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OXFORD — Miami University football coach Shane Montgomery seems intent on making a fundamental change on offense for the RedHawks' game Saturday, Oct. 18, at Bowling Green.

What form that change will take isn't clear, but it does seem inevitable for an offense ranked 97th in pass efficiency, 101st in total offense, 112th in scoring and 114th in rushing out of 119 Bowl Subdivision teams.

Montgomery was asked at his weekly press conference Tuesday whether junior Daniel Raudabaugh or red-shirt freshman Clay Belton would start at quarterback against the Falcons.

"We're going to evaluate," Montgomery said.

Raudabaugh has started 13 straight games for Miami, but the RedHawks have not scored a touchdown with him behind center since the third quarter of their contest against Cincinnati on Sept. 20.

Miami has scored just two touchdowns in the two ensuing games, a 2-yard run by Thomas Merriweather in the third quarter against Temple on Oct. 4 after Belton had replaced Raudabaugh at the start of the second half, and the 63-yard punt return by Eugene Harris in the second quarter of last week's 17-13 loss at Northern Illinois.

Belton did not play against Northern, which Montgomery said was not what he originally intended.

"I had Clay ready to go Saturday," he said. "Before the game I felt I would put him in at some time."

But the Miami coach didn't find a situation in which he could give Belton the green light.

"The first three series we were three-and-out," Montgomery said, "but I didn't feel Daniel was the reason things didn't happen. And then we didn't have the ball a whole lot in the first half after Eugene's touchdown."

Miami had possession of the ball only four times in the second half, and although two of those possessions turned into time-consuming drives (15 plays for 62 yards, 14 plays for 54 yards), the RedHawks scored only three points.

Montgomery said "there is a good chance Clay Belton will play" against Bowling Green.

"You've got to go into the game saying this is what you're going to do," Montgomery added. "You can't wait and see what happens ... We've got to get him into the game early and see what he can do."

Regardless of who stands behind center, Bowling Green might see a few more passes downfield or perhaps a play that might be classified as "trick or treat."

The RedHawks did not have an offensive gain longer than 17 yards against Northern.

"We're too much ball control instead of getting big plays," Montgomery said.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2197 or pconrad@coxohio.com.