Sunday, September 29, 2002
Miami 48, Akron 31
RedHawks go 2-0 in MAC; UC next
By Bruce Gresham
Special to the Enquirer
AKRON - In a game highlighted by two high-powered offenses, Miami's defense made the defining play in the RedHawks' 48-31 road victory Saturday night.
With 6:52 remaining in the first half, Miami's Matt Edwards sacked Akron's quarterback Charlie Frye as he was about to throw.
The ball sailed backwards 5 yards and squirted through several sets of hands before Redhawks right tackle Ryan Terry fell on it for a touchdown to give Miami a 17-14 lead, which they would never relinquish.
“I just ran and fell on the ball,” said Terry, who scored his first career touchdown that doubled as Miami's first defensive score of the season.
Miami improved to 3-2, 2-0 in the MAC. The RedHawks play at 2-2 Cincinnati at 1 p.m. next Saturday at Nippert Stadium. Akron fell to 0-5, 0-2 in the MAC.
Miami sophomore quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was 16-of-22 passing for 240 yards and two touchdowns.
Tailback Luke Clemens rushed for 135 yards on 24 carries.
Miami's defense had five sacks.
Miami spotted Akron a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.
Frye led the Zips 55 yards in five plays - all pass completions - for the game's first score - a 23-yard strike to Matt Cherry.
Akron came back on its third possession and extended its lead to 14-0 on Brandon Payne's 1-yard run.
Miami answered with its first score on Clemens' 1-yard run and again at the 13:14 mark in the second quarter on Jared Parseghian's 29-yard field goal to cut Akron's lead to 14-10.
After Terry's fumble-recovery touchdown gave the Redhawks a 17-14 lead, both teams traded field goals for Miami's 20-17 lead at halftime.
Miami opened the scoring in the second half with a 50-yard touchdown pass from Roethlisberger to Korey Kirkpatrick to give Miami a 27-17 lead.
“I checked the play at the line of scrimmage, which I was told later I shouldn'd have done,” Roethlisberger said. “... I saw that there was single coverage, so I rolled out and Korey's man came toward me, and luckily I threw the ball before I got hit. Korey did the rest.”
Five minutes later, the scoring began to come at a feverish pace.
Akron's Miquel Irvin caught a nine-yard touchdown pass from Frye that was followed quickly by another one-yard touchdown run by Clemens to give the Redhawks a 34-24 lead entering the final quarter.
Akron's final score of the game came with 14:26 remaining when Ashanti Barbee ran six yards to put the score at 34-31.
Miami then sealed the victory with two touchdowns.
The first came on Michael Larkin's eight-yard reception from Roethlisberger, and after the Redhawks' defense stopped Akron with three consecutive sacks, Clemens rounded out the scoring with a six-yard run.
“The defense made some key stops at the end of the game and they should get credit for that,” Miami head coach Terry Hoeppner said.
| |
1ST
|
2ND
|
3RD
|
4TH
|
FINAL
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Miami
7
13
14
14
48
Akron
14
3
7
7
31
Miami 48, Akron 31
