By Pete Conrad, Staff Writer
Updated 12:18 AM Friday, January 7, 2011
MOBILE, Ala. — Miami University’s football team, a mixed bag of veterans who have been through hard times and freshmen who helped rejuvenate them, made history Thursday night by completing one of the more dramatic turnarounds in college football history.
The RedHawks defeated the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders 35-21 in the GoDaddy.com Bowl to become the first team in big-school history to post double-digit victories — finishing with a 10-4 record — a year after enduring double-digit losses (1-11).
Miami’s defense came up with a season-high four interceptions, Thomas Merriweather rushed for two touchdowns and redshirt freshman quarterback Austin Boucher passed for two with interim head coach Lance Guidry on the sideline, though it was the now-departed Michael Haywood who guided the RedHawks through their first nine victories, and it will be new head coach Don Treadwell who will guide them next season.
The Blue Raiders finished 6-7 overall.
Middle Tennessee took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on an 89-yard touchdown drive which took just 2:22 off the clock. Phillip Tanner scored on an 18-yard touchdown run.
The RedHawks answered with 2:29 left in the period on a 3-yard touchdown run by Merriweather after Armand Robinson had turned a short sideline pass from Boucher into a 70-yard gain.
The Blue Raiders took the lead again on the ensuing drive when Dasher broke a 49-yard touchdown run up the middle, but Miami tied it again on another 3-yard run by Merriweather early in the second quarter.
The RedHawks had a chance to take a halftime lead, but an apparent 18-yard touchdown pass from Boucher to Robinson was wiped out by a false start penalty and two plays later Boucher was intercepted at the 2-yard line by MT cornerback T.L. Edwards.
The RedHawks took a 21-14 lead when true freshman Dayonne Nunley intercepted a Dwight Dasher pass and returned it 52 yards for a touchdown, stretching the ball over the goal line as he was tackled, with 13:22 left in the third quarter. It was Nunley’s sixth interception of the season.
Less than a minute later Tanner’s second touchdown, a 54-yard run, tied it again.
The RedHawks regained the lead on a 17-yard TD strike from Boucher to Chris Givens with 54 seconds left in the third quarter.
Evan Harris, like Nunley, came up with his sixth interception of the year and the RedHawks took over at the MT 17 early in the fourth quarter, but Miami failed to take advantage when defensive end Jarrett Crittenton blocked a 32-yard field goal attempt by Trevor Cook.
Fourth-quarter interceptions by D.J. Brown and Pat Hinkel sealed the win for Miami.
Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2197 or pconrad@coxohio.com.