MIAMI FOOTBALL PREVIEW

RedHawks face Northwestern at Lakefront venue

Miami at Northwestern - 3:30 p.m. BIG10
Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium, Evanston, IL

By MIKE SMITH
Miami and Northwestern have met 10 times, with MU holding a 7-3 edge in the series. 
Miami prevailed 17-14 in the last meeting (9-24-22) thanks to a late 10-point rally. The two teams were tied 7-7 at intermission, but Northwestern took a brief lead with a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter. 
Keyon Mozee's 66-yard run on the ensuring possession set up Aveon Smith's one-yard TD at 7:23. After forcing a Wildcat punt, Miami put together a 13-play drive that reached NU's 19. Graham Nicholson, who had previously missed two tries (1 blocked), made good on a 36-yard third opportunity with 21 seconds left for the win.
Miami played without . . . 

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. . . Brett Gabbert, who was injured in the opener at Kentucky. Northwestern outgained Miami 364-278, but MU forced two turnovers and rode a strong running performance by Mozee (21 carries, 171 yards).

MIAMI VS NORTHWESTERN HISTORY LINK

Gabbert, who was felled by major injury in each of the last two seasons, will be back at the controls for Miami as the RedHawks kickoff 2024 in a very historical way. Instead of meeting at Dyche Stadium/Ryan Field  (Opened in 1926), the two teams will play at Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium.
 
The tempoary arrangement is in place while Northwestern builds a new Ryan Field/Dyche Stadium on the site of its predecessor. While Dyche Stadium held about 47,000, the temporary field is more like 12,000. It sits IMMEDIDATELY adjacent to Lake Michigan -- so close, in fact, it appears a quarterback standing in his bench area on the lake side should be able to toss a ball directly into Lake Michigan. (But why risk intentional drowning!?)

Of course, nearby Chicago is known as the windy city for a reason, so weather could be a factor -- at least at some point this season. A week out front, weather.com was forecasting sunny with a high of 79 (NNW winds 11 mph).

EVANSTON WEATHER LINK

Northwestern finished 2023 on a four-game win streak. That included a 14-7 win over Utah in the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl, leaving NU at 8-5 overall (5-4 BIG 10).

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ABOUT NORTHWESTERN . . . 

OFFENSE
Improving the offense will be among the goals for 2024. To that end, the Wildcats have turned to a new offensive coordinator. Zach Lujan previously was an OC for South Dakota State, which won back-to-back national FCS titles in 2022 and 2023. He was the 2023 FCS Coordinator of the year.

Seniors wideouts Bryce Kirtz and AJ Henning are nice targets who combined for 94 catches, 1,119 yards and nine TDs in 2023. Frank Covey IV, meanwhile, is a talented receiver who will be under the radar early this season. He is a sophomore and appeared in just three games after an injury in the 2023 opener. There is a bunch of depth at tight end. 

Just who will get the ball to those playmakers has been a question. Much-traveled Ben Bryant is gone after throwing for 1,807 yards with 13 TDs last year. Brendan Sullivan, who completed 63.6 percent of his passes (714 yards, 6 TDs) is now at Iowa. Sophomore Jack Lausch may get the call, but he has limited game experience.

Meanwhile, Mike Wright is a 6-4, 195-pound transfer from Mississippi State, where he started 14 games over three seasons. Last year, he completed 56.5 percent of 85 pass attempts (453 yards, 3 TDs, 3 INTs). He also ran 71 times for a total of 324 yards (4.6 ypc, 3 TDs. It was the most yards rushing for a MSU quarterback since 2019.
Grad student Ryan Hiliniki started six NU games two years ago. During that 2022 campaign, he thew for 435 yards and two TDs with one pick against Duke. 

Caleb Tiernan and Josh Thompson are returning seniors up front, and NU gained some O-line help from portal pickups. 
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Meanwhile, the line will be trying to create holes for some solid  running backs. Cam Porter and Joe Himon give  the Wildcat running game power and speed options. 

DEFENSE
Northwestern ranked ninth among Big Ten teams in defense (23.8 ppg), seventh in total defense (351.6 ypg), sixth in pass defense (192.1 ypg) and last in rushing defense (159.5 ypg).

Aiden Hubbard and Richie Hagerty are back up front with hungry eyes on oppposing quarterbacks. Senior DE Aidan Hubbard should also help. 

Linebacker Xander Mueller's 110 tackles was second among NU defenders. He also registered 10.5 TFL, 5 sacks and 3 interceptions. Corner Theran Johnson is a likely matchup for opponents' best wideouts. Coco Azema and Devin Turner are experienced safeties.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Jack Olsen converted 14 of 19 field goals last year. Two of the misses were from 50 yards and out. Punter Hunter Renner will look to improve on his 38.6 yards per boot. Henner is a dangerous threat on returns.

FINAL THOUGHTS
This will be the first chance to see how well Miami has addressed three key questions:
-- How well can the RedHawks run the ball with Amos gone? Two years ago, Keyon Mozee had a big night against Northwestern. The Wildcats certainly hope to improve their run defense in 2024.
-- Can MU's unheralded receiving corps step up?
Having Gabbert back is a tremendous shot in the arm as he has both the talent and experience to put others in positions to succeed. 
-- That said, Miami is facing a Big 10 team, so there is a certain level of talent that comes with the territory. The Wildcats' defensive strength seems to be at linebacker and the seconary. 
-- Many MU players have the experience to handle big stages. Others will need to adjust to a quick baptism. 
Miami's biggest questions on defense are probably in the secondary, so getting pressure on the quarterback would be helpful, since the Wildcats have multiple receivers capable of big plays. 
-- The Northwestern run game could turn out to be a strong suit, so containing that group and getting off the field will be important. It's not wise to let a Big 10 team dominate time of possession. 
-- Miami's history against Northwestern guarantees nothing. However, RedHawk players can feel the outcome will be decided Saturday on the field.