'We smelled blood': Miami football remains undefeated in MAC play after downing Western Michigan

The Miami University RedHawks football team (5-3, 4-0 in conference play) won against the Western Michigan University Broncos (4-4, 3-1 in conference play) 26-17 to continue their in-conference winning streak. The two teams were undefeated going into Saturday's matchup at Yager Stadium.

An unproductive first and second quarter preceded an efficient second half. The RedHawks held Western Michigan to a field goal while scoring two touchdowns, including a two-point conversion, and a field goal in the fourth quarter.

Seventh-year quarterback Dequan Finn threw for 260 yards, his second-most of the season and most in Mid-American Conference (MAC) play, and one touchdown. He scored another touchdown on the ground with an 18-yard rush.

The remaining 12 points all came from field goals, with redshirt senior kicker Dom Dzioban kicking four, including a 51-yard one at the end of the fourth quarter to ice the game.

“Dom Dzioban is the best big-moment kicker I’ve ever been around,” head coach Chuck Martin said. “He’s ridiculous, and he’s always great, but he’s way better with pressure … Dom believes in Dom more than anybody. You can’t out-believe Dom. Second-most is Chuck Martin.”

Dzioban kept the RedHawks afloat in the first half, kicking three field goals to keep the game within one score. Western Michigan tallied two touchdowns in the same time-frame, giving the Broncos a 14-9 advantage at half.

Miami received possession and kicked a 44-yard field goal on its first drive of the game. After holding Western Michigan to a fourth down, Miami took over possession late in the first quarter. Finn led the RedHawks on a 13-play, 68-yard drive that resulted in Miami's second field goal, giving them a 6-0 lead.

The Broncos scored their first points in the second quarter when redshirt sophomore quarterback Broc Lowry found graduate student receiver Tailique Williams deep in the endzone for a 43-yard touchdown to put Western Michigan 7-6.

Redshirt senior running back Jordan Brunson broke off a 46-yard run on the first play of Miami’s next drive. However, the RedHawks couldn’t convert on third-and-6, sending Dzioban out for his third field goal of the day to put Miami up by two.

The Broncos responded quickly when senior running back Devin Miles returned a kickoff for 72 yards to put them in the red zone immediately. Six plays later, graduate student tight-end Michael Brescia punched in a 2-yard rushing touchdown to add seven to their score.

Western Michigan wasted seven minutes off the clock with a 15-play drive in the third quarter, ending in a field goal to widen its lead 17-9. The two teams traded punts, and after a deflected pass by redshirt senior linebacker Corban Hondru, Miami started the fourth quarter with possession.

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Finn found redshirt junior receiver Kam Perry 36 yards down the field to put the RedHawks at the opposing 5-yard line. Redshirt senior tight end Brian Shane caught Finn’s 3-yard touchdown pass, but a failed two-point conversion attempt kept Western Michigan ahead 17-15.

Following the RedHawk touchdown, the Broncos returned the kickoff 43 yards to set them up at midfield. However, a fumble by Miles pushed them back to second-and-18. Following an incompletion, Lowry scrambled on third down for 14 yards, but redshirt sophomore punter Ryan Millmore was brought out to give Miami the ball at its own 12-yard line.

Facing a third-and-10, Finn scrambled for 11 yards to keep the drive alive. He found Perry for another deep pass 50 yards down the field, and he scrambled for an 18-yard touchdown on the next play. Finn completed a pass to Perry at the goal line for the two-point conversion to put Miami up 23-17 with less than five minutes on the clock.

“We had a mismatch on Kam Perry,” Finn said. “I got 100% faith in him. He’s making plays consistently, and that’s one of my guys … [He] made a big time play on that, props to him, and after that, we just kept capitalizing. That’s when we really sucked all the energy out of them. After that, we smelled blood.”

In the post game press conference, Martin said Perry’s pass was the turning point for the game. The RedHawks continued their onslaught throughout the fourth quarter while keeping the Broncos away from the scoreboard.

On a Western Michigan second-and-15, redshirt junior defensive lineman Adam Trick forced a fumble on a Lowry pass attempt that was picked up by redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Roosevelt Andrews III. The turnover gave Miami possession up six with under three minutes in the game.

The RedHawks faced a fourth-and-5 after running the clock to the two-minute warning. Dzioban nailed a 51-yard field goal, his fourth of the day, to put Miami up by two scores 26-17.

Miami stifled the Broncos’ last offensive drive and took victory formation in the last minute, extending its winning streak to five games and staying undefeated in conference play.

The 5-3 RedHawks will face the in-conference rival Ohio University Bobcats (5-3, 3-1 in conference play) on the road on Nov. 4, their first midweek MACtion game of the season.

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