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The RedHawks had their closest loss this season during Homecoming Weekend, losing to Northern Illinois University 27-22. Redshirt freshman quarterback Zac Dysert threw for a career-high 348 yards and three touchdowns, and junior wide receiver Armand Robinson had a career-high 123 yards receiving to go with two touchdowns.
The Huskies jumped out to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter, but the RedHawks cut the lead to 10 right before heading into halftime. After a scoreless third quarter, junior placekicker Trevor Cook hit a 32-yard field goal with just under 13 minutes remaining in regulation.
After a Huskie field goal with just more than six minutes remaining extended the lead back to ten, Dysert drove the RedHawks down the field and hit junior Jamal Rogers with a 4-yard touchdown pass in the corner of the end zone with less than two minutes remaining in the game. Cook's extra point was blocked though, and the ensuing onside kick was recovered by the Huskies.
The RedHawks had one last chance to get the ball back for a last second drive, but on the second play from scrimmage after the onside kick, NIU junior Chad Spann ran for a 40-yard touchdown that essentially put the game out of reach for Miami. The RedHawks were able to score on a 24-yard touchdown pass from Dysert to Robinson as time expired, but no extra point was attempted since it would not have changed the outcome of the game.
"I think the guys played really hard and really competed," Miami Head Coach Mike Haywood said. "They played a little bit more physical then we have in the past, especially the defense."
Miami held the Huskies to 27 points, the second lowest total put up against the RedHawks this year. Junior linebacker Jerrell Wedge led Miami with nine tackles, while freshman defensive back Justin Bowers had a career-high eight tackles along with one sack and a forced fumble that Miami recovered.
The RedHawks did not turnover the ball all game long, something they had not been able to do up to this point in the season.
However, for the first time since 2005, Miami had negative rushing yards to finish the game.
Miami's special teams struggled throughout the game, as Cook missed two out of three field goals, one of which was blocked, in addition to having his extra point attempt blocked late in the fourth quarter.
"We didn't play well all day on special teams," Haywood said. "It's always a concern because you want to win every game on special teams, at least win that phase of the game. We didn't do very well on our P.A.T. and field goals."
The RedHawks had numerous missed opportunities to score against the Huskies. However, the offense started to move the ball much better after the first quarter, allowing them to work their way back into
the game.
"I think offensively we started playing physical towards the start of the second quarter," Haywood said. "We didn't start off the game as we would have liked to."
Meanwhile, Dysert had an outstanding game, leading the RedHawks on multiple scoring drives to keep Miami in the game.
"As the game went on I felt I settled down a little bit," Dysert said. "I took what the defense gave me and didn't try to force anything."
Northern Illinois has now won five straight games against Miami. This loss extends the RedHawks' school-record losing streak to 13 games.
Miami hosts the Toledo Rockets at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Yager Stadium.
