Preview: Miami football continues conference play against Akron on the road

The Miami University RedHawks football team (2-3, 1-0 in conference play) is on the road once more for the second week of Mid-American Conference (MAC) play. The RedHawks face the University of Akron Zips (2-4, 1-1 in conference play) at InfoCision Stadium on Oct. 11 at noon.

Miami took its second-straight win over the Northern Illinois University Huskies on Oct. 4 to open up conference play. The RedHawks finished their non-conference slate the week prior with a win over Lindenwood University before playing the Huskies as a conference opponent for the final time.

Despite going down 14-0 halfway through the first quarter, the RedHawks rebounded and reduced their deficit to 14-10 going into half. Within five seconds of the third quarter, redshirt senior safety Silas Walters got his hands on an NIU pass, deflecting it to redshirt freshman defensive back Koy Beasley and giving Miami the ball after starting on defense early in the second half.

The RedHawks dominated in the second half, with redshirt senior placekicker Dom Dzioban adding a field goal and redshirt freshman defensive back Jermaine Agee blocking a punt for a safety. The safety allowed seventh-year quarterback Dequan Finn to throw his first touchdown against a MAC opponent this season.

When the time ran down, Miami was up 25-14, giving the RedHawks their second-straight win and first win of conference play.

The RedHawks now face a Zips team that returned to .500 in MAC play after winning 28-22 against Central Michigan University Chippewas.

Akron entered its matchup against Central Michigan following a 45-3 loss on the road against the University of Toledo Rockets on Sept. 27.

MAC matchups tend to be harder to win for road teams, with home teams having significant advantages in a league where any team can win on a given weekend.

“Teams are very even, budgets are very even: You don’t have crazy disparities within the league,” Miami head coach Chuck Martin said. “There's not a huge talent gap, that's why so many different teams have won this league. It's so hard to win this league, and that's what makes it so much fun to be a part of.”

Redshirt senior quarterback Ben Finley returned as the starter for the Zips after throwing for 2,604 yards, 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions last season. Finley currently ranks third in the conference with 946 yards, and he has seven touchdowns and three interceptions so far.

The Zips lost their best receiver from 2024, Adrian Norton, who transferred to Marshall University. Finley has relied on redshirt freshman receiver Kyan Mason, who has 266 yards and two touchdowns this year, as well as redshirt sophomore receiver Israel Polk, who has 193 yards and matches Mason with two touchdowns.

Akron has relied heavily on its ground game with 843 total rushing yards. Jordan Gant leads the way, having scored three of the Zips’ four rushing touchdowns and ranking fourth in the MAC with 476 yards.

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The 45-3 blowout against Toledo made the Central Michigan matchup that much more vital for the Zips. They evened their conference record to 1-1 thanks to back-to-back 14-point quarters in the second and third.

Finley played his best game of the season with 252 yards and a season-high three touchdowns. He favored Mason for five receptions and one touchdown, and he found four different receivers in the endzone.

Miami holds a 23-9-1 record over Akron, with its last matchup ending in a 19-0 shutout on Nov. 8, 2023. The RedHawks have won the last seven games in the series.

Kickoff is scheduled for noon on Oct. 11 in Akron. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.

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