Miami Needs to Beat Akron. The More Interesting Question Is Who Keeps Growing.

Let’s not pretend Akron is a compelling opponent.

The Zips are 1-5, winless in the MAC and riding a four-game losing streak. They allow more than 32 points and 422 yards per game, while Miami has won the past eight meetings between the programs. This is a game the RedHawks should control at home.

That does not mean there is nothing worth getting excited about. Miami’s early losses and David McComb’s season-ending injury forced us to find a different kind of hype, one built less around a dream season and more around the players who could shape what comes next.

Game Information

The Hype Has Become More Personal

The big bowl-game dream is just about dead, and Miami has already lost three times before reaching the heart of conference play. I am still going to find reasons to enjoy the rest of this season, but those reasons increasingly begin with individual performances and signs of improvement.

Caleb Heavner has completed 23 of 44 passes for 293 yards and a touchdown without an interception in his first two Division I starts. He also rushed for 54 yards and a score against UMass, giving Miami an athletic element at quarterback that the offense should continue developing rather than merely surviving.

Scoop Smith remains the easiest player on the roster to get excited about. He has scored as a receiver, runner and kickoff returner, blocked a punt that became a touchdown and ranks third nationally with a 36.9-yard kickoff-return average. Miami should continue finding creative ways to give him the football, especially against a defense this vulnerable.

Kellan McLaughlin has quietly produced one of the best turnarounds on the team. After beginning the season 2-for-6 on field goals, he has made six consecutive attempts and delivered a career-long 47-yarder that ultimately decided the UMass game.

The defense finally showed signs of becoming disruptive, too. Roosevelt Andrews now leads Miami with 3.5 sacks, Malcolm McCain leads the team with 47 tackles, and the RedHawks held Bowling Green and UMass to a combined 127 rushing yards on 53 carries.

Those developments matter even if the larger season has lost some of its shine. Individual progress is not the same as competing for something significant, but it can tell us whether Miami is building toward a better finish and a more promising future.

The Matchup

Akron’s rushing total is respectable, but its defense presents Miami with an obvious opportunity. The Zips allow 179.8 rushing yards per game, have surrendered 6.6 yards per defensive snap and have produced only two sacks all season.

This should be the game where Miami’s running attack stops feeling theoretical. Rodney Nelson, Heavner and the offensive line need to build on the season-best 165 rushing yards Miami produced against UMass.

The Coaching Standard Is Simple

There is no need to reopen every question we have already asked about Chuck Martin. This week’s coaching test is much simpler: can Miami take an inferior opponent, play clean football and remove the drama?

Miami has committed 42 penalties through six games and has repeatedly allowed manageable games to become stressful. Against Akron, another afternoon filled with avoidable penalties, stalled possessions and a fourth-quarter coin flip would be difficult to excuse.

Martin is 8-3 against the Zips, and Miami has won eight straight in the series. The ninth should look like a team recognizing the difference between itself and a struggling opponent.

What Would Make This Feel Successful?

A win is the minimum. The more encouraging outcome would include Heavner looking increasingly comfortable, Scoop receiving intentional touches, the running game producing without relying on tricks and the defense creating more pressure and turnovers.

Miami does not need to manufacture championship-level excitement against Akron. It needs to show that the players worth believing in are still moving forward.