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Aug. 27, 2007

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THE COACHES MIAMI HEAD COACH Shane Montgomery (North Carolina State, `90) is in his third season at the helm of the Miami program, owning a 9-14 record ... Montgomery led the RedHawks to a share of the MAC East Division title in his first season (2005) ... also serves at the offensive coordinator and has since 2001 ... since that time, Miami has consistently ranked among the top 30 in passing offense and has ranked among the top 45 nationally in total offense five times.

BALL STATE HEAD COACH BRADY HOKE (Ball State, `82) enters his fifth season guiding Ball State, recording a 15-31 record with the Cardinals ... Hoke is one of just 18 head football coaches nationally coaching his alma mater in 2007.

SERIES NOTES:

• Miami and Ball State are meeting for the 65th time since 1931, when Miami opened the series with a 47-6 win in Oxford.
• The teams are meeting for the second consecutive year but the first time in Muncie since 2003.
• Ball State won the last meeting between the teams, but Miami has won five of the last seven games.
• The teams are meeting in Muncie for the 12th time, with Miami holding a 6-5 edge and having won the last four meetings in Muncie.
• Miami's last series win came, 49-3, in 2003, when the RedHawks returned two interceptions for touchdowns and Ben Roethlisberger passed for 215 yards and two touchdowns.
• Ball State's last series victory came in Oxford in 2006, when the Cardinals downed the RedHawks 20-17 in a come-from-behind win after scoring a touchdown on a fourth-and-goal play with 1:11 remaining.

IF MIAMI WINS ...: The RedHawks would be 1-0 for the 79th time in their history ... Miami would be 1-0 in MAC play for the 41st time in 60 tries ... MU would be 7-5 vs. Ball State in games played at Muncie ... it would mark Coach Shane Montgomery's first victory in a season opener as head coach of the RedHawks.

IF MIAMI LOSES ...: It would mark the third consecutive time that Miami has lost its season-opening game ... MU would be 0-1 in MAC play for only the 19th time in 60 conference seasons.

FOR STARTERS: Historically, Miami has been solid in season openers. Since its first game in 1888, the Red and White has posted a 78-34-6 (.686) record in season openers, including seven wins in the past 11 openers. However, that tempo has slowed recently with the RedHawks dropping four of their last six season openers--with all four losses coming versus the Big Ten. Thursday marks the 50th time that Miami's lid-lifter has been on the road. During the previous 49 season openers that were on the road, Miami's record is 24-22-3 (.520).

60TH ANNIVERSARY: The 2007 season marks Miami football team's 60th as a member of the Mid-American Conference. The school has won more MAC games than any other league program (253), and its all-time MAC winning percentage of .673 (253-120-11) is far and away the best. Miami has won or shared 14 MAC titles, four more than any other school.

CONFERENCE GAME OPENERS: Through its first 59 seasons as a member of the Mid-American Conference, Miami has a record of 40-18-1 in its MAC openers.

OPENING THE REGULAR SEASON IN MAC PLAY: Thursday's game marks the first time since 1997 that MU has opened its regular season against a MAC opponent. In that game 10 years ago, also played on Aug. 30, the RedHawks topped Ball State by a score of 27-10 in Oxford. Altogether, Miami has kicked off its regular season 20 times with a MAC game, compiling a 13-7 record (.650). In the 13 seasons that the RedHawks started 1-0 in MAC play, they have ended up with a winning league record 12 times. On four occasions, Miami won the conference race, and six other times it was the league's runner-up. MU is 5-2 against Ball State in MAC openers and 1-1 in conference openers at Muncie.

RETURNING STARTERS: A total of 18 Miami players who are likely travel-squad members were starters at one time or another in 2006. Eight of the 18 play on the offensive side of the ball, six are defensive players, and four others are special teams contributors. Offensive starters who return in 2007 include tight end Tom Crabtree (Jr., Carroll), left guard Dave DiFranco (So., LaGrange), quarterback Mike Kokal (Sr., Warren), right guard Matt McKeown (Jr., Cincinnati), center Steve Meister (Sr., Allison Park, PA), running back Brandon Murphy (Sr., Strongsville), left tackle Charlie Norden (Sr., Dublin) and right tackle Steve Sutter (Jr., St. Henry). Returning defensive starters include end Joe Coniglio (Jr., Rockford, IL), cornerback Jerrid Gaines (Sr., Springfield), middle linebacker Joey Hudson (Jr., Piqua), end Craig Mester (Sr., Grand Rapids, MI), weakside linebacker Clayton Mullins (Jr., Fairborn) and apache/strong safety Robbie Wilson (Jr., Cincinnati). Special team starters who return include placekicker Trevor Cook (So., Sioux Falls, SD), kickoff specialist NATE PARSEGHIAN (Jr., Sylvania), holder Kyle Decker (Jr., Granville) and punter JAKE RICHARDSON (Jr., Oxford).

BREAKING DOWN THE TRAVEL SQUAD: Of the 65 Miami players who likely will be dressing for the Ball State game, 20 are either true freshmen or redshirt freshmen (31 percent). Seven first-year players--including Clay Belton (QB, Fr., Dayton), Kendrick Bruton (TE, Fr., Miamisburg), Morris Council (DL, Fr., Decatur, GA), Deandre Gilmore (DB, Fr., St. Louis, MO), Chris Givens (WR, Fr., Chillicothe), Jamal Rogers (WR, Fr., Fort Myers, FL) and BRANDON STEVENS (DB, Fr., Strongsville)--will likely be chosen to travel to Muncie for the season opener. Thirteen other RedHawk travel-squad members are sophomores (20 percent), 21 are juniors (32 percent), and 11 are seniors (17 percent).

OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN: Three players have been named captains for the 2007 season: senior quarterback Mike Kokal (Warren), senior running back Brandon Murphy (Strongsville) and junior linebacker Joey Hudson (Piqua). With Hudson being named captain as a junior, he could become just the third player in the modern era of the program to serve as captain twice. Only Pat McDermott (1977-78) and Aaron Kromer (1988-89) have held the title of team captain for more than one season during the modern era.

HOME-STATE CONTRIBUTORS: Forty of the probable 65 Miami players traveling to play Ball State are Ohio natives. Cincinnati--DUSTIN WOODS (WR, So.), Robbie Wilson (DB, Jr.), Matt McKeown (OL, Jr.) and Mike Rummler (LS, Fr.)--and Strongsville--BRANDON MURPHY (RB, Sr.), Brandon Stephens (DB, Fr.) and Mark Paun (DL, So.)--have the best representation among Ohio cities.

FINE LINE: The fine line between victory and defeat was especially fine for Miami during a trying 2006 campaign. The RedHawks, who missed out on at least a share of the MAC East title for the first time since 2002, went 2-6 in MAC play. The six losses came by a combined total of just 32 points (5.3 ppg). Miami either led or was tied in the fourth quarter in five of those six losses and lost four of the games by three points or less. The 2-10 overall record in '06 snapped Miami's streak of consecutive winning seasons at 12.

OFFENSIVE FRONT LINE LOOKS TO IMPROVE: Miami's offensive line surrendered a whopping 49 quarterback sacks a year ago, ranking 118th nationally. Playing without two starters for most of the year, their performance got steadily better as the year went on, allowing just nine sacks over the season's final four games. Miami's 2007 front five of Charlie Norden (LT, Sr. Dublin), Dave DiFranco (LG, So., LaGrange), Steve Meister (C, Sr., Allison Park, PA), Matt McKeown (RG, Jr., Cincinnati) and Steve Sutter (RT, Jr., St. Henry) have earned a combined total of 11 varsity letters.

PASSING FANCY: Since the arrival of Shane Montgomery as offensive coordinator in 2001, Miami has not ranked outside of the top 35 nationally in passing. Last season, the RedHawks ranked 32nd nationally in passing offense (231.6 ypg). Quarterback Mike Kokal (Sr., Warren) threw for 2,419 yards in 2006.

MURPHY'S LAW: Senior running back Brandon Murphy (Strongsville) was held to a career-worst 3.5 yards per carry in 2006 while struggling with an ankle injury. He was a second-team all-MAC performer as a sophomore in '05, gaining 1,070 yards.

YOUTHFUL RECEIVING CORPS: Five freshmen and a sophomore are among the eight Miami receivers who are expected to make the trip to Ball State for the 2007 opener. Dustin Woods (So., Cincinnati) emerged as Miami's newest big-play threat in 2006, averaging 20.2 yards per catch. His 25 receptions ranked second on the team behind MAC all-star Ryne Robinson a year ago. Sean McVay (Jr., Marietta, GA), Miami's second-leading returning receiver, will miss the Ball State game due to a thumb injury. Newcomers on the travel squad who are expected to make a huge impact in 2007 include the redshirt freshman trio of Armand Robinson (Reynoldsburg), Eugene Harris (Atlanta, GA) and Donovan Potter (Trotwood). Other players who RedHawk coaches expect to be in the receiving rotation include junior Jared Elliott (Franklin, TN) and true freshman Chris Givens (Chillicothe).

DEE-FENSE: Miami's defense, directed by first-year coordinator Jay Hood, should be better than its 2006 squad. All-conference candidates include junior middle linebacker Joey Hudson (Jr., Piqua), one of 60 players on the watch list for the ROTARY LOMBARDI AWARD (top lineman in college football). A second-team all-MAC performer a year ago, Hudson led Miami in both tackles (97) and interceptions (5). He will be flanked by strong-side linebacker Caleb Bostic (So., Galloway) on one side and weak-side linebacker Clayton Mullins (Jr., Fairborn) on the other side. The defensive front four is anchored by junior end Joe Coniglio (Rockford, IL) and senior end Craig Mester (Grand Rapids, MI). All-league candidates in the secondary include senior cornerback Jerrid Gaines (Springfield) and junior apache (strong safety) Robbie Wilson (Cincinnati).

COOK & RICHARDSON KEY TO KICKING GAME: Miami has two potential all-conference kickers in sophomore place-kicker Trevor Cook (Sioux Falls, SD) and junior punter JAKE RICHARDSON (Oxford). Cook is a steely nerved kicker who made 10 of 13 field goals and 17 of 18 PATS in 2006, while Richardson averaged 41.1 yards per punt and pinned the opposition inside the 20-yard line 14 times.

MIAMI AMONG COLLEGE FOOTBALL'S ELITE TEAMS: In college football history, Miami ranks 20th in terms of all-time victories with 641. MU is the only non-BCS-affiliated school in this rarified air. Among all-time collegiate teams with the best winning percentage, Miami ranks 16th at .6332 (641-362-44). MU ranks 13th in winning percentage among schools that have played 100 or more seasons, , trailing only Michigan, Notre Dame, Texas, Oklahoma, Penn State, Ohio State, Alabama, Nebraska, Southern California, Tennessee, Georgia and LSU.