Sports
PREVIEW: Ohio Football meets Miami in 103rd Battle of the Bricks
By: Ty Carpenter
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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) – Ohio Football (7-2, 5-0 MAC) hits the road for the 103rd edition of Battle of the Bricks, facing off against the Miami RedHawks (5-4, 3-2 MAC) for a midweek MACtion game.
Miami is reeling from a loss to Buffalo, in which kicker Kellan McLaughlin missed a kick from 45 yards out which would have tied the game in overtime. Instead, they dropped to fifth in the conference, while Ohio notched their sixth straight win over Akron last week, 28-20.
That win put them first in the conference, sitting undefeated at 5-0. Winning this rivalry game then holds extra weight, as the Bobcats still have yet to play Toledo, who currently sits second. With three teams in the MAC sitting at just one loss in conference, any game could knock you out of the race to Detroit.
“We don’t talk a ton about the standings because I don’t think they’re relevant at this point, but when you’re [at the top], there is a target on you,” said Ohio Head Coach John Hauser. “We’re always on the hunt. … That’s how MACtion is. You have to be ready to play.”
And arguably, no team has been more ready to play in the MAC this season than Miami. Despite injuries to the quarterback room and across the offense, they have maintained the third-best passing attack in the conference, paired with a middle of the pack run game. They have been led by senior quarterback Caleb Heavner who took over at the start of MAC play. He’s thrown for four touchdowns and four interceptions with 769 passing yards and 212 rushing yards to his name.
“He’s played a lot of football,” said Hauser. “He can throw it, he’ll run it and he’s just another one of those dual-threat guys that we’ve been seeing.”
Heavner has plenty of options in the field, with five different receivers boasting 15 or more receptions. He’ll also be well-served in the backfield with the duo of Rodney Nelson and D’Shawntae Jones, who have rushed for a combined 721 yards and seven touchdowns. Look for big performances out of linebackers Michael Molnar and Jack Fries, as well as in the secondary if Ohio hopes to stay undefeated in conference.
This Miami defense could also prove troublesome, as without Duncan Brune’s breakaway 91-yard touchdown run late to seal the game against Akron last week, the Bobcats would have been held to just 70 rushing yards and under three yards per carry. They have a strong group of linebackers including Malcolm McCain, who leads the team with 70 tackles. Alongside him is Blayne Myrick, who also has 50 tackles.
Fortunately for Ohio, Miami is sitting last in the MAC in passing yards allowed per game at just about 280, so they may just find success there. Quarterback Nick Poulos still has yet to throw an interception this season with a host of Ohio receivers being successful, most notably Dom Dorwart, who has exploded onto the scene with 233 receiving yards and two touchdowns in just the last two weeks. Poulos will be opposite of Miami’s Roosevelt Andrews III, Grant Lyons and Zhaiylen Scott who have been strong in pass rush, as the three alone combine for 13 sacks.
Ohio’s won the last two iterations of the matchup, including a 38–3 victory in the 2024 MAC Championship. But in a rivalry game, records go out the window, and anything can happen on MACtion Tuesdays.
The game kicks off Nov. 10 at 8 p.m.