A Dozen And Counting
11/5/2021 1:15:00 PM | Football
Miami 31, Kent State 6 (10/13/18)Miami 30, Ohio 28 (11/7/18)Miami 42, Ball State 21 (11/20/18)Miami 48, Tennessee Tech 17 (9/7/19)Miami 34, Buffalo 20 (9/28/19)Miami 27, Northern Illinois 24 (10/19/19)Miami 44, Bowling Green 3 (11/13/19)Miami 20, Akron 17 (11/20/19)Miami 38, Ball State 31 (11/4/20)Miami 42, LIU 7 (9/18/21)Miami 28, Central Michigan 17 (10/2/21)Miami 34, Akron 21 (10/16/21)
Miami Football Looks to Extend 12-Game Home Winning Streak
The world has changed quite a bit since September 29, 2018.
Back then, the price of a gallon of gas started with a 2, not a 3…and a bitcoin was worth around $6,000, not $60,000.
Tiger Woods hadn't won a major in a decade…and LeBron James had never played a game for the Lakers.
William Shatner had never been to space…and there was still only one Space Jam.
James Holzhauer hadn't yet played a single episode of Jeopardy… and Disney+ didn't exist.
No one had heard of Ted Lasso…or the Tiger King.
Tom Brady was on his way to a Super Bowl season [Okay, maybe some things haven't changed]…with the Patriots [Okay, that's different].
And of course, people only wore masks on Halloween and to costume parties.
One thing that hasn't changed since September 29, 2018?
The Miami RedHawks haven't lost a home football game since then.
When Chuck Martin's team takes the field Tuesday night for a crucial home game against Buffalo, it will be 1,137 days since a Miami opponent has come into Yager Stadium and left with a victory.
Since then, the RedHawks have won 12 straight home games, good for the fifth-longest active home winning streak in the country, trailing only Clemson (32), Cincinnati (24), Oregon (17), and Liberty (15) among FBS teams.
Senior wide receiver Jack Sorenson is one of the few players on the roster who has been around for the entire streak so far, and he said the support from the home crowd in Oxford makes an impact, especially in close games.
"When we're here, there is a difference," Sorenson said. "I believe that there's something to do with the fans being on your side and chanting against the other team and chanting with you and just pushing you on in the fourth quarter when things get tight. That's how MAC games are: they're always real tight.
"Our fan base is amazing and they always come out and show a lot of support. They bring a lot of people and they're really loud."
Martin agreed. "In our league, there's a lot of close games, and obviously having the home crowd behind you gives you a lift when you make a play," he said. "It's not a league with a lot of blowouts. I think home-field advantage makes a difference everywhere, [but] our league is so competitive and there are so many close games, that little bit extra from the fans...just may be enough to really make a difference in a lot of instances."
Even when Miami has trailed in the final quarter (such as last month against Central Michigan), Sorenson said the past few years have given the RedHawks confidence that they'll be able to make the needed plays to pull out another victory.
"Whenever we're tied or a little behind, I actually feel more comfortable than when we're way ahead, because that's consistently how we've won games," Sorenson said. "We fight and claw our way back and somehow find a way to win, whether it's by a field goal or a late-second touchdown or our defense making a stop on a fourth-quarter drive. We're comfortable whenever the game's close; I think it's just what we're used to. We're a gritty team...
"When you get down into tight situations, you need someone's character to come through more than their playing ability. We have those guys," Sorenson said.
If the RedHawks can finish the home schedule with victories over Buffalo and Bowling Green, they would equal the second-longest home win streak in school history at 14 games (accomplished twice previously, in 1973-75 and again in 1980-82). The Miami record is 22 consecutive home victories, a mark set between 1943 and 1948.
Senior tight end Andrew Homer said he doesn't even remember the last time MU lost at Yager, but keeping the streak intact is important to him and the rest of the RedHawks.
"I think it's just pride and playing at your stadium in front of your home fans and family," Homer said. "Just being able to defend the home turf: It's a lot of pride- easy to get up and get excited for the game.
"It's definitely nice going in with the confidence, and then being able to have the fans start getting loud on third downs late in the game, cheering on your defense to get the stop. It just brings a whole different level of energy."
The RedHawks have played 17 of their last 26 games away from Yager Stadium, and Martin is looking forward to returning to Oxford for a pair of critical league games in front of the home crowd as his team chases a possible division title. Miami controls its own destiny in the MAC East with three regular-season games remaining. Victories over Buffalo and Bowling Green would also make the RedHawks bowl-eligible.
"Obviously every game is so important this time of year. We've put ourselves in position to make these last games real exciting and mean something," Martin said. "We'd like to have this place packed...If you come out, you're gonna see a good product. Our kids play the game the right way. They play exciting football. They play hard, they fight, they scratch, they claw, they don't give up. They've proven that over and over through the last five or six years. They're gonna keep fighting, so, to me, it's a fun team to root for. It's a fun team to watch."
Sorenson only has two home games left in his Miami career, and he hopes they lead to another ring. "We're trying to make another championship drive this year and we're right in the position to do it," Sorenson said. "The fans play a really big role, so I just encourage them all to come out to every game that they can.
"We've had great support throughout the years and I hope that they really know their support means the world to us. When we're in the fourth quarter in a close game, we need their chants and their cheers to help push us down the field."
Homer agreed. "We'd love to have as many people here as we possibly can," he said. "Get loud as you can, and help us hopefully go to Detroit."
Find more Front Row Features at MiamiRedHawks.com/FrontRowFeatures.
Tickets to Miami's final two home games of the 2021 season (Tuesday, November 9 vs. Buffalo and Tuesday, November 16 vs. Bowling Green) are on sale now. Visit MiamiRedHawks.com/tickets or call (513) 529-4295 to order.
Back then, the price of a gallon of gas started with a 2, not a 3…and a bitcoin was worth around $6,000, not $60,000.
Tiger Woods hadn't won a major in a decade…and LeBron James had never played a game for the Lakers.
William Shatner had never been to space…and there was still only one Space Jam.
James Holzhauer hadn't yet played a single episode of Jeopardy… and Disney+ didn't exist.
No one had heard of Ted Lasso…or the Tiger King.
Tom Brady was on his way to a Super Bowl season [Okay, maybe some things haven't changed]…with the Patriots [Okay, that's different].
And of course, people only wore masks on Halloween and to costume parties.
One thing that hasn't changed since September 29, 2018?
The Miami RedHawks haven't lost a home football game since then.
When Chuck Martin's team takes the field Tuesday night for a crucial home game against Buffalo, it will be 1,137 days since a Miami opponent has come into Yager Stadium and left with a victory.
Since then, the RedHawks have won 12 straight home games, good for the fifth-longest active home winning streak in the country, trailing only Clemson (32), Cincinnati (24), Oregon (17), and Liberty (15) among FBS teams.
Senior wide receiver Jack Sorenson is one of the few players on the roster who has been around for the entire streak so far, and he said the support from the home crowd in Oxford makes an impact, especially in close games.
"When we're here, there is a difference," Sorenson said. "I believe that there's something to do with the fans being on your side and chanting against the other team and chanting with you and just pushing you on in the fourth quarter when things get tight. That's how MAC games are: they're always real tight.
"Our fan base is amazing and they always come out and show a lot of support. They bring a lot of people and they're really loud."
Martin agreed. "In our league, there's a lot of close games, and obviously having the home crowd behind you gives you a lift when you make a play," he said. "It's not a league with a lot of blowouts. I think home-field advantage makes a difference everywhere, [but] our league is so competitive and there are so many close games, that little bit extra from the fans...just may be enough to really make a difference in a lot of instances."
Even when Miami has trailed in the final quarter (such as last month against Central Michigan), Sorenson said the past few years have given the RedHawks confidence that they'll be able to make the needed plays to pull out another victory.
"Whenever we're tied or a little behind, I actually feel more comfortable than when we're way ahead, because that's consistently how we've won games," Sorenson said. "We fight and claw our way back and somehow find a way to win, whether it's by a field goal or a late-second touchdown or our defense making a stop on a fourth-quarter drive. We're comfortable whenever the game's close; I think it's just what we're used to. We're a gritty team...
"When you get down into tight situations, you need someone's character to come through more than their playing ability. We have those guys," Sorenson said.
If the RedHawks can finish the home schedule with victories over Buffalo and Bowling Green, they would equal the second-longest home win streak in school history at 14 games (accomplished twice previously, in 1973-75 and again in 1980-82). The Miami record is 22 consecutive home victories, a mark set between 1943 and 1948.
Senior tight end Andrew Homer said he doesn't even remember the last time MU lost at Yager, but keeping the streak intact is important to him and the rest of the RedHawks.
"I think it's just pride and playing at your stadium in front of your home fans and family," Homer said. "Just being able to defend the home turf: It's a lot of pride- easy to get up and get excited for the game.
"It's definitely nice going in with the confidence, and then being able to have the fans start getting loud on third downs late in the game, cheering on your defense to get the stop. It just brings a whole different level of energy."
The RedHawks have played 17 of their last 26 games away from Yager Stadium, and Martin is looking forward to returning to Oxford for a pair of critical league games in front of the home crowd as his team chases a possible division title. Miami controls its own destiny in the MAC East with three regular-season games remaining. Victories over Buffalo and Bowling Green would also make the RedHawks bowl-eligible.
"Obviously every game is so important this time of year. We've put ourselves in position to make these last games real exciting and mean something," Martin said. "We'd like to have this place packed...If you come out, you're gonna see a good product. Our kids play the game the right way. They play exciting football. They play hard, they fight, they scratch, they claw, they don't give up. They've proven that over and over through the last five or six years. They're gonna keep fighting, so, to me, it's a fun team to root for. It's a fun team to watch."
Sorenson only has two home games left in his Miami career, and he hopes they lead to another ring. "We're trying to make another championship drive this year and we're right in the position to do it," Sorenson said. "The fans play a really big role, so I just encourage them all to come out to every game that they can.
"We've had great support throughout the years and I hope that they really know their support means the world to us. When we're in the fourth quarter in a close game, we need their chants and their cheers to help push us down the field."
Homer agreed. "We'd love to have as many people here as we possibly can," he said. "Get loud as you can, and help us hopefully go to Detroit."
Find more Front Row Features at MiamiRedHawks.com/FrontRowFeatures.
Tickets to Miami's final two home games of the 2021 season (Tuesday, November 9 vs. Buffalo and Tuesday, November 16 vs. Bowling Green) are on sale now. Visit MiamiRedHawks.com/tickets or call (513) 529-4295 to order.
Players Mentioned
Tight End
/ Football
Wide Receiver
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