passer, though he clearly doesn't have the mobility or the inherent leadership abilities of the departed No. 15. Still, this is going to be one of the best rushing games in the country still with RBs Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey. As for the Redhawks, they are coming off of an absolutely terrible season in which they only won one game. It is fairly clear that they aren't going to win this game, but they did a decent job last year sticking inside of college football betting lines. Unfortunately for Miami, this probably won't be a day in which it does that. If the Gators have a desire to win by at least six scores, they will. Brantley might cover the Redhawks all by himself.

Prediction: Florida 59 – Miami 7

Western Michigan Broncos (+23.5) @ Michigan State Spartans
Saturday, September 2nd
12:00 ET, Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, MI

Michigan State seems to start every single season with unrealistic expectations. This year is probably no exception even though HC Mark Dantonio is clearly on the hot seat and is probably going to have to win at least seven or eight games to save his job. The good news is that QB Kirk Cousins is back after having a very respectable first season as a starter. He threw for 2,680 yards and 19 TDs against just nine picks, and there are high hopes for him this season. Unfortunately for the Broncos, they can't say the same thing. QB Tim Hiller was one of the best that this program has ever seen. With him gone, QB Alex Carder is going to take over. Carder only threw seven passes last year backing up Hiller, but he is going to be thrown into the fire right away in East Lansing as a sophomore. Still, this is a hefty point total for Sparty to be laying against a team that could reasonably still be one of the best in the MAC if Carder can keep his head on straight. Expect WMU to beat the college football odds in this one.

Prediction: Michigan State 34 – Western Michigan 21

Texas Longhorns (-31) vs. Rice Owls
Saturday, September 2nd
3:30 ET, Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX

The QB Garrett Gilbert is going to get the first start of his career this week in Houston against the Owls, which should be a nice little warm up for the real big boys coming up in the weeks to come for the Longhorns. There are a number of returners for this team even though there were a number of players that were drafted in the first two days of the NFL Draft this year off of the squad in burnt orange. The Owls are playing this close to the vest, as they haven't even announced a starting quarterback yet. The good news for the Longhorns is that they are 8-2 ATS in their L/10 games against Conference USA opponents. The bad news for Rice is that they are just 1-7 ATS in their L/8 against the Big XII. The even better news for Texas and worse news for Rice is that the Horns have outscored the Owls by an average score of 49-10 since 2003. That sounds about right for Saturday afternoon.

Prediction: Texas 49 – Rice 10

Purdue Boilermakers (+10.5) @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Saturday, September 2nd
3:30 ET, Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, IN

For HC Brian Kelly, this will be his debut in South Bend and could be the most important game of his coaching career. Coaches that get off to a bad start at Notre Dame generally don't end up lasting very long, and Kelly is going to want to make sure that he doesn't blow this in a year of high expectations, especially against a team that is probably not going bowling this year. The Boilers were destroyed by RB Ralph Bolden's knee injury that is going to keep him out for the season. Meanwhile, Notre Dame is going to be breaking in a new quarterback in the form of QB Dayne Crist. TE Kyle Rudolph is questionable with a hamstring injury, and if he doesn't end up playing, Crist is going to be relying heavily on WR Michael Floyd, who could be one of the best receivers in the nation. Still, Purdue hung last year with the Irish, losing 24-21 at home. With QB Robert Marve eager to make a good debut for the black and gold, the Boilers have the potential to hang in this game, though the Boilermakers probably won't win it.

Prediction: Notre Dame 31 – Purdue 28

Kentucky Wildcats (-3) @ Louisville Cardinals
Saturday, September 2nd
3:30 ET, Papa John's Stadium, Louisville, KY

It's the battle to determine whether the Bluegrass State will be blue or red on Saturday, and the annual Kentucky/Louisville battle has even higher stakes this season. Both teams will be entering this game with new head coaches, as Joker Phillips (Kentucky) and Charlie Strong (Louisville) are both making their head coaching debuts. QB Mike Hartline is going to have a lot of experience under his belt in this one even though he is a much maligned signal caller. Louisville is changing its offense to a spread attack, which is a drastic change from the offense that Steve Kragthorpe tried running over the last few years. The winning mentality isn't quite there yet for the Cardinals, which have fallen a long way in a short period of time. Kentucky is hoping to head to another bowl game this year, and it is the significantly better team, at least this early in the year. Take the Blue State in this NCAA football betting affair.

Prediction: Kentucky 27 – Louisville 20

Connecticut Huskies (+3) @ Michigan Wolverines
Saturday, September 2nd
3:30 ET, Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI

If the maize and blue don't win this game to start off the 2010 season, the Big House might be burning. HC Rich Rodriguez knows that this is his last chance to try to impress the Ann Arbor faithful before he ends up on the unemployment lines, and this game against Connecticut is a very important one to start the season. Unfortunately for Big Blue, this won't be their day. The Huskies are one of the best teams in a conference that is relatively strong this season, and RB Jordan Todman might have a field day against a defense which struggled against the rush last season. Rodriguez still hasn't settled on a quarterback either, though QB Tate Forcier sounds like he is getting the nod. We are puzzled as to why the Wolverines are favored in this one, as we aren't buying into their hype as a team that is that much improved from the one that went 5-7 last year. The Huskies are going to be dogs that are barking very, very loudly.

Prediction: Connecticut 28 – Michigan 24

UCLA Bruins @ Kansas State Wildcats (-2)
Saturday, September 2nd
3:30 ET, Bill Snyder Family Field, Manhattan, KS

The biggest question that we have in this game is whether or not QB Kevin Prince is really going to be able to play for the full 60 minutes with his back injury or not. If he can't go, UCLA is in a heck of a lot of trouble in this one. Trying to stop RB Daniel Thomas is going to be virtually impossible for a defensive line that has been beat up all offseason long for the second straight year with injuries. HC Rick Neuheisel has his work cut out for him this year. The Bruins only made the Eagle Bank Bowl on the back of their non-conference slate, as a 3-6 record in conference left little to the imagination. This year is going to be a tough grind for the blue and gold, and it is going to start with K-State getting some big time payback for last season's 23-9 loss in LA.

Prediction: Kansas State 30 – UCLA 10

Oregon State Beavers (+13) vs. TCU Horned Frogs
Saturday, September 2nd
7:45 ET, Dallas Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, TX

Though this is technically a neutral site game, we know that Oregon State is going to clearly be the road team in this duel. The Horned Frogs are going to try to make a huge statement for the rest of college football, proving that they deserve to be considered for the BCS Championship, not just for a regular BCS bowl game like last year in the Fiesta Bowl. A slew of returning starters on both sides of the ball are going to help that cause out dramatically. QB Andy Dalton is going to have to lead the way against a very talented Oregon State defense. The offense for the Beavers is going to once again feature both the Rodgers brothers, as Jacquizz and James are virtually impossible to stop. Though the secondary is entirely intact from last year for TCU, the front seven has two major holes to fill in the form of DE Jerry Hughes and LB Daryl Washington. We give Oregon State a lot of credit for scheduling this game, and though the ultimate reward of an upset won't be the end result, we wouldn't be surprised to see HC Mike Riley's club hang around and make things quite uncomfortable for the de facto hosts.

Prediction: TCU 33 – Oregon State 28

LSU Tigers (-7.5) vs. North Carolina Tar Heels
Saturday, September 2nd
8:00 ET, Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA

Suspensions have absolutely destroyed North Carolina's chances of accomplishing just about anything this year. Their offseason probe is going to end up seeing 13 players suspended for this opening game against the Bayou Bengals, including four of which were all projected NFL stars and were first team All-ACC members in the preseason. HC Les Miles now knows that this has gone from a game that would be a huge boost to win, to one that might ultimately decide whether he gets to stay in Baton Rouge or not next year. LSU needs to pick it up in a big way in order to make it back to the big time in the SEC, and winning a game like this against a quality ACC opponent would go a long way. Speaking of going a long way, if QB TJ Yates can find a way to pull this one off, he would suddenly go from being a zero in Chapel Hill to a hero. QB Jordon Jefferson hopes to just not see his name as a gigantic screw up in his '10 debut with the purple and gold. It's hard to see how North Carolina is doing enough damage on either side of the ball, and in spite of the fact that this is a hefty line that is only rising, we don't see how LSU can do anything but smash it.

Prediction: LSU 24 – North Carolina 13

Cincinnati Bearcats (+3) @ Fresno State Bulldogs
Saturday, September 2nd
10:00 ET, Bulldog Stadium, Fresno, CA

Is the wrong team really favored in this game? The Bearcats are getting absolutely no respect this year after going undefeated in the regular season in 2009. Yes, it's true that HC Brian Kelly has jumped to Notre Dame and both QB Tony Pike and WR Mardy Gilyard have moved on to the NFL, but there are a number of quality replacements set to step up. The oddsmakers were burned last year when QB Zach Collaros stepped into the starting lineup in place of Pike and looked like Joe Montana. Collaros is only a sophomore now, but he clearly has the tools to bring Cincinnati back to the BCS. Fresno State still has a lot of questions, none bigger than who is going to replace the departed RB Ryan Mathews, who at times last year, single handedly carried it to victory. Remember that Cincinnati traveled up to Reser Stadium last year and knocked off Oregon State in a very similar position. Expect the same on Saturday night.

Prediction: Cincinnati 41 – Fresno State 28

Wisconsin Badgers (-19.5) @ UNLV Runnin' Rebels
Saturday, September 2nd
11:00 ET, Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, NV

New Rebs HC Bobby Hauck made the first huge decision of his head coaching career when he named QB Mike Clausen his starter for this crucial, potentially program changing duel with the Badgers. Unfortunately for Hauck and UNLV, this is still a team that doesn't have the horses defensively to stop Wisky. Most years, the Badgers have a subpar offense and a stellar defense, but QB Scott Tolzien might be the best signal caller this team has had in well over a decade. This is also the first game of the potential Heisman Trophy campaign for RB John Clay. With Alabama's Mark Ingram sidelined, Clay might be the best running back in the nation that no one is talking about. This is a bunch of Badgers that might be severely underrated. This game is going to be the first of a slew of huge wins for a team that we think could be a big time sleeper in the Big Ten. The Badgers will round out Saturday night's slate with a monstrous victory over a hapless and unsuspecting foe.

Prediction: Wisconsin 51 – UNLV 20