RedHawk Gridders Entertain Toledo on Saturday
10/27/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 27, 2009
Click Here for Miami-Toledo Football Game Notes 
OXFORD, Ohio -- Coach Michael Haywood's Miami University football team will have some "tricks" up its sleeve against Toledo this Saturday and hopes to "treat" its fans to a Halloween afternoon victory at Yager Stadium. The Mid-American Conference game pits Miami (0-8) against the Toledo Rockets (4-4).
PREVIEWING TOLEDO: Coach Tim Beckman's Rockets were defeated at home by Temple, 40-24, last Saturday, evening their record to 4-4 overall and 2-2 in Mid-American Conference play. Toledo has been involved in offensive shootouts in nearly every game, with at least 64 total points being scored in six of its eight games. Its most impressive victory was a nationally televised weeknight triumph over Colorado, 54-38. Last Saturday night, the Rockets played without their top two quarterbacks, senior Aaron Opelt and freshman Austin Dantin. Junior QB Alex Pettee stepped in and completed 29-of-47 passes for 265 yards but it wasn't enough to keep pace with Temple's running game. Opelt, averaging nearly 300 yards per game passing with 14 touchdown passes, is expected to return to action this week from a shoulder injury. For the season, Toledo's offensive unit is averaging 305 passing yards, 135 rushing yards, 440 total yards, and 29.1 points per game. Receivers Eric Page (59 receptions-828 yards) and Stephen Williams (51-747) are the top two targets. Senior running back DaJuane Collins leads the Rockets' rushing attack with 81.4 yards per game. Linebacker Archie Donald (86 tackles), safety Barry Church (74) and linebacker Beau Brudzinski (54) are Toledo's top three tacklers, while defensive lineman Douglas Westbrook has three interceptions.
MIAMI'S TOP INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES VS. TOLEDO:
Most Passing Yards: 341 yards by Mike Bates (38-65), 1987
Most Receiving Yards: 156 yards by Andy Schillinger (13), 1987
Most Rushing Yards: 227 yards by Travis Prentice (37 atts.), 1998
Miami's First Eight Opponents: The cumulative record of Miami's first eight opponents is 40-20 (.667). Every one of the RedHawks' initial foes have at least a .500 record while two opponents, Boise State (7-0) and Cincinnati (7-0), are ranked among the top seven in this week's AP poll.
Miami Gets Offensive: Miami's offense has compiled 2,146 total yards on 452 plays (4.7 ypp) over its last six games. In its first two games of 2009 (vs. Kentucky and Boise State), the RedHawks plodded along at 191 yards per game and 3.2 yards per play. Through the first eight games, Miami's opponents are out-gaining the RedHawks by an average of 370 yards to 316 yards.
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