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| | Saturday, September 2 RedHawks leave ground game, take to the air | |||||
| By George Porter Special to ESPN.com Miami (Ohio) RedHawks 1999 record: 7-4 (6-2 MAC) Coach: Terry Hoeppner Returning starters: 10 (4 offense, 6 defense) Outlook Maybe it's just a coincidence that Miami decided to go to its pass-oriented offense after RB Travis Prentice graduated. Yeah, just a twist of fate that after the Division I's all time leading scorer left that the RedHawks are taking to the air. Whatever the reason, it should be entertaining to watch. Quarterback Mike Bath, who already owns most of Miami's passing records, should have them all after this season. Bath is a steady performer. He was 22nd in the country in passing efficiency. Sly Johnson is a wideout with blazing speed and should be Bath's main target. Steve Little will take over at running back and while the line needs some work, should be adequate. The defense returns seven key starters, led by senior defensive tackle Andy Aracri. Aracri was tied with Dustin Cohen for first on the team last year with nine sacks. Joining Aracri will be the other three members of the front four in Bob Petrovic, Ryan Terry, and Brian Potter. The secondary will be fine at the corner position with seniors Michael Adams and Brandon Godsey. Keep an eye on ... QB Mike Bath. He threw for over 2,500 yards and 24 TDs while handing the ball to Prentice a good deal of the time. His numbers will be mind-boggling this fall. It's a good season if ... Miami can finish third or better in its first year with the new offense. And with Johnson and Bath teaming up early and often, don't be surprised if Miami finds a way to pull an upset this season. |
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