For the second-straight week the Miami University football team travels to face a Big Ten foe. The RedHawks face Rutgers on Saturday, Sept. 6. Opening kick is slated for 3:30 p.m. on Peacock.

About Miami
• Miami football ranks first all-time in the Mid-American Conference in wins (733), conference wins (324), MAC Championships (17) and bowl wins (9).  Historically, Miami's 733 career wins are third all-time among Group-of-Five programs, behind just Navy (749) and Army (739).
• Miami was 4-14 in Coach Martin's first 18 Mid-American Conference games. Since then, the RedHawks are 49-19 in their last 68 games versus schools from the MAC, the best in the conference during that span.
• The RedHawks captured 20 combined wins during the 2023 and 2024 seasons, the fourth-best two-year span in Miami history. Only the 2003-04, 1973-74 and 1974-75 squads combined for more wins (21). 
• Miami has competed in five straight bowl games and has been bowl-eligible in eight of the past nine seasons. The RedHawks are coming off a 43-17 win over Colorado State in the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl last season.
• Since Oct. 15, 2016, Miami has lost back-to-back conference games just twice in that span (2017, 2022). Miami is 16-3 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 139-75.
• He is 65-68 all-time at Miami (51-33 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 Rutgers
Rutgers is coming off a 34-31 win over Ohio last Thursday. Quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis threw for 252 yards and two scores while Antwan Raymond had 88 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Moses Walker had 13 tackles and 2.0 tackles for loss versus the Bobcats.

Series History Versus Rutgers
This will be the first meeting between the two programs.

Big Game Hunting
Miami has downed a Power-4 program in two of the past three years, including wins over Northwestern (2022) and an overtime victory versus Cincinnati (2023). Last season the RedHawks also threatened Northwestern (Lost, 13-6) and led Notre Dame 3-0 midway through the second quarter (Lost 28-3).

Wisconsin Recap
Miami dropped its season opener 17-0 at Wisconsin last Thursday night. The RedHawks trailed 3-0 late in the third quarter before the host Badgers pulled away. Adam Trick led the Red and White with two sacks.

Say Hello To My New Friend
Nine different players made their first career start with the RedHawks last Thursday: Roosevelt Andrews III, Adam Trick, Jackson Kuwatch, Eric Smith, Mitchell Butler, Kris Manu, Austin Uke, Dequan Finn and Deion Colzie. 14 other players saw their first action as a member of Miami.

'Si'Lence The Crowd
Fifth-year senior Silas Walters recorded the first interception of his career versus the Badgers, and he nearly had a second pick later in the contest. He finished with eight tackles (to match fellow safety Eli Blakey for the highest total on the team) and also helped down a punt at the six-yard line in the first half.

Magic Trick
Adam Trick had the best game of his Miami career last week versus Wisconsin. He recorded two tackles and deflected a pass at the line of scrimmage on Wisconsin's opening series. He went on to add a career high in tackles (6), sacks (2.0) and tackles for loss (2.0).

A Show of Hands
Cole Weaver had a career-high three catches for 35 yards and Lynell Billups-Williams also set career-bests in catches (2) and yards (22) last week at Wisconsin. Deion Colzie recorded his first career reception as a member of the RedHawks. 
 
Finn To Win
While Dequan Finn has made just one start as a member of the RedHawks program, the seventh-year quarterback has years of experience. Throughout his career he has thrown for 7,464 yards and 66 touchdown passes. He has added 1,919 rushing yards and 27 scores on the ground in 49 career games. Most of that damage came during his time at Toledo. In 45 career games with the Rockets, Finn threw for 7,074 yards and 63 scores, while adding 1,840 yards and 25 touchdowns on the ground. He earned first-team All-MAC and was the MAC Player of the Year in 2023 and is the only player in Toledo football history to throw for over 2,000 yards and rush for 500 yards in multiple seasons (2021, 2022, 2023).

Take Me To Your Leader
Finn's 93 career total touchdowns (66 passing, 27 rushing) ranks first among active players in the NCAA. The next closest is Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia (83 total touchdowns).

Tracy Returns
Running back Kenny Tracy was lost on the second day of fall camp back in 2024, but is healthy in 2025. He has 764 yards rushing and five touchdowns in his career and has added 42 grabs for 371 yards and three touchdowns through the air.

New-Look OL
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 will have a much different feel. Last week Eric Smith, Kris Manu, Austin Uke and Greg Smith Jr. all made their first starts in the trenches, while Drew Terrill started his second career game.

Can History Repeat Itself?
Over the past four years, the Miami defense has been outstanding, finishing in the top 40 nationally every year since 2021. Miami allowed 23.1 points (40th) in 2021, 21.0 (35th) in 2022, 17.8 (7th) in 2023 and 18.8 (15th) in 2024. Miami opened the season strong, holding the Badgers to 17 points (one drive started at the Miami 2-yard line) and 3.8 yards per rush.

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.

The Book of Eli
Eli Blakey has a 171 tackles in his career, tops on the team. Last season he posted a career-high 89 tackles and last week he tied for the team lead with eight stops.

Kicker University
Miami football is making a habit of producing incredible kickers. Dom Dzioban returns for his senior year after being named a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award in 2024. He connected on 26-of-30 field goals and matched a Yager Stadium record with five field goals in the win over CMU. Prior to Dzioban, Graham Nicholson won the Lou Groza (made 27-of-28 FGs) in 2023 and from 2016-19 Sam Sloman made 48-of-61 kicks, eventually getting drafted by the LA Rams. All three kickers rank in the top-5 for percentage in Miami football history.

Sean McVay Joins Cradle of Coaches
Miami added a 10th bronze statue to its Cradle of Coaches in Sean McVay back in 2023. McVay, the current head coach of the Los Angeles Rams, joined Ara Parseghian, Paul Brown, Weeb Ewbank, John Harbaugh, John Pont, Carm Cozza, Bo Schembechler, Red Blaik, and Paul Dietzel in the south end of Yager Stadium.

New Faces New Places
The transfer portal has changed college football and Miami is no different. The RedHawks have 19 players on the team that transferred from other schools: Koy Beasley (Purdue), Mitch Bolden (Army), Jordan Brunson (Virginia Tech), Mitchell Butler (Southern Miss/Miss. Col.), Deion Colzie (Notre Dame), Luke Evans (Mississippi State), Dequan Finn (Toledo/Baylor), Bai Jobe (Kansas/Michigan State), Eric Karner (Texas A&M), Brody Kosin (Indiana), Jackson Kuwatch (Ohio State), Grant Leeper (Iowa),  Kam Perry (Indiana), Keith Reynolds (Washington), James Schott (Michigan State), Eli Shereshovech IV (Wash U.), Brady Simmons (Indiana), Austin Uke (Stanford), Darion Williamson (Florida State) and Kam Wilson (Cincinnati/Louisville). 

Graduating Champions
Before Miami even takes the field in 2024, 15 different RedHawks will have already earned their Miami degree: Eli Blakey, Jordan Brunson, Deion Colzie, Dom Dzioban, Dequan Finn, Henry Hesson, Corban Hondru, Oscar McWood, Brian Shane, Kenny Tracy, Austin Uke, Marcus White, Nasir Washington, Darion Williamson and Kam Wilson.