The Miami University football team hits the road for a Saturday, Oct. 15 contest at Bowling Green. Opening kick is set for noon.

Television
The matchup with Bowling Green will be carried live on ESPN+. Dan Gutowsky will handle play-by-play duties, while Ryan Cavanaugh will serve as the color analyst. 

Radio
In its fourth 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 (710), conference wins (307), MAC Championships (16) and bowl wins (8). The RedHawks also captured the 2019 MAC Championship with a 26-21 win over Central Michigan.

• Although Miami was 4-18 in Coach Martin's first 22 Mid-American Conference games, the RedHawks are 31-13 in the last 44 games versus schools from the MAC, the best record in the conference during that span.

• The RedHawks clinched the MAC East Division Championship with a 6-2 record in 2019, went 2-1 in 2020 and 5-3 in 2021. Miami has now had a winning conference record in five of the past six years.

• Martin, in his ninth year leading the RedHawks, has a new-look coaching staff in 2021. Offensive Coordinator Eric Koehler returns for his ninth year calling plays, while Bill Brechin begins year one as the Defensive Coordinator (ninth year at Miami). Special Teams Coordinator Jacob Bronowski is in his first year with the Red and White. 

• Miami is 11-5 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 is 2-1 this season in single-score games.

• In its last 44 contests, Miami has had a lead at some point in 39 of those games. The only five setbacks were a 42-10 loss at Buffalo in 2020 and four different losses in 2021. The RedHawks have had a lead at some point in all six games this year.

• Miami competed in the 2021 Frisco Football Classic (W, 27-14) and the RedHawks have now been bowl eligible five of the last six seasons. From 2006-15, Miami was bowl eligible just twice.

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 20 seasons.  Martin has an all-time head coaching record of 116-62.
• 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 Bowling Green
Bowling Green is 2-4 on the season and is coming off a 38-7 loss at home to Buffalo last Saturday. Quarterback Matt McDonald has thrown for 1,218 yards and 14 touchdowns (just two INTs) on the season. Defensively, the Falcons are led by linebacker Karl Brooks, who is tops on the team in sacks (4.5) and tackles for loss (7.5).

Series Vs. The Falcons
Miami leads the all-time series 46-24-5 over Bowling Green and has won four of the last five matchups. The RedHawks are 8-1 in their last nine trips to BGSU, including a 38-23 win in their most recent visit (2018).

Last Meeting
Miami scored 34 unanswered points and defeated Bowling Green 34-7 in November 2021 to become bowl-eligible, extending the RedHawks' Yager Stadium winning streak to 14 games. The Red and White sacked the Falcons eight times in the victory. Tyre Shelton ran for two scores and Brett Gabbert threw a pair of touchdowns to lead the Miami offense.

Memorable Meeting
The RedHawks defeated Bowling Green twice in the 2003 season, including a 49-27 victory at BGSU in the MAC Championship Game when both teams were ranked in the top 20 in the country. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 440 yards and completed touchdown passes to four different receivers to help No. 14/11 Miami take home its first league title since 1986.

Kent State Recap
With just over 60 seconds to play, Aveon Smith found Jack Coldiron for a 16-yard completion, converting a fourth-and-six from the Kent State 28-yard line, to propel the Miami University football team to a 27-24 victory on Saturday afternoon at Yager Stadium. The RedHawks (3-3, 1-1 MAC) defense was outstanding all afternoon, holding the Golden Flashes (2-4, 1-1 MAC) to just 109 rushing yards (on 35 carries), 110 yards below their season average

Offensively, the RedHawks rushed for 236 yards of their own and Smith finished the contest connecting on 9-of-14 passes for 179 yards and added 71 yards rushing.

Heads or Tails
In year's past, when the RedHawks won the opening coin toss, head coach Chuck Martin would defer to the second half. This season, the RedHawks have won five coin tosses and chose to receive the ball to start the contest. Miami has scored on three of those five opening possessions, including touchdowns to begin the game at Kentucky and Cincinnati. In all, Miami has started all six contests this season with the ball.

Home Cooking
Miami finished a perfect 5-0 at home during the 2019 and 2021 season (1-0 in 2020) and has won 16 straight at Yager Stadium. Miami's last loss at Yager Stadium was on Sept. 29, 2018. In all, when Miami hosts Western Michigan on Oct. 22, 2022 it will be 1,484 days since Miami's last loss at home.

Longest Home Win Streaks in School History
1.    22 Wins (1943-1948)
2.     16 Wins (2018-present)

Longest Active Home Win Streaks in the Country
1. Clemson - 37
2. Cincinnati - 29
3. Oregon - 21
4. Alabama - 17
5. Miami - 16

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 11-1 following a MAC loss under Martin, dating back to Oct. 15, 2016.

New Year, Same Defense
With so many new faces on defense in 2022, a drop in defensive production could have been expected, instead, Miami is once again one of the best defenses in the conference. Miami ranks first in scoring defense (25.2), first in total defense (351.2), first in rush defense (88.8), second in time of possession (32:14), fifth in sacks (13), fifth in third downs (36.9%) and second in interceptions (5). Miami's rush defense ranks 10th nationally.

Take It Away Defense Take it Away
Through five games in 2022, the RedHawks defense has already forced 11 turnovers and is on pace for 22 take-aways in 2022. Prior to this season, Miami had averaged 16 turnovers forced per season since Chuck Martin's arrival, with a high of 20 in 2019. Miami's 11 forced turnovers is tops in the MAC and 25th in the nation.

Gabbert Out
On Sept. 5, head coach Chuck Martin announced Brett Gabbert would be out for "a while." Since starting the season opener at Iowa back in 2019, Gabbert ranks seventh in program history with 5,609 passing yards, completion percentage (.579) and passing touchdowns (41). 

Offensive Shift
With Gabbert out, the RedHawks have been forced to use the ground game more than normal. This season, the RedHawks are averaging 181.0 rushing yards per contest, the  best season average since Chuck Martin stepped foot in Oxford, Ohio. In fact, Miami has rushed for over 200 yards in four of its last five games.

Small Steps = Giant Leap
With Miami's offensive shift this season, the RedHawks are having to find new ways to win contests in 2022:
• Miami has turned the ball over seven times all season and on 242 rush attempts, have fumbled the ball just three times. Miami has no fumbles in its last four games (168 carries).
• The RedHawks are tops in the MAC in turnover margin (+4) and second in turnovers forced (11).
• Miami is second in the MAC in time of possession (32:14).
• Miami has out-rushed its opponents in five of six contests and on average has out-gained the opposition by 92.2 yards per game on the ground.
• The RedHawks have blocked a punt to set up a TD at Northwestern and blocked a KSU field goal early in last week's game.

Trench Warfare
Miami's offensive line is by far the most experienced unit for the RedHawks in 2022, returning four starters from last season's squad. In all, Miami's offensive line has started 102 combined games. Caleb Shaffer leads the way with 30 career starts and is followed by Rusty Feth (28), Reid Holskey (19), Sam Vaughan (14, but out for the year in 2022), John Brekke (5), Will Jados (5) and Kolby Borders (1). Brekke was also a three-year starter from Holy Cross before transferring to Miami.

From Zero to Hero
Over the past year, head coach Chuck Martin has awarded six scholarships to walk ons with the football program. Last year Chris Cavalaris and Dominic Nardone earned a free ride and back on Aug. 16, in the middle of fall camp 2022, Oscar McWood, Brendan Beattie, Jack DeJarld and Graham Nicholson were awarded scholarships.

Paging Dr. McWood
Linebacker Ryan McWood (turns 25 on Oct. 13) is in his SEVENTH season with the Red and White. Due to red-shirting the 2016 season, a 2020 COVID year and then a season-ending injury in week one of the 2021 season, McWood is just a handful of college football players playing in their seventh (or eighth) year. The good news of hanging around so long, Ryan's brother Oscar McWood, is now a member of the RedHawks.