Hello, darlings. Cordelia Van Doren here, writing from a bench in Uptown Oxford with a cup of tea, a red scarf and a very good feeling about the RedHawks. I've been told I'm a bit much about Miami University. I've been told correctly. When your football program is called the Cradle of Coaches, a little drama comes with the territory.
So let's talk about Saturday, and then let's talk about Mount Pleasant.
Part 1: The Afternoon the Secondary Went Shopping
Miami beat Akron 34-14 on Saturday at Yager Stadium, in front of 18,515 people. We're 4-3, 2-1 in the MAC, and AP says it's the first time this season we've won back-to-back games. Darling, I'll take a streak of two. Streaks have to start somewhere.
Now, the defense. Akron's Brayden Roggow threw four interceptions, and four different RedHawks caught them: Blayne Myrick, Ben Minich, Kaleb Martin and Amariyun Knighten. Myrick returned his for a touchdown in the third quarter that made it 27-7. Four interceptions from four people. That's not a defense. That's a dinner party, and everyone brought a dish.
Grant Lyons had two sacks and two tackles for loss. Malcolm McCain made 10 tackles, and he leads the team with 58 this season.
Then there's Rodney Nelson. He ran 13 times for a career-high 142 yards and two touchdowns, per AP, including a 58-yarder early in the fourth quarter. Scoop Smith broke a 69-yard run. As a team, we ran for 324 yards at 9.3 a carry. Caleb Heavner threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Damarion Witten just before halftime, and Kellan McLaughlin made two field goals.
Honest note, because a lady tells the truth: we threw for only 65 yards, and we went 2-for-9 on third down. Akron opened the game with a 97-yard touchdown drive, too. So the offense still has some tailoring to do. But when you run for 324 yards and catch four interceptions, you can forgive a few loose threads.
Let me linger on the running game, darling, because it deserves a toast. Nelson's 58-yard touchdown run came about a minute into the fourth quarter, and it put the game away at 34-14. D'Shawntae Jones added 48 yards on 12 carries. Even Heavner ran five times for 45. When a team runs like that, the passing game can wear flats.
And a little perspective. Miami lost 35-31 at Cincinnati in September, by four. It beat UConn 24-21. It won 20-19 at UMass. This team has been in close ones all season, and it's learned how to finish.
Part 2: A Visit to the Chippewas
Saturday, 1 p.m. Eastern, ESPN+, Miami visits Central Michigan in Mount Pleasant.
Let me say something nice first. Central Michigan is a tough, physical team. AP ranks its rushing offense 44th in FBS, at 184.3 yards a game, and Angel Flores is a remarkable runner for a quarterback. He has 618 rushing yards this season and ran 31 times for 117 yards against Western Michigan on Saturday. The Chippewas' pass defense ranks 26th in FBS. Mayson Hitchens has 51 tackles. Jaxon Cherry has three sacks. Respect, darling. Genuine respect. And CMU did show some fight late on Saturday: Flores led a 93-yard drive that ended in a 32-yard touchdown pass to Jaden Allen, and Jadyn Glasser scored from 2 yards out with 44 seconds left. Xavier White made 11 tackles. That team doesn't quit.
Now, the less flattering portrait, and the numbers all come from AP's preview.
Central Michigan's passing offense ranks 135th in FBS, at 108.1 yards a game. Its offense overall ranks 134th, at 292.4 yards. Its scoring offense ranks 132nd, at 16.6 points a game. And in the red zone, CMU scores on 77.8% of trips, 113th in FBS. That's a team that brings a lovely bouquet all the way to the door and then forgets to ring the bell.
Last Saturday, Western Michigan led Central Michigan 21-0 after three quarters, per AP. The Chippewas scored twice in the fourth, the second with 44 seconds left, but couldn't come up with the onside kick, and they lost 21-14 at home. They're 3-4 and 1-2 in the MAC. Their wins came against Colgate, Wyoming and Akron, and they beat Colgate by three.
Here's the matchup I adore. Central Michigan runs for 184.3 yards a game. Miami's run defense ranks 24th in FBS, allowing 101.9. Strength on strength. And if the Chippewas have to throw, well, they throw for 108 a game. Yes, I know our pass defense ranks 132nd. Darling, I've read the numbers. But a pass defense can only be tested by a team that passes.
And the history, from CollegeFootballData.com: Miami has won the last five meetings with Central Michigan. The RedHawks won 31-14 in Mount Pleasant in 2017, beat CMU 26-21 at Ford Field in Detroit on Dec. 7, 2019, the day Miami won the MAC championship, and won 46-7 in Oxford in 2024. Miami leads the series 17-13-1.
The Cradle, Briefly
Wikipedia lists the coaches who came through Miami as players or coaches: Paul Brown, Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler, Ara Parseghian, Weeb Ewbank, Earl Blaik, Sid Gillman, John Harbaugh and Sean McVay, among others. And Wikipedia says the Cradle of Coaches display includes statues of ten of them, among them Paul Brown, Bo Schembechler, Ara Parseghian, John Harbaugh and Sean McVay, each at 120% of life size. Central Michigan won the 1974 Division II national championship, per Wikipedia, which is lovely and deserves a nice plaque. Miami has a garden of giants.
Tales From Two Towns
Oxford. Oxford was founded in 1810 to be the home of Miami University, which the Ohio Legislature chartered in 1809, according to Wikipedia. It's a college town of 23,035 along Four Mile Creek, which runs right through campus. We have Oxtoberfest every fall, the Uptown Music Concerts series that runs for four months, the summer Oxford Wine Festival and a steady stream of lectures and performances at the university. And Wikipedia notes that Freedom Summer, the 1964 civil rights campaign, began with orientations at the Western College for Women, which is now part of Miami's campus. This little town has held a lot of history. Miami was a university before Florida was a state, darling, and we will mention that every time someone asks which Miami.
Mount Pleasant. Mount Pleasant is a pleasant little city, as advertised, with 21,688 people, the seat of Isabella County, with the Chippewa River running through it. Wikipedia says large amounts of oil were found in the area in 1928, and the city became known as the "Oil Capital of Michigan." Then, Wikipedia adds, the oil resources eventually diminished. The city seal still has an oil drill on it. Darling, I adore a town that keeps the drill on its seal after the oil runs low. It's the civic version of keeping your prom dress. Much like Central Michigan's passing game, the well looks promising, and then very little comes out.
Cordelia's Dressing Notes
1. Keep running. 324 yards is the outfit of the season. 2. Stop Flores. He is the whole Central Michigan wardrobe. 3. Keep taking the ball away. Four interceptions is a lovely accessory.
Ta-ta, darlings. Love and Hawks.
My call: Miami (OH) RedHawks 24, Central Michigan Chippewas 23.