Miami RedHawks College Football Preview 2021: Defense
– It was only a three-game season, and it struggled against the two MAC stars – Ball State and Buffalo – and stuffed the miserable Akron team. With ten starters expected back, the RedHawks should be able keep the nation’s top pass rush going – they averaged over four sacks per game – but they have to be a whole lot better on third downs.
– Where did the pass rush come from? Kameron Butler led the way with 2.5 sacks at one end spot, but he’s not alone. Dominque Robinson is a player on the outside and Lonnie Phelps and Ben Kempler form a good tandem at one spot.
There’s not a lot of beef in the interior, but again, experience isn’t a problem for this D. There’s going to be a decent rotation inside – it’ll be a fresh group.
LB Ryan McWood on the inside and Ivan Pace on the outside make a ton of tackles. They were 1-2, respectively, in stops with the 224-pound McWood about to flirt with 100 tackles – he made 99 in 2019. He also came up with one of the team’s two picks.
– The safeties are solid but the corners need work. The strength is at safety around veteran tackler Sterling Weatherford, who followed up his 98-tackle 2019 season by finishing third on the team with 18 stops. The main guys on the outside are gone, but the corners aren’t starting from scratch.
– What You Need To Know: Offense
– Top Players | Keys To The Season
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Miami University Football Schedule