MIAMI FOOTBALL

Historic win is also key win for RedHawks 

Martin now owns most MU football wins

Chuck Martin now has the most wins (60) as a Miami University football head coach. (MVSmith/MRO/file)

OXFORD, OH -- Surging Miami (4-4, 3-1 MAC) scored on 10 of 11 possessions and registered 518 yards of total offense while posting a historic 46-7 victory over Central Michigan (3-5, 1-3 MAC) Saturday at Yager Stadium. 

With the win, Chuck Martin picked up his 60th victory as head coach of the RedHawks. That moved him in front of Randy Walker, who had 59 wins as Miami head coach. 

At the same time, Miami's third straight win moved the RedHawks into a three-way tie for second place behind Western Michigan (4-0 (MAC). Like MU, Ohio and Bowling Green are also 3-1 in conference play. Toledo, which handed Miami its only defeat, lost to Bowling Green Saturday.
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The RedHawks went up 3-0 on CMU when . . . 

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Keyon Mozee breaks into the open on a 72-yard second quarter run. (MVSmith/MRO)

. . . they finished their first drive with a Dom Dzioban field goal. It was the first of five on the day for Dzioban, who set a Yager Stadium record. Kellan McLaughlin would add another in the final minute for a total of six RedHawk field goals.

Central Michigan answered on its first possession, driving 75 yards in 15 plays. Myles Bailey went in from two yards out at 1:59 of the first quarter and the Chippewas led 7-3.

That, however, would be their only score of the contest. Miami's defense limited CMU to 93 yards the rest of the way for a total of 168 yards. 

"After the first drive, we stuffed the run and played a pretty solid game after that," Martin said. "Our defense has been terrific for three straight weeks." 

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Miami's second possession started off on a sour note as quarterback Brett Gabbert was injured while being sacked on the very first play. Backup Henry Hesson entered and, on his first play, handed off to Keyon Mozee. The senior sprinted 72 yards before being dragged down. Three plays later, Hesson hit Reggie Virgil for a 9-yard TD that put MU in front for good. Dzioban hit two more field goals before intermission, giving Miami a 16-7 lead.  

Kevin Davis goes in for a fourth quarter touchdown. (MVSmith/MRO)

Gabbert returned at quarterback in the third quarter. After Dzioban's career-best 51-yard field goal, Gabbert extended Miami's lead to 26-7 with a 36-yard TD strike to Javon Tracy.

The RedHawks hit two more field goals in the fourth quarter. In between, Kevin Davis and Jordan Brunson tallied TDs on short runs. Both those runs were set up by chunk plays. Davis ripped off a 60-yard run to set up his score. Brunson had a 75-yard run one play before his TD.

Miami finished the game with 277 yards rushing. Keyon Mozee led the way with 15 trips totaling 120 yards. Gabbert (10-of-12, 165 yards, 1 TD) and Hesson (5-of-12, 76 yards, 1 TD) , meanwhile, combined to complete 15-of-25 passes totaling 241 yards with two touchdowns. 
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Javon Tracy led MU receivers with five catches totaling 118 yards and a score. Virgil had four receptions, 50 yards and a TD. 

Henry Hesson threw for 76 yards and a TD while replacing an injured Brett Gabbert during the second quarter. Gabbert returned after halftime. (MVSmith/MRO)

NOTES:
>> Miami punted just once (46 yards) on the day. CMU averaged 42.4 yards on seven boots.
>> Freshman Kellan McLaughlin scored his first (4) points of the season with a 41-yard field goal and one PAT.
>> Central Michigan is averaging 5.1 ypc and 184.4 ypg while rushing the football. The RedHawks defense held CMU to 2.9 ypc and 106 rushing yards for the game. 
>> In his post-game presser, Martin indicated he was planning to start Hesson at quarterback again in the second half. He said Gabbert, who had been medically cleared, made it clear he wanted return.  The coach may have cringed a bit when Gabbert was sacked four plays into the first drive, but the senior signal caller went on to guide several scoring drives and throw another TD pass. It was his 13th touchdown pass of 2024 and 72nd of his career. (He has been sacked 87 times as a RedHawk).
>> Martin appreciated the contributions of Hesson. "Hank was really (a) key in coming in and managing and making plays," Martin said. 
Among the plays, he pointed out Hesson's touchdown throw to Reggie Virgil. "They were doubling Reggie," Martin noted. "It was such an unbelievably great decision to throw the ball level 2 (higher) because they were bracketing him." 
>> After going sack-free for two straight games, Miami yielded four sacks and eight tackles-for-loss. 

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Reggie Virgil holds on as he comes down with a second-qauarter touchdown pass from Henry Hesson. (MVSmith/MRO)

Chuck Martin and wife Dulcie watch a series of video tributes and congratulations on the Yager Stadium scoreboard during a post-game ceremony. (MVSmith/MRO)

The RedHawks defense registered two sacks and eight TFL.
>> Miami's offense played its fourth straight game without a turnover. The last MU turnover was against Toledo, and that came on special teams. 
>> Central Michigan completed just 41 percent of its passes (7-of-17) with no TDs and one interception. Christian Schumer made a leaping catch for the fourth quarter pick.
>>Miami now enters the late season weeknight games portion of its schedule. The transition gives MU a "mini-break" of sorts as it next meets Ball State Nov. 5 (Election Night!) in Muncie. "This little break is perfect," said Martin, whose team has been hit hard by injuries on both sides of the ball in recent weeks." 
>>> If the RedHawks can continue to win, it could set up a MASSIVE matchup at Bowling Green Friday, Nov. 29. The Falcons are also 3-1 in MAC play to date. 
>> After joining his team and the MU band for a post-game fight song celebration, Martin was congratulated by many former players, friends and a host of coaching colleagues (among others) in a scoreboard video tribute. "The whole thing was . . . pretty awesome," said Martin, who was joined by his own family and current team during the tribute. ​

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