Miami (OH) Week 1 Review: RedHawks fall to Northwestern in Evanston
By: Jack Mueller
The Northwestern Wildcats christened their new stadium on the shores of Lake Michigan with a win over Miami University on Saturday. The RedHawks fell to their Big Ten foes by a score of 13-6.
The story of the game was the superb debut of Northwestern quarterback Mike Wright. The fifth year signal caller spent three years at Vanderbilt before transferring to Mississippi State for the 2023 season. His start in Evanston was the 15th of his career, and arguably his most impressive since his days with the Commodores.
Wright went 10-18 in the air for 178 yards, connecting most often with senior Bryce Kirtz. The wideout caught six passes for 91 yards, representing over 51% of the team's offense through the air. Kirtz has spent his entire collegiate career at Northwestern, and was second in receiving yards for the Wildcats in 2023 with 701.
The experienced quarterback was just as impressive on the ground as well. He added 65 yards on the ground in nine attempts, reaching the end zone on a shotgun scramble from 13 yards out for the only touchdown of the game.
The story outside the game is what dominated the dialogue around the matchup though. Northwestern unveiled its brand new, temporary, football stadium on the shores of Lake Michigan. The backdrop of the city of Chicago and the boats on Lake Michigan during a picturesque late-summer day made for a gorgeous viewing experience for those in attendance.
The 12,000+ seater Martin stadium will host select Wildcat football games for the next two seasons following the demolition of Ryan Field. The new facility was constructed in just 65 days, after internal discussions for alternate venues fell through. Despite the (much) smaller capacity in comparison to other Big Ten mega-stadiums, the overwhelming majority of the dialogue around the stadium was positive.
On the field, there were positives for Chuck Martin’s team, but not enough to leave Chicago with a win. Miami had chances to turn the game on its head, but Northwestern’s defense held firm despite the RedHawks threatening to reach the end zone throughout the game. The Wildcats were able to put pressure on quarterback Brett Gabbert throughout the game, which prevented the RedHawks from finding a rhythm on offense. The sixth-year QB was sacked four times, and Miami was tackled behind the line of scrimmage five times.
As good as the defensive pressure was in front for Northwestern, the story was in the secondary. Just when it looked like Miami had a chance to bring themselves level, defensive backs Evan Smith and Robert Fitzgerald came up with timely interceptions to seal the game for the Wildcats.
With the RedHawks down ten to open the fourth quarter, Miami’s drive was off to a good start. Gabbert connected with Purdue transfer Dylan Downing in the backfield for a first down, then followed up with a 16 yard dime to veteran tight end Jack Coldiron. With Miami at the fifty yard line on third and long, Gabbert’s pass was just out of Javon Tracy’s reach, hitting off of the sophomore’s fingertips and into the hands of Smith just beyond him.
The RedHawks’ defense held firm though, preventing Northwestern from extending the lead. Miami forced the Wildcats into a three and out, giving Gabbert and the Miami offense a chance to cut the lead. They did just that, going on an eight-play, 62 yard drive capped off by a field goal by Dom Dzioban from the seven-yard-line. Dzioban was making his debut as a placekicker, and went 2-3 on field goals (made from 26 and 43, missed from 50).
Gabbert & co. got the ball back down seven with just under three minutes to go after Northwestern kicker Jack Olsen missed a field goal from 45 yards. The RedHawks started to build momentum, grabbing three consecutive first downs behind two catches by Reggie Virgil and a third by Arizona State transfer Andre Johnson.
That would be the end of the line for Miami though, as Dylan Downing was stopped on the 35 yard line for a short gain, leaving the RedHawks with a 2nd and 9 with less than a minute to go. Gabbert looked for his man beyond the first down marker, but his throw missed the mark, and Robert Fitzgerald snagged the ball to seal the win for the Wildcats.
Mike Wright would then reach the first down marker on a keeper to the right side, allowing the clock to run down to zero, sealing an impressive win over the 2023 MAC Champions. Northwestern will hope to build on the win when they host the Duke Blue Devils next week.
Looking forward, there are plenty of positives for Miami to build on. The defensive unit is as good as advertised. Matt Salopek and Ty Wise will be the focal points of the group all season, but there are other names who could break out in 2024. Brian Ugwu and Raion Strader both made crucial plays, the former recovering a fumble and the latter breaking up a would-be touchdown in the end zone.
The RedHawks forced four TFL’s (two by Ugwu) and recovered two fumbles. Those impact plays will be crucial for Miami during their gauntlet of a non-conference schedule. Both Cincinnati and Notre Dame were very impressive in their opening games, so the MAC’s best defense in 2023 will have to be in midseason form in the coming weeks.
There were some flashes of an explosive offense, but question marks remain about how Miami will live up to their rushing attack of last season. The RedHawks managed just 69 yards on the ground against Northwestern, a far cry from their 158.1 per game in 2023. Jordan Brunson led the way with 34 yards on the ground, with Downing and Keyon Mozee adding 14 and 13 respectively.
Veteran back, and expected replacement for 1,000+ yard rusher Rashad Amos, Kenny Tracy was reported as out for the season ahead of Saturday’s game. His loss was felt on the field in Evanston. The run game was crucial to Miami’s success in 2023. While it would be greedy to expect the same dominance in 2024, a return to form in the coming weeks would definitely help Miami’s chances against their next opponents.
Despite the turnovers, Brett Gabbert looked sharp. Neither interception was an egregious mistake, the first being a tip drill and the second being an excellent play on a crossing route by the defensive back. His partnership with Cade McDonald was as strong as ever. The two connected for eight catches and 105 yards, the most of any player on the field. The RedHawks will have to get more consistent, as they only reached the red zone once on ten offensive drives, but there are building blocks for future success.
Miami will have a week off to prepare for their biggest home game of the season. The RedHawks and Yager Stadium will play host to the Cincinnati Bearcats on September 14th as Miami will look to win their second consecutive game against their rivals.