RedHawks Host Kent State on Saturday
10/20/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
Miami RedHawks (1-7, 1-3 MAC)
vs. Kent State Golden Flashes (1-6, 0-3 MAC)
Game 9: Sat., Oct. 25 • 2:30 p.m.
Yager Stadium (24,286) - Oxford, Ohio
Series vs. KSU: Miami Leads 46-15-0
Series Streak: KSU - 2
Last Meeting: Nov. 13, 2013 (KSU, 24-6)
Television: ESPN3 • Dave Weekly (PxP) and Rocky Boiman (Analyst)
Radio: Miami Sports Network • Steve Baker (PxP), Tim Bray (Analyst), Terry Bridge (sideline)
Live Stats: www.muredhawks.com
Miami Twitter Hits
• The Miami University football team is in its 126th season of football and has an all-time record of 669-429-44 (.606).
• Miami is coming off a 51-41 loss last Saturday at Northern Illinois and has a 1-7 overall and 1-3 Mid-American Conference record entering the contest with Kent State.
• Head coach Chuck Martin is in his first year. Martin spent the past four seasons at Notre Dame and was 74-7 as a head coach for Grand Valley State University from 2004-09. He comes into Saturday’s contest with a 75-14 record as a head coach.
• Miami leads the all-time series 46-15-0 over Kent State. Kent State is currently on a two-game winning streak in this series, which includes a 24-6 win last season in Kent, Ohio.
• Andrew Hendrix currently ranks seventh in the nation in passing yards (2,477) and passing touchdowns (19) and is seventh in total offense per game (324.6).
• Hendrix was named MAC East Offensive Player of the Week after recording five total touchdowns against NIU.
• David Frazier ranks ninth in receiving yards (794) and 15th in yards per game (99.3) in the nation.
Need To Know
• Miami football ranks first all-time in the Mid-American Conference in wins (669), MAC Championships (15), bowl appearances (10) and bowl wins (7)
• In 126 years of Miami football, the RedHawks have had just 31 losing seasons. Since joining the MAC in 1948 (66 years) Miami has had just 14 losing seasons.
• Since 2006 it has been a different story. Miami has had losing seasons in seven of the last eight years, which includes just one MAC Championship (2010).
• Three weeks ago, the RedHawks snapped a 21-game losing streak versus UMass. Miami’s previous win was on Oct. 27, 2012 at home versus Ohio (23-20).
• 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 13 seasons. 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 brought in nine new assistant coaches with him, four of which coached with him during his time at Grand Valley State: Matt Pawlowski (Defensive Coordinator), Eric Koehler (Co-Offensive Coordinator/QB), George Barnett (Co-Offensive Coordinator/OL) and Bill Brechin (Wide Receivers). Pat Welsh (Tight Ends) played for Coach Martin at GVSU.
About Kent State
Kent State is coming off their first win of the season, a 39-17 home victory over Army. In the win, Colin Reardon completed 27-of-40 passes for 360 yards and three touchdowns and added 42 yards on the ground with another score. Overall, the Golden Flashes average 15.7 points and 301.9 yards per game, while allowing 32.1 points and 446.1 yards per game on defense.
Series Versus Kent State
Miami holds a 46-15-0 all-time series advantage over Kent State, but the Golden Flashes enter Saturday’s contest having won the last two meetings between the schools. The RedHawks are 23-7-0 overall versus KSU in Oxford, but have not beating the Golden Flashes at home since 2010.
Recapping Northern Illinois
Miami dropped a 51-41 decision last Saturday at Northern Illinois. While, Miami put up a season-best 41 points and added 26 first downs and 514 yards of offense, the story of the game was NIU’s 51 points and 658 yards. A majority of those yards came on the ground as Miami allowed 433 rushing yards on 55 attempts (7.9/rush). Offensively, Miami was led by senior quarterback Andrew Hendrix, who completed 23-of-42 passes for 346 yards and two touchdowns. The senior added 72 yards on the ground and three scores.
Ground And Pound
Miami recorded a season-high 168 yards rushing in the loss at Northern Illinois. The RedHawks averaged 5.6 yards per carry, which was also a season-best this year. The previous-high was 133 yards on the ground at Buffalo
#MACTION Season Continues
Saturday’s contest versus Kent State is the fifth of eight-straight MAC games for Miami to close the regular season. Miami will finish the season with three home games in the final four weeks.
Hanging On
Since entering MAC play, Miami has turned the ball over just four times (1 INT, 3 fumbles). In fact, despite the 1-7 record, Miami ranks sixth in the conference in turnover margin (even).
Major Change
Is it possible that a college football team can have such a drastic change in passing offense in a single season? Last year Miami averaged 124.3 passing yards per game, which ranked 119th in the country. This season, Miami is 16th with 309.6 passing yards per game. That’s a 185.3 yard per game improvement in the passing game.
Hendrix Leads The Way
While senior quarterback Andrew Hendrix has not yet even been on campus for an entire year (transfer from Notre Dame), he has taken the reigns of the Miami offense in a hurry. Through eight games he has completed 165-of-332 passes for 2,477 yards and 19 touchdowns. Hendrix is currently on pace for 3,716 yards and 29 touchdowns. His current pace would rank him second in Miami history for yards and passing touchdowns in a single season.
Blown Away
Andrew Hendrix has surpassed every passing number Miami had last season, despite the RedHawks still having four games to play. In all of last season Miami completed 131 passes for 1,491 yards and eight touchdowns. Hendrix has already surpassed all three marks in touchdowns (19), passing yards (2,477) and completions (165).
Figured It Out
You think Andrew Hendrix has figured out this Chuck Martin offense? In the last three games he has completed 79-of-141 passes for 1,135 (378.3) yards and nine touchdowns, while throwing just one interception. Three weeks ago he was named ESPN.com’s Capital One Impact Performer of the Week after throwing for 437 yards and four touchdowns in a 42-41 win over UMass. He added 352 yards passing and three more scores at Akron and registered 346 yards and two touchdowns versus NIU. He has also added 190 yards rushing and four scores in the last three weeks combined.
Streak Snapped
Hendrix threw an interception two weeks ago versus Akron to have a streak of 134 consecutive passes thrown without an interception snapped. Since throwing three picks in a loss to Eastern Kentucky, the senior has thrown just three interceptions in his last six games (231 pass attempts), an average of one interception per 77.0 passes thrown.
Fighting Irish
Joining Andrew Hendrix on the offensive side of the ball from Notre Dame is tight end Alex Welch. Welch, who caught just one pass in 22 games for the Fighting Irish, has 17 catches for 218 yards and two touchdowns in six games with Miami. Two weeks ago he set career-highs in catches (5) and yards (63), while being named the John Mackey Tight End of the Week.
Welch Named to John Mackey Midseason Watch List
The John Mackey Award, given to the nation’s top tight end has announced its mid-season watch list and Miami University’s Alex Welch is one of the honorees. Welch, a fifth-year senior and a transfer from Notre Dame, is fourth on the team with 17 receptions for 218 yards and two touchdowns. He opened his Miami career with four catches for 28 yards and a score versus Marshall, had two catches for 59 yards and a touchdown at Buffalo and set career-bests in catches (5) and yards (63) in a 42-41 win over UMass. Welch was later named the John Mackey Tight End of the Week following his efforts versus the Minutemen.
The Replacement
Filling in for an injured Alex Welch last week was freshman Ryan Smith, who recorded career-highs in catches (3) and yards (70) against Northern Illinois. The freshman has just four catches for 80 yards this season, but his other lone catch brought Miami down to the 1-yard line, setting up the game-winning score over UMass late in the fourth quarter.
Frazier Streaking
Through eight games this season, David Frazier has four 100-yard games. He opened the year with 109 yards versus Marshall and added 106 the following week versus Eastern Kentucky. He established a career-best 162 versus Cincinnati and had 132 versus Akron. Frazier is just one of five RedHawks in school history (Nick Harwell, Martin Nance, Ryne Robinson, Armand Robinson and Andy Schillinger) to have at least four 100-yard games in a single season.
Big Play Rokeem
Sophomore wide receiver Rokeem Williams has established career-highs in catches (26), yards (533) and touchdowns (3) this season and is averaging 20.5 yards per catch. Of his 26 catches this year, 11 of them have gone for over 20 yards this season. Only David Frazier has more 20-yard plays this season (17).
Breakout Party
Freshman wide receiver Sam Martin came into the UMass game with three career receptions. Versus the Minutemen, he had four receiving touchdowns, which matched a Miami/Yager Stadium record. In all, Martin finished the contest with eight catches for 111 yards and those four scores.
RedHawks In The MAC
• Andrew Hendrix is second in passing per game (309.6) and first in total offense per game (328.8).
• David Frazier ranks seventh in receptions per game (5.9) and fourth in receiving yards per game (99.2).
• Jarrell Jones ranks 13th in tackles per game (8.2) and first in fumble recoveries (3)
• Bryson Albright is third in sacks (5.0)
• Quinten Rollins ranks first in the MAC in interceptions (4) and second in pass defenses (12).
• Tre Clifton leads the MAC with three forced fumbles.
Difficult Transition
Spencer Treadwell must still be having mixed emotions on what has happened at Miami over the past year. Last season, Spencer was being coached by his father, Don Treadwell, who was beginning his third year as the RedHawks’ head coach. Don is now serving as the running backs coach at Kent State, the same position Spencer plays at Miami.
Man of Steals
Quinten Rollins, who spent the past four seasons with the Miami men’s basketball team, began playing football for the RedHawks during the spring. Rollins, who ranks 12th in MAC history with 214 career steals on the basketball court, has added a different sort of steal this season on the football field. Rollins recorded his first career interception versus EKU, with a jumping catch in the endzone to save a touchdown and added his second interception the following week at the Big House. He added a career-high two interceptions versus UC.
Other Rollins Basketball Stats
• Finished his career ranked second at Miami and 12th in MAC history in steals (214).
• One of only 15 players in MAC history to reach 200 steals.
• Ranked fourth all-time at Miami in assists (391), seventh in games started (106) and ninth in minutes played (3,448).
• Played in 116 career games.
Prove the SID Wrong
Quinten Rollins is believed to be the first college athlete to ever score a basket versus Duke inside Cameron Indoor, intercept a pass versus Michigan inside Michigan Stadium and intercept a pass inside Paul Brown Stadium. Rollins was 1-of-6 shooting versus the Blue Devils as a freshman during the 2009-10 season and intercepted a pass as a fifth-year senior inside the Big House and at Paul Brown Stadium.
Fast Learner
Rollins’ four interceptions rank sixth and his 12 pass defenses rank fifth in the nation. Not bad for a former basketball player that just completed his eighth career collegiate football game.
Last Line of Defense
Heath Harding, a second-year starter at Miami and first-year starter at safety recorded a career-high 16 tackles in the loss to NIU. His 15 solo tackles against the Huskies tied for fourth on Miami’s single-game list and were the most since Curt McMillians’s 15 solo stops in 1991.
