By Andy Hemmer
Enquirer contributor

OXFORD - The Miami Redhawks will put a lot of points on the board in their upcoming football campaign, packing the same high-octane offense exhibited last season. Whether they will be able to stop other teams from airing it out remains the top priority for coach Terry Hoeppner.

Judging by a rousing second-half defensive display that nudged the White team past its counterparts in Red 14-10 Saturday at Yager Stadium, the Redhawks may be on the way to becoming the type of full-throttled threat that will compete for the Mid-American Conference title.

"There was some good, some bad and some ugly, but I definitely think the defense has improved this spring,'' Hoeppner said.

"The defense came out and took over in the second half. I'm pleased, overall, because that makes us a much better team right now than we were 15 practices ago.''

2003 MIAMI SCHEDULE

Aug.  30: at Iowa Sept.  6: OFF Sept.  13: at Northwestern Sept.  20: at Colorado State Sept. 27: UC Oct. 4: AKRON (Homecoming)* Oct. 11: BUFFALO (Parents' Week)* Oct. 18: at Ball State* Oct. 25: at Kent State* Nov. 4: BOWLING GREEN (ESPN)* Nov. 12: MARSHALL (ESPN)* Nov. 22: at Ohio* Nov. 28: at CENTRAL FLORIDA*   Game times to be announced   *Mid-American Conference game

Sophomore quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was 21-of-38 passing for 197 yards and a touchdown without an interception. He led the Red, comprised of first-team offense and second-team defense.

By halftime, Roethlisberger appeared to be in cruise control, assuming a seemingly comfortable 10-7 lead by mixing up quick-hitting run plays featuring tailback Luke Clemens while finding two of his top receivers, Martin Nance and Mike Iriti, four times each.

Unfortunately for the 6-5, 242-pound gunslinger from Findlay, the the defensively oriented White team, made up of the first-team defense and second-team offense, brought both the noise and the funk in the second half.

A relentless application of pressure, authored by first-year defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi, who directed the White team, resulted in two sacks and a harried Miami offense that was blanked in the second half.

"You want to try to improve every place, but our defense was definitely an area of emphasis for us this spring, and that shows,'' Hoeppner said.

On defense, the White team was led by linebackers Terrell Jones, John Busing and Terna Nande, but it took a "secret weapon'' - two-way player Derek Rehage - to make the game-winning play, a 67-yard touchdown dash with 3:20 left in the third quarter.

Rehage is a junior from East Central High in Brookville, Ind., who was recruited as a running back but pressed into service as a linebacker last year as a result of injuries.

The coaching staff approached Rehage on the second day of spring practice with the notion of playing both fullback and linebacker. His decision was easy.

"I just want to play, and it doesn't matter to me which side. Playing football is playing football," he said.

Rehage finished with 109 yards rushing on 12 carries for an impressive 9.1-yard average.