Tag: Redhawks

Fresno State stands between Miami (Ohio) and back-to-back Arizona Bowl crowns

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Miami (Ohio) will try to win the Arizona Bowl for the second straight year when it meets Fresno State in the first meeting between the schools on Saturday afternoon in Tucson.

The RedHawks (7-6) defeated Colorado State 43-17 at the University of Arizona last season to cap their fifth straight year in a postseason bowl game.

“We loved it last year,” said Miami coach Chuck Martin. “We were very, very excited that we got to go again.”

The RedHawks experienced their share of adversity before returning to Tucson. They began the season 0-3. Then seventh-year starting quarterback Dequan Finn, who was on his third college team, departed in mid-November to begin training for the NFL Draft.

Henry Hesson, a fourth-year senior with Miami, was given the first shot at the starting role, but freshman Thomas Gotkowski quickly passed him by and led the RedHawks to back-to-back wins against Buffalo and Ball State that advanced them to their third straight MAC championship game.

In four games, Gotkowski has completed 32 of 64 passes for 503 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. He also has rushed for 99 yards and one score.

“I always expected to see the field at some point,” Gotkowski said. “My mentality going into the season was, ‘Let’s prepare at a high level in case that opportunity comes sooner than you think.’ It may come today, may come tomorrow, but let’s be in a position where I’m able to execute at a high level and know the game plan whenever that moment comes.”

Miami also has a solid ground game led by senior Jordan Brunson, who has rushed for 724 yards and four touchdowns this season while averaging 4.7 yards per carry.

The Bulldogs (8-4) are bowl-eligible for the fifth season in a row after holding their opponents to 293.5 yards per game, their fewest in a season since 1988.

Simeon Harris has five interceptions for Fresno State while Finn Claypool has racked up 6 1/2 sacks in his first year playing at the Football Bowl Subdivision level. He stacked up 30.5 sacks in four years at FCS Drake.

E.J. Warner, the son of NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner, started the first seven games for Fresno State before he was benched in favor of sophomore Carson Conklin.

The Bulldogs were shut out for the first time at their home stadium in Conklin’s debut, so Warner eventually won back the starting job for the final two games of the regular season.

“We know what’s at stake,” Fresno State coach Matt Entz said. “Our guys have shown all year they can rise to the occasion. Now it’s about executing for four quarters.”

Entz has already earned $110,000 in bonuses for winning eight games and qualifying for a bowl game. He can pocket another $45,000 with an Arizona Bowl win.

Entz, who came to Fresno State this season after serving as the assistant head coach for defense and linebackers coach at USC last season, knows the type of player he wants in his program.

“The things that we look for are high character, intelligence in the classroom and on the field, athleticism, and a level of toughness to fit into our program,” Entz said. “We don’t skip the work and we don’t skip the development at Fresno State. So, if you’re looking for a place where you’re going to show up and move right into a playing role, this isn’t it. You’ve got to come earn it at Fresno State.”

–Field Level Media

Rutgers Scarlet Knights quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis (16), runs with the ball, Thursday, August 28, 2025.

Rutgers aims for better defensive effort against Miami (Ohio)

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Rutgers’ identity, particularly under second-term head coach Greg Schiano, is to run the ball and play tough, physical defense to win its games.

Last week’s 34-31 win over Ohio in the season opener was an anomaly as the Scarlet Knights scored 31 points in the first half, passed efficiently and averaged 14 yards per completion, but had trouble stopping a Mid-American Conference foe.

Rutgers will try to keep its offensive explosive while making improvements defensively on Saturday when it hosts another MAC opponent, Miami of Ohio.

“We have work to do to improve, right? We’ve got to make fundamental improvements,” Schiano said. “Miami’s played for the MAC championship the last two years. They’re going to play hard and we have to be ready.”

Quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis hit a career-best 18 of 23 passes last week against Ohio for 252 yards and two touchdowns. Running backs Antwan Raymond and CJ Campbell Jr. combined for 158 yards on the ground, with Raymond scoring a touchdown.

But the Knights must get better on defense. They yielded 440 total yards, permitting more than 200 rushing and 200 passing.

Ohio rallied from a 31-17 halftime deficit by outscoring Rutgers 14-0 in the third quarter to tie the game. Jai Patel’s 26-yard field goal with 11:11 remaining accounted for the only points of the fourth quarter, and came on the Scarlet Knights’ 14-play, 67-yard drive that took 7:56 off the clock.

Miami started its season last week with a 17-0 loss at Wisconsin, playing a good defensive game but gaining just 117 yards and seven first downs on offense.

Quarterback Dequan Finn, in his seventh year of eligibility, was held to 83 yards (9 of 18, two interceptions) in the air and 13 net yards on the ground (12 carries).

Finn, who previously starred at Toledo and then transferred to Baylor, where he lost his starting job after three games last year, has been responsible for 93 career touchdowns. But he’s also one of 11 new offensive starters for coach Chuck Martin’s RedHawks.

“DQ’s played a lot of football, (sixth-year running back) Kenny Tracy’s played a lot of football and that’s it,” Martin said about his offense. “(redshirt senior Deion) Colzie’s played some football. Everyone else out there, this was their first go-around, and it looked like it at times.

“There is enough talent there, enough pride there and enough character there,” added Martin, the Redhawks’ head coach since the 2014 season.

This will be the first meeting of the programs.

–Field Level Media

Wisconsin quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. (9) is shown during spring football practice Wednesday, April 23, 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin. Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Wisconsin unveils new QB, RB and OC against Miami (Ohio)

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Visiting Miami (Ohio) should provide a solid measuring stick for the Wisconsin Badgers and coach Luke Fickell, looking to bounce back from a disappointing season, in the nonconference opener for both teams Thursday night in Madison, Wis.

Wisconsin dropped its final five games last season to finish 5-7 in Fickell’s second year at the helm, snapping a streak of 22 consecutive winning seasons.

Miami, 9-5 last season, has appeared in the last two MAC championship games. The RedHawks lost to Ohio 38-3 in the conference title game last year, then defeated Colorado State 43-17 in the Arizona Bowl.

Wisconsin, which averaged just 22.6 points per game last season, has some major changes on offense. Jeff Grimes, offensive coordinator at Kansas last season, replaces Phil Longo in the same role.

For the third consecutive season under Fickell, the Badgers will have a veteran transfer starting at quarterback. Billy Edwards Jr. threw for 2,881 yards with 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions for Maryland last season, completing 65 percent of his passes.

Redshirt freshman Dilin Jones has been tabbed the starter at running back, with returnees Darrion Dupree (317 yards) and Cade Yacamelli (274 yards) as back-ups.

The Badgers will be without injured tight end Tucker Ashcraft vs. Miami.

“Ultimately, game one in particular, is about focusing on yourself,” Fickell said Monday. “For us, it’s about us going out there playing with some confidence and playing clean. We’ve got a lot to prove to ourselves.”

The RedHawks also will rely on a veteran transfer at quarterback, seventh-year senior Dequan Finn, who was at Baylor last seasons after five years at MAC rival Toledo.

Finn started the first two games at Baylor last season before suffering a shoulder injury. At Toledo, Finn passed for 7,074 yards and 63 touchdowns, while adding 1,840 yards rushing with 25 scores and was the MAC’s Most Valuable Player in 2023.

The RedHawks are still trying to figure out their rotations, coach Chuck Martin said last week.

“We’ve still got a hodgepodge mess of talented kids that are inconsistent,” Martin said. “We’re going to play a ton of Wisconsin on offense. I think there’s definitely some guys that we know on defense, our elder statesmen on defense, that are our guys.”

The Badgers face a tough challenge to improve under Fickell, 12-13 in his first two full seasons after going 53-10 in his final five seasons at Cincinnati, including one College Football Playoff appearance.

After home games against Miami and Middle Tennessee, the Badgers travel to eighth-ranked Alabama — the first of six games against teams in the preseason top 20, including four on the road.

It will be the first meeting between Wisconsin and the RedHawks since 2015 when the Badgers rolled to a 58-0 victory at home.

–Field Level Media

Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback Brendan Sorsby (2) throws a touchdown pass in the first quarter of the College Football game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and the Towson Tigers at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024.

Miami (OH) out to retain upper hand vs. rival Cincinnati

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For the first time since 2006, Miami (OH) enters its rivalry game against visiting Cincinnati with the Victory Bell in their possession.

The Redhawks (0-1) will try to hold onto the prized trophy over consecutive seasons for the first time since 2003 when they won their third straight over the Bearcats (1-1).

The series is deadlocked, with each team holding 60 wins and seven ties heading into Saturday’s game at Oxford, Ohio.

The long, storied rivalry that dates to 1888 could end with the 2026 game, as both schools canceled all future games on campus, including 2025 at Cincinnati. The 2026 contest is scheduled for Paycor Stadium, home of the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals, and this week’s game is the final matchup scheduled for Miami’s campus.

Last year, the Redhawks rallied to tie the game at 24-all, then won 31-24 in overtime after ending regulation with a block on a 35-yard field goal attempt from Bearcats kicker Carter Brown. The win snapped Cincinnati’s 16-game win streak in the matchup.

This year, both teams enter the game off losses. Miami fell at Northwestern 13-6 on Aug. 31. Cincinnati opened with a 38-20 home win over Towson before blowing a 27-6 third-quarter lead and losing 28-27 to visiting Pitt last Saturday.

“Right after the game, there was so much positivity up there already, even after a hard loss like that,” Bearcats center Gavin Gerhardt said. “And I think myself and a lot of guys have taken pride in and not allowing what happened last year in our program, the poutiness and whatnot, to happen anymore.

“This is a big rivalry game for us. And I think a lot of us older guys and the guys that have been here and have played Miami before last season even are taking a lot of pride in bringing that Bell back to Cincinnati. So that’s a big game for us. We’re not worried about Houston (next Saturday) at all. We’re worried about Miami.”

Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby, a transfer from Indiana, has thrown five touchdowns and run for two scores in the first two games.

“They’ve got a ton of new players, a ton of new transfers offensively. They rolled up (658) yards against Towson, and the quarterback they’ve got, he’s really athletic,” Miami head coach Chuck Martin said. “He’s got a rifle arm. This guy can throw it, make all the throws. They’ve got a lot of different ways to attack you in the run game and then throw the ball over your head defensively.”

–Field Level Media

Aug 31, 2024; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Northwestern Wildcats running back Cam Porter (1) runs against the Miami (Oh) Redhawks during the first half at Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Northwestern holds off Miami (Ohio) in low-scoring affair

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Mike Wright passed for 178 yards and ran for 65 yards and a touchdown in his team debut to lift host Northwestern to a 13-6 season-opening win over Miami (Ohio) on Saturday in Evanston, Ill.

Northwestern regrouped from a sluggish start, driving 62 yards in eight plays on its first drive of the second half for the game’s lone touchdown.

Wright, a Mississippi State transfer, punctuated the possession with a 13-yard scoring run up the middle to put the Wildcats up 10-3 with 9:42 left in the third quarter. A 25-yard pass down the left side to Thomas Gordon set up the touchdown.

Miami made its only trip to the red zone on the day in the fourth quarter, capitalizing on a six-yard pass from Brett Gabbert to Cade McDonald and an ensuing roughing the passing penalty. The drive stalled inside the Wildcats’ 10 as the Redhawks settled for a 26-yard Dom Dzioban field goal with 7:28 remaining to draw Miami within the final margin.

Robert Fitzgerald sealed the victory when he intercepted Gabbert at the Northwestern 25 with 57 seconds to go.

Jack Olsen kicked field goals of 45 and 38 yards for the Wildcats, who outgained the Redhawks 328-267.

Gabbert was 22-for-37 for 227 yards and two interceptions. Jordan Brunson led the ground game with 33 yards on eight carries and McDonald had eight receptions for 105 yards.

Bryce Kirtz caught six passes for 91 yards for Northwestern while Cam Porter had 63 yards on 13 carries. Wright was 18-of-30 passing.

The schools traded field goals in an uneven first half.

Northwestern opened the scoring on a 45-yard Olsen field goal with 7:21 remaining in the first quarter. The Redhawks answered just under six minutes later on Dzioban’s 43-yarder.

Early turnovers hampered the Wildcats. After losing just one fumble during all of last season, Northwestern lost two – both by Wright – in the second quarter. Dzioban was short on a 50-yard field goal attempt after the first fumble.

The second occurred on a keeper at the Redhawks’ 1-yard line, one play after a nine-yard Porter run brought the Wildcats to the doorstep of the end zone.

Northwestern is playing home games in a temporary stadium on campus for the next two seasons as the university renovates the Wildcats’ longtime home, Ryan Field.

–Field Level Media

Sep 17, 2022; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Northwestern Wildcats running back Evan Hull (26) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Southern Illinois Salukis during the first half at Ryan Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Northwestern attempts to snap skid vs. Miami (Ohio)

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Northwestern believes it has as good a shot as any to finish atop the West Division in the Big Ten Conference.

The Wildcats will try to continue working toward that long-range goal when they host Miami (Ohio) in their final nonconference game on Saturday night in Evanston, Ill.

Northwestern (1-2) has opened the season with three straight games that ended in one-possession differences, winning the first 31-28 against Nebraska in Dublin, Ireland. However, a 31-23 loss to Duke and a 31-24 setback against Southern Illinois have stifled momentum.

“We can choose to be whatever we want to be,” Wildcats coach Pat Fitzgerald said. “We could be a team that achieves goals and fights and learns from these things, or you can go the other way, and the other way is not the alternative that we’re going to allow. So the pedal will be down.”

Northwestern quarterback Ryan Hilinski threw for 435 yards against Duke two weeks ago and running back Evan Hull leads the nation with an average of 217.3 all-purpose yards per game, but Fitzgerald was disappointed with how the offense performed in the loss to Southern Illinois last week.

“We just seemed to have way too much inconsistency offensively with ball security, our inability to kind of hit explosives like we had been through the first couple weeks,” Fitzgerald said.

Miami (1-2) will be trying to bounce back after giving up 31 unanswered points in a 38-17 loss to Cincinnati last week.

It was the RedHawks’ 16th consecutive loss against the Bearcats.

“We’re not a good team yet,” Miami coach Chuck Martin said on Monday.

RedHawks quarterback Aveon Smith will make his third straight start in place of Brett Gabbert, a third-team All-Mid-American Conference pick last season who has an injury to his non-throwing shoulder. Gabbert likely will be sidelined the rest of the season.

Smith was 9-for-21 for 116 yards with two touchdowns and an interception against Cincinnati.

“‘AV’ continues to grow,” Martin said. “With a new starting quarterback, the package shrinks down a little bit, but his execution is getting better. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”

–Field Level Media

Hunter Dekkers stands for a photo during Iowa State Football media day at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022.

Iowa State, SE Missouri State face off with new QBs

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Iowa State could use a fresh start and the Cyclones should receive that in several ways as the season begins.

Coming off a series of disappointing results last year, Iowa State begins a season of redemption with Saturday afternoon’s game against visiting Southeast Missouri State in Ames, Iowa.

“We still think we have some solid depth and you’re going to need it,” Iowa State coach Matt Campbell said. “We’ll see when the lights come on and you have to go play.”

Iowa State went 7-6 last year, losing three of its last four games.

Iowa State and Southeast Missouri each are breaking in a new starting quarterback.

Redshirt sophomore Hunter Dekkers takes over for Iowa State.

“It’s definitely a different mindset going into this,” Dekkers said. “There are certain parts of my game that are underrated that people haven’t seen because I haven’t been on the field (very much).”

Dekkers said he has altered his body to be more sleek after shedding some pounds. With nutrition and weight training, “I’ve completely transformed my body,” he said.

The Cyclones don’t want much change from defensive end Will McDonald IV, who’s a preseason All-American. A redshirt senior, he already holds the school career record with 29 sacks.

Paxton DeLaurent, a 6-foot-5 transfer from Central Methodist, won the quarterback battle to be Southeast Missouri’s starter. He unseated CJ Ogbonna, who started every game last year for the Redhawks.

“Paxton is a lot more athletic than you would think being so long and tall,” offensive coordinator Jeromy McDowell said. “He can process in a hurry and that allows him to anticipate throws and use all his weapons.”

Last season for Central Methodist, DeLaurent threw 25 touchdown passes and rushed for a team-high 553 yards with seven touchdowns.

Southeast Missouri coach Tom Matukewicz said there will be situations when multiple quarterbacks will be critical parts of the game plan. Despite being a newcomer, DeLaurent has looked comfortable.

“He has stepped up several times and manages our offense well,” Matukewicz said.

This will be the first meeting Southeast Missouri-Iowa State meeting. It’s only the third time the Redhawks will take on a team from the Big 12 Conference, with the other two resulting in 2014 and 2017 losses to Kansas State.

–Field Level Media