MIAMI FOOTBALL

Consistent execution needed against talented UConn 

Independent Huskies start well under former Toledo HC and QB

By MIKE SMITH
​Last week's Miami loss to Cincinnati is a defeat RedHawks head coach Chuck Martin said will stick with him for a variety of reasons. At the same time, neither staff nor players can afford to dwell. It's homecoming week in Oxford, and MU will be hosting a UConn team that is off to a 2-1 start after a pair of impressive seasons in 2024 (8 wins) and 2025 (9-wins). 

Most recently, the Huskies handed Southern Miss a 48-20 defeat in Hattiesburg (MS). Quarterback Kalieb Osborne led the UConn offense, throwing for two touchdowns and running for two more. 

If Osborne's name sounds familiar . . . 

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. . . to some RedHawk fans, there is a reason. He spent two seasons at Toledo and transferred to UConn after Rockets head coach Jason Candle took over the Huskies last December. 

"They're running Toledo's offense," Martin said Monday, noting Osborne's previous UT background as an asset to the coaching transition. 

While Osborne has thus far completed 65.2 percent of his passes for 635 yards with six TDs and one interception, he also leads UConn's ground game with 31 carries for 152 yards (4.0 ypc) and four touchdowns. 

"We've got some fast guys out there that can separate, and the quarterback is finding ways to get them the football," Candle said of Osborne. "He's doing a good job of extending plays with his legs to try to (get) more time and create separation down the field."

MORE ON UCONN
•  This is the first meeting between Connecticut and Miami.
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•  UConn is one of just two FBS D-I teams still playing as an independent. Notre Dame is the other. 

• Shamar Porter tops Huskie receivers with six catches for 123 yards and two scores. Five other Huskies have one receiving touchdown. 

• Another Toledo-UConn transfer is Kenji Christian, who has logged 31 carries totaling 127 yards with one TD. 

• At least some of Candle's defensive goals are similar to what Martin and the RedHawks like to do. "We try to make the other team one dimensional if we can... and then pin our ears back and get after the quarterback," Candle said Monday. "There is a clock for every quarterback, and if you can affect that clock ... (you can) affect that (quarterback's) rhythm."

• Connecticut opened 2026 with a 56-7 drubbing of Lafayette. Osborne completed 19-of-26 for 265 yards with two TDs and one INT before yielding to backup Tucker McDonald (6/7, 105 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT). Osborne also ran eight times for 90 yards and two TDs in his Huskie debut. 

• The junior passed for two more TDs in Week Two, but UConn fell to Maryland 38-14. 

• Kicker Jack O'Connor has converted all 16 PATs and both field goal attempts, with a long of 46. 

MIAMI NOTES
• Much of Martin's frustration with last week's loss to Cincinnati revolved around the team's second half execution. After leading 28-7 at intermission, the RedHawks were outscored 28-3 over the final two quarters. 
"We proved we can play really good football against a really good team. ... We outplayed them for large stretches of that game," Martin said. "That's the frustrating thing. We had chances to put the game away on offense, defense and special teams. 
Unfortunately, "When it started swirling, we started looking like Pittsburgh again. We couldn't get lined up. We couldn't do base protections. We couldn't do some fundamental things. ...We had 15 chances to make one more play than them, and we didn't. We self-destructed on most of them."
• Even as things were going bad, Martin said. the team was still doing some things well. However, penalties, fumbles, alignment and assignment miscues tripped up offensive drives, special teams opportunities and defensive stops. 

"We executed two out of every three plays, and then we did something dumb and went backwards," Martin said. "We had 434 yards (of offense), and we could have had 550 (if we could have continued to execute)."

• Likewise on defense, inconsistent execution contributed to the point swing. By the end of the third quarter, UC was within one score. After a Miami field goal made it a 31-21 contest, Cincinnati scored two TDs. The second was Cole Tabb's 53-yard run with 1:29 remaining put UC in front 35-31.
"When I looked up at the clock ... I said there is plenty of time. No question we can get down the field on these guys," Martin recalled. 
Indeed, Miami reached Cincinnati's 33 with 43 seconds remaining. However, a fumble was recovered by UC, who kneeled out the clock. "It's the fourth quarter and its tight. ... Maybe the game is on the line. We have to find a way to execute in those circumstances," Martin said. 
• Among the brightest MU moments Saturday was the opening kickoff. Scoop Smith faked a reverse and returned the ball 98 yards for a touchdown. Martin said that in addition to Cincinnati "biting" on the reverse, Miami blockedsealed off the path, leaving only the kicker for Smith to beat. 
"Great return by Scoop, no doubt. Great design, also. That's about as clean of a KOR (kickoff return) as you're going to get," Martin said. "We pinned all our guys (inside) and Scoop was off to the races." 
• Accountability and attention to detail are keys to improving -- and getting back into the win column -- according to Martin. There "can be great lessons if everybody learns them."
• Martin remains confident in QB David McComb, who threw for 334 yards with one TD through the air and another on the ground. However, he also threw an interception and fumbled in the second half. 
"David is 1,000 percent accountable," Martin said."Every game he plays, he's going to get better. ... He's so accountable, and those are the kids that grow.  We have some kids that aren't growing as fast ... because they are still in denial of bad play."
• Miami's run game sputtered in the second half Saturday. Martin indicated he still feels "there is plenty in the run game. When we block the run game the way we're supposed to block it, (the opportunities) are there." 
• Looking ahead to Saturday, Martin said his team "has come a long way in two weeks. ... (but) We've got to play better than we played last week. That's got to be our mindset to win this game."