MIAMI FOOTBALL

Clutch kicks lift RedHawks to homecoming win

Alec Bevelhimer holds as Dom Dzioban kicks one of his three field goals. (MVSmith/MRO)

By MIKE SMITH
OXFORD, OH -- Dom Dzioban's time had come.
After waiting in the wings behind 2023 Lou Groza Award winner Graham Nicholson, Dzioban stepped on center stage in the closing moments of Miami's homecoming tilt against UMass Saturday at Yager Stadium. Not only did he save the Miami moment with a game-tying 47-yard field goal as time expired, he followed that with a 43-yard boot in overtime to seal a 23-20 come-from-behind victory.

Miami's second overtime win in two years (UC last year) was its first victory of 2024 ... and it came very close to slipping away on a rainy day when UMass quarterback Taisun Phommachanh put his team in a position to win with 10 fourth quarter points. 

CJ Hester's 1-yard run at 8:11 tied the . . . 

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MORE GAME PICTURES TO COME . . . 

. . . game at 17-all. One drive later, Jacob Lurie kicked a 23-yard field goal to give UMass a 20-17 lead with just 40 seconds remaining. Phommachanh was instrumental in both journeys, running four times for 30 yards on the touchdown drive and four more for 17 yards in the time-consuming field goal drive. On the day, Phommachanh logged a game-high 18 carries, netting 80 yards. 

Wide receiver Andre Johnson sprints down the sideline for a big gain. (MVSmith/MRO)

CLOCK MANAGEMENT 
Even as the Minutemen closed in for their go-ahead field goal, Miami was forced to use its remaining time outs. Starting on the MU 25, Gabbert and running back Kevin Davis combined for five completions near the sideline. The only other play was a 5-yard Gabbert run. 

The last pass to Davis put Miami at the Minutemen 28. Dzioban came on and, after a UMass timeout, booted the career-long 47-yarder just inside the right upright as time expired.  

UMass got the ball first in overtime and picked up a first down on two runs. After an illegal formation penalty, Phommachanh hit Jakobie Keeney-James inside the five. He made one quick move on the defender and appeared to score. However, UMass was flagged for ineligible player, nullifying the progress and putting the visitors back at the MU 26. 

After an incompletion, Lurie came on for a 44-yard attempt, which went wide right.

Miami, in turn, was still on the 25 after three plays. Dzioban entered and hit the 43-yard game-winner. 

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Linebacker Jackson Kuwatch takes down a UMass ballcarrier. (MVSmith/MRO)

Keyon Mozee ran nine times for 114 yards. He scored one touchdown and set up another with a 66-yard run. (MVSmith/MRO)

FIRST HALF
Miami had its best rushing day of the season, totaling 168 yards on the day. Keyon Mozee led the way with nine carries for 114 yards. A chunk of that came on a 27-yard first quarter TD run that opened scoring at 6:27. 

UMass struck back quickly. Although Phommachanh completed just 9 of 22 pass attempts on the day, several were big plays. His 64-yard toss to Keeney-James at 2:39 tied the score. 

Both teams hit field goals to make it 10-10. Miami then put together a promising drive just before intermission. However, after picking up a first down at the UMass 14, back-to-back plays brought an end to the opportunity for at least some points. First, the RedHawks were flagged for intentional grounding. That moved the ball back to the 22. Gabbert went to the air again on the next play, but that pass was picked off just short of the end zone.  It was the game's only turnover. Miami reached the redzone on two other occasions and cashed in for points. The Minutemen were also 2 of 3 in the redzone.

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Javon Tracy secures his third quarter TD reception. (MVSmith/MRO)

SECOND HALF
The second half started with a series of punts, However, MU finally broke through for the third period's only score at 3:11. Mozee's 66-yard burst to the UMass nine set the stage. Two plays later, Gabbert threw to the corner and Javon Tracy pulled the ball in for a TD. 

MU took its 17-10 lead to the fourth quarter, but UMass rallied for 10 points to grab the lead with under a minute to play. Miami then put together a final drive to set up Dzioban's crucial kick. 

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Brian Ugwu (8) comes in to help Oscar McWood (23) bring down Jalen John. (MVSmith/MRO)