MIAMI FOOTBALL

Bowl-bound 'Hawks need to regain their "MU-jo" 

By MIKE SMITH
For the Miami RedHawks, playing a late December bowl game has its plusses and minuses. 
On the negative side, MU players have had some extra time to stew in the sauce of a disappointing MAC Championship loss to Ohio. Head coach Chuck Martin acknowledged it left a bitter taste in the mouths of everybody. 
Of course, a plus is that a bowl game is a chance to move on and finish with a win. Especially with a strong senior class that has accomplished so much, such an opportunity should be valued. 

Miami has lost its last two bowl appearances (2022 and 2023), In both those matchups, the . . . 

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. . . RedHawks had relatively quick windows in which to prepare. Instead of playing on Dec. 16, however, MU now has a Dec. 28 bowl date. Martin noted that will give some players time to heal and also give the staff extra time to work with younger players. 

Those less experienced players will be needed to fill in for transfer portal losses, as well as for some players who needed medical procedures.

TRANSFER PORTAL 
Wide receiver seems to be the biggest transfer portal commodity this year, and two all-MAC RedHawks are among the among the migrating mass. Javon Tracy (1st Team) is reportedly on his way to Minnesota, while Reggie Virgil (2nd Team) is headed to Texas Tech. Also joining the Red Raiders is tackle Will Jados. 
The same can be said of defensive backfield. Raion Strader, a First Team All-MAC DB, is reportedly on his way to Auburn. 
While the RedHawks have already addressed these areas in "transfer agency," the additions can't help until next fall.

Colorado State has experienced some similar pain. 
It's top two receivers are in the portal, with Caleb Goodie and Jamari Person combining for 57 catches, 822 yards and five TDs. The Rams third-leading receiver, Tory Horton, suffered a season-ending injury (STORY LINK)  in mid-October. He was 35 yards short of breaking the Moutain West record for most career receiving yards. 
CSU will also be without linebacker Buom Jack, who led the team with 100 tackles this year. 

Keyon Mozee gives Miami a big play threat in the run game. (MVSmith/MRO)

EXPERIENCE ON BOTH SIDES
The two programs also have some similarities on who is "available.".

Unlike last year, when Miami played without both quarterbacks Brett Gabbert (injury) and Aveon Smith (portal), the RedHawks should have Gabbert for what is his final game as a RedHawk. 

Colorado State, meanwhile, will be guided by Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi. He completed 61.8 percent of his passes while throwing for 2,475 yards with 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions this year. 

The sophomore may be relying on some "different" targets in the starting lineup, but he will have an experienced option at running back. Senior Avery Morrow (6-0, 210) averaged 5.8 yards per carry this year. He logged 166 carries for 956 yards and nine TDs. Fowler-Nicolosi scored four rushing touchdowns, so the duo accounted for 13 of CSU's 19 rushing scores.

Miami also has a veteran running back to anchor its run game. Keyon Mozee was held to 28 yards on 11 carries in the MAC title game. However, he ran for 100 or more yards in five of the previous six outings.

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Cade McDonald was a key target early in 2024 but was limited by injuries later. McDonald was also solid as a punt returner. (MVSmith/MRO)

As for the Miami passing game, Gabbert will still have a familiar weapon in Cade McDonald. The fifth-year senior was a big contributor before battling injuries down the stretch. With the extra recovery time in between, he could be closer to his top-end form. 
Redshirt sophomore Kam Perry and redshirt freshman Cole Weaver figure as starters, while several younger players could get some opportunities to shine, as well. Martin recently said there is potential among younger receivers that most fans haven't seen yet. 

Defensively, there are a bunch of seniors up front and at linebackers, but it remains to be seen how well the secondary can hold up. That area struggled early in the season, but it improved considerably as the season progressed. Had it not, MU would probably not have been able to finish the regular season with six straight wins. 

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Offensive tackle John Young (71) is one of numerous seniors anxious to finish on a winning note. (MVSmith/MRO)

BIG PICTURE
Much like the RedHawks, CSU shook off some early non-conference struggles to finish strong. The Rams won five straight and six of their last seven games to go 8-4 overall (6-1 MWC). 
They were seventh among Mountain West teams in scoring (25.0 ppg) and fourth in scoring defense (24.33 ppg). 
Colorado State ranked seventh in rushing attempts and sixth in rushing offense. It was eighth in pass offense (211.0 ypg) and seventh in pass efficiency. 

With a couple of the top receiving targets gone, CSU may lean on its run game a little more. However, MU has been pretty successful in stopping -- or at least limiting opposing runners. An exception has been particularly mobile quarterbacks, who have enjoyed some success. 

Miami limited Ohio's Parker Navarro in a regular season win. However, he proved very elusive in the championship game. During the latter, he also settled into a quick passing game that offset the RedHawks rush. 

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FOCUS ON SECONDARY
One of the game's bigger questions will be: Can Miami's secondary defenders stay close enough to CSU defenders to force some punts. Ohio punted just twice, totaled 467 yards and registered 32 first downs in the championship game win. 

It would help if the RedHawk offense could get some traction. Uncharacteristically, MU recorded just 189 yards of total offense (62 rushing) and had the ball for just 22:25 minutes against Ohio.

NOTES:
>> Miami and Colorado State have met twice, with MU winning both. The first was in 2003 when a Ben Roethlisberger-led team beat the Rams 41-21.The second matchup, also in Colorado, went to Miami in a 31-10 decision. That RedHawks team won a MAC championshp and followed up with a 35-21 win over Middle Tennessee State in the GoDaddy Bowl. 
>> The turnaround of Colorado State's run game in 2024 is impressive. In 2023, the Rams mustered just 92.2 yards on the ground per game, which was the ninth-worst mark nationally. This season the Rams are racking up 170.6 rushing yards per game, which has them among the top 60 in the nation and is one of the ten-largest increases in FBS. The Rams have also gone from 10 rushing touchdowns last season to 19 in 2024.
>> Colorado State has allowed just 10 sacks this season, which is fourth-best nationally.
>> The Rams have allowed just 33 red zone attempts all season,18th-best mark nationally.

Brett Gabbert is wrapping up a distinguished Miami career. (MVSmith/MRO))

>> Brett Gabbert, who missed the last six games of the 2023 season with a leg injury, has made 51 starts in his career and is all over the Miami record books. He ranks third in program history with 10,630 passing yards, sixth in completion percentage (.590) and second in passing touchdowns (80). He is responsible for 87 touchdowns (80 passing, 7 rushing) in his career.
>>  This will be Gabbert's third start in a bowl game (He missed 2022 and 2023).
>>  Cade McDonald is second on the team with 49 receptions this season and has two 100-yard games against Northwestern and Cincinnati.
Kam Perry, a transfer from Indiana, has eight catches for 109 yards in 11 games. Cole Weaver has one catch in his career, a 24-yard touchdown earlier this year against Eastern Michigan.
>> The RedHawks rank 16th nationally in scoring defense (18.9), 24th in total defense (321.4), 47th in rush defense (136.8), 25th in pass defense (184.5), seventh in passing defensive efficiency (108.4) and 49th in sacks (30).

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>> Linebacker Matt Salopek, is the first player in program history to have at least 100 tackles in four different seasons. His 505 tackles ranks fifth all-time in program history.
>> Senior Brian Ugwu, a transfer from Rutgers, ranks fifth in program history with 20.5 sacks. This year, the defensive lineman has 54 tackles, a career-best 14.0 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. He also has a pair of fumble recoveries in 2024.

Brian Ugwu (8) and Oscar McWood (23) bring down a UMass ball carrier. (MVSmith/MRO)

>> Throughout his Miami career Ty Wise has played multiple positions on the Miami defense. He has recorded 226 tackles, many from his middle linebacker position, but also has 15.0 career sacks rushing the passer at defensive end. In 35 career games he has added 23.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions and three forced fumbles. He set a MAC Championship record with 17 tackles versus Ohio.
>>  With Jados gone, redshirt sophomore Drew Terrill is scheduled to start at tackle.