Miami Ohio University Athletics
Miami Football Notes (Oct. 11)
10/4/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
Miami (4-2, 3-1) vs. Kent (1-5, 1-2)
Saturday, Oct. 16 - Kent, Ohio
Match-Up at a Glance:
Stadium: Dix Stadium (30,520, artificial)
Kickoff: 2 p.m. EDT
Site: Kent, Ohio
Television: None
Series Record: 37-9, Miami
THE GAME: Before taking a one-week break, Miami travels to Kent State University this Saturday for a second consecutive Mid-American Conference road game. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. This is Miami's fifth away game in its first seven weeks. Following Saturday's action, however, the RedHawks play three of their final four regular-season games at home. Earlier this year, Kent halted its 16-game losing skid when it handed Bowling Green a 41-27 defeat at home. Since then, the Golden Flashes have dropped back-to-back road games to Ohio (31-3) and Toledo (47-7). Miami is in search of its sixth consecutive road win versus a MAC rival.
LAST WEEK'S SUMMARY: Miami's offense regained its early season form as the RedHawks piled up 503 yards in a 45-31 victory at Bowling Green. Led by career-best performances from quarterback Mike Bath (Celina, Ohio/Celina), wide receiver Trevor Gaylor (Hazelwood, Mo./Hazelwood West) and tailback Travis Prentice (Louisville, Ky./Manual), the RedHawks scored more points than any previous team that has visited BG's Doyt Perry Stadium, which opened in 1966. Bath savored a near-perfect day, completing 15 of 22 passes for 309 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. Two of his touchdown passes went to Gaylor, who with six catches for the game, reached the 100-mark for career receptions. Gaylor finished with a career-high 153 receiving yards. Prentice registered 263 all-purpose yards-a career best-and scored three touchdowns to climb higher on the NCAA's all-time leading lists for touchdowns, points and rushing yards. He rushed for 209 yards, giving him six career games with 200 or more yards. Prentice's 53-yard touchdown scamper early in the fourth quarter staked Miami to its biggest lead of the day at 45-17. With the RedHawks clinging to a 7-3 lead, Miami opened up the game with two late second-quarter scores. Prentice scored on a 29-yard pass play with 2:03 to go to make it 14-3. The Falcons, unable to run out the first half clock, then punted the ball to the RedHawks, who started on BG's 43-yard line with 56 seconds to go. Miami then went up 21-3 on Gaylor's first touchdown of the day, an 8-yard pass from Bath with 27 seconds left.
SERIES HISTORY: The Miami-Kent series has been dominated by the RedHawks in recent years. Overall, the RedHawks lead the all-time series 37-9. Miami has won 10 straight games versus the Golden Flashes, and several of them in convincing fashion. The last four years Miami has defeated Kent by final margins of 39, 58, 36 and 56 points, respectively. The two teams met first in 1942-a 53-7 Miami victory. Kent enjoyed its most success versus Miami in the late 1980s when it won three straight games. A chronological look at the recent series history:
- 1988 Kent 17, at Miami 11 1993 Miami 23, at Kent 14
- 1989 Miami 15, at Kent 13 1994 at Miami 24, Kent 14
- 1990 at Miami 31, Kent 10 1995 Miami 39, at Kent 0
- 1991 Miami 20, at Kent 9 1996 at Miami 64, Kent 6
- 1992 at Miami 31, Kent 14 1997 Miami 62, at Kent 26
- 1998 at Miami 56, Kent 0
At Oxford: Miami leads 19-4
At Kent: Miami leads 17-5
Most Miami Points: 64 (64-6) in 1996
Most Kent Points: 26 (62-26) in 1997
Biggest Miami win: 58 (64-6) in 1996
Biggest Kent win: 11 (twice)
TERRY HOEPPNER: After spending 13 years as a Miami assistant, Terry Hoeppner (pronounced HEP-ner) is in his first season as the RedHawks' 31st head football coach. A 1969 graduate of Franklin (Ind.) College, this is Hoeppner's first collegiate head coaching position. Since coming to Miami in 1986 under then head coach Tim Rose, he has served as a linebacker coach (1986), defensive back coach (1987-93), assistant head coach/defensive back coach (1993-95) and assistant head coach/defensive coordinator (1995-98). Hoeppner's other college coaching stint came at his alma mater as defensive coordinator (1980-86). Miami's record with Hoeppner as defensive coordinator was 32-11-1 and as assistant head coach, 42-22-2.
ACCORDING TO THE VOTERS ... : Miami did not receive votes in either the USA Today/ESPN Coaches' or AP Top 25 poll this week. Last year, Miami finished the year with final rankings of 34th (USA Today/ESPN) and 30th (AP).
Miami Ranking by the Week
Week Sagarin AP USA Today/ESPN TSN CBS Sportsline Preseason 41 T-42 45 34 41 Aug. 30 51 T-45 45 35 41 Sept. 6 27 T-37 T-34 32 40 Sept. 13 47 NR T-41 42 46 Sept. 20 44 NR T-45 37 42 Sept. 27 50 NR 39 36 42 Oct. 4 58 NR NR 42 55 Oct. 11 53 NR NR 35 49
A MIAMI WIN WILL ... :
- Give the RedHawks their 11th straight win versus Kent;
- Increase Miami's road winning streak versus MAC teams to six;
A MIAMI LOSS WILL ... :
- Halt the RedHawks' MAC road string at five games;
- Give Miami its first loss to Kent since 1988.
INJURY UPDATE: It has been a busy year for Miami's sports medicine staff. Two more RedHawks players suffered significant injuries versus Bowling Green-redshirt freshmen Matt Robillard (Milford, Conn./Milford Academy) and Grant Crosthwaite (Cincinnati, Ohio/Moeller). Robillard, a starting outside linebacker, injured his knee (MCL sprain) and is expected to miss three to four weeks. Crosthwaite, a key special teams player and reserve safety, is out with a broken ankle and is expected to miss four to six weeks. If he is out the full length of the expected recovery time, he would likely miss the remainder of the regular season.
So far this season, Miami has lost these players for the year: wide receiver Sly Johnson (Miramar, Fla./Miramar) with an ACL tear, defensive tackle Gino DiGiandomenico (Livonia, Mich./Redford Central Catholic) with a broken leg, back-up quarterback John Schacke (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine South) with an ACL tear, linebacker Matt Edwards (West Chester, Ohio/Moeller) with an ACL tear, outside linebacker Mike Montgomery (Findlay, Ohio/Findlay) with an ACL, MCL and meniscus tear, and defensive lineman Shane Martinkovic (Fairfield, Ohio/Fairfield) with a leg injury. Starting left tackle Alex Sulfsted (Loveland, Ohio/Mariemont) suffered a high ankle sprain in the Marshall game and is out one to three more weeks. Junior linebacker Robert Jordan (Camden, Ohio/Preble Shawnee) re-separated his shoulder at West Virginia and has not played since Sept. 11. He is out for Kent.
EFFICIENT OFFENSE: Miami rang up 503 yards of total offense versus Bowling Green, but did so on just 60 offensive plays. Entering Saturday's contest, the RedHawks were averaging 77.4 rushes and passes per game. The average gain per play against the Falcons was a whopping 8.4 yards per snap. Miami continues to average nearly 20 yards (19.6) per pass completion.
BIG PLAYS ARE BACK: After going a pair of games without an offensive play of 50 or more yards, Miami's big-play offense was revitalized versus Bowling Green. The RedHawks had a pair of snaps go for 50 or more yards and both went for touchdowns: a 62-yard pass from Mike Bath to Trevor Gaylor and a 53-yard run by Travis Prentice. That gives Miami 10 offensive plays this season with distances of 50 yards or greater. Eight of those 10 plays have resulted in touchdowns. Last year, in 11 games, Miami's offense totaled a mere three big plays.
MASH UNIT: Miami's numerous injuries have really decimated the RedHawks' linebacking corps. Since the beginning of the year, Miami has lost Matt Edwards, Mike Montgomery, Robert Jordan, and now, Matt Robillard (Milford, Conn./Milford Academy), who started three of the last four games at outside linebacker. Because of the numerous 'backer injuries, junior Nick Monk (Franklin, Ohio/Franklin) began playing some middle linebacker three weeks ago. On Saturday against Bowling Green, Monk started at middle linebacker, while also holding down the starting H-back spot on offense. He is Miami's first two-way starter in recent memory. Monk, who turned in some solid blocking on offense as well as a 24-yard reception, totaled seven hits (four solos) on defense. He played a total of 58 plays in the game.
DEJA VU FOR "SCHACK": Following his freshman season, quarterback John Schacke was in line to become Miami's starter at quarterback. Schacke, however, suffered a torn ACL in his right knee during spring practice and never fully recovered to challenge for playing time in 1998. This season, Schacke was making a key contribution at quarterback and was 100 percent healthy until tearing his ACL in his left knee against Marshall. He is likely to miss the remainder of the season. In three games, Schacke had completed 14 of 29 passes for 201 yards and two interceptions. Redshirt freshman Tom Pore (Shippenville, Pa./Knox Keystone) is now Miami's No. 2 quarterback.
RACKIN' UP THE SACKS: Miami's defense has rung up 21 sacks through its first six games-an average of 3.5 per game. That figure is slightly behind the 1992 school-record average of 4.09 (45 sacks). Senior linebacker Dustin Cohen is leading the RedHawks' sack attack with six thus far in 1999. That total equals his single-season career high, established in 1997. Andy Aracri (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont) ranks second with four pass sacks.
A PIECE OF THE ROCK: Defensive tackle Andy Aracri is having an all-conference-type season. After notching a career-high 10 tackles versus Marshall, "Rock" followed with eight tackles (five solos) vs. Bowling Green. He also had two tackles for a loss, giving him a team- and MAC-best 15 for the year. Aracri ranks fourth on Miami's defensive tackle list with 46. He also has a team-best eight QB hurries. Aracri already has surpassed his 1998 tackle total (43).
BATH BREAKS OUT: Junior quarterback Mike Bath turned in his finest performance of the season, and perhaps his career, versus the Falcons. He established a career high with four touchdown passes and totaled 309 passing yards-three yards short of his single-game best. Making the the effort more impressive was the fact that he did not suffer a miscue (interception or fumble), while completing 68.2 percent (15 of 22) of his passes. Bath's strong outing upped his season passing efficiency to a stellar 145.2, which is good enough to rank 15th nationally and third in the MAC. He also has climbed to No. 7 on the RedHawks' career passing yardage list with 3,004 yards and No. 5 in passing touchdowns with 24.
PICKING UP THE SLACK FOR SLY: With the absence of Sly Johnson, Miami has used a "receiver by committee" to replace the RedHawks' top wideout. Senior Nate Sexton (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle), who caught a total of four passes in his first three seasons, had another solid outing for the RedHawks. After catching a career-best four catches for 98 yards versus Marshall, he totaled three receptions for 66 yards and his first collegiate TD against Bowling Green. For the season, Sexton has 13 receptions for 286 yards. He is averaging 22.0 yards per catch.
MIAMIANS IN THE PROS: The RedHawks presently have three former players on active rosters in the NFL. JoJuan Armour, a two-time MAC Defensive Player of the Year, recently was picked up by the Cincinnati Bengals after stints with the Oakland Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars this fall. Eric Beverly (center) is a member of the Detroit Lions and Ron Carpenter (safety) is with the St. Louis Rams. Two other players are currently injured. Paris Johnson (safety) is on the Arizona Cardinals' injured reserve list and Damian Vaughn (tight end) is on the Bengals' practice squad.
DEFENSIVE LEADERS: The RedHawks have three players-Versellias Hammond (Louisville, Ky./Ballard), Dustin Cohen (Cincinnati, Ohio/Summit Country Day) and Mike Yeager (Cincinnati, Ohio/Indian Hill)-atop their tackle list. Hammond leads all players with 71, while Cohen has 69 hits and Yeager, 68. Yeager leads all players with 43 solo stops.
GAYLOR'S GOT IT GOING: With a career-best effort against Bowling Green, senior wideout Trevor Gaylor (Hazelwood, Mo./Hazelwood West) has now reached the 100 mark for career receptions, which ranks sixth on Miami's all-time chart. His 153-yard day versus the Falcons upped his career total to 1,562 receiving yards-216 yards shy of Jay Hall's school-record mark. The 1,562 yards place Gaylor fifth on the all-time yardage list. Gaylor owns a string of 28 straight games with at least one reception.
BUTKUS CANDIDATE: Senior Dustin Cohen, a 1998 Football News third-team all-American and a first-team all-MAC selection, is one of 65 candidates on the preliminary Butkus Award watch list, which was announced by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, Inc., on Aug. 20. The watch list will be trimmed to 10 semifinalists on Oct. 21 and the three finalists will be announced via a national teleconference on November 11. Cohen, a leading candidate for 1999 MAC Defensive Player of the Year honors, led the MAC in total tackles last year with 146 hits (13.3 per game).
Cohen is a consensus preseason first-team all-MAC selection. Cohen's play helped Miami lead the MAC in total defense for a third time in four years. The RedHawks also ranked among the nation's leaders in pass efficiency defense (fifth) and scoring defense (fourth). Cohen has started the last 31 games-a team best-for Miami. He leads the RedHawks in pass sacks, interceptions, blocked kicks and is second in pass deflections and tackles.
Three weeks ago (vs. Eastern Michigan), Cohen and the Miami defense earned the honor, "Best Interception of the Week," from the Compaq College Plays of the Week program. An Eastern Michigan pass deflected off an Eagle receiver, then was tipped by Miami's
Mike Yeager before Cohen made the diving interception. Prior to the West Virginia game, long-time Mountaineers' coach Don Nehlen proclaimed: "This Dustin Cohen is one of the best players in America. There are times they switch him to safety. That tells me he has outstanding speed." Following the Central Michigan contest, Chippewas' coach Dick Flynn remarked: "Great players make great plays. Cohen made some great plays against us."
MORE COHEN: Miami coach Terry Hoeppner constantly refers to Dustin Cohen as "a scorer on defense." Cohen, who earned the Sept. 19 Compaq National Interception of the Week versus Eastern Michigan, turned in another highlight-film pick when he reached up with his left arm and snatched a play-action pass from Central Michigan quarterback Pete Shepherd and rambled seven yards into the end zone for Miami's go-ahead score. That return for TD was the fourth interception score of his career, tying the NCAA career mark for interception TD returns by a linebacker. Randy Neal (1991-94) totaled four for Virginia. Cohen was named the MAC's Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts.
RECORD CROWD: For the first time in Miami University history, Yager Stadium exceeded its capacity with a standing-room only crowd of 30,087 versus Marshall on Oct. 2. Seating capacity is 30,012. Two years ago, Miami and Marshall played in front of 29,027, which was the former record-setting attendance figure.
NATIONAL LEADERS: Travis Prentice ranks nationally in three NCAA statistical categories. He is eighth in rushing (141.3 ypg), third in scoring (14.0 ppg) and eighth in all-purpose yardage (178.3). Quarterback Mike Bath is 15th in passing efficiency (145.2 rating) and 32nd in total offense (230.3).
ALL-CENTURY TEAM: With its tradition-rich history, picking an all-century football team at Miami is a difficult task. In the Cincinnati Enquirer's 1999 College Football Preview section, this is the offensive and defensive team that their staff chose: Offense-Sherman Smith (QB, 1972-75), Travis Prentice (RB, 1996-99), John Pont (RB, 1949-51), Jay Hall (WR, 1995-98), Doc Urich (WR, 1948-50), Gary Arthur (TE, 1967-69), Tom Jones (OL, 1952-54), Mike Bird (OL, 1995-97), Paul Dietzel (OL, 1946-47), Dan Dalrymple (OL, 1983-86), Mike Biehle (OL, 1972-74), Gary Gussman (PK, 1984-87); Defense-Jack Glowik (DL, 1974-77), Jon Wauford (DL, 1988-91), Brad Cousino (DL, 1972-74), Brian Pillman (DL, 1980-83), Curt McMillan (LB, 1989-92), Bob Babich (LB, 1966-68), Dee Osborne (LB, 1993-96), Kirk Springs (DB, 1977-79), Ron Carpenter (DB, 1990-92), Sheldon White (DB, 1984-86), Dick Adams (DB, 1969-70), Gary Layton (P, 1991-94); Coach-Ara Parseghian.
HASH MARKS: Among this year's Heisman Trophy candidates, Travis Prentice has the second-best all-purpose yardage total with 178.3 yards per game. Only Alabama's Shaun Alexander has a better average at 203.6. Prentice has recorded 5,259 all-purpose yards in his career. With 341 more yards, he will climb into the NCAA's career top 30.
- Between Nov. 2, 1996 and Oct. 9, 1999-the starting and ending dates of Travis Prentice's non-fumble streak-he rushed for 4,138 yards and scored 54 rushing touchdowns.
- Against Bowling Green, Miami gained its highest rushing figure of the year (194 yards) with its season's fewest carries (38).
- Linebacker Dustin Cohen is on the verge of moving into Miami's top 10 list for career tackles. He has 382 career hits, which is 14 tackles shy of JoJuan Armour's total of 396. Only seven Miami players have ever recorded 400 or more tackles in a career. He is also on the verge of top-10 totals for solo tackles and assisted tackles. Cohen needs two solo hits to move into 10th place on the solo tackle list and 17 assisted tackles for 10th place in that category.
- Minus its losses to Marshall in 1998 and '99, Miami owns a 12-game winning streak versus the rest of the Mid-American Conference. The RedHawks' last MAC loss to a team other than Marshall occurred Nov. 1, 1997-a 35-28 defeat at Toledo.
TRAVIS PRENTICE
1999 Heisman Trophy & Doak Walker Awards Candidate
Travis Prentice, the nation's second-leading rusher in 1998 and 1999's top returning ground-gainer, scorer and all-purpose runner, continues to climb the MAC and NCAA career charts. After his three TD's versus Bowling Green, Prentice now has 426 career points, which ranks second on the NCAA career scoring list.
He needs just 26 points to catch leader Ricky Williams. He also ranks second all-time with 71 overall touchdowns and 66 rushing TD's, leaving him five overall TD's and six rushing TD's short of tying those two national records. Prentice already owns the NCAA record for career multiple-touchdown games with 24. (For an update on his pursuit of Ricky Williams' records, see table).
His MAC-leading rushing figure stands at 4,785. Miami's Deland McCullough was the league's previous record-holder with 4,368 yards. Prentice now ranks 13th on the NCAA's all-time rushing list. Through 39 career games, Prentice has totaled 25 games with 100 or more rushing yards. Prentice, the 1998 MAC Player of the Year, is a two-time Doak Walker Award semifinalist, having been named one of the top eight running backs the past two seasons.
Perhaps one of Prentice's most impressive statistics is his ability to hold on to the football. Although his NCAA record streak ended early in the second quarter at Bowling Green, the streak reached 862 rushes without a lost fumble. The dates of the streak were Nov. 2, 1996 through Oct. 9, 1999. In 981 career carries, he has four fumbles with two lost.
On the latest CNNSI.com web site, Prentice has been tabbed one of its top five finalists for the Heisman. On ESPN.com's "Heisman Watch," Prentice is ranked No. 7 on its list. He also is listed as the No. 3 back on ESPN.com's Doak Walker Award watch. In addition, he is mentioned on the FOX and USA Today web sites.
A feature on him and Marshall's Chad Pennington will be appearing in an upcoming issue of ESPN Magazine. Head coach Terry Hoeppner says Prentice "is such a special guy. Travis puts a tremendous burden on opposing defenses. He's so versatile. He's an outstanding football player and a terrific individual."
Former head mentor Randy Walker, who has been coaching since the 1977 season, says Prentice is "the real deal ... the best running back I've been associated with in my 20 years of coaching." Prentice presently holds 31 Miami records, including single-season marks for scoring, touchdowns and rushing yardage, and career marks for rushing, carries, scoring, rushing touchdowns and touchdowns. (see page 9 for a complete listing).
Prentice set a single-season record for points scored (150) in 1997, which obliterated George Swarn's record of 96, set in 1985. The 150 points were the second-highest single-season total in the NCAA in 1997 and the 10th highest single-season total in NCAA Division I-A history. A listing of Prentice's accomplishments and career standings are located in the column to the right.
Prentice's 100-Yard Rushing Games 239 vs. Northern Illinois, 1997 (22 carries) 237 vs. Ohio, 1998 (44) 227 vs. Toledo, 1998 (37) 227 at Ohio, 1997 (41) 209 at Bowling Green, 1999 (34) 203 vs. Marshall, 1997 (30) 197 vs. Kent, 1998 (25) 179 at Northern Illinois, 1998 (36) 165 at West Virginia, 1999 (29) 164 at Army, 1998 (37) 162 at North Carolina, 1998 (37) 157 vs. Akron, 1997 (30) 151 at Northwestern, 1999 (33) 148 at Ball State, 1998 (34) 146 at Kent, 1997 (27) 136 at Toledo, 1997 (31) 135 vs. Bowling Green, 1998 (32) 131 vs. Marshall, 1999 (27) 127 at Cincinnati, 1998 (29) 127 at Akron, 1998 (22) 125 vs. Central Michigan, 1996 (16) 116 vs. Eastern Michigan, 1999 (38) 113 vs. Ball State, 1997 (26) 103 at Bowling Green, 1997 (29) 102 vs. Kent, 1996 (18)Miami's record when Prentice runs for 100 or more yards: 21-4
Miami's record when Prentice runs for 150 or more yards: 12-1
What They're Saying About Travis:
"Some guys are big. Some guys are strong. Some guys are fast. He's all three." - Miami coach Terry Hoeppner
"He's a man. He's a big, strong guy. If they're in a tight game, he's going to win games for them. He justs gets better, I think."-West Virginia coach Don Nehlen
"Travis is a great back and nobody's going to contain him. He can bust loose at any time." - Marshall coach Bob Pruett
"With Prentice, he's a unique combination because he's a powerful guy with speed. I'm not sure we've had that combination in this league." - Ball State coach Bill Lynch
Prentice 1999 Rushing by Quarter: First Quarter Att. Yards Avg. TD Second Quarter Att. Yards Avg. TD Northwestern 7 31 4.4 1 Northwestern 4 32 8.0 1 West Virginia 4 10 2.5 0 West Virginia 9 34 3.8 0 Eastern Michigan 8 55 6.9 2 Eastern Michigan 9 4 0.4 0 Central Michigan 9 7 0.8 1 Central Michigan 5 17 3.4 0 Marshall 4 4 1.0 0 Marshall 9 14 1.6 0 Bowling Green 13 57 4.4 1 Bowling Green 5 12 2.4 0 Kent Kent Cincinnati Cincinnati Akron Akron Ohio Ohio Buffalo Buffalo TOTAL 45 164 3.6 5 TOTAL 41 113 2.8 1 Third Quarter Att. Yards Avg. TD Fourth Quarter Att. Yards Avg. TD Northwestern 14 53 3.8 0 Northwestern 8 35 4.4 0 West Virginia 11 80 7.3 0 West Virginia 5 41 8.2 1 Eastern Michigan 11 38 3.5 0 Eastern Michigan 10 19 1.9 1 Central Michigan 12 28 2.3 1 Central Michigan 10 24 2.4 0 Marshall 6 30 5.0 0 Marshall 8 83 10.4 0 Bowling Green 8 58 7.3 0 Bowling Green 8 82 10.3 1 Kent Kent Cincinnati Cincinnati Akron Akron Ohio Ohio Buffalo Buffalo TOTAL 62 287 4.6 1 TOTAL 49 284 5.8 3 Prentice 1999 Rushing by Half: First Half Att. Yards Avg. TD Northwestern 11 63 5.7 2 West Virginia 13 44 3.4 0 Eastern Michigan 17 59 3.5 2 Central Michigan 14 24 1.7 1 Marshall 13 18 1.4 0 Bowling Green 18 69 3.8 1 Kent Cincinnati Akron Ohio Buffalo TOTAL 86 277 3.2 6 Second Half Att. Yards Avg. TD GAME TOTAL Northwestern 22 88 4.0 0 33 for 151, 2 TD's West Virginia 16 121 7.6 1 29 for 165, 1 TD Eastern Michigan 21 57 2.7 1 38 for 116, 3 TD's Central Michigan 22 52 2.4 1 36 for 76, 2 TD's Marshall 14 113 8.1 0 27 for 131, 0 TD's Bowling Green 16 140 8.8 1 34 for 209, 2 TD's Kent Cincinnati Akron Ohio Buffalo TOTAL 111 571 5.1 4 197 for 848, 10 TD's
The Prentice File
- Named a 1999 preseason all-American by Playboy, SPORT Magazine, College Football News, Football News (second team) and Athlon Sports (third team).
- Named the 1998 MAC Player of the Year (Vern Smith Award) and the 1998 MAC Offensive Player of the Year. Also tabbed a Doak Walker Award semifinalist for a second straight year.
- Totaled 862 rushes without a lost fumble-an NCAA mark. Streak came to an end vs. Bowling Green (10/9/99).
- Earned all-America honors from The Sports Network (first team), The Sports Weekly Journal (first team) and Football News (third team).
- Ranks SECOND on the NCAA's all-time list for rushing touchdowns. Will take sole possession of first place with seven more rushing TDs.
- On pace to become college football's all-time Division I-A leader in touchdowns and points scored, and the NCAA's fifth all-time leading rusher.
- Broke Miami and MAC records for single-season touchdowns (25) and rushing touchdowns (25) in 1997.
- Holds Miami and MAC records for career rushing TD's (66), overall TD's (71) and career points scored (426).
- Broke Miami and MAC records for single-season points (150) in 1997. The 150 points is tied for the ninth-highest total in NCAA history.
- Rushed for a school-record 1,787 yards in 1998-that figure is the third-best total in MAC history.
- Led the MAC and ranked sixth nationally in rushing with 140.8 yards per game in 1997, the second-best total to this year's school mark.
- Led the MAC and ranked second in the nation in scoring (13.6) in 1997.
- On Sept. 5, 1998, rushed for 162 yards vs. North Carolina-the most by any opposing player since Nov. 4, 1989.
- Rushed for a career-best 239 yards vs. Northern Illinois, the third-highest single-game total in school history, 237 yards vs. Ohio (1998), and 227 yards vs. Ohio (1997) and Toledo (1998).
- Has totaled 129 career "trucks"-the number of times he levels an opposing player while carrying the football. Prentice registered 54 trucks last year.
- Named MAC Offensive Player of the Week once (Sept. 13 vs. WVU) and USA Today Online MAC Player of the Week twice (Sept. 13 vs. WVU, Oct. 9 vs. BG).
Travis Prentice: Holder of 31 Miami Records
- Single-Season Rushing Attempts, 365 (1998) - Career Rushing Attempts, 981 (1996-current) - Single-Season Rushing Yards, 1787 (1998) - Career Rushing Yards, 4,785 (1996-present) - Single-Game Rushing TD's, 4 (1998) - Single-Season Rushing TD's, 25 (1997) - Career Rushing TD's, 66 (1996-current) - Points Scored in a Half, 24 (1998) - Points Scored in a Game, 30 (1998) - Single-Season Points Scored, 150 (1997) - Career Points Scored, 426 (1996-current) - TD's in a Half, 4 (1998) - TD's in a Game, 5 (1998) - TD's in a Season, 25 (1997) - TD's in a Career, 71 (1996-current) - Rushing Yards Per Game Average, 162.5 (1998) - 100-Yard Rushing Games in a Season, 10 (1998) - 100-Yard Rushing Games in a Career, 25 (1996-current) - Consecutive Carries Without a Lost Fumble in a Season, 365 (1998) - Consecutive Carries Without a Lost Fumble in a Career, 863 (1997-1999) * - Most 200-yard Rushing Games, 6 (1996-current) - Yager Stadium Single-Game Rushing Attempts, 44 (1998) - Yager Stadium Single-Game Rushing Yards, 239 (1997) - Yager Stadium Single-Game Rushing TD's, 4 (1998) - Yager Stadium Single-Game Scoring, 30 (1998) - Yager Stadium Single-Game TD's, 5 (1998) - Points Scored in Two Successive Years, 270 (1997-98) - Points Scored in Three Successive Years, 354 (1997-current) - Touchdowns Scored in Two Successive Years, 45 (1997-98) - Touchdowns Scored in Three Successive Years, 59 (1997-current) - Games With Two or More TD's, 24 (1996-current) * * NCAA Record
Prentice Shoots for Ricky Williams and the NCAA Record Book:
Category NCAA (Williams) Mark Prentice Total (Needs to Break) Career Rushing TDs 72 66 (7) Career Total TDs 75 71 (5) Career Points Scored (Overall) 452 426 (27) Career Points Scored (Non-kickers) 452 426 (27) Games with a TD 33 30 (4) Games with Two or More TDs 21 24 * Points Scored in Three Straight Years 404 354 (51) TDs Scored in Three Straight Years 67 59 (9) Career Rushing Yards 6,279 4,785 (1,495) Career All-Purpose Yards 7,206 5,259 (1,948) * NCAA record
Prentice on the Career Charts
Miami Rushing Yardage 1. 4,785 Travis Prentice, 1996-current 2. 4,368 Deland McCullough, 1992-95 3. 4,172 George Swarn, 1983-86 4. 3,118 Bob Hitchens, 1971-73 5. 2,874 Jay Peterson, 1980-83 Miami Rushing Touchdowns 1. 66 Travis Prentice, 1996-current 2. 36 Deland McCullough, 1992-95 3. 34 Bob Hitchens, 1971-73 4. 26 Rob Carpenter, 1973-76 5. 25 John Pont, 1949-51 Miami 100-yard Rushing Games 1. 25 Travis Prentice, 1996-current 2. 24 Deland McCullough, 1992-95 3. 18 George Swarn, 1983-86 4. 14 Bob Hitchens, 1971-73 5. 13 Rob Carpenter, 1973-76 Miami Scoring 1. 426 Travis Prentice, 1996-current 2. 306 Gary Gussman, 1984-87 3. 238 Chad Seitz, 1992-95 4. 226 Deland McCullough, 1992-95 5. 204 Bob Hitchens, 1971-73 Miami Touchdowns 1. 71 Travis Prentice, 1996-current 2. 37 Deland McCullough, 1992-95 3. 34 Bob Hitchens, 1971-73 4. 29 George Swarn, 1983-86 5. 28 Rob Carpenter, 1973-76 Miami All-Purpose Yardage 1. 5,727 George Swarn, 1983-86 2. 5,259 Travis Prentice, 1996-current 3. 4,854 Deland McCullough, 1992-95 4. 4,150 Mark Hunter, 1976-79 5. 4,099 John Pont, 1949-51 6. 3,720 Jay Peterson, 1980-83 7. 3,238 Bob Hitchens, 1971-73 8. 3,214 Greg Jones, 1978-81 9. 3,155 Milt Stegall, 1988-91 10. 3,116 Rob Carpenter, 1973-76 MAC Touchdowns 1. 71 Travis Prentice, (1996-current) 2. 49 Kareem Wilson, Ohio (1995-98) 3. 44 Curtis Adams, CMU (1981-84) 4. 41 Dave Preston, BGSU (1973-76) 5. 39 Jerome Persell, WMU (1976-78) MAC Rushing Touchdowns 1. 66 Travis Prentice, (1996-current) 2. 49 Kareem Wilson, Ohio (1995-98) 3. 43 Curtis Adams, CMU (1981-84) 4. 39 Jerome Persell, WMU (1976-78) 39 Dave Preston, BGSU (1973-76) MAC Scoring 1. 426 Travis Prentice, (1996-current) 2. 306 Gary Gussman, MU (1984-87) 3. 294 Kareem Wilson, Ohio (1995-98) 4. 288 Rusty Hanna, UT (1989-92) 288 Larry Poole, Kent (1972-74) MAC All-Purpose Yardage 1. 5,974 Eric Wilkerson, Kent (1985-88) 2. 5,727 George Swarn, Miami (1983-86) 3. 5,461 Gary Patton, EMU (1984-87) 4. 5,259 Travis Prentice, (1996-current) 5. 5,104 Astron Watley, Kent (1994-97) 6. 4,857 D. McCullough, Miami (1992-95) 7. 4,818 Curtis Adams, CMU (1981-84) 8. 4,659 Brian Pruitt, CMU (1992-94) 9. 4,630 Bernie Parmalee, BSU (1987-90) 10. 4,614 LeAndre Moore, BSU (1995-98) MAC Rushing 1. 4,785 Travis Prentice, (1996-current) 2. 4,368 Deland McCullough, MU (1992-95) 3. 4,190 Jerome Pursell, WMU (1976-78) 4. 4,172 George Swarn, MU (1983-86) 5. 4,162 Curtis Adams, CMU (1981-84) 6. 4,135 Wasean Tait, Toledo (1993-96) 7. 3,989 Astron Whatley, Kent (1994-97) 8. 3,972 Steveland Hookfin, Ohio (1995-98) 9. 3,830 Eric Wilkerson, Kent (1985-88) 10. 3,693 Brian Pruitt, CMU (1992-94) NCAA Career Rushing 1. 6,279 Ricky Williams, Texas (1995-98) 2. 6,082 Tony Dorsett, Pitt (1973-76) 3. 5,598 Charles White, USC (1976-79) 4. 5,416 Ron Dayne, Wisc. (1996-current) 5. 5,259 Herschel Walker, Georgia (1980-82) 6. 5,177 Archie Griffin, Ohio St. (1972-75) 7. 5,012 Darren Lewis, Tex. A&M (1987-90) 8. 4,965 Anthony Thompson, IU (1986-89) 9. 4,958 George Rogers, S. Carol. (1977-80) 10. 4,948 Trevor Cobb, Rice (1989-92) 11. 4,895 Paul Palmer, Temple (1983-86) 12. 4,813 Steve Bartalo, Colo. St. (1983-86) 13. 4,785 Travis Prentice, (1996-current) 14. 4,780 Mike Rozier, Nebraska (1981-83) 15. 4,715 Ed Marinaro, Cornell (1969-71) 16. 4,692 Denvis Manns, N.M. St. (1995-98) 17. 4,682 Marcus Allen, USC (1978-81) 18. 4,602 Ted Brown, N.C. State (1975-78) 19. 4,595 Thurman Thomas, Ok. St. (1984-87) 20. 4,589 Marshall Faulk, SD State (1991-93) 21. 4,582 Terry Miller, Okla. State (1974-77) 22. 4,557 Kevin Faulk, LSU (1995-98) 23. 4,518 Darrell Thompson, Minn. (1986-89) 24. 4,513 Lorenzo White, Mich. St. (1984-87) 25. 4,450 Eric Dickerson, SMU (1979-82) 26. 4,443 Earl Campbell, Texas (1974-77) 27. 4,391 Amos Lawrence, UNC (1977-80) 28. 4,382 Troy Davis, Iowa State (1994-96) 29. 4,368 Deland McCullough, MU (1992-95) 30. 4,318 David Thompson, Ok. St. (1993-96) 31. 4,303 Bo Jackson, Auburn (1982-85) 32. 4,299 Joe Morris, Syracuse (1978-81) 33. 4,242 Reggie Taylor, UC (1983-86) 34. 4,219 Byron Hanspard, TX Tech (1994-96) 35. 4,212 Mike Mayweather, Army (1987-90) NCAA Career Rushing Touchdowns 1. 72 Ricky Williams, Texas (1995-98) 2. 66 Travis Prentice, (1996-current) 3. 64 Anthony Thompson, Ind. (1986-89) 4. 57 Marshall Faulk, SDSU (1991-93) 5. 56 Steve Owens, Oklahoma (1967-69) NCAA Career Scoring 1. 452 Ricky Williams, Texas (1995-98) 2. 426 Travis Prentice, (1996-current) 3. 423 Roman Anderson, Houst. (1988-91) 4. 397 Carlos Huerta, Miami, Fla. (1988-91) 5. 395 Jason Elam, Hawaii (1988-92) 6. 394 Anthony Thompson, Ind. (1986-89) 7. 393 Derek Schmidt, Fla. St. (1984-87) 8. 388 Kris Brown, Nebraska (1995-98) 9. 376 Marshall Faulk, SD State (1991-93) 10. 371 Jeff Hall, Tennessee (1995-98) 11. 368 Luis Zendejas, Ariz. St. (1981-84) 12. 358 Jeff Jaeger, Washington (1983-86) 13. 356 Tony Dorsett, Pitt (1973-76) 14. 354 Glenn Davis, Army (1943-46) 15. 353 John Lee, UCLA (1982-85) 353 Max Zendejas, Arizona (1982-85) 353 Kevin Butler, Georgia (1981-84)Additional MediaInformation
MEDIA RELATIONS CONTACT: Athletic Media Relations Director Mike Wolf or intern Burt Lauten can be reached to answer any questions regarding the RedHawks.
WEB SITES: In addition to accessing the RedHawks' web site at www.MURedHawks.com (weekly notes, roster, depth chart, etc.), you can retrieve additional information on Miami and the Mid-American Conference at www.midamconf.com.
CYBERCAST: Miami fans can track the up-to-date play-by-play and statistics of all Miami home games at www.totalsports.net or by visiting Miami's web site.
UP NEXT:Miami takes the week off before returning to Yager Stadium Saturday, Oct. 30 for homecoming, as well as its annual Victory Bell game with Cincinnati. It is the 104th meeting between the two schools.
