MAC Championship Preview: RedHawks vs. Broncos

Saturday, December 6

Detroit, Mich. (Ford Field)

12 p.m.

Miami University

Western Michigan (MAC Championship)

MAC Championship Preview: RedHawks vs. Broncos

12/2/2025 7:45:00 AM | Football

Game Notes

For the third-straight season, the Miami University football team will be competing for a MAC Championship. The RedHawks will square-off with the Western Michigan Broncos on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 12 p.m., live on ESPN.

About Miami
• Miami football ranks first all-time in the Mid-American Conference in wins (740), conference wins (329), MAC Championships (17) and bowl wins (9). Historically, Miami's 740 career wins are third all-time among Group-of-Five programs, behind just Navy (756) and Army (745).
• Miami was 4-14 in Coach Martin's first 18 Mid-American Conference games. Since then, the RedHawks are 55-21 in their last 76 games versus schools from the MAC, the best in the conference during that span. Miami is 22-4 over their last 26 MAC games, which includes three-straight trips to Detroit.
• The RedHawks have competed in five straight bowl games and are bowl-eligible for the ninth time in the past 10 seasons. Miami is coming off a 43-17 win over Colorado State in the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl last season.
• Miami is the first MAC program to play for a conference title three-straight years since Northern Illinois did so from 2010-15. Under Coach Martin, the RedHawks are 2-1 in MAC title games, capturing wins in 2019 and 2023, but dropped last season's contest.
• Since Oct. 15, 2016, Miami has lost back-to-back conference games just three in that span (2017, 2022, 2025). Miami is 17-4 following a conference loss, dating back to midway through the 2016 campaign.

About Chuck Martin
• Chuck Martin was named Miami head coach on Dec. 3, 2013.
• He was named a 2023 Finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award after an 11-3 season.
• 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 22 seasons.
• Martin has an all-time head coaching record of 145-79.
• He is 72-72 all-time at Miami (57-35 in MAC play) and has won more games at Miami than any other coach. The previous high was held by Randy Walker (60 wins).
• Martin is the longest tenured active coach in the MAC.
• 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 Western Michigan
Western Michigan is 8-4 on the year, led by the No. 2 defense in the MAC, allowing 18.7 points per contest. Nadame Tucker has 49 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss and 12.0 sacks on the year to lead the Broncos. Offensively, quarterback Broc Lowry has thrown for 1,572 yards and seven touchdowns, while adding 875 yards on the ground with 14 scores.

Series History With Broncos
The RedHawks lead the all-time series 39-24-1. The Broncos won eight-straight meetings from 2006-2022, before Miami captured a victories in 2023 and 2025. This will be the first meeting between Miami and WMU in the MAC Championship Game.

Earlier This Year Versus WMU
These same two teams competed back on Oct. 25, a contest the RedHawks won 26-17 in Oxford, Ohio. Miami scored 17 fourth-quarter points to erase a 17-9 deficit to give the Broncos their lone conference loss of the season. Jordan Brunson rushed for 90 yards and Kam Perry (98) and Cole Weaver (96) both had strong receiving days. Defensively, Adam Trick had six tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss and a game-clinching strip-sack late in the contest.

Ticket Punched
The Dec. 6 contest versus WMU will be Miami's eighth trip to the MAC Championship game, where the RedHawks have posted a 4-3 all-time record. The RedHawks are also playing in their third straight title game, something that has not been done since NIU did so six-straight times from 2010-15.
2024 - L, 38-3 vs. Ohio
2023 - W, 23-14 vs. Toledo
2019 - W, 26-21 vs. Central Michigan
2010 - W, 26-21 vs. Northern Illinois.
2007 - L, 35-10 vs. Central Michigan
2004 - L, 35-27 vs. Toledo
2003 - W, 49-27 vs. Bowling Green

Looks Can Be Deceiving
While Miami is competing in its third-straight MAC title game, only five players (Eli Blakey, Silas Walters, Nasir Washington, Corban Hondru and Dom Dzioban) on the current roster started in last year's title game and Eli Blakey is the only player to start in 2023 and 2024.

Miami Football's Season in A Nut-Shell
• The RedHawks opened the season with three-straight losses, including a heart-breaking 41-38 loss to UNLV.
• Miami rebounded with five-straight wins and were 4-0 in conference play heading to the month of November.
• Ohio's touchdown with 2:15 to play gave the Bobcats a 24-20 victory, snapping Miami's win streak.
• Prior to the Toledo contest, Miami's starting QB decided to move on. The RedHawks dropped the game versus the Rockets and the following week managed just 26 yards of offense in the first quarter at Buffalo.
• In steps third-string QB Thomas Gotkowski and the rest is history. Miami rolled to a 37-20 win at Buffalo and crushed Ball State 45-24 to advance to Detroit.

It's Not How you Start...
The 0-3 start for the RedHawks was nothing new. Mostly due to an extremely tough non-conference schedule, Miami has started nine of the past 11 seasons (not including 2020 when Miami only played three games) with a 1-3 record (or worse). Below is a break down of starts and finishes for Miami football over recent years.
Year Start Finish
2025 0-3 7-2
2024 1-4 8-1
2023 3-1 8-2
2022 2-2 4-5
2021 1-3 6-3
2019 1-3 7-3
2018 1-3 6-3
2017 2-5 3-2
2016 0-6 6-1
Totals 11-30 55-22

Touchdown Tommy
In his first career start, Thomas Gotkowski threw for 226 yards and three touchdowns in the win over Ball State. The previous week, he came off the bench to throw for 185 yards and a score to lead Miami to a victory over Buffalo. Overall, the red-shirt freshman has completed 25-of-47 passes for 411 yards and four touchdowns in his first live action (besides a few handoffs versus Lindenwood) of his career. He has also run the ball 15 times for 70 yards and a score over the past two weeks.

King Cole
Over his past five games, Cole Weaver has 28 catches for 379 yards. Weaver set career high for catches (9) and yards (96) in the win over Western Michigan and had five catches for 82 yards at Buffalo. Weaver, who now has 40 grabs for 534 yards this year, entered 2025 with just two career catches for 38 yards.

Lights, 'Kam'era, Action
Kam Perry currently averages 24.7 yards per reception, which ranks first in the country. After posting just 10 catches for 166 yards last season, the junior has already recorded three 100-yard games this season. He had 108 yards at Rutgers, 122 versus UNLV and 122 against Lindenwood. He also posted four grabs for 98 yards versus Western Michigan. He ranks fourth in the MAC with 865 receiving yards.

Magic Trick
Adam Trick currently ranks 19th nationally with 8.5 sacks and has already surpassed his career best (4.5), set last season. He leads a defense unit that is third in the nation with 38 sacks. 15 different players have recorded a sack this season, and besides Trick, Jackson Kuwatch, James Scott, Bai Jobe, Nasir Washington, Corban Hondru, Malcolm McCain, Brock Rice, Grant Lyons and Jayden Fuller have all posted career-highs in sacks in 2025.
Disruption is Production
Those 38 sacks, along with 46 quarterback hurries, have helped Miami to a MAC leading 14 interceptions (13th in the country). Corban Hondru (out for the year), Silas Walters and Eli Coppess are tops on the team with three picks each.

New-Look Offensive Line
Miami's OL lost one player to the transfer portal, while four others graduated following the 2024 season. In all, those five players started a combined 166 career games for the RedHawks. Miami's 2025 offensive line has a much different feel. Eric Smith, Kris Manu, Austin Uke, Jacob Schorsch and Greg Smith Jr. all made their first collegiate start this season. Drew Terrill came into 2025 with one career start. In all, Miami's offensive line has started a combined 61 games.

From Walk-on to Team Leader
Silas Walters came to Miami back in 2021 as a walk-on. Prior to the 2023 season, Walters earned a scholarship, and in 2024 he finished second on the team with 95 tackles and 12 pass breakups. He also represented Miami's defense at the 2025 MAC Football Media Day in Detroit.

Dzioban Named Lou Groza Semifinalist
For the second straight year, Dom Dzioban was named a semi-finalist for the Lo Groza Award, given annually to the nation's top kicker. This season he is 19-of-21 on field goals and a perfect 33-of-33 on extra points. He is 10-of-11 on field goal attempts from beyond 40 yards.