The RedHawks apparently haven't heard that kicking someone while they're down isn't polite. In fact, they didn't only kick, but also stomped and trampled UB football on Saturday, 54-13.
The Bulls' performance in Oxford, Ohio was laced with fumbles and interceptions.
The dismal day for the Bulls (0-9 overall, 0-6 Mid-American Conference) began on the second drive of the game after a quick three-and-out on the first drive. Freshman quarterback Drew Willy emerged from under center with the ball at the UB 20-yard line but quickly took a knee five yards back. On second and 15, Miami's John Glavin intercepted Willy for the first of UB's eight turnovers on the day.
"It doesn't matter who you face," said head coach Jim Hofher. "Eight turnovers in a game will not give you any chance of winning and that's what our football team faced today. It came in all forms and fashions: center-quarterback exchanges, fumbles, interceptions."
"Today, it couldn't have been much worse," he added.
It may have been bad for the Bulls but Miami seized on its extra opportunities, returning one of Willy's three interceptions for a touchdown and scoring on the drive following each of UB's six first-half turnovers.
"For our defense to come out there and force eight turnovers, it's just ridiculous," said Miami quarterback Josh Betts.
Junior Tony Paoli, who hadn't seen action under center in seven games, replaced Willy with 11 minutes to go in the second quarter.
By the end of the game, Paoli went 6-for-8 for 93 yards, one touchdown, and one lost fumble while his underclassman starter completed 6-of-16 with two lost fumbles and three interceptions. Willy, who was sacked four times, was the signal caller for 36 plays while Paoli was under center for 19 and was sacked once, forcing his lone fumble.
"I take no joy in the fact that I threw a touchdown pass," Paoli said. "I'm just real upset with the way things went down. There's no way you can win when you turn over the ball eight times."
Entering the locker room at halftime, the Bulls were down 47-0, a difference of almost seven touchdowns for a team that has scored no more than three in a game this season.
"The first half was what it was," said junior running back Steven King, who was UB's leading rusher for the game with 13 attempts and 95 yards. "It wasn't pretty and we didn't do what we had to do."
Miami (6-3, 4-2 MAC) continued its onslaught in the second half, going right down the field on the first drive and punching in another one for a 54-0 lead.
"I thought it was going to be tough against them," Betts said about UB's defense. "I've seen what they've done statistically and by watching some games. I saw what they did to Omar (Jacobs, Bowling Green quarterback). They intercepted him twice and it could have been four times and they really shut him down."
UB's defense is ranked first in pass defense in the MAC and going into Saturday's contest allowed an average of 161.2 yards per game. The RedHawks soared over that figure, amassing 298 yards through the air.
"We knew they were going to come out and throw the ball," said UB cornerback and assistant team captain Gemara Williams. "We knew they were going to put the ball in the air. We knew that they were very shifty. We were well prepared but we just didn't go out there and get the job done."
Williams, a senior, had three pass breakups in the game and now has 38 in his career, the most by a Bull since Mark Graham had 37 when he completed his career in 2003.
UB struggled throughout the game while Miami was able to utilize its large margin of victory to its advantage.
"We were able to get a lot of second- and third-team guys in," said Miami head coach Shane Montgomery. "Even though we statistically didn't score hardly any points with the second team and gave up a couple touchdowns, it was good to get those guys in the game and get them experience because a lot of those guys don't get to play very much."
Regardless of whether the Bulls played against a first-team or third-team group, they still just managed 13 points on the board, suffered their 10th straight defeat reaching back to last season and are facing the possibility of a completely defeated season.
"We have two games left," Paoli said. "I feel like we need to just go out and have fun and enjoy the game. It certainly wasn't enjoyable today."
The men in blue and white will have their next chance to enjoy a game on the gridiron on Saturday at Kent State with a 1 p.m. kickoff.
