Miami (Ohio) lives and dies by the arm of its quarterback Zac Dysert.

With an 0-7 record heading into Saturday, it mostly dies.

But that doesn’t mean NIU’s defense won’t be taking the Redhawks’ offense seriously. The redshirt freshman signal-caller has shown glimpses of why Miami head coach Michael Haywood handed him the starting job after senior quarterback Daniel Raudabaugh struggled through the first three games.

“He’s just a good football player,” said NIU head coach Jerry Kill. “He has good athletic ability and football smarts. There’s something to be said about game instincts. We all get caught into all these things. I think he has great football awareness.”

His athletic ability shows with the 342 yards he has gained on the ground this year. But a less-than-stellar offensive line has helped bring his net gain to 209 yards, a loss of 133 yards through seven games, four of which he has started.

As a starter, Dysert has completed 60.2 percent of his passes. But in six appearances he has thrown 11 interceptions with only four touchdowns to offset the turnovers. Still, the Ohio native fits into the dual-threat quarterback category.

“Anytime you got a quarterback that can run and pass, it adds to the stress level,” said NIU linebacker Spencer Williamson. “I think it’s something that the coaches are going to put in good situations to have a good game plan. It’s not the first time we’ve faced a dual-threat quarterback.”

Dysert and his predecessor Raudabaugh have faced a schedule that is incredibly tough. Kentucky, Boise State, Cincinatti and Northwestern all pose tough match-ups for any offense, and the Redhawks certainly have felt the effects.

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