Sports editor Jake Powers caught up with Grace Remington, sports editor for Miami University’s student newspaper, the Miami Student, to discuss the RedHawks’ outlook heading into Madison.
JP: How important was it for this team to get a win in week one for the first time in seven seasons, especially given how rough the past few years have been?
GR: Definitely really important. They need all the wins they can get right now. Our head coach Chuck Martin, he keeps talking about how the players, they’re there athletically, but they need more confidence and the only way to get that true confidence is from winning. There are so many guys on this team who don’t understand what it feels like to win. The 2013-’14 season combined, they were 2-26. So that really beats down on you. So they’ve been really working on increasing that morale. After last weekend they were all super pumped, coach said maybe they were a little bit too excited because it was against Presbyterian an [FCS] school. They’re feeling it, they’re feeling confident and they’re excited for this weekend and for this season, I’m excited to see what happens.
JP: What does Miami’s quarterback picture look like after Drew Kummer’s strong debut?
GR: They are going to play all three quarterbacks all year, so that’s Kummer, Gus Ragland, a redshirt freshman and Billy Ball, a true freshman. Kummer, before last Saturday, just watching him at practice I thought no way he’s going to be the starter throughout the season. Maybe make it three, four games and then they’re going to switch him out. I was really impressed with [Kummer’s] performance Saturday and so was coach Martin and the rest of the team… He was calm, he was cool and collected, he looks decisive. So the reason why coach is switching them out is he has the two quarterbacks who are both freshman and he wants to develop them. For now it’s Kummer. He’s looking good, he’s excited too. I talked to him yesterday and he’s just going in there with a strong mentality.
JP: A guy who stands out on the offensive depth chart is Chris Hudson, a 6-foot-6, 226-pound wide receiver. What’s he like athletically, and how does he fit within the offense?
GR: He’s the kind of guy, right when you walk into practice or watch a game, you notice him, he stands out. He actually just went through a big transformation, he lost 35 pounds over the offseason. He just looks great, and he’s fun to watch too. He goes for those leaping, one-handed grabs, he can outrun, out-juke anyone. From talking to the strength coaches, I know he went from being a lazy freshman to now one of the leaders on the team even though he’s still young. And just like Billy Bahl, the rest of the teammates are really pumped about Hudson, he’s definitely a playmaker. He scored our first touchdown of the game Saturday. We had a Jets scout out at one of our practices already and he still has four years to play. So he’s a big time threat down the field, in the red zone, has great ball skills, always finds a way to get open. I’m excited to see what he becomes.
JP: Defensively, it seems like Miami likes to mix up its schemes, working in different looks to create mayhem for offenses. Is that something that will continue against Wisconsin?
GR: We do return eight starters and it’s a team effort on defense. You can pull out a few playmakers. JT Jones, Bryson Albright, Kent Kerns, but on any given play, there’s really any guy who can make the stop. One standout guy is Tony Reid. He is a sophomore. Both of Presbyterian’s first possessions last game, he stopped them in the red zone with a fumble recovery and an interception. So he right now is on fire. Heath Harding is another one, he’s at corner. He’s a playmaker. Right now he’s playing a little bit conservatively because he has a stress fracture in his back, but he’s a competitor, he wants to go out and hit people and make stops. We have a lot of young players, a lot of veterans, but it’s coming together well. It’s a fun defense to watch.
JP: What is the vibe surrounding Miami before the game this weekend?
GR: It’s not too often that Miami plays a Big Ten school, or any school from one of the big conferences, so they are definitely aware of that. Our coach, he kind of compares it to preseason, our first four games before conference play starts. He doesn’t treat this game as a practice, but he compares it to that. The players, they’re pumped. Obviously they respect Wisconsin and the Big Ten and they know they’re the 33-point underdogs. But they’re ready. I asked them if they have a David versus Goliath mentality this weekend and they all said no.
JP: Finally, what’s your prediction for how the game will turn out?
GR: They’re fighters and the morale really has changed this year, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a close game. Our defense is the shaky part, mainly against the rushing game. I think that’ll be the defining factor... maybe a Miami loss by two touchdowns.
