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Miami RedHawks Football is Fishing for Big Game with the Visiting Long Island Sharks

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Football

The Miami University football team opens the home portion of its schedule, welcoming the Long Island Sharks to Yager Stadium for Saturday's Sept. 18 contest. Opening kickoff is slated for 3:30 p.m.

First And Ten
• Miami football ranks first all-time in the Mid-American Conference in wins (700), conference wins (301), MAC Championships (16) and bowl wins (7). The RedHawks also captured the 2019 MAC Championship with a 26-21 win over Central Michigan.

• Although Miami was 4-26 in Coach Martin's first 30 Mid-American Conference games, the RedHawks are 25-9 in the last 34 games versus schools from the MAC, the best record in the conference during that span.

• Miami went 2-1 in 2020, missing the final three contests of the year due to COVID. The RedHawks beat Ball State, the eventual MAC Champions, to open 2020, 38-31.

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

• Martin, in his eighth year leading the RedHawks, has had many of the same coordinators in the previous six seasons. Offensive Coordinator Eric Koehler has been with Martin all eight years on the offensive side of the ball. Spence Nowinsky (fourth year) and John Hauser (eighth year) manage the defense.

• Since 2014, Miami Athletics has added nearly $40 million in facilities for the football program. The Dauch Indoor Sports Center was opened in 2015 and the Athletic Performance Center was added in early 2017. Both facilities are located in the north end zone of Yager Stadium.

• Miami is 8-1 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. Last Saturday's loss to Minnesota ended Miami's consecutive one-score win streak at eight.

• In its last 27 contests, Miami has had a lead at some point in 24 of those games. The only two setbacks were a 42-10 loss at Buffalo in 2020 and both contests in 2021.

• Miami competed in the 2020 LendingTree Bowl, its fourth bowl eligible season in the last five years. From 2006-15, Miami was bowl eligible just twice.

• Miami's defense has forced a turnover in 30 of its last 43 games and is 19-11 in contests when it forces a turnover. The RedHawks' defense has also recorded a sack in 33 of its last 43 games.

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 19 seasons.  Martin has an all-time head coaching record of 106-55.
• 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 LIU
Long Island is 0-2 on the year after dropping a 66-0 decision last Saturday at West Virginia. The Sharks opened the 2021 season with a 48-0 loss at Florida International.

Series Vs. LIU
This is the first meeting between the two schools.

Notes From Minnesota
•  Trailing 21-3 at halftime, the RedHawks scored 17 unanswered points and trailed 21-20 early in the fourth quarter.
• The RedHawks surrendered zero passing yards in the second half as the RedHawks out-gained the Golden Gophers 341-287.
•  Brett Gabbert made his first start of the year after missing last week's contest at Cincinnati.
•  Graham Nicholson was 2-for-2 on field goals, including a career-long 46-yard kick. He was named MAC East Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts.
•  Mike Brown had a career-high 2.5 tackles for loss.
• Jack Coldiron had a career-high four catches for 67 yards.

Home Cooking
Miami finished a perfect 5-0 at home during the 2019 season (1-0 in 2020) and has won nine straight at Yager Stadium. Miami's last home loss was on Sept. 29, 2018. In all, it has been 1,085 days since Miami's last loss at home. 

Jack of All Trades
Jack Sorenson finished second in the MAC with 118.0 receiving yards per game in 2020.  Over his last seven games, the 2019 MAC Championship Offensive Player of the Game, has 44 catches for 713 yards and six touchdowns. Sorenson ranks 10th all-time in Miami history with 1,793 receiving yards. His 123 career catches are six shy from cracking the top 10.

Mozee On Down
With the RedHawks still down its top two running backs in Jaylon Bester and Tyre Shelton, head coach Chuck Martin has had to use some young faces in the backfield, led by freshman Keyon Mozee. Through two contests, Mozee is averaging 49.5 yards per contest and had 80 yards rushing in the season opener at Cincinnati.

Monsters of The MAC
Miami returns 10 starters from 2020, including third-team All-MAC performers in Kameron Butler and Lonnie Phelps. Miami's defense has been stellar lately. In 2019, Miami's last full season of competition, the RedHawks ranked top-five in nearly every defensive category, highlighted by allowing just 22.5 points (2nd), 352.9 yards (3rd) and 175.9 passing yards (1st) per conference game.