Thursday, April 13, 2000
Miami auditions for new football stars
BY Geoff Hobson
The Cincinnati Enquirer
It's a weekend of stark symmetry for Miami football. While the RedHawks watch three cornerstone players from a 7-4 team graduate to the NFL in Saturday's draft, they find out how far they are from replacing them in Saturday's 2p.m. spring game.
Miami grapples with the loss of All-American tailback Travis Prentice and his eight NCAA records, but coach Terry Hoeppner also must replace 20 career touchdowns from wide receiver Trevor Gaylor and 20 career sacks from linebacker Dustin Cohen, the Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Year from Summit Country Day.
“We don't have that marquee guy, but we're going to make up for it with a young, hungry team,” Hoeppner said. “We've got real strengths in both our lines and with our punter and kicker — good places to build.”
Senior quarterback Mike Bath said, without Prentice, the RedHawks “don't have that luxury handing off to that 230-pound guy.” Instead, he'll hand it to a committee chaired by junior Steve Little, a 206-pounder whose 15 attempts for 40 yards are the only tailback carries on the roster.
A pair of first-year players, Colerain High School's 210-pound Daryl Robinson and Lima's Andy Dooley, a 215-pounder, have asserted themselves enough to get work in a rotation. Hoeppner won't use the “I” formation as much and will go with more diverse looks.
Look for more multiple-receiver sets. Without Prentice and Gaylor, Miami loses 192 of its 335 points. But senior wide receiver Sly Johnson is a game-breaker.
The 5-foot-9, 180-pound Johnson averaged nearly 30 yards a catch until he tore up his knee in last season's fourth game. He hasn't been in contact drills this spring, but he should be ready for August. Hoeppner said the biggest surprise of the drills could be 5-8, 170-pound Eddie Tillitz, a quick sophomore from Martinsville, Ind., making the switch to receiver from quarterback.
Bath — 17-5 as a starter — likes an offensive line anchored by 300-pound veteran tackles Alex Sulfsted (Loveland) and Joe Costello (Cheviot).
On defense, three starters return to a unit that gave up the most points by a Miami team in 11 years. Senior Andy Aracri is back at tackle, where he led the MAC last season in tackles for loss.
The RedHawks will try to replace Cohen by committee, but it's the first time in seven years they go into a season without an All-MAC linebacker or defensive back.
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