BY MIKE DeCOURCY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The first couple games were just wonderful: trips to two of America's most beautiful campuses, two wins, some poll votes, a mountain of positive publicity. Do the Miami Red- Hawks understand, though, how little it all meant in their particular scheme of things?
"There's no question about it -- this is where we start," said coach Randy Walker. "We've been a member of this conference now for almost 50 years, and that's where we begin as a program."
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TOLEDO at MIAMI
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Records: Toledo 2-1, 1-0 in MAC; Miami 2-0, 0-0
Kickoff: 2 p.m., Yager Stadium (30,012)
Radio: WYLX-FM (97.3) WMOH-AM (1450), WCKY-AM (1360)
Series record: Miami leads, 24-19-1.
What to watch: The Red-Hawks will try to play a defense best described as "if you break, don't crumble" against Toledo's high-octane offense. They figure they'll allow a score or two they're not happy with but don't want to surrender the pace of the game to Toledo.
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"We can't get caught up in putting more stock in our non-conference games than the conference games," said defensive end Jason Simmons. "Having the MAC title that's kind of avoided us for a number of years, that's definitely our focus."
Miami is understandably proud of the victories it claimed at North Carolina and Army, but the RedHawks want most to earn their first Mid-American Conference title since 1986. It has been that long, too long, and their mission to end that drought begins today at Yager Stadium with a game against defending MAC West champ Toledo.
Toledo poses entirely different problems than North Carolina and Army, with overpowering, explosive offense that turned a tight game last week against Western Michigan into a 35-7 rout with 28 third-quarter points.
Army and North Carolina averaged only 217 yards of offense, and Walker proclaims, "We're a good defense." But he does not expect to shut out or shut down UT.
"This may surprise you, but quite honestly it's a matter of being able to respond in the right way," Walker said. "For us to think we're going to shut out Toldeo is unrealistic. They've got too many good football players. That's not going to happen. They're going to make some plays."
Toledo quarterback Chris Wallace has passed for six touchdowns and 568 yards, and though Walker suggests he "might be one of the most creative football players I've ever seen," he has been intercepted five times.
Simmons, who'll be returning to the lineup after missing the first two games with an ankle sprain, said one of the concerns for the Miami defenders will be handling the multiple looks presented by the Rockets.
"They'll come up with two tight ends and two backs, and then they'll come out with five wide receivers," Simmons said. "Personnel-wise, for us, it changes things up a bit. But we do a good job of preparing." The RedHawks scored enough to win their opening games, but admit to spending too much of that time riding the legs of running back Travis Prentice, who has averaged 163 yards per game.
The passing attack has been neither varied nor productive, with only two receivers owning more than five yards. Quarterback Mike Bath, 19-of-40 for 176 yards, said he did not adjust well to the defensive changes Army made. The RedHawks had a bye week following that game to make adjustments.
He expects that if some passes aren't completed soon, Prentice will be facing more eight-man defensive fronts.
"We have to make plays. We were really close the first two games, but a pass was off a little bit, or the block was off, or a catch wasn't made," Bath said.
"Our defense is one of the best around. They could carry a lot of offenses. That's how good they really are."
