By Charles Hollister
GAME NOTES
https://miamiredhawks.com/documents/2024/10/8/Game_Notes_-_2024_Eastern_Michigan.pdf
The Miami University football team travels north in search of its first conference win with a Saturday, Oct. 12 contest at Eastern Michigan. Opening kick is slated for 2 p.m.
Television: ESPN+
Play-by-Play: Michael Reghi
Analyst: Marcus Ray
Radio: Miami Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Steve Baker
Analyst: Terry Bridge
Radio Networks
WMOH-AM 1450 (Hamilton, Ohio)
WFMG-FM 101.3 (Richmond, Ind.)
WDBZ-AM 1230 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
WONE-AM 980 (Dayton, Ohio)
About Miami
• Miami football ranks first all-time in the Mid-American Conference in wins (725), conference wins (317), MAC Championships (17) and bowl wins (8).
• Historically, Miami’s 725 career wins are third all-time among Group-of-Five programs, behind just Navy (743) and Army (732).
• Miami was 4-14 in Coach Martin’s first 18 Mid-American Conference games. Since then, the RedHawks are 42-18 in their last 60 games versus schools from the MAC.
• Miami captured its second MAC Championship in the last five years, defeating Toledo 23-14 last season. Chuck Martin won his first MAC Championship back in 2019.
• The RedHawks have been bowl-eligible seven of the last eight seasons. From 2006-15, Miami was bowl-eligible just twice.
• Since Oct. 15, 2016, Miami has lost back-to-back conference games just twice in that span (2017, 2022). Miami is 15-3 following a conference loss, dating back to midway through the 2016 campaign.
About Chuck Martin
• Chuck Martin was named Miami head coach on Dec. 3, 2013.
• He was named a 2023 Finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award.
• 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 21 seasons. Martin has an all-time head coaching record of 131-73.
• 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.
• Martin’s 121 games coached at Miami is tops in program history and his 57 career wins ranks behind only Randy Walker (59) and ahead of the Terry Hoeppner (48), Frank Wilton (44) and John Pont (43).
About EMU
Eastern Michigan enters Saturday’s action at 4-1 overall and 1-0 in MAC play. Quarterback Cole Snyder has thrown for 957 yards and four touchdowns, while Delbert Mimms is tops on the team with 314 yards rushing and five scores. JT Killen leads the way on defense with 31 tackles and two forced fumbles.
Last Meeting Versus EMU
Miami out-gained Eastern Michigan 385-257, but settled for four field goals in a 13-12 loss back on Oct. 9, 2021. AJ Mayer threw for 259 yards and Jack Sorenson had a game-high seven grabs for 123 yards. Defensively, Ivan Pace had a team-high 12 tackles, while five different RedHawks recorded sacks.
Series Vs. Eastern Michigan
Saturday will be the 25th meeting between the two programs with the RedHawks holding an 18-6 advantage. EMU has won the last two meetings, but prior to that, the Red and White had won nine-straight from 1994-2016.
Toledo Recap
Miami dropped its Mid-American Conference opener 30-20 at Toledo last Saturday. Javon Tracy caught 10 passes for 119 yards and a touchdown for the RedHawks, while Corban Hondru recorded two interceptions and a career-high 11 tackles for the Miami defense.
• Hondru’s interceptions were Miami’s first of the season; the redshirt junior linebacker matched his previous career total with two picks in the game.
• Brett Gabbert threw for 296 yards and two scores.
• Miami was a season-best 10-of-18 converting third downs.
• Oscar McWood matched his career high with nine tackles.
• Mychal Yharbrough made a career-high seven tackles.
• Connor Briggs and Preston Daniel made their first career starts as RedHawks.
• The RedHawks and Rockets played for the third time in less than 12 months after not having faced each other for the previous 12 years.
Slow Start
Playing Power-4 football teams in non-conference play is nothing new for Miami. Since 2019, Miami has won two MAC Championships, but just once in that time has Miami come out of non-conference play with a winning record. Miami has played 13 Power-4 program in non-conference play over the last five years (2.6 per year), but has still found a way to play in a bowl game each season.
Tackling Machine
Linebacker Matt Salopek, the reigning 2023 MAC Defensive Player of the Year, has 437 career tackles and has surpassed 100 stops in 2021, 2022 and 2023. The last time Miami had a player record 100-plus tackles three straight seasons was Matt Pusateri from 2002-04 and no RedHawk has ever secured 100-plus tackles in four-straight seasons. His 437 tackles ranks ninth all-time in program history.
43 And Counting…
Matt Salopek made his 45th start last week versus Toledo, but he is not the only defender that has played a ton of football on the defensive side of the ball. Kobe Hilton (41), Brian Ugwu (25) and Ty Wise (24) have all started at least 20 games.
Gabbert In The History Books
Brett Gabbert, who missed the last six games of the 2023 season with a leg injury, has made 43 starts in his career and is all over the Miami record books. He ranks third in program history with 9.055 passing yards, sixth in completion percentage (.588) and third in passing touchdowns (64). He is also 45 yards shy of 500 career rushing yards and is responsible for 71 touchdowns (64 passing, 7 rushing) in his career.
Tracy Smashes Personal Bests
In the loss to Toledo, Brett Gabbert may have discovered a new target. Sophomore Javon Tracy’s 10 receptions was a career-high (previous-best was six versus Ball State in 2023). He is the first RedHawk to have 10 catches in a game since Jack Sorenson did so versus Ohio in 2021.
Ole McDonald Having a Season
Senior Cade McDonald had 28 catches for 353 yards last season … all career-bests … until 2024. This year McDonald is tops on the team in receptions (29) and yards (382). He set career-highs in catches (8) and yards (135) in the loss versus Cincinnati after opening the year with eight receptions for 105 yards at Northwestern.
Trench Warfare
Miami’s offensive line is the most experienced unit on the 2024 roster. Reid Holskey has started each of the last 45 games for the Red and White and is followed by Will Jados (29), Kolby Borders (28), and John Young (19). Those four have combined to start 121 games and all four started all 14 games a year ago. Charlie Nank has made five starts at center for the Red and White this year.
All-MAC Specialty
Miami has a pair of All-MAC performers on special teams … both punters. Dom Dzobian was named a second-team All-MAC punter in 2022 and Alec Bevelhimer did the same in 2023. Dzobian, now Miami’s placekicker, has converted on 9-of-11 field goals this season, while Bevelhimer is averaging 41.5 yards per punt in 2024.
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