Recap: Miami football posts 34 unanswered points in wild Battle of the Bricks victory

“OU? Oh yeah!”

That was all anyone could hear in the Yager Stadium stands as the Miami University football team walked into the Randy Gunlock Family Athletic Performance Center at halftime trailing 17-7.

The fans who stayed after halftime were in for a treat, as Miami posted 34 straight second-half points to defeat Ohio University 34-17 in the 103rd Battle of the Bricks between the two Mid-American Conference (MAC) rivals.

The first half was all Ohio, and it started on the first drive of the game for the Bobcats. 

Graduate student quarterback Nick Poulos finished off a nine-play, 75-yard drive with a passing touchdown to redshirt sophomore wide receiver Riley Neer. That was after 51 of the yards came on the ground, including a sweep run to redshirt freshman wide receiver Preston Bowman and 24 total yards from junior running back Duncan Brune.

Once the second quarter began, it didn’t take long for the Bobcats to bully their way into the end zone. A couple of passes to redshirt sophomore tight end AJ Miller could not get the job done, so on the 1-yard line, Brune put his head down and pushed through the Miami defensive line.

Redshirt junior kicker Brack Peacock knocked in the point after attempt (PAT) to put Ohio up 14-0. 

Another three-and-out for Miami’s offense put the Bobcats back on the prowl. Poulos found Neer for 49 yards through the air before Peacock drove home a field goal to go up 17-0. 

With 7:12 remaining in the half, Miami senior quarterback Caleb Heavner once again found himself walking off the field after being forced to punt. However, this time he was limping off, favoring his left leg.

Heavner being Miami’s third-string quarterback meant it was time for freshman quarterback Drew Bellisari to take the reins. 

Bellisari didn’t arrive early to Yager Stadium to get extra reps in pregame. He had no reason to believe he would be playing.

“I got (to Miami) like three months ago, probably. It's crazy,” Bellisari said. “But you always have to stay ready.”

As halftime loomed with the fourth-string quarterback in, the offense went to work. Bellisari completed his first collegiate pass to redshirt sophomore Braylon Isom for 13 yards and another for 17 yards after a 9-yard rush by redshirt sophomore running back D’Shawntae Jones.

The RedHawks tallied their first touchdown of the game with just over a minute remaining in the half. Freshman wide receiver Scoop Smith went in motion and received the ball. Running to the right, he found a streaking senior wide receiver Maleek Huggins. The ball fell into Huggins’ arms for a 15-yard touchdown.

“The first (attempted throw) was frustrating,” Miami Head Coach Chuck Martin said. “We had that thing weeks in the making. … (And we’ve) got a freshman quarterback who just jumped in the game. We were just trying to find a way to score.”

Miami freshman kicker Brady Stidham knocked home the PAT for a 17-7 score.

Before the halftime break occurred, Ohio marched down the field and had an opportunity to score. The special teams unit lined up for a field goal, and the video board displayed three separate angles of the uprights. 

After the kick was sent off the real upright for a miss, the RedHawks were called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for misusing the video board, giving the Bobcats a second chance to tack onto their lead.

“I didn’t know there was such a thing,” Martin said.

Ohio faked the field goal on the next play, but redshirt senior linebacker Blayne Myrick broke up the pass to keep the score 17-7 heading into halftime.

The second drive of the second half for Miami was when the MACtion magic began to happen.

After finding Miami redshirt junior wide receiver Lynel Billups-Williams for 21 yards to the Ohio 48-yard line, the RedHawks pushed their way to the 32-yard line after a couple of plays, losing a total of seven yards and a completion for eight.

On fourth-and-10, the RedHawks decided to go for it on a make-or-break play. 

Bellisari dropped back to pass. With no options open, he decided to scramble. 

After cutting back one way, his legs churned the other and drove him 31 yards down the field to the 1-yard line. Jones punched in the touchdown to cut the Ohio lead to three points. 

The Miami freshman quarterback finished the game with three rushes for 64 yards.

“I've always kind of considered myself a dual threat, especially earlier in high school,” Bellisari said. “I was definitely better at running than throwing. So I would say I was ready for that.”

Then, the Miami defense really went to work. 

Neither team scored for the rest of the third quarter, but a Miami drive that began with two minutes remaining ended in a field goal conversion from Stidham to tie the game at 17-17. Bellisari added a 23-yard completion to junior wide receiver Damarion Witten to his ledger, and Jones did the rest to put the home team in field goal position.

A tied game now, the defense continued to hold Ohio’s offense off the board and force punts. The line was stifling, and the secondary was airtight – a complete 180 from the first half and defiance of the narrative coming into the game.

“A lot of the time when we give up points, give up big plays or give up long drives, it's mental errors on our part, or not being as elite as we can be,” redshirt junior linebacker Malcolm McCain said. “Every player that touches the field on our defense is elite. And so when we just settle down, do our job, and rely on the guy next to you, we don't have to do anything crazy.”

With 7:41 left on the clock, Miami began its third drive of the final quarter. After gaining a first down through the air, Bellisari once again showcased his legs, sprinting from his own 47-yard line down to the Ohio 26-yard line. He drew a penalty for tripping, pushing Miami down to the 13.

The RedHawk offense couldn’t find the end zone after three straight rush plays, but Stidham was calm and collected as he swung his leg through the ball and knocked in his second field goal of the night to put Miami up 20-17.

However, there was still plenty of time left on the clock for the Bobcats to come down and score. 

After forcing Ohio to a fourth-and-10 with 2:04 left, the Bobcats had no other choice but to try and keep the drive alive. Poulos snapped the ball and dropped back to pass, but had no other choice than to run. He broke free and gained the first down, but the ball came loose.

McCain knocked it out of his hands and fell on top of it, giving the RedHawks possession with 1:55 left.

Jones delivered the knockout punch.

The back, coming off a career-best week against Buffalo, bowled his way down the middle and sprinted into the end zone for a 48-yard touchdown on the first play of the drive. Miami led 27-17.

Then, on the ensuing play on defense, fifth-year senior cornerback Amariyun Knighten leaped into the air over an Ohio receiver downfield and intercepted Poulos for his second turnover in as many plays. Knighten was the recipient of blocks downfield and ran into the end zone for a pick-six, putting the RedHawks up 34-17 and sealing the victory with 1:25 to go.

“They always say turnovers come in bunches, and it holds true,” McCain said. “We just keep playing the next play (and) know that when the play comes your way, we can make it.”

Miami stormed back from down 17-0 and scored 34 unanswered points with a fourth-string, freshman quarterback and a freshman kicker. After a tough week in practice following a heartbreaking overtime loss, a response like that in front of 17,156 fans was exactly what the program needed. 

“(The crowd) was huge for us because on a Tuesday night, we got the momentum, and the defense is getting those stops and the place is getting loud, which doesn't happen on Tuesday,” Martin said. “It was a great university win. We got a little momentum, and the place was powerful. It was incredible. There was a big, big crowd, so we're appreciative. It meant a lot.”

Even though it was the 103rd time the two teams met, the rivalry energy was palpable. Green and white clashed with red and white on the field and merged in the stands. But the home team came away victorious in another exciting MACtion showdown.

With the win, the RedHawks are officially bowl game eligible and have the opportunity to make the MAC Championship game. To do this, they will need to win the rest of their regular season games and have some help from other teams in other games along the way.

Miami takes the field next on Tuesday, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. ET against Kent State University for another midweek MACtion showdown.