Ohio has stressed getting its passing attack back on track over the last few weeks. It's simple enough, yet, it has made the offense one-dimensional over the last few weeks — not that it's mattered.
Midway through the conference schedule, the Bobcats know they can't rely solely on the bruising and dominating run game to carry them to a conference title. It just so happens that Ohio will have to its passing attack going against one of the best secondaries in the Mid-American Conference.
Miami, which ranks second in pass defense (191.4 yards allowed per game), will come to Peden Stadium on Tuesday night trying to stay relevant in the Mid-American Conference East Division race.
With a loss, Miami will fall to a near un-recoverable hole — two games down with the tiebreaker belonging to Ohio — with just three games to play.
Breakdown
Ohio's wideouts will have to break through one of the toughest secondary's in the MAC. The offense will have to be better than it has been in the air — quarterback Nathan Rourke is just 7-of-22 and 8-of-17 in his last two games, respectively.
Coach Frank Solich attributed some of that to drops, but still said that the passing game has to be better moving forward.
At the 1:39:39 of this YouTube video, the Miami defense shows its talent.
The RedHawks are incredibly aggressive. In most of the plays I've watched, they have a corner pressing one of the wide receivers, if not both. That will slow down the wide receivers in how they get off the line, so the Bobcats will have to be sharp in getting into their routes.
That also leaves open the potential for big plays, so the offensive line will have to give Rourke time to send a deep ball to Cam Odom, Brendan Cope or Papi White.
Miami, like most teams do, runs a 4-2-5 defense. That extra defensive back was No. 21 De'Andre Montgomery most of the time. At 6-foot-2, 228 pounds, he's big enough to help in run support and fast enough to help out in the passing game. He's second on the team in tackles and also has an interception to his name.
For the play, Central Michigan lines up in a stack right formation, with three receivers lined up directly behind one another. The cornerbacks are directly off the ball in front of the wide receivers, playing in press coverage.
gif created by Andrew Gillis from YouTube user Evgeniy Fedorov
Chippewas quarterback Shane Morris decides to test the one-on-one coverage to his left. That just so happens to be No. 24 Heath Harding, who is projected to be drafted on Day 2 of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Due to the pile-up on the right side of the field, Morris' only play is to go back to the other side of the field against Harding.
Morris throws left, only to have Harding trailing the receiver right on his hip. Harding plays his man perfectly, exactly between his man and the quarterback. Harding breaks up the pass with no safety help overtop.
gif created by Andrew Gillis from YouTube user Evgeniy Fedorov
Judgement
Miami's secondary doesn't need to double any wide receivers, which will free some of its linebackers up to help stop Ohio's dominant running game.
If Ohio is able to run the ball as it wants, then it will be easy to control the clock for the evening and keep Miami's offense off the field. With a running game operating at full strength, it will be easy to wear down the Miami defense. At that point, the passing attack for Ohio will be rendered moot.
The RedHawks, however, could force the Bobcats to throw the ball by keeping A.J. Ouellette, Dorian Brown and Rourke's legs in-check. At that point, the Bobcats will have to prove that they can air it out. None of the Miami defensive backs are very big (no player is taller than 6-feet) but they are particularly aggressive, which certainly makes up for it — and then some.
Cope will be in the lineup at full strength, as will White. The excuses won't be there anymore for a unit that Solich said needed to improve on its dropped passes.
In one of the biggest games of the year, Ohio's wideouts, and Rourke, will be tested with a pressure that they haven't faced yet this season.
