Preview: Miami football looks to stabilize against UMass Minutemen
Inconsistency has been the tale of the first half for Miami, and despite frustrating results, Martin, his staff and the players will have to find some momentum in their second MAC game of the year.
The Miami University football team, coming off a loss in the first Mid-American Conference (MAC) game of the season against the Bowling Green State University Falcons, is on the road this weekend.
And things won’t get any easier.
The RedHawks are leaving Ohio for a game against the University of Massachusetts Minutemen in Amherst, their second MAC game of the season. The Minutemen come into the contest sporting a 4-1 record, while Miami sits with a record of 2-3. They have yet to be over the .500 mark this season.
Miami and UMass last played in Oxford on Sept. 28, 2024. A season prior to the Minutemen joining the MAC, the RedHawks inched out a 23-20 victory following three losses in their first three games of the season. Redshirt senior kicker Dom Dzioban not only kicked the game-tying field goal to force overtime, but also a career-long 47-yard field goal to win the game.
Miami finished the year with a 9-5 record, lost in the MAC championship to Ohio University and beat Colorado State University in the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl. UMass finished the season with a 2-10 record.
Now, the two programs are in vastly different places heading into Saturday’s matchup.
The RedHawks’ loss to Bowling Green came in the last 1:47 of the game. Following a field goal to give Miami a 20-17 lead, the Falcons marched down the field and scored a touchdown with less than 10 seconds left for their first win of the season.
“It should have been a hard fought victory,” Miami Head Coach Chuck Martin said. “A come-from-behind victory and a victory with your third team quarterback – there would have been a lot of great storylines. But then you give up the drive at the end, and now you’re 0-1 in the league, and it’s going to be a battle from here on out.”
Miami’s offense was led by senior quarterback Caleb Heavner, who will be under center for the rest of the season following a season-ending injury to redshirt freshman David McComb. He threw for 198 yards on 17 completions with 24 yards on the ground.
“Whenever the news came out that David was out for the rest of the season, they both gave me advice on being confident and going out there and playing my game,” Heavner said. “They’ve been very supportive since I’ve been the starter.”
Once again, the run game couldn’t find its footing either.
While Miami outplayed Bowling Green on the ground (62 yards), the RedHawks only amassed 108 yards. Redshirt junior running back Rodney Nelson led the team in yardage with 70 yards on 16 attempts.
The difference between the two squads, though, was through the air.
While Heavner couldn’t get past the 200-yard mark, Falcons junior quarterback Jay Kastantin threw for 305 yards and two touchdowns, exposing the Miami secondary again this season. Along with the poor pass defense, the RedHawks allowed a 50% conversion rate on third down, which has been a consistent issue, as well.
“Our pass defense overall has to improve,” Martin said. “It’s across the board. And it’s our third down (defense). Our third down defense has really let us down. We’ve been very good on third down in the past, but the past is the past.
“If you’re not good on third down, it’s very hard to win games. And then if you’re going to play close games like we’re going to play from here on out, we’ve got to be able to get off the field.”
UMass, while coming off a loss to Eastern Michigan University, has been one of the most exciting teams in college football this season.
The Minutemen upset Rutgers University in their first game of the season, setting the tone for their four straight wins. Senior quarterback William “Pop” Watson III has been the catalyst for a balanced UMass offense.
UMass ranks fourth in the MAC in rushing yards (885 yards on 164 attempts) and eighth in the MAC in passing yards (831 yards on 76 completions). Watson III has thrown at least one touchdown in every game this season, gathering seven passing and four rushing total.
The Minutemen have three wideouts with over 100 yards receiving so far in 2026. Senior T.Y. Harding leads the team with 236 yards on 19 catches with two touchdowns. Following him is senior Jabari Lewis with 152 yards on 10 receptions and graduate student Joseph Griffin Jr. with 134 yards on eight catches.
“We have to get pressure on the quarterback,” Martin said. “We have to make him uncomfortable. Any time you play a Division I quarterback, if he’s comfortable in the pocket, he’s going to throw the ball accurately. Obviously, the UMass kid is an electric athlete. He can really throw it. He’s a true dual threat, really dynamic. He’s got a really good receiving crew. They’ve got talented backs.”
Defensively, the Minutemen are stout. They have the second-best run defense in the MAC and are sixth in pass defense. For a third string Miami quarterback (and one who was initially playing at the Division II level before coming to Oxford), Heavner had to adjust back to Division I pace after sitting on the bench for the first four games.
“(UMass does) a lot of different stuff defensively,” Heavner said. “They’re really good. Winning in college football is hard. They only have one loss. They’re a pretty good defense. We’ve got to come ready to go this week.”
Regardless of what is happening in the UMass locker room, the RedHawks need to focus on themselves.
Inconsistency has been the tale of the first half for Miami, and despite frustrating results, Martin, his staff and the players will have to find some momentum in their second MAC game of the year.
“There’s no blaming in our building,” Martin said. “There’s a lot of frustration in our building right now, and a lot of blame to go around. It starts with the head coach, it goes to the assistant coaches, it goes to the players.
“Players have got to make plays, but we’ve got to continue to develop them so they have the knowledge, experience and confidence to go make plays. It’s hard. But as we always say, the only time you really know who you are is when times are hard. When times are good, everybody’s good. It’s hard to be a backup, it’s hard to not play as much as you want, (but) it’s even harder when you’re not winning.”
The RedHawks and Minutemen are both looking to bounce back from losses last week. Kick-off is slated for 2 p.m. on Oct. 10 at McGuirk Alumni Stadium in Amherst.
