The data story for Miami (OH) going into their Notre Dame matchup.
The 2024 season feels like it’s aging in dog years.
We’re technically only going into Week 4 but I imagine a lot of fans’ blood pressure readings and beer fridges look like it’s Week 12. Notre Dame football has a long history of stressing folks out but this season’s first three games have done the most.
Offensive Summary
So let’s hope that things start to settle down a bit as we go into this Miami (OH) matchup. The RedHawks are 0-2 so far with losses to Northwestern and Cincinnati. The point differential for the Northwestern game was -7 and it crept up to -11 against Cincinnati.
They haven’t looked good on either side of the ball, but the offense is probably the weaker link. Miami (OH)’s six points in the Northwestern game came by the way of field goals and they didn’t score a touchdown until the 3rd quarter of the Cincinnati game. Both of the team’s touchdowns have been the result of passes.
Offensive Trends
In terms of total offense, Miami (OH) has improved. They recorded 267 yards of offensive yards in game 1 but improved to 380 yards of total offense in game 2.
But that’s where things take an interesting (dark) turn.
The RedHawks share the lopsided offense trait with the Irish, only the roles are reversed. Passing is the only thing the team’s offense really has going for it. They threw for 227 yards against Northwestern and that state moved up to 356 yards in the loss to Cincinnati. Through the season’s 1st two games, Miami (OH) has recorded only 66 yards on the ground. The final tally in game 1 was 40 rushing yards and that dipped off to 26 yards in game 2.
I get the Irish fandom’s gripes about our offensive woes but always remember that yes in fact, things can be worse. Passing accuracy has improved for Miami (OH) but rushing efficiency is…..bad.
There’s also the turnover issue. Quarterback Brett Gabbert caught the interception bug and was responsible for the team’s two turnovers against Northwestern. Gabbert also threw a pic against Cincinnati and he’s up to three interceptions already.
Roster Details
Some roster details for the RedHawk’s defense through two games.
Receiving
Wide receiver Cade McDonald, a transfer from Michigan State with five seasons of experience, is leading the receiving corps. He has 16 receptions for a total of 240 yards. Reginald Virgil (wide receiver) and Kevin Davis (running back) are also major contributors to Miami (OH)’s receiving production. And in reality, the overall offense.
Rushing
The rushing stats for Miami (OH) don’t really make any sense. Keyon Mozee, a running back transfer from Kansas State, is leading the team in carries. But he’s only got 24 yards on the ground and is trailing fellow running back Jordan Brunson in overall production. Make of this what you will/can.
Defensive Summary
Miami (OH)’s defense has allowed 729 yards of total offense. They got hit for 328 yards against Northwestern and 401 yards against Cincinnati. They’ve allowed between 178 – 186 passing yards. The RedHawk’s run defense is trending downwards. They allowed 150 yards on the ground in game 1 and 215 rushing yards in game 2.
The defense recorded zero sacks, four tackles for loss and three pass deflections against Northwestern. They tallied up two sacks, three tackles for loss and four pass deflections against Cincinnati.
Final Thoughts
I wasn’t expecting Notre Dame to lose to Purdue but I also wasn’t anticipating such a major blowout. Logic tells us that the Irish should have another field day against Miami (OH). But I’ve been broken by this season so much that it seems too good to trust.
We’ve seen both versions of the 2024 offense now and I’d wager that either one could win this weekend. And something criminal would have to happen for the defense to have a bad day against this RedHawk squad. Even though Notre Dame will be missing some key players due to injury, this game’s outcome should never come into question.
Cheers and Go Irish!!