On Saturday, Oct. 23, the Miami University football team travels to Muncie, Ind. to face the Ball State Cardinals in the annual RedBird rivalry. Opening kick is slated for 3:30 p.m.

Television
The matchup with the Cardinals will be carried live on ESPN+. Jim Barber will handle play-by-play duties, while Tyoka Jackson will serve as the color analyst.

Radio
In its third 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. 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)

First And Ten
• Miami football ranks first all-time in the Mid-American Conference in wins (703), conference wins (301), MAC Championships (16) and bowl wins (7). The RedHawks also captured the 2019 MAC Championship with a 26-21 win over Central Michigan.

• Although Miami was 4-26 in Coach Martin's first 30 Mid-American Conference games, the RedHawks are 27-10 in the last 37 games versus schools from the MAC, the best record in the conference during that span.

• Miami went 2-1 in 2020, missing the final three contests of the year due to COVID. The RedHawks beat Ball State, the eventual MAC Champions, to open 2020, 38-31.

• The RedHawks clinched the MAC East Division Championship with a 6-2 record in 2019 and went 2-1 in 2020. Miami has now had a winning conference record in four of the past five years.

• Martin, in his eighth year leading the RedHawks, has had many of the same coordinators in the previous six seasons. Offensive Coordinator Eric Koehler has been with Martin all eight years on the offensive side of the ball. Spence Nowinsky (fourth year) and John Hauser (eighth year) manage the defense.

• Miami is 8-2 in one-score games, dating back to the 2018 campaign. The RedHawks were 5-0 in one-score games in 2019, including a 26-21 victory over Central Michigan in the MAC Championship Game. Miami's 31-26 loss to Minnesota earlier this year ended Miami's consecutive one-score win streak at eight.

• In its last 32 contests, Miami has had a lead at some point in 28 of those games. The only four setbacks were a 42-10 loss at Buffalo in 2020 and three different losses in 2021.

• Miami competed in the 2020 LendingTree Bowl, its fourth bowl eligible season in the last five years. From 2006-15, Miami was bowl eligible just twice.

• Miami's defense has forced a turnover in 32 of its last 48 games and is 20-12 in contests when it forces a turnover. The RedHawks' defense has also recorded a sack in 37 of its last 48 games.

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 19 seasons.  Martin has an all-time head coaching record of 109-57.
• 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.

About Ball State
Ball State is 4-3 overall and 2-1 in MAC played, tied for second in the MAC West. Offensively, the Cardinals average 25.6 points per game and are led by quarterback Drew Plitt, who has thrown for 1,364 yards and nine touchdowns in 2021. His top receiver, Justin Hall, has 44 grabs for 474 yards and three scores. Defensively they allow 28.4 points and 398.8 total yards per contest. Tavion Woodard and Bryce Cosby have a combined 9.0 sacks on the season.

Series Vs. Ball State
Saturday marks the 35th meeting between the two schools with Miami up 20-13-1 in the all-time series, including a 38-31 win last season in Oxford. The RedHawks are 8-7-0 in Muncie, which includes a 41-27 defeat back in 2019.

RedBird Rivalry
The RedBird Rivalry trophy game between Ball State and Miami, two Mid-American Conference universities separated by a little more than 70 miles, is in its fourth year.

The rivalry between the schools dates back to a 1931 meeting in Oxford, Ohio, but didn't blossom until Ball State joined the MAC in the mid-1970s. The two teams played each other in football every year from 1985 through 1998. MAC expansion in the late 1990s changed league scheduling as the conference had too many teams to play every team on an annual basis. Because Miami is in the MAC East and Ball State is in the MAC West, they have only faced off 10 times since 2000.

Notes From Akron
• Miami's balanced offensive attack rolled up its highest rushing total of the season with 245 yards on the ground to go along with AJ Mayer's 229 passing yards.
• Miami sacked Akron three times, gaining one apiece for Ivan Pace Jr., Lonnie Phelps and Nasir Washington.
• Through three quarters of play the Zips had 19 yards rushing on 17 attempts before Miami played most of its second string the final 15 minutes of play. Akron ended the contest with 65 yards rushing on 24 attempts.
• Jack Sorenson had five catches for 113 yards, his second-straight 100-yard performance.
• Jaylon Bester, finally back from several leg injuries, scored a first half touchdown versus the Zips. He now has 15 touchdowns in his last 12 games, dating back to the start of the 2019 campaign.

Championship Experience
While Miami's 2019 MAC Championship victory was two seasons ago, Miami still has 13 starters returning in 2021 that started in that championship game. On offense: Andrew Homer, Rusty Feth, Jaylon Bester, Tyre Shelton, Brett Gabbert, Pete Nank, Caleb Shaffer and Jack Sorenson all started in the 26-21 win over CMU. Defensively, Mike Brown, Sterling Weatherford, Ryan McWood, Kameron Butler and Ben Kimpler return in 2021. In all, Miami has 26 players on the 2021 roster that participated in the 2019 MAC Championship Game.

Home Cooking
Miami finished a perfect 5-0 at home during the 2019 season (1-0 in 2020) and has won 12 straight at Yager Stadium. Miami's last home loss was on Sept. 29, 2018. In all, when Miami hosts Buffalo on Oct. 16, it will be 1,137 days since Miami's last loss at home.

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 9-1 following a MAC loss under Martin, dating back to Oct. 15, 2016.

Martin vs. the MAC Since 2016
Miami is 27-10 versus MAC opponents over its last 37 games, best in the conference in that span. Over that time, Miami has outscored its opponents 1,055-799.

Five Things to Know About No. 5
• Younger brother of NFL quarterback, Blaine Gabbert.
• Gabbert was named the 2019 MAC Freshman of the Year, joining Ben Roethlisberger (2001) and Deland McCullough (1992) as the only other RedHawks to capture this award.
• When Miami opened the 2019 season at Iowa, Gabbert became the first true freshman quarterback to open the season as the starter in Miami football history. 
• Gabbert has started 18 games in his young Miami career.
• Is responsible for 25 touchdowns (22 passing, 3 rushing) in his Miami career.

Mayer of Oxford
With Brett Gabbert suffering several injuries this season, AJ Mayer has seen action in all seven games this year, including starts versus Cincinnati, Eastern Michigan and Akron. The sophomore also came in relief versus Central Michigan and threw for 179 yards and two scores in a come-from-behind victory. Last week versus Akron he threw for 229 yards and a career-high three touchdowns.

Jack of All Trades
Jack Sorenson is in the middle of his sixth year with the RedHawks and is starting to find himself all over the Miami record books. The 2019 MAC Championship Offensive Player of the Year ranks ninth all-time in Miami history in catches (149) and sixth in receiving yards (2,229). Up next on the career catches is Chris Givens (157) and yards is Armond Robinson (2,550). His 15 career touchdowns is tied for 10th all-time.

33 And Counting
While not a kept stat in the Miami or MAC record book, it would be hard to imagine Jack Sorenson's 33-straight contests with a catch would not be found atop any list. While Sorenson has missed several games due to injury, dating back to 2018, the wide receiver has caught at least one pass in every game he has played.

Monsters of The MAC
Miami's defense does not look out of place at all in 2021. After having one of the top defenses in the MAC in both 2019 and 2020, Miami ranks atop several defensive categories once again. In MAC games only, the RedHawks rank first in defensive scoring (17.0), third in total defense (347.7), first in rush defense (56,0), first in sacks (12.0) and fifth in third down percentage (34.1%).