Miami Faces Buffalo Tuesday on ESPN2
11/4/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 4, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
FOR STARTERS: IF MIAMI WINS ...: The RedHawks would improve their overall record to 3-6 ... Miami would be 2-3 in MAC East Division play (including 2-1 in MAC road games) ... MU would improve its all-time record vs. Buffalo to 11-0.
IF MIAMI LOSES ...: The RedHawks would fall to 2-7 overall ... it would mark the Miami's worst conference start since the 2006 RedHawks began league play at 1-5.
61ST ANNIVERSARY: The 2008 season marks Miami football team's 61st as a member of the Mid-American Conference. The school has won more MAC games than any other league program (259), and its all-time MAC winning percentage of .664 (259-129-11) is far and away the best. Miami has won or shared 14 MAC titles, four more than any other school. The RedHawks have either won outright or tied the MAC East Division title four of the last five seasons, including a share of the division crown in 2007.
PREVIEWING BUFFALO: Coach Turner Gill's Bulls (4-4, 2-2 MAC) have had a good year and have been just a few points shy of having a great year. They've won their last two gamesÂÂ--Army and Ohio--and lost their previous two by a total of eight points--at Central Michigan (25-27) and Western Michigan (28-34, OT). Buffalo's offense has averaged nearly 28 points and 367 yards in total offense per game in 2008. Quarterback Drew Willy has passed for 1,851 yards, mostly to flanker Naaman Roosevelt (51 catches for 695 yards) and wide receiver Ernest Jackson (26-320). The Bulls' rushing attack is led by running back James Stark (700 net yards). Defensively, linebacker Justin Winters (71 tackles), strong safety Davonte Shannon (68) and free safety Mike Newton (61) are tops in stops.
REVIEWING MIAMI'S GAME VS. KENT STATE: Miami head coach SHANE MONTOMGERY labeled Miami's 54-21 loss to Kent State as "embarrassing". The RedHawks turned the ball over six times, including four fumbles lost and two interceptions. True freshman J.R. Taylor (Reynoldsburg) was one of the only bright spots for Miami, rushing for 113 yards, the second consecutive game he has cracked the century mark.
MIAMI'S INJURY LIST: Offensive lineman Dave DiFranco (LaGrange) re-injured his ankle last week and is questionable. Sophomore offensive tackle Bob Gulley (Berea, elbow injury vs. NIU) could return to the lineup this week. Sophomore tailback Thomas Merriweather (Florissant, MO, ankle injury vs. Bowling Green) will be evaluated later this week. Defensively, starting defensive cornerback Brandon Stephens (Strongsville) suffered a knee injury three weeks ago at Northern Illinois and remains questionable for this week's game. Junior nose tackle Martin Channels (Xenia) incurred a knee injury at Bowling Green and is questionable for the Buffalo game. Sophomore defensive linemen D.J. Svabik (Van Wert) and Sean Redwine (Reading) are both nursing ankle injuries and their status is questionable. Junior free safety Jordan Gafford (Columbus) is still recovering from a stress fracture in his left shin (in game two at Michigan) and may sit out the remainder of the 2008 season.
MIAMI'S OFFENSE:
NEW STARTING QUARTERBACK: Clay Belton (R-Fr., Dayton) has been the starting quarterback for the last two games. His stats as a starter show him completing nearly 54 percent of his passes (29-54), with two interceptions, two touchdowns and 300 yards. His 2008 statistics show him completing 54.1 percent of his passes (46-for-85), with two touchdowns and three interceptions.
COMING OFF THE BENCH: Miami quarterback Daniel Raudabaugh's 16-game streak as a starter came to an end at Bowling Green when Clay Belton got the call. He did not play against Kent State. His 2008 season total is now 1,189 yards in seven games, an average of 169.9 yards per game. He has moved past Terry Morris into sixth place on Miami's career list and now has 3,910 yards. Raudabaugh needs just 90 yards to become the sixth Miami QB to eclipse the 4,000-yard mark. Raudabaugh has thrown four touchdown passes and five interceptions in 2008.
WIDE RECEIVERS: Seven different RedHawk wide receivers have caught passes this season. For the year, Jamal Rogers (So., Ft. Myers, FL) leads the way with 32 grabs (270 yards). Rogers had a career-high 10 receptions for 81 yards vs. Michigan. Dustin Woods has caught a total of 21 passes for 254 yards in 2008. His career total of 1,353 yards is 311 yards short of moving onto Miami's career top 10. Eugene Harris (So., Atlanta, GA) has 20 receptions for 188 yards. Chris Givens, who has caught touchdown passes in two consecutive games, has 16 grabs (244 yards). Armand Robinson is averaging a team-high 16.4 yards per grab (12 total catches) in 2008. Donovan Potter (Trotwood) with three catches and MITCH ANDERSON (Canton) with one catch round out the group.
TIGHT ENDS: Pat Shepard (Sr., Pittsburgh, PA) caught his first two passes of the year in the Kent State game (15 yards). Jake O'Connell with 13 catches for 141 yards leads all RedHawk tight ends. Seniors Tom Crabtree (Carroll) has six receptions for 44 yards. Kendrick Bruton (Fr., Miamisburg) and Rob Reiland (Fr., Canton) have not yet had a reception in 2008.
RUNNING BACKS: A trio of tailbacks share rushing duties for the RedHawks. The newest addition, true freshman J.R. Taylor, has eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark in each of his last two games. Taylor ran the ball 20 times for 113 yards against Kent State and for 127 yards on 18 attempts at Bowling Green. His longest run of the day was a 38-yarder in the game-winning, fourth-quarter touchdown drive. His 2008 totals show him with 40 carries for 259 yards. Sophomore Thomas Merriweather (Florissant, MO), who injured his ankle in the first quarter at Bowling Green and was limited to 29 yards on five carries, did not play vs. KSU. He might play on Tuesday against Buffalo. Merriweather's best effort of his career came earlier this season against Temple when he rushed for 133 yards on 26 carries. It was the first time he eclipsed the century mark as a collegian. Merriweather has a seven-game total of 482 net yards on 122 attempts. Last season's leading RedHawk rushers were Cory Jones with 483 yards and Austin Sykes with 466 yards. Merriweather has caught six passes for 55 yards. Junior Andre Bratton leads all Miami tailbacks in receiving with 25 catches for 184 yards and has rushed 52 times for 202 yards.
OFFENSIVE LINE: Two of Miami's five starting offensive linemen are currently on the injured list. Senior left tackle Dave DiFranco, who suffered a serious ankle injury at Bowling Green and was limited against Kent State, is still questionable for the Buffalo game. His 33-game streak of consecutive starts is in jeopardy. Sophomore left guard Bob Gulley (Berea) has dressed but has not played in either of the last two weeks due to an elbow injury. His status is listed as questionable. Senior center Josh Satterthwait (Roswell, GA) also has a sore ankle, but is probable for the Buffalo game. Last week vs. KSU, coaches rated him with a championship performance, blocking at an 83-percent success rate with two knockdowns and a pin.STEVE SUTTER (Sr., St. Henry) will start at right tackle. Redshirt freshman Brandon Brooks (Milwaukee, WI) will start his ninth straight game this coming week at right guard. Coaches graded him with a championship effort against Kent State, blocking at an 88 percent rate with five knockdowns and a pin. Sophomore Nate Williams (Parma), a four-time starter at left guard, could very well be called upon if either DiFranco or Gulley cannot answer the call. Redshirt freshmen Ken Staudinger (Canton), Kevin Koncelik (Seven Hills) and true freshman Andrew Phelan (West Chester) are the top reserves. Phelan may not be able to play due to an ankle injury.
BIG BOY: Redshirt freshman Brandon Brooks has impressive physical statistics. At 6-foot-5 and 323 pounds, Brooks not only leads the team's weight-lifting lists for bench press (435 pounds), squat (635) and power-clean (380), he also ranks among the team's top ten with a 35-inch vertical leap.
MIAMI'S DEFENSE
53RD IN TOTAL DEFENSE: RedHawk defenders have yielded an average of 344.3 yards per game. Among MAC teams, only Northern Illinois and Ohio have allowed fewer yards per game than the RedHawks.
REDHAWKS 18TH IN DEFENDING THE PASS: Nationally, Miami is ranked 18th in the NCAA stats in pass defense (171.0 ypg). RedHawk defenders yielded 163 yards passing last week vs. Kent State. Miami limited the Michigan passing game to only 103 yards earlier this season. Not counting the Wolverines' 50-yard grab, Miami limited U-M to only 53 yards on nine other receptions.
CRADLE OF LINEBACKERS?: Long known for its title as the "Cradle of Coaches", Miami University may be on the verge of adding another designation--the "Cradle of Linebackers". The Butkus Award, a prize given annually to college football's premier linebacker, announced its 66-man Watch List for 2008, and three RedHawks are among the candidates. Seniors Clayton Mullins and Joey Hudson, and junior Caleb Bostic are all included on the Watch List. It is the first time in the 24-year history of the Butkus Award that one school has had all three of its linebackers named. Ten other schools--Southern California, Ohio State, Notre Dame, California, South Carolina, Texas Christian, Boston College, Utah State, Kentucky and Stanford--had two of their athletes named to the 2008 Watch List.
LINEBACKERS: Clayton Mullins, Joey Hudson and Caleb Bostic are the Mid-American Conference's best trio and one of the best threesomes in the nation. Hudson (80 tackles through eight games) is Miami's top tackler, with Mullins close behind (66). Mullins had 10 stops last week vs. Kent State. Bostic has 33 tackles. Senior reserve Chris Shula (Cooper City, FL) has 41 tackles through eight games. True sophomores Ryan Kennedy (Libertyville, IL), who had a season-high six tackles versus Charleston Southern, has 27 tackles in 2008.
JOE THE TACKLER: Senior middle linebacker Joey Hudson tops Miami in tackles with 80 and is the third-leading MAC tackler. He is tied for 14th place in this week's NCAA statistics. (Note: Miami coaches' films have Hudson with an unofficial 96 tackles.) His 50 solo tackles are tied for sixth among all collegiate players. Hudson already has 7.5 tackles for loss, boosting his career total to 26. Hudson has recorded a TFL in six of Miami's eight games in 2008. Hudson's seven career interceptions lead all active RedHawk players. He now has 288 career tackles, 15th most among all active collegiate defenders.
THE MULLINATOR: Senior outside linebacker Clayton Mullins, the defending MAC Defensive Player of the Year, is tied for fifth in the MAC with 39 solo tackles and is ninth with 66 total stops. (Note: Miami coaches' films have Mullins with an unofficial 87 tackles.) Career-wise, Mullins has 304 tackles and has an outside chance to finish in Miami's all-time top 10. His 25 career tackles for loss are second only to Joey Hudson among all active RedHawk players. CALEBALIZED: Junior outside linebacker Caleb Bostic had his best game of the season two weeks ago at Bowling Green, coming off the bench to record seven tackle, including a partial sack and a partial tackle for loss. He ranks fifth among Miami defenders with 33 tackles in seven games.
GENETICS: Chris Shula has started the last four games in place of Caleb Bostic. He recorded seven tackles a week ago vs. Kent State. Shula had a season-high 13 tackles against Temple. He ranks fourth on the team in tackles with 41. Shula is the grandson of former Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula. Chris's dad, Dave, who was head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals from 1992-96, is expected to attend Saturday's Miami-Buffalo game.
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN: Miami's defensive linemen had their best effort of 2008 two weeks ago at Bowling Green, recording six tackles for loss. They have had 21.5 tackles for loss through their first eight games. Senior left end Joe Coniglio (Rockford, IL) sparkled at Bowling Green with two quarterback sacks and another half tackle for loss. His crushing sack of BGSU's Tyler Sheehan on third down of the Falcons' final drive was one of the key plays of the game. For the season, Coniglio has four QB sacks and an additional 1.5 TFLs. Junior nose tackle Martin Channels (Xenia) has five TFLs. Sophomore Morris Council (Decatur, GA) had 1.5 TFLs for minus five yards vs. Kent State and has 4.5 TFLs, while sophomore tackle Sean Redwine (Reading), and junior Travis Craven (Ft. Wayne, IN) each have 2.0 TFLs. Jordan Stevens (So., Monroeville, PA) had 1.5 TFLs for minus seven yards against Bowling Green. D.J. Svabik (Jr., Van Wert), who has been dealing with a sore ankle, has one TFL. Mark Paun (Jr., Strongsville) has three tackles this season. A player who has been coming on strong of late is nose tackle Jordain Brown (R-Fr., Chicago, IL). He had six of his season total of 11 tackles last week vs. Kent State.
DEFENSIVE SECONDARY: Led by Miami's defensive secondary, the RedHawks rank 18th in NCAA pass defense statistics (171.0 yards allowed per game). Senior `Apache' (strong safety) Robbie Wilson ranks third on the team with 42 total tackles and leads the squad with two interceptions. His fourth-quarter interception vs. Bowling Green at the Miami two-yard line and subsequent 23-yard return changed the momentum of the game. Sophomore cornerback Brandon Stephens (Strongsville), whose status is unknown for the Buffalo game due to a knee injury he incurred vs. Northern Illinois, ranks tied for sixth with 27 tackles. Sophomore Ben Bennett had six tackles last week vs. Kent State. He recorded the first interception of his collegiate career against Charleston Southern. The 78-yard return is the longest by any MAC player in 2008 and the longest by a RedHawk player since Jay Baker's 91-yard interception return against Cincinnati in 1998. Combined with his four tackles, Bennett was named MAC East Division Defensive Player of the Week. He has 22 total tackles in 2008. Cornerback Jeff Thompson (Jr., Worthington) has 19 tackles and has a team-high three pass break-ups. Thompson applied the biggest hit in last year's Buffalo game, forcing quarterback Drew Willy to fumble the ball. Cornelius Ward, who got the start at cornerback vs. Bowling Green, has 12 tackles, including 10 of the solo variety. He had a career-best five tackles vs. CSU. Wendell Brunson (Jr., Ft. Pierce, FL) had four tackles against Kent State and now has 12 for the season. Peris Edwards (So., Toledo), DeAndre Gilmore (So., St. Louis, MO) and Bryan Roland (Sr., Detroit) also see regular action for the RedHawks. Brian Palascak (Sr., Chicago, IL) made his third straight appearance last week after missing the previous two contests vs. Cincinnati and Temple because of a knee injury. Junior free safety Jordan Gafford, who suffered a stress fracture in his leg against Michigan, will likely be redshirted in 2008. Among Miami's returning defensive backs, a total of 16 letters have been won by the starters and back-ups.
REDHAWK DEFENDERS RANK AMONG MAC STATISTICAL LEADERS: TACKLES: 3rd, Joey Hudson (10.0 tpg) ... 9th, Clayton Mullins (8.2) ... TACKLES FOR LOSS: T-5th, Joey Hudson (0.94) and Clayton Mullins (0.94).
MIAMI'S SPECIAL TEAMS
THE SPECIALISTS: Lettermen are at every specialist position, including senior JAKE RICHARDSON (Oxford) at punter, senior Nathan Parseghian (Sylvania) at placekicker, senior holder Kyle Decker (Granville), sophomore snapper Mike Rummler (Cincinnati), sophomore Eugene Harris at punt returner. Junior Dustin Woods and senior Robbie Wilson have replaced sophomores Jamal Rogers and Chris Givens in the role of returning kickoffs.
JAKE-ONOMIC INDEX: Miami senior punter JAKE RICHARDSON is a top candidate for college football's Ray Guy Award. He rose to third place in the NCAA punting statistics following the Kent State game in which he punted once for 44 yards. Richardson's only punt was downed at the KSU two-yard line. After leading the NCAA punting statistics for six straight weeks, he now sits just 0.45 yards behind the leader, T.J. Conley of Idaho (47.20) with an average of 46.75 yards per punt. Eight weeks ago against Michigan, Richardson punted seven times for 377 yards, an average of 53.9 per kick. That average is the top all-time, single-game mark in Miami history, breaking Richardson's own record of 53.0 ypp vs. Purdue in 2006. Richardson's 53.9 single-game average ranks tenth-best all-time in Mid-American Conference history. Five of his seven kicks at Michigan were 50 yards or more, including a career-best 74 yarder. Four of his seven punts were downed inside the 20-yard line and one other kick was a touchback. For his performance at Michigan, he was named the MAC East Division Special Teams Player of the Week. Prior to 2008, Richardson's longest punt was a 69-yarder vs. Northwestern his sophomore season (2006). Richardson's 74-yarder vs. Michigan is tied for the third-best effort all-time at Miami, and his 73-yarder vs. NIU is tied for the sixth longest punt in school history. If Richardson's average ends up above 48 yards per kick, it would set an all-time MAC record. During his Miami career, he has punted 212 times for 9,082 yards, an average of 42.8 yards (first all-time at Miami and fifth-best all-time in the MAC). He finished last year with a 45.0 average, sixth-best in the nation and less than two yards per kick behind the NCAA leader. In late April, Jake's ninth sibling (Grace) was born. Nearly 23 years separate Jake (the oldest Richardson child) from Grace.
PAR FOR THE KICK: Placekicker NATE PARSEGHIAN (par-SEE-ghee-un) is the great grand-nephew of former Miami and Notre Dame head coach Ara Parseghian. Following his performance at the Bowling Green game, Nate was named the Mid-American Conference's Special Teams Player of the Week. He kicked a 37-yard field goal at 2:52 of the third quarter (which pulled Miami within three points at 20-17) and a 36-yarder at 11:51 of the fourth period (which tied the game at 20-20), his 11th and 12th successful placements in 13 tries this season. Parseghian tops the MAC's 2008 field goal percentage list (12-of-13, 92.3 percent) and is tied for first in PAT percentage (1.000). He ranks sixth in league scoring with 6.5 points per contest. For his career, Parseghian has made 27 of his 36 placements (.750), including 18 of his last 20. Parseghian is now in seventh place on Miami's all-time field goal list (27). From 29 yards or less during his RedHawk career, Parseghian is a nearly perfect 12-of-13. He has never missed a PAT attempt, connecting on all 39. Nate's brother, Jared, was a perfect 14-of-14 in 2002 and converted 36-of-45 during his career (2001-04). Together, the Parseghian brothers are 63-of-81 (.778).
WOODS AND WILSON NOW RETURNING KICKS: RedHawk coaches have inserted Dustin Woods and Robbie Wilson into the role of kickoff returners. Against Kent State, Woods ran back five kickoffs for 131 yards (long of 31), while Wilson handled three kickoff returns and gained 50 yards (long of 22).
ROGERS RANKS HIGH ON KICKOFF RETURN LIST: Though he was replaced in the lineup last week by Dustin Woods and Robbie Wilson, sophomore Jamal Rogers continues to rank high on Miami's career kickoff return list. In just his second season, Rogers has 71 career returns for 1,554 yards, an average of 21.9 per return. In 2008, he has returned 28 kicks for 581 yards (20.8). Rogers has 854 all-purpose yards (581 KOR, 36 rushing, 237 receiving) so far in 2008. With an average of 114.2 all-purpose yards per game, he ranks fifth among MAC players. He caught a game-high eight passes for 62 yards vs. Temple and a career-best 10 passes for 81 yards vs. Michigan.
HARRIS IS MIAMI'S PUNT RETURN SPECIALIST: With his 63-yard punt return two weeks ago at Northern Illinois, sophomore Eugene Harris has now scored two touchdowns in 2008. He also returned a punt for a 44-yard touchdown earlier this season vs. Charleston Southern. Harris's current 11.7 season average (16 for 187 yards) ranks 28th nationally and third in the MAC.
