2008 Woodie Awards
'Hawks inch 1 step closer to MAC Championship game
Adam Hainsfurther
Issue date: 11/16/07 Section: Sports
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With 9:38 left in the fourth quarter, it was Miami's defense that scored the first and only points of the game off a fumble by Akron quarterback Carlton Jackson. The RedHawks would go on to win 7-0 and improve their MAC record to 5-1.
The win Wednesday night, coupled with a Bowling Green State University victory over the University at Buffalo this Saturday afternoon, means the RedHawks will clinch the MAC East and play in the MAC Championship game Dec. 1 in Detroit.
"That was a game last year where we don't win," Miami Head Coach Shane Montgomery said. "It was one of those games last year where we found a way to lose. It wasn't pretty. It was pretty by the defense; it wasn't pretty by the offense. To think that you'd give up those turnovers in the red zone, to think that we held them to zero points, our defense did a tremendous job."
The story at Yager Stadium was the RedHawks' overpowering defense. The team seemingly picked up where they left off two Saturdays ago when they forced a Buffalo fumble which allowed the 'Hawks to run the clock out to end the game. The defense forced three turnovers in the fourth quarter alone, including the game's only score, a seven-yard fumble recovered for a touchdown by senior defensive end Craig Mester. The touchdown was Mester's first ever.
"I couldn't have written a better script myself," Mester said. "My final game here at Yager, and it turned out the way I hoped it would and finally got a touchdown. I can't even think right now, I'm in shock right now. In the past I dropped a possible interception against Ball State (University), last year I dropped one against Western Michigan (University), the year before that I dropped one at Ohio State (University), and all the guys are teasing me all the time, calling me 'Stone Hands.' I'm just glad the ball wasn't in the air, because otherwise I probably wouldn't have caught it. Generally I'd think about landing on it, but I saw the end zone, and hoped my hands would grab a hold of (the ball) and run to the end zone."
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