4. College Football News Preview 2020: Miami University RedHawks Defense 3 Things To Know
– The offense was along for the ride the defense provided. The RedHawks were 13th in the nation in tackles for loss, third in the MAC in total D, and they had the knack for making a whole lot of key plays when it had to. There might be enough missing parts to be annoying – five of the top ten tacklers are done – but it should still be among the MAC’s better defenses.
– The secondary has a terrific corner in senior Emmanuel Rugamba, and safeties Sterling Weatherford and Mike Brown hit everything – Weatherford made 98 tackles and Brown came up with 56 – but losing Bart Baratti at the nickel spot is a big deal. This group will be find if there’s more of a pass rush.
– There were enough plays behind the line to be fine. Ivan Pace turned into a bit of a specialist – coming up with a team-high seven tackles from his spot on the outside – but it’s senior Ryan McWood that sets the pace for the linebacking corps, coming up with a team-high 99 stops.
The line loses all-star, heart-and-soul type Doug Costin on the inside, but the other three starters are back up front. There isn’t a lot of bulk, but the depth is as strong as it’s been in the Chuck Martin era.