The Miami University football team looks to finish the season with a bang as they travel to face the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the 2022 Hometown Lenders Bahamas Bowl. Opening kick is slated for 11:30 a.m.

Television
The matchup with UAB will be carried live on ESPN. Steve Levy will handle play-by-play duties, while Joey Galloway will serve as the color analyst. Kris Budden will cover the sidelines.

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 (713), conference wins (310), 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 34-16 in the last 50 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 .500 or better conference record in six of the last seven seasons.

• 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 13-7 in one-score games, dating back to the 2018 campaign and are 4-3 this season in single-score games.

• In its last 50 contests, Miami has had a lead at some point in 44 of those games. The RedHawks have had a lead at some point in all but one game in 2022.

• Miami competed in the 2021 Frisco Football Classic (W, 27-14) and the RedHawks have now been bowl eligible six of the last seven 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 119-65.
• 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 UAB
The Blazers (6-6) achieved bowl eligibility for a seventh straight season (2014, 2017-22) with their victory at Louisiana Tech. Led by record-setting running back DeWayne McBride, the Blazers finished the regular season with the most prolific rushing attack in school history and as one of the top running teams in the nation with an average of 243.5 rushing yards per game. McBride set UAB's single season school records for rushing yards (1,713), rushing yards per game (155.7), rushing touchdowns (19) and yards per carry (7.4), while also establishing the single game rushing record with 272 yards against Louisiana Tech.

Series Vs. The Blazers
This will be the first meeting between the two schools.

Matchup To Watch
The Bahamas Bowl will feature strength on strength. UAB is sixth in the nation, averaging 243.8 rushing yards per contest and 17th with 30 rushing touchdowns in 2022. Miami is 41st against the run, allowing a MAC low of 135.8 rushing yards per contest. The RedHawks have surrendered under 100 yards rushing four different times and have allowed just 15 rushing touchdowns all season long.

Bowl Bound
The RedHawks are competing in their 14th bowl game in school history and are 8-5 all-time in bowl games. 

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)
2020 LendingTree Bowl (Lost, 27-17 vs. Lousiana)
2021 Frisco Football Classic (Won, 27-14 vs. North Texas)
2022 HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl

How We Got Here
Starting quarterback Brett Gabbert was injured in the first game of the season and only played four games in 2022.
• Aveon Smith got his first career win over Robert Morris and two weeks later led the RedHawks to a win over Northwestern.
• Smith had the game-clinching pass in a win over Kent State, but after back-to-back losses to Bowling Green and Western Michigan, bowl hopes were low.
• Miami won three of its last four contests, including the final two against Northern Illinois and Ball State to become bowl eligible.
• Miami scored two touchdowns in the final six minutes to erase a 17-6 deficit versus Ball State. Smith found Miles Marshall for a 34-yard touchdown with 1:42 to play to send Miami to the Bahamas.

Six Current RedHawks Earn All-MAC
Six current members of the Miami University football team were named All-MAC. Earning conference honors were Rusty Feth (second-team), Mac Hippenhammer (second-team), Ryan McWood (second-team), Dom Dzioban (second-team), Matthew Salopek (third-team) and Jalen Walker (third-team, returner).

Bounce Back
Since early in the 2016 season Miami has lost back-to-back MAC games just twice in that span. In fact, Miami is now 13-2 following a MAC loss under Martin, dating back to Oct. 15, 2016. 

Monsters of the MAC
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 (22.5), fourth in total defense (371.7), and first in rush defense (135.8).

Take It Away Defense, Take it Away
Through 12 games in 2022, the RedHawks defense has forced 19 turnovers and is on pace for 21 takeaways 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 19 forced turnovers is third in the MAC and 23rd in the nation.

New Kids on the Block
The RedHawks graduated two defensive ends and lost two others to the transfer portal prior to the start of the 2022 season, creating a major hole at defensive end ... or so we thought. Transfers Corey Suttle (6.0) and Brian Ugwu (5.0) are tops on the team in sacks. Sophomore Caiden Woullard, who saw no action a year ago, is third on the team with 4.0 sacks.

Smith Becoming a Dual-Threat
Quarterback Aveon Smith is the first Miami quarterback in program history to lead the RedHawks in rushing (503 yards) and passing (1,137 yards) yards in a season.
• Miami is 5-3 on the year with Smith under center, including a 17-14 win over Northwestern.
• He has rushed for over 100 yards two different times in 2022 and over his last five starts he has averaged 91.4 yards rushing per contest.
• While his completion percentage could be better, he has four throws of over 20 yards in the last two contests, including the 34-yard game-winner over Ball State.

Will The Real Rushing Attack Please Stand Up
Miami is averaging 144.0 yards rushing per contest in 2022, but that doesn't tell the whole story. Miami has rushed for over 200 yards four different times this season, including 240 yards at Buffalo and another 236 in a win over Kent State. For whatever reason, from Oct. 15-Nov. 8 the RedHawks averaged just 83.5 yards per game on the ground. It's been better as of late, rushing for 171 yards versus NIU and 120 against Ball State.

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 96 combined games. Rusty Feth leads the way with 32, followed by Reid Holskey (25), Sam Vaughan (14, but out for the year in 2022), Will Jados (10), Kolby Borders (7), John Brekke (5), and Ben Jackson (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.

Nothing But Net
In his first year with the football program, Graham Nicholson did not disappoint. He finished the season 15-20 on field goals, including 6-of-7 on attempts between 40-49 yards. He added 30 touchbacks on 65 kickoffs in 2021. He is 18-for-22 on field goals in 2022. He also had his first game-winning field goal, connecting on a 36-yard field goal with 21 seconds to go in the 17-14 win at Northwestern. Nicholson missed a kick versus Ball State, snapping a streak of 12 consecutive makes.