To continue the opponent preview series, we next take a look at Rutgers’ second opponent of the season: the Miami (Ohio) Redhawks. This is the first meeting between the schools on the gridiron.
After the Scarlet Knights host the Ohio Bobcats to open the season on Thursday, August 28th, Rutgers will face their second straight MAC opponent when Miami (OH) comes to Piscataway. The game will take place on Saturday, September 6th at 3:30 PM at SHI Stadium, and will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.
Miami struggled against Power Four-level competition, although they kept it close against Big Ten opponent Northwestern, falling to the Wildcats in the opener in a 13-6 slugfest that came down to the game’s final minute. They fell to Cincinnati 27-16 at home before getting blown out 28-3 by the national runners-up Notre Dame to start the season 0-3.
However, once MAC play started, the RedHawks turned their season around, only losing once more to Toledo in the regular season. They defeated other MAC teams at the top of the conference, including Ohio, Northern Illinois, and Bowling Green, and advanced to the MAC championship game with an 8-4 record after the regular season.
The Bobcats got their revenge on Miami, blowing out the RedHawks 38-3 to win the MAC title. Miami finished on a positive note, winning the Arizona Bowl 43-17 over Mountain West school Colorado State to end with a 9-5 record.
Heading into 2025, Miami (OH) welcomes in a new quarterback, Dequan Finn. Finn played three years at Toledo, having a productive career which included winning the 2022 MAC Championship, Boca Raton Bowl, and 2023 MAC Most Valuable Player after leading the Rockets to a 11-2 record. After transferring to Baylor, Finn only appeared in three games for the Bears due to an injury, causing him to apply for a medical hardship waiver and transfer back to the MAC with the RedHawks. In his three seasons with Toledo, he threw for almost 7,000 yards and 63 touchdowns with 23 interceptions. He is a true dual-threat quarterback, having also run for more than 1,800 yards and 25 touchdowns on the ground with Toledo.
Miami hit the portal hard this offseason, bringing in three receivers and two tight ends, all of whom come from Power Four schools, but many of whom have not been major contributors with their old programs. Their offensive line will undergo an overhaul after star left tackle Will Jados departed to Texas Tech, while their leading rushers are gone as well. Third-leading rusher Jordan Brunson and Kenny Tracy, who is returning from missing last season with an injury, will bring a power element to the RedHawks’ ground game.
On defense, Miami finished 15th in the nation last season, allowing just 18.8 points per game. Unlike the offense, the defense returns much of its production, although they are adding a couple of Power Four transfers to bolster its pass rush. The linebacking corps and secondary look promising, with the safety duo of Silas Walters and Eli Blakey being among the team’s leading tacklers. Their biggest defensive star is Adam Trick, who will look to build on his 2024 season in which he had 37 tackles and 4.5 sacks.
Miami (OH) will be among the top teams in the MAC again this season, giving Rutgers a second strong test to open the 2025 season despite not having a Power Four opponent in the nonconference slate. Rutgers fans should keep an eye on the RedHawks’ opening matchup, as Miami will visit Wisconsin to open their season. The game will take place immediately after the Rutgers-Ohio game on Big Ten Network, giving Knights fans a chance to do some opponent scouting after the season opener.
Playing a Big Ten opponent could ready the RedHawks for their game against the Scarlet Knights, but both Wisconsin and Rutgers will likely be double-digit favorites against Miami. Although Rutgers should advance to a 2-0 record after this game, neither Ohio nor Miami (OH) should be teams to sleep on, as either is capable of pulling an upset victory if Rutgers does not play up to its standard. With Greg Schiano stressing a 1-0 mentality every week, there should not be any looking past either of these very respectable MAC opponents to start the season.
