The Miami University football team hosts Central Michigan on Saturday, Oct. 2 as Miami begins the first of eight conference game. The contest, which is also Family Weekend in Oxford, Ohio, begins at 3:30 p.m.
Television
The matchup with CMU will be carried live on ESPN+. Michael Reghi will handle play-by-play duties, while Je’Rod Cherry will serve as the color analyst.
Radio
In its third year of its partnership with Van Wagner, the Miami Sports Network continues its coverage of Miami Football with a group of affiliates blanketing most of Southwest Ohio and Southeast Indiana. “The Voice of the RedHawks” Steve Baker will deliver the play-by-play coverage, while Terry Bridge will provide color commentary. Tune-in to one of Miami’s gameday affiliates:
WMOH-AM 1450 (Hamilton, Ohio)
WFMG-FM 101.3 (Richmond, Ind.)
WDBZ-AM 1230 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
WONE-AM 980 (Dayton, Ohio)
First And Ten
• Miami football ranks first all-time in the Mid-American Conference in wins (701), conference wins (301), MAC Championships (16) and bowl wins (7). The RedHawks also captured the 2019 MAC Championship with a 26-21 win over Central Michigan.
• Although Miami was 4-26 in Coach Martin’s first 30 Mid-American Conference games, the RedHawks are 25-9 in the last 34 games versus schools from the MAC, the best record in the conference during that span.
• Miami went 2-1 in 2020, missing the final three contests of the year due to COVID. The RedHawks beat Ball State, the eventual MAC Champions, to open 2020, 38-31.
• The RedHawks clinched the MAC East Division Championship with a 6-2 record in 2019 and went 2-1 in 2020. Miami has now had a winning conference record in four of the past five years.
• Martin, in his eighth year leading the RedHawks, has had many of the same coordinators in the previous six seasons. Offensive Coordinator Eric Koehler has been with Martin all eight years on the offensive side of the ball. Spence Nowinsky (fourth year) and John Hauser (eighth year) manage the defense.
• Miami is 8-1 in one-score games, dating back to the 2018 campaign. The RedHawks were 5-0 in one-score games in 2019, including a 26-21 victory over Central Michigan in the MAC Championship Game. Miami’s 31-26 loss to Minnesota earlier this year ended Miami’s consecutive one-score win streak at eight.
• In its last 29 contests, Miami has had a lead at some point in 25 of those games. The only four setbacks were a 42-10 loss at Buffalo in 2020 and all three losses in 2021.
• Miami competed in the 2020 LendingTree Bowl, its fourth bowl eligible season in the last five years. From 2006-15, Miami was bowl eligible just twice.
• Miami’s defense has forced a turnover in 30 of its last 45 games and is 19-11 in contests when it forces a turnover. The RedHawks’ defense has also recorded a sack in 34 of its last 45 games.
About Chuck Martin
• Head coach Chuck Martin, who earned that title on Dec. 3, 2013, brings an impressive resume to Oxford, Ohio.
• Not only was he 74-7 in six years at Grand Valley State (2004-09), he has coached in seven national championship games in the past 19 seasons. Martin has an all-time head coaching record of 107-56.
• He has twice been named the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) National Coach of the Year and has been a coordinator on both sides of the ball.
• Martin was inducted into the Hall of Fame at Grand Valley State University on Oct. 23, 2015.
About Central Michigan
Central Michigan comes into Saturday’s contest at 2-2- overall with wins over Robert Morris and Florida International. Offensively, the Chips average 30.3 points per game and are led by a pair of quarterbacks in Jacob Sirmon (170.5) and Daniel Richardson (109.3), both who average over 100 passing yards per game. Defensively they allow 27.5 points per game and are led Troy Hairston who has 3.0 sacks on the season.
Series Vs. CMU
Saturday will be the 29th meeting between the two programs with the RedHawks holding a slight 15-13-1 advantage. Miami has won each of the last three meetings, dating back to 2016.
Notes From Army
• Brett Gabbert’s 80-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Davis was Gabbert’s longest TD pass of his career. It was also Davis’ first career receiving score.
• Ivan Pace Jr. had a career-high 12 tackles and Kameron Butler recorded a career-best 11 stops as well. Defensive tackle Austin Ertl added a career-best nine tackles.
• Miami allowed no passing yards in the contest for the first time since 2018, also versus Army.
• The Black Knights rushed 63 times for 384 yards, including carries of 72, 75 and 42 yards. Army averaged just 3.2 yards per carry on the other 60 attempts.
Cancer Awareness Helmets
It what has become a yearly tradition, the entire Miami University football team will be carrying a special message with them as they take the field on Saturday in Miami’s annual Cancer Awareness contest versus Central Michigan. Each player’s helmet will feature a colored ribbon of their choice to symbolize how they have been affected by cancer. Overall, 32 players selected pink to signify those affected by breast cancer, while 16 picked blue (colon cancer and esophageal cancer) and six chose white (lung cancer). Other colors include, five orange (kidney cancer and leukemia), four black (melanoma), two red (blood cancers) and six yellow (bladder cancer, sarcoma/bone cancer). Six players had no preference.
Championship Experience
While Miami’s 2019 MAC Championship victory was two seasons ago, Miami still has 13 starters returning in 2021 that started in that championship game. On offense: Andrew Homer, Rusty Feth, Jaylon Bester, Tyre Shelton, Brett Gabbert, Pete Nank, Caleb Shaffer and Jack Sorenson all started in the 26-21 win over CMU. Defensively, Mike Brown, Sterling Weatherford, Ryan McWood, Kameron Butler and Ben Kimpler return in 2021. In all, Miami has 26 players on the 2021 roster that participated in the 2019 MAC Championship Game.
Home Cooking
Miami finished a perfect 5-0 at home during the 2019 season (1-0 in 2020) and has won 10 straight at Yager Stadium. Miami’s last home loss was on Sept. 29, 2018. In all, when Miami hosts Central Michigan on Oct. 2, it will be 1,099 days since Miami’s last loss at home.
COURTESY MIAMI ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
