Preview: Miami football hits the road once again to face Rutgers

This week’s schedule doesn’t get any better for the Miami University football team (0-1), as the RedHawks are once again on the road to face a Big Ten opponent, this time the Rutgers University Scarlet Knights on Sept. 6.

Last week’s season opener against the University of Wisconsin-Madison Badgers found Miami trailing 3-0 by halftime. However, two touchdowns for the Badgers in the second half and mistakes on offense kept the RedHawks down 17-0 by the end of the fourth quarter.

At a press conference on Sept. 1, Miami head coach Chuck Martin said the team was largely uninjured by the Wisconsin game, a requirement if the RedHawks want a fighting chance against Rutgers.

“Moving forward to Rutgers, obviously, it’s a different challenge,” Martin said. “Offensively, a totally different animal than the team we just played from a style and experience [standpoint], and they got a lot of guys back on offense that were really good a year ago. They run it, they throw it, they’re really physical.”

The Scarlet Knights will welcome their second consecutive Mid-American Conference (MAC) opponent after facing the Ohio University Bobcats, last year’s conference champion, at SHI Stadium.

Rutgers played a dominant second quarter against Ohio, scoring 24 points, including a touchdown after returning a blocked punt. The Scarlet Knights extended their lead over the Bobcats 31-17, but a scoreless third quarter for the home team allowed the visiting MAC team to even the game 31-31.

With the ball in their hands at the start of the fourth quarter, the Scarlet Knights retook the lead after senior kicker Jai Patel nailed his 26-yard field goal. Ohio was forced to punt on its next drive, and Rutgers ran the clock to take their 34-31 win.

Senior quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis threw 252 yards and two touchdowns while maintaining a 78.3% completion rate (18 completions on 23 attempts). As the starter last season, Kaliakmanis finished with 18 touchdowns and 2,696 yards total.

Kaliakmanis favored junior receiver Ian Strong, who had seven receptions for 100 yards against the Bobcats. Sophomore KJ Duff and senior DT Sheffield caught a touchdown each and combined for 139 yards.

The Scarlet Knights began the 2024 season with four-straight wins, but they quickly returned to .500 after dropping their next four matchups, including a 42-7 decision to Wisconsin. They won their final regular season game against the Michigan State University Spartans to take ninth place in the Big Ten. Rutgers earned a spot at the Rate Bowl, where it lost by three points to the Kansas State University Wildcats.

Kaliakmanis, a former transfer from the University of Minnesota, returned in 2025 alongside Strong and Duff, giving the Scarlet Knights familiar quarterback-receiver connections from the jump. Rutgers did lose its leading receiver, Dymere Miller, who is now a New York Jet. Miller compiled 737 yards and four touchdowns last season.

Running backs Antwon Raymond and Samuel Brown V also rejoined Rutgers after last year’s campaign. Last week, Raymond rushed for 87 yards and one touchdown. 2024’s leading running back on the roster, Kyle Monangai, who finished the season with 1,279 yards and 13 touchdowns, was drafted in the seventh round by the Chicago Bears.

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The Scarlet Knights played a close game against Ohio. For Miami to have a chance in its second-straight game on the road against a Big Ten team, the RedHawks will need to correct their mistakes on offense against Wisconsin while maintaining their strong defensive showing from last week.

This weekend’s matchup will be the first meeting between Miami and Rutgers. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. EST in Piscataway, New Jersey, and the game will be streamed on Peacock.

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