Gophers' opponent Miami (Ohio), at 0-2, has a dangerous receiver but not much else
September 13, 2018 at 5:29AM
Miami is off to an 0-2 start, falling 35-28 to Marshall and 21-0 at Cincinnati. RedHawks quarterback Gus Ragland passed for 357 yards and three touchdowns in the opener but was held to 139 yards against the Bearcats during a steady rain. Miami mustered only 59 yards on the ground and couldn't contain Cincinnati's run game, giving up 188 yards as the Bearcats rushed 51 times.
Player to watch: James Gardner, WR
The 6-4, 217-pound senior creates matchup problems for defenses, and he has 106 receptions for 1,891 yards and 17 touchdowns in his career. The team's MVP last year, Gardner caught five passes for 115 yards and two TDs vs. Notre Dame. "He's got great size. He's got a great catch radius, a physical player,'' said Gophers coach P.J. Fleck, who as Western Michigan's coach recruited Gardner before settling on other receivers.
From the coach: Chuck Martin
Martin guided Grand Valley (Mich.) State to NCAA Division II championships in 2005 and '06 and went 74-7 in six years with the Lakers. Winning, however, has been more difficult at the Oxford, Ohio, school, where he is 16-35 in five seasons. The RedHawks returned eight starters on both offense and defense, but the results haven't shown yet. Martin wants better starts from his RedHawks: "Cincinnati's quarterback broke a long run and they got up 7-0. Having a lead on a [rainy] night like that was really important.
Both defenses didn't yield much for the next three quarters. … In the few opportunities that each team had, they cashed in on theirs and we didn't cash in on ours.''
Randy Johnson
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The Gophers quarterback believed in himself, and his transfer to the U has led to a winning record this season.
