Photo by: Miami University Jeff Sabo
Game Preview: RedHawks vs. Ragin' Cajuns
12/30/2019 8:48:00 AM | Football
This Week's Matchup
Miami travels to Mobile, Ala. for a showdown with Louisiana in the 2020 LendingTree Bowl. Opening kick is slated for 7:30 p.m.
Television
The matchup with Louisiana will be carried live on ESPN. Dave LaMont will handle play-by-play duties, while Gene Chizik will serve as the color analyst. Lauren Sisler will be on the sideline.
Radio
In its first year of its partnership with Van Wagner, the Miami Sports Network continues its coverage of Miami Football with a group of affiliates blanketing most of Southwest Ohio and Southeast Indiana. "The Voice of the RedHawks" Steve Baker will deliver the play-by-play coverage, while Terry Bridge will provide color commentary. Randy Hollowell will be the network's sideline reporter. Tune-in to one of Miami's gameday affiliates:
WMOH-AM 1450 (Hamilton, Ohio)
WFMG-FM 101.3 (Richmond, Ind.)
WDBZ-AM 1230 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
WONE-AM 980 (Dayton, Ohio)
WKBV-AM 1490 and 100.9 FM (Richmond, Ind.)
First And Ten
• Miami football ranks first all-time in the Mid-American Conference in wins (698), MAC Championships (16) and bowl wins (7). The RedHawks also captured the 2019 MAC Championship with a 26-21 win over Central Michigan.
• Miami was 4-26 in Coach Martin's first 30 Mid-American Conference games. Miami is 23-8 in the last 31 games versus schools from the MAC, the best record in the conference in that span.
• The RedHawks clinched the MAC East Championship with a 6-2 record. This is the third time in four years the RedHawks finished the regular season with a 6-2 conference record.
• After graduating 25 seniors a year ago, Miami's depth chart is much younger in 2019. On the two-deep alone, Miami features 17 players classified as sophomores or younger.
• Martin, in his sixth year, has had many of the same coordinators in all six seasons. Eric Koehler and George Barnett, both in their sixth years with Miami, handle the offense and Spence Nowinsky (second year) and John Hauser (sixth year) manage the defense.
• Since 2014, Miami Athletics has added nearly $40 million in facilities for the football program. The Dauch Indoor Sports Center was opened in 2015 and the Athletic Performance Center was added in early 2017. Both facilities are located in the north end zone of Yager Stadium.
• The RedHawks come into Monday's game having won seven of its last  nine games, after opening the season 1-3 with losses to Ohio State, Iowa and Cincinnati.
• Miami is 5-0 this season in one-score games.
• The RedHawks have had a lead in every game this year. In games they lost, they led Iowa (7-3), Cincinnati (10-0), Ohio State (5-0), Western Michigan (6-0) and Ball State (24-7).
• Miami is bowl eligible for the third time in four years. From 2006-15, Miami was bowl eligible just twice.
• Miami arguably has one of the top special teams units in the nation. Place kicker Sam Sloman ranks second in the nation with 25 made field goals and Kyle Kramer is 35th in the nation with a 43.2 punt average. Maurice Thomas ranks sixth in the country in punt returns (12.6) and 30th in kick returns (22.9).Â
• In MAC-only games, Miami's defense ranks near the top in almost every category. The RedHawks rank second in scoring defense (22.5), third in total defense (352.9), first in pass defense (175.9), sixth in rush defense (177.0), second in sacks (27), fourth in interceptions (7) and first in opponent's fourth down conversion rate (28.6%).
About Chuck Martin
• 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 17 seasons.  Martin has an all-time head coaching record of 104-51.
• 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.
How The MAC Was Won
For the 16th time in program history, the Miami RedHawks are once again the Mid-American Conference Champions as the 'Hawks claimed a 26-21 victory over the Central Michigan Chippewas in the MAC Championship Game. Miami's defense held CMU to just 355 yards of offense, while Brett Gabbert threw for 196 yards, 123 of those to Jack Sorenson. Jaylon Bester chipped in with 66 yards on the ground and Sam Sloman was a perfect 4-for-4 on field goals.
Offensive MVP - Jack Sorenson (8-123-1)
Defensive MVP - Emmanuel Rugamba (11 tackles)
Special Teams MVP - Sam Sloman (4-of-4 on field goals)
Notes From The MAC Championship
• Miami had 61 yards of offense in the first half and 211 in the second half.
• Jack Sorenson had a season high in catches (8) and yards (123) in the win over CMU.
• Jaylon Bester had a one-yard TD run in the first quarter and has now scored a TD in nine straight games.
• Maurice Thomas opened the game with a 97-yard kickoff return, the second longest return of his career and the longest kick return in MACC history.
• Sam Sloman had a career-high four made field goals.
• Miami's defense held CMU's top two running backs to a combined 17 carries for 50 yards.
• Bart Baratti had a career-high 14 tackles and Emmanuel Rugamba added a career-high 11 stops.
• Travion Banks had his team-leading fifth interception of the season.
Bowl Bound
The RedHawks are competing in their 12th bowl game in school history and are 7-4 all-time in bowl games. This is Miami's third trip to Mobile, Ala., for a bowl contest and are 2-0 in Ladd-Peebles Stadium with wins in 2003 and 2010.
1948 Sun Bowl (Won 13-12 vs. Texas Tech)
1950 Salad Bowl (Won 34-21 vs. Arizona State)
1962 Tangerine Bowl (Lost, 49-21 vs. Houston)
1973 Tangerine Bowl (Won, 16-7 vs. Florida)
1974 Tangerine Bowl (Won, 21-10 vs. Georgia)
1975 Tangerine Bowl (Won, 20-7 vs. South Carolina)
1986 California Bowl (Lost, 37-7 vs. San Jose State)
2003 GMAC Bowl (Won, 49-28 vs. Louisville)
2004 Independence Bowl (Lost, 17-13 vs. Iowa State)
2010 GoDaddy Bowl (Won, 35-21 vs. Middle Tennessee State)
2016 St. Petersburg Bowl (Lost, 17-16 vs. Mississippi State)
Home Cooking
Miami finished a perfect 5-0 at home during the 2019 season and has won eight straight at Yager Stadium. Miami's last home loss was on Sept. 29, 2018.
Bounce Back
Since early in the 2016 season Miami has lost back-to-back MAC games just once in that span. In fact, Miami is now 7-1 following a MAC loss under Martin, dating back to Oct. 15, 2016.
About Louisiana
The Ragin' Cajuns are 10-3 on the season and are coming off a 45-38 loss to Appalachian State in their conference championship game. Offensively, they average 38.8 points per game and are led by quarterback Levi Lewis, who has thrown for 2,804 yards and 24 touchdowns this season. Defensively they allow 19.9 points and Jacques Boudreaux leads the group with 102 tackles.
Series Vs. Louisiana
This will be the third meeting between the two schools. Miami is 2-0 all-time versus Louisiana, capturing wins in 1991 (27-14) and 1993 (29-28). The last time Miami played a team from the Sun Belt Conference was in the 2010 GoDaddy.com Bowl, a contest Miami won 35-21 over Middle Tennessee State (no longer in the Sun Belt).Â
Non-Conference Slate
It would be hard to argue against Miami having the toughest non-conference schedule in the country in 2019. Miami did host Tennessee Tech, but it then had three road contests at Iowa, Cincinnati and Ohio State. All three schools are currently top-25 programs. Overall, Iowa, Ohio State and UC are a combined 32-6 on the season.
Red Hot
Miami is 37-for-42 this season on red zone opportunities. In those 42 attempts, Miami has scored 22 (52.4%) touchdowns. Last season, Miami was 42-for-43 in the red zone with 35 (81.4%) touchdowns. Miami was also 33-for-33 in the red zone during MAC play with 27 touchdowns last year. In its last 23 games, Miami has scored on 79-of-85 red zone opportunities and is 58-of-62 in its last 17 MAC contests.
Martin vs. the MAC Since 2016
Miami is 23-8 versus MAC opponents over its last 31 games, Â best in the conference in that span. WMU is 21-9, followed by NIU (20-10), Ohio (20-10) and Toledo (19-11). In that span Miami has outscored its opponents 898-668.
Nine RedHawks Earn All-MAC
First Team: Doug Costin (DT), Tommy Doyle (OL) and Kyle Kramer (P)
Second Team: Sam Sloman (K), Kameron Butler (DE), Maurice Thomas (PR)
Third Team: Danny Godlevske (OL), Myles Reid (LB), Manny Rugamba (DB)
Fresh Faces
This season freshmen can be found all over the Miami two-deep and many of those players are playing significant roles for Miami in 2019.
Brett Gabbert: Freshman QB has started all 13 games for Miami this season.
Tyre Shelton: Redshirt freshman is second on the team with 528 yards rushing.
James Maye: Freshman wide receiver is third on the team with 17 catches. He currently leads the nation with a 25.4 yard catch average among freshmen wide receivers.
Caleb Shaffer: Freshman has started eight games along the offensive line.
Rusty Feth: Freshman has started the last five games on the offensive line.
Ivan Pace Jr.: Freshman leads the team with 7.0 sacks.
Lonnie Phelps: Freshman is third on the team with 4.0 sacks.
Gabbert Makes History; Named MAC Freshman of the Year
When Miami opened the season at Iowa, Brett Gabbert became the first true freshman quarterback to open the season as the starter in Miami football history. The younger brother of NFL quarterback, Blaine Gabbert, has started all 13 games this season, throwing for 2,163 yards and 11 touchdowns. For his efforts he was named the Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year, just the third RedHawk in school history to accomplish this feat. Gabbert joins Ben Roethlisberger (2001) and Deland McCullough (1992) on this small list.
Bester's Best
Jaylon Bester suffered an injury in the season opener at Iowa and after missing three games he seems to be 100-percent healthy now. In his last nine games the junior has rushed for 673 yards and 12 touchdowns, while adding 12 catches for 59 yards through the air. Bester has scored a touchdown in nine straight games and has three multi-touchdown performances and two 100-yard rushing performances this season.
Maye Day Maye Day
Wide receiver James Maye has burst onto the scene over his last seven games (missed game at KSU). The 5-foot-9 freshman had three touches (2 catches, 1 rush) total in his first four contests. In his last eight games he has combined for 15 receptions for 421 yards. Of those 15 catches, seven have gone for at least 35 yards. He had a 52-yard catch versus Buffalo, a 46-yard grab against WMU, a 45-yard touchdown versus NIU, a 63-yard catch at Ohio, a 47-yard reception versus Bowling Green, a 45-yard catch at Ball State and a 35-yard reception in the MAC Championship Game. Maye currently leads the country among freshmen wide receivers with a 25.4 yards per catch average.
Jack of All Trades
Jack Sorenson exploded onto the scene in 2018. After not recording a single catch in 2016 (redshirted) or 2017, Sorenson earned third team All-MAC honors in 2018 after recording 53 catches for 742 yards and two touchdowns. Sorenson leads the team with 34 catches this season, while missing three full games and a part of one other. Sorenson had a season-best eight catches for 123 yards and a touchdown in the MAC Championship Game.
The Man In The Middle
Doug Costin has played 49 games (36 starts) for the RedHawks, all along the defensive line, and each year he gets better. After recording just 1.5 sacks in 2016, Costin had 5.0 in 2017 and 6.0 in 2018, earning second team All-MAC accolades. In his career, the defensive tackle has posted 175 tackles, 32.5 tackles for loss and 16.0 sacks.
History Returns
With a 23-yard return in the first quarter of Buffalo, Maurice Thomas became Miami's all-time leader in kick return yards. In his career, the local product from Talawanda High School has 2,429 kick return yards. Thomas has also added 927 rushing yards on the ground, 249 yards through the air and 225 punt return yards for a total of 3,830 yards in his career. A few career Thomas highlights are listed below:
• Had a 99-yard kick return for a touchdown versus Western Michigan in 2018
• Recorded a 97-yard kick return in the MAC Championship Game
• Had a 94-yard return versus Cincinnati in 2016
• Registered an 86-yard kick return versus NIU in 2019
Sloman Earns All-America Honors
Following the season, Sam Sloman was named a second team All-America by The Athletic (somehow he was only named second team All-MAC). This year he has made 25-of-29 field goals and is a perfect 32-of-32 with extra points. In the MAC Championship game he was 4-of-4 on field goals and is 4-of-5 on 50-yard field goals this year. The senior can be found throughout the Miami record books.
• Third all-time in field goals made (48).
• Third in field goal percentage (.772).
• Third in extra points made (110), fourth in extra points attempted (112) and third in extra point percentage (.982).
• Ranks first in school history with 25 made field goals in a single season.
• Scored 107 points this year, fifth-most in school history.
Kickin' It With Kramer
Rounding out Miami's terrific special teams trio is Kyle Kramer. The senior is having the best year of his career, averaging 43.2 yards per punt. He has 19 punts of over 50 yards this year and has downed 29 kicks inside the opponent's 20-yard line, with just SIX touchbacks. Kramer can also be found in the record books:
• Ranks fourth in school history with 231 career punts.
• His 41.9 average is second in school history.
Â
Miami travels to Mobile, Ala. for a showdown with Louisiana in the 2020 LendingTree Bowl. Opening kick is slated for 7:30 p.m.
Television
The matchup with Louisiana will be carried live on ESPN. Dave LaMont will handle play-by-play duties, while Gene Chizik will serve as the color analyst. Lauren Sisler will be on the sideline.
Radio
In its first year of its partnership with Van Wagner, the Miami Sports Network continues its coverage of Miami Football with a group of affiliates blanketing most of Southwest Ohio and Southeast Indiana. "The Voice of the RedHawks" Steve Baker will deliver the play-by-play coverage, while Terry Bridge will provide color commentary. Randy Hollowell will be the network's sideline reporter. Tune-in to one of Miami's gameday affiliates:
WMOH-AM 1450 (Hamilton, Ohio)
WFMG-FM 101.3 (Richmond, Ind.)
WDBZ-AM 1230 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
WONE-AM 980 (Dayton, Ohio)
WKBV-AM 1490 and 100.9 FM (Richmond, Ind.)
First And Ten
• Miami football ranks first all-time in the Mid-American Conference in wins (698), MAC Championships (16) and bowl wins (7). The RedHawks also captured the 2019 MAC Championship with a 26-21 win over Central Michigan.
• Miami was 4-26 in Coach Martin's first 30 Mid-American Conference games. Miami is 23-8 in the last 31 games versus schools from the MAC, the best record in the conference in that span.
• The RedHawks clinched the MAC East Championship with a 6-2 record. This is the third time in four years the RedHawks finished the regular season with a 6-2 conference record.
• After graduating 25 seniors a year ago, Miami's depth chart is much younger in 2019. On the two-deep alone, Miami features 17 players classified as sophomores or younger.
• Martin, in his sixth year, has had many of the same coordinators in all six seasons. Eric Koehler and George Barnett, both in their sixth years with Miami, handle the offense and Spence Nowinsky (second year) and John Hauser (sixth year) manage the defense.
• Since 2014, Miami Athletics has added nearly $40 million in facilities for the football program. The Dauch Indoor Sports Center was opened in 2015 and the Athletic Performance Center was added in early 2017. Both facilities are located in the north end zone of Yager Stadium.
• The RedHawks come into Monday's game having won seven of its last  nine games, after opening the season 1-3 with losses to Ohio State, Iowa and Cincinnati.
• Miami is 5-0 this season in one-score games.
• The RedHawks have had a lead in every game this year. In games they lost, they led Iowa (7-3), Cincinnati (10-0), Ohio State (5-0), Western Michigan (6-0) and Ball State (24-7).
• Miami is bowl eligible for the third time in four years. From 2006-15, Miami was bowl eligible just twice.
• Miami arguably has one of the top special teams units in the nation. Place kicker Sam Sloman ranks second in the nation with 25 made field goals and Kyle Kramer is 35th in the nation with a 43.2 punt average. Maurice Thomas ranks sixth in the country in punt returns (12.6) and 30th in kick returns (22.9).Â
• In MAC-only games, Miami's defense ranks near the top in almost every category. The RedHawks rank second in scoring defense (22.5), third in total defense (352.9), first in pass defense (175.9), sixth in rush defense (177.0), second in sacks (27), fourth in interceptions (7) and first in opponent's fourth down conversion rate (28.6%).
About Chuck Martin
• 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 17 seasons.  Martin has an all-time head coaching record of 104-51.
• 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.
How The MAC Was Won
For the 16th time in program history, the Miami RedHawks are once again the Mid-American Conference Champions as the 'Hawks claimed a 26-21 victory over the Central Michigan Chippewas in the MAC Championship Game. Miami's defense held CMU to just 355 yards of offense, while Brett Gabbert threw for 196 yards, 123 of those to Jack Sorenson. Jaylon Bester chipped in with 66 yards on the ground and Sam Sloman was a perfect 4-for-4 on field goals.
Offensive MVP - Jack Sorenson (8-123-1)
Defensive MVP - Emmanuel Rugamba (11 tackles)
Special Teams MVP - Sam Sloman (4-of-4 on field goals)
Notes From The MAC Championship
• Miami had 61 yards of offense in the first half and 211 in the second half.
• Jack Sorenson had a season high in catches (8) and yards (123) in the win over CMU.
• Jaylon Bester had a one-yard TD run in the first quarter and has now scored a TD in nine straight games.
• Maurice Thomas opened the game with a 97-yard kickoff return, the second longest return of his career and the longest kick return in MACC history.
• Sam Sloman had a career-high four made field goals.
• Miami's defense held CMU's top two running backs to a combined 17 carries for 50 yards.
• Bart Baratti had a career-high 14 tackles and Emmanuel Rugamba added a career-high 11 stops.
• Travion Banks had his team-leading fifth interception of the season.
Bowl Bound
The RedHawks are competing in their 12th bowl game in school history and are 7-4 all-time in bowl games. This is Miami's third trip to Mobile, Ala., for a bowl contest and are 2-0 in Ladd-Peebles Stadium with wins in 2003 and 2010.
1948 Sun Bowl (Won 13-12 vs. Texas Tech)
1950 Salad Bowl (Won 34-21 vs. Arizona State)
1962 Tangerine Bowl (Lost, 49-21 vs. Houston)
1973 Tangerine Bowl (Won, 16-7 vs. Florida)
1974 Tangerine Bowl (Won, 21-10 vs. Georgia)
1975 Tangerine Bowl (Won, 20-7 vs. South Carolina)
1986 California Bowl (Lost, 37-7 vs. San Jose State)
2003 GMAC Bowl (Won, 49-28 vs. Louisville)
2004 Independence Bowl (Lost, 17-13 vs. Iowa State)
2010 GoDaddy Bowl (Won, 35-21 vs. Middle Tennessee State)
2016 St. Petersburg Bowl (Lost, 17-16 vs. Mississippi State)
Home Cooking
Miami finished a perfect 5-0 at home during the 2019 season and has won eight straight at Yager Stadium. Miami's last home loss was on Sept. 29, 2018.
Bounce Back
Since early in the 2016 season Miami has lost back-to-back MAC games just once in that span. In fact, Miami is now 7-1 following a MAC loss under Martin, dating back to Oct. 15, 2016.
About Louisiana
The Ragin' Cajuns are 10-3 on the season and are coming off a 45-38 loss to Appalachian State in their conference championship game. Offensively, they average 38.8 points per game and are led by quarterback Levi Lewis, who has thrown for 2,804 yards and 24 touchdowns this season. Defensively they allow 19.9 points and Jacques Boudreaux leads the group with 102 tackles.
Series Vs. Louisiana
This will be the third meeting between the two schools. Miami is 2-0 all-time versus Louisiana, capturing wins in 1991 (27-14) and 1993 (29-28). The last time Miami played a team from the Sun Belt Conference was in the 2010 GoDaddy.com Bowl, a contest Miami won 35-21 over Middle Tennessee State (no longer in the Sun Belt).Â
Non-Conference Slate
It would be hard to argue against Miami having the toughest non-conference schedule in the country in 2019. Miami did host Tennessee Tech, but it then had three road contests at Iowa, Cincinnati and Ohio State. All three schools are currently top-25 programs. Overall, Iowa, Ohio State and UC are a combined 32-6 on the season.
Red Hot
Miami is 37-for-42 this season on red zone opportunities. In those 42 attempts, Miami has scored 22 (52.4%) touchdowns. Last season, Miami was 42-for-43 in the red zone with 35 (81.4%) touchdowns. Miami was also 33-for-33 in the red zone during MAC play with 27 touchdowns last year. In its last 23 games, Miami has scored on 79-of-85 red zone opportunities and is 58-of-62 in its last 17 MAC contests.
Martin vs. the MAC Since 2016
Miami is 23-8 versus MAC opponents over its last 31 games, Â best in the conference in that span. WMU is 21-9, followed by NIU (20-10), Ohio (20-10) and Toledo (19-11). In that span Miami has outscored its opponents 898-668.
Nine RedHawks Earn All-MAC
First Team: Doug Costin (DT), Tommy Doyle (OL) and Kyle Kramer (P)
Second Team: Sam Sloman (K), Kameron Butler (DE), Maurice Thomas (PR)
Third Team: Danny Godlevske (OL), Myles Reid (LB), Manny Rugamba (DB)
Fresh Faces
This season freshmen can be found all over the Miami two-deep and many of those players are playing significant roles for Miami in 2019.
Brett Gabbert: Freshman QB has started all 13 games for Miami this season.
Tyre Shelton: Redshirt freshman is second on the team with 528 yards rushing.
James Maye: Freshman wide receiver is third on the team with 17 catches. He currently leads the nation with a 25.4 yard catch average among freshmen wide receivers.
Caleb Shaffer: Freshman has started eight games along the offensive line.
Rusty Feth: Freshman has started the last five games on the offensive line.
Ivan Pace Jr.: Freshman leads the team with 7.0 sacks.
Lonnie Phelps: Freshman is third on the team with 4.0 sacks.
Gabbert Makes History; Named MAC Freshman of the Year
When Miami opened the season at Iowa, Brett Gabbert became the first true freshman quarterback to open the season as the starter in Miami football history. The younger brother of NFL quarterback, Blaine Gabbert, has started all 13 games this season, throwing for 2,163 yards and 11 touchdowns. For his efforts he was named the Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year, just the third RedHawk in school history to accomplish this feat. Gabbert joins Ben Roethlisberger (2001) and Deland McCullough (1992) on this small list.
Bester's Best
Jaylon Bester suffered an injury in the season opener at Iowa and after missing three games he seems to be 100-percent healthy now. In his last nine games the junior has rushed for 673 yards and 12 touchdowns, while adding 12 catches for 59 yards through the air. Bester has scored a touchdown in nine straight games and has three multi-touchdown performances and two 100-yard rushing performances this season.
Maye Day Maye Day
Wide receiver James Maye has burst onto the scene over his last seven games (missed game at KSU). The 5-foot-9 freshman had three touches (2 catches, 1 rush) total in his first four contests. In his last eight games he has combined for 15 receptions for 421 yards. Of those 15 catches, seven have gone for at least 35 yards. He had a 52-yard catch versus Buffalo, a 46-yard grab against WMU, a 45-yard touchdown versus NIU, a 63-yard catch at Ohio, a 47-yard reception versus Bowling Green, a 45-yard catch at Ball State and a 35-yard reception in the MAC Championship Game. Maye currently leads the country among freshmen wide receivers with a 25.4 yards per catch average.
Jack of All Trades
Jack Sorenson exploded onto the scene in 2018. After not recording a single catch in 2016 (redshirted) or 2017, Sorenson earned third team All-MAC honors in 2018 after recording 53 catches for 742 yards and two touchdowns. Sorenson leads the team with 34 catches this season, while missing three full games and a part of one other. Sorenson had a season-best eight catches for 123 yards and a touchdown in the MAC Championship Game.
The Man In The Middle
Doug Costin has played 49 games (36 starts) for the RedHawks, all along the defensive line, and each year he gets better. After recording just 1.5 sacks in 2016, Costin had 5.0 in 2017 and 6.0 in 2018, earning second team All-MAC accolades. In his career, the defensive tackle has posted 175 tackles, 32.5 tackles for loss and 16.0 sacks.
History Returns
With a 23-yard return in the first quarter of Buffalo, Maurice Thomas became Miami's all-time leader in kick return yards. In his career, the local product from Talawanda High School has 2,429 kick return yards. Thomas has also added 927 rushing yards on the ground, 249 yards through the air and 225 punt return yards for a total of 3,830 yards in his career. A few career Thomas highlights are listed below:
• Had a 99-yard kick return for a touchdown versus Western Michigan in 2018
• Recorded a 97-yard kick return in the MAC Championship Game
• Had a 94-yard return versus Cincinnati in 2016
• Registered an 86-yard kick return versus NIU in 2019
Sloman Earns All-America Honors
Following the season, Sam Sloman was named a second team All-America by The Athletic (somehow he was only named second team All-MAC). This year he has made 25-of-29 field goals and is a perfect 32-of-32 with extra points. In the MAC Championship game he was 4-of-4 on field goals and is 4-of-5 on 50-yard field goals this year. The senior can be found throughout the Miami record books.
• Third all-time in field goals made (48).
• Third in field goal percentage (.772).
• Third in extra points made (110), fourth in extra points attempted (112) and third in extra point percentage (.982).
• Ranks first in school history with 25 made field goals in a single season.
• Scored 107 points this year, fifth-most in school history.
Kickin' It With Kramer
Rounding out Miami's terrific special teams trio is Kyle Kramer. The senior is having the best year of his career, averaging 43.2 yards per punt. He has 19 punts of over 50 yards this year and has downed 29 kicks inside the opponent's 20-yard line, with just SIX touchbacks. Kramer can also be found in the record books:
• Ranks fourth in school history with 231 career punts.
• His 41.9 average is second in school history.
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