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Wildcat inside game overwhelms RedHawks  DAVIDSON, NC -- Davidson outscored visiting Miami 32-4 in the paint during first half play and went on to post a 79-61 win over the RedHawks Saturday at John M. Belk Arena.
It was the fourth straight win for Davidson (7-3), while Miami (4-5) dropped its second straight. The hosting Wildcats had hoped to get off to a good start, and achieved that goal with six quick points before MU scored. By the 11:33 mark, Davidson owned a double digit lead (17-6). Controlling the paint at both ends, the Wildcats out-rebounded MU 23-10 and connected on 54.8 percent from the field while building a 40-22 halftime advantage. Davidson also out-scored MU 15-5 on points off turnovers before intermission. Miami trailed by 28 points midway through the second half when it . . . Click Read More to continue . . . Nicholson wins prestigious Lou Groza Award  Graham Nicholson set a new FBS record for the most field goals (23) in a perfect regular season. WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – During Friday night's live Home Depot College Football Awards, the Palm Beach County Sports Commission announced Miami University junior Graham Nicholson as the winner of the 2023 Lou Groza Collegiate Placekicker Award. Nicholson is the first RedHawk to capture a national award in program history.
Nicholson finished the season 26-for-27 on field goals and missed one extra point all season long. With a 23-for-23 regular season, Nicholson set a new FBS record for the most field goals in a perfect regular season, topping 2012 Lou Groza Award winner Cairo Santos' mark of 21. With a pair of field goals to start the MAC Championship Game, Nicholson made 25 consecutive field goals, matching the all-time FBS record for the longest streak in one season. Overall, his 26 field goals tied for the second-most in FBS while his 96.3% accuracy was the highest by any kicker with even 15 attempts on the year. He also set the bar for . . . When preparation meets resolve and execution . . .  By MIKE SMITH As exam week closes and bowl week approaches, one might call the Miami football situation fluid. You could, however, say that about just about any FBS program these days. Take the Miami kicking game for instance. Graham Nicholson entered the transfer portal earlier this week and apparently has now decided to return for another season with MU, according to a Miami X (former Twitter) account. Meanwhile, RS-FR safety Jeremiah Caldwell has entered the portal, according to on3.com Click Read More to continue . . .
Tough MU road trip begins with loss to Buckeyes  COLUMBUS, OH -- Darweshi Hunter scored 15 points to lead Miami, but the RedHawks fell to Ohio State 84-64 Wednesday night at Value City Arena.
With the loss, Miami fell to 4-4 on the campaign, while OSU moved to 8-1 (1-0 Big Ten) with its seventh straight win. It's only loss was to No. 15 Texas A&M back on Nov. 10. Ryan Mabry (13) and Jaquel Morris (11) also helped lead MU's offense, but Ohio State placed six players in double figures. The Buckeyes had a 40-20 edge on rebounds and hit 19 of 25 free throw opportunities. Miami sank 9 of 11 chances. Ohio State was also able to take advantage of 17 RedHawk turnovers, turning them into 25 points. There's 'March Madness' and then there's 'Portal Madness'  By MIKE SMITH/KEVIN SMITH
Miami's upset of No. 23 Toledo for a Mid-American Conference title set off wild celebrations all the way from Detroit to Brick Street in Oxford Saturday night. The joy continued Sunday when Miami football found out the RedHawks will be heading to Orlando, Fla., where they will face Appalachian State Dec. 16 in the Avocados from Mexico Cure Bowl. Monday was a bit of a roller coaster as the NCAA transfer portal opened. From August 1 2022 until May 1 2023 (per ESPN), nearly 8,700 football players entered the portal. Back in 2019, just 6.4 percent of FBS rosters were transfer players, according to data from SportScource Analytics. This year (2023), transfers on FBS rosters rose to 20.5 percent. The portal can be . . . Martin named finalist for Robinson COY Award  Chuck Martin receives the MAC football championship trophy from commissioner Jon Steinbrecher. (MVSmith/MRO) Chuck Martin has been named one of 12 finalists for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award, presented by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) in conjunction with the Allstate Sugar Bowl.
Martin is joined by David Braun (Northwestern), Jamey Chadwell (Liberty), Kalen DeBoer (Washington), Eliah Drinkwtiz (Missouri), Jedd Fisch (Arizona), Rhett Lashlee (SMU), Mike Norvell (Florida State), Barry Odom (UNLV), Nick Saban (Alabama), Steve Sarkisian (Texas) and Jon Sumrall (Troy). Martin and the RedHawks had . . . Miami opponent has history of upset wins App State defeated No. 18 James Madison in 2023  Here are some quick notes on the 2023 Appalachian State Pioneers.
-- Appalachian State captured the Sun Belt East Division with 6-2 league mark, but fell in the Sun Belt Championship game to Troy, 49-23, on Dec 2. -- The Mountaineers’ signature win this season came on Nov. 18, upsetting No. 18 James Madison, 26-23 OT, with the program’s first victory against an opponent with a 10-0 or better record. It was the third ranked win for the Mountaineers under the guidance of head coach Shawn Clark – No. 6 Texas A&M (17-14, 2022) and No. 14 Coastal Carolina (30-27, 2021). Click Read More to continue . . . Miami accepts invitation to Orlando's Cure Bowl RedHawks will face Sun Belt's Appalachian State  ORLANDO, Fla.-- The Miami University football team will take on Appalachian State University in the Avocados From Mexico Cure Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 16 in Orlando, Fla. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at FBC Mortgage Stadium and the game will be televised on ABC.
The Cure Bowl will be Miami's 15th all-time bowl appearance, as the Red and White will play in a bowl game for the fourth consecutive full season (2020 Lending Tree Bowl, 2021 Frisco Football Classic, 2022 Bahamas Bowl). The RedHawks are 8-6 in bowl games and have been bowl-eligible in seven of the last eight years. The bowl game against App State will be Miami's third all-time appearance on ABC (2004 vs. Michigan, 2005 vs. Ohio State). “We are honored to be selected to play in the Avocados from Mexico Cure Bowl. This is a great reward for our players and coaches who have put in so much work and effort during this incredible MAC Championship season," Miami Director of Athletics David Saylor said. Miami owns an 11-2 record after a 23-14 victory over then-No. 23 Toledo in the . . . Championship Game Notes/Observations  By MIKE SMITH
Saturday was an historical day for the Miami football program as the 2023 squad added to its accomplishments with a 23-14 upset win over No. 23 Toledo. Miami has now won 11 games for the first time since 2003 (Ben Roethlisberger's last year at MU). Not only did this year's team recover the Victory Bell with a dramatic win at UC, it bounced back from a Brett Gabbert's season-ending injury to beat rival (and preseason MAC East favorite) Ohio in a key matchup the following week. After losing to Toledo for their only MAC loss (and losing Gabbert in the process), MU managed to reverse the verdict against UT in the championship game. All of those victories were against the odds. Who ever won the championship game deserved the title. The field was loaded with talent on both sides. Even in defeat, Finn demonstrated why he earned a MAC MVP award. Miami's defense and special teams, meanwhile, again provided a foundation for victory. Here are some more notes on the game . . . RedHawks hold off late Marshall rally for road win  HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Miami (4-3) edged past Marshall (2-5) 79-74 at the Cam Henderson Center on Saturday night. Mekhi Cooper recorded 17 points to lead all players in scoring. Three other players scored in double-figures for Miami: Evan Ipsaro (16), Bradley Dean (14) and Darweshi Hunter (11). Nate Martin led the Thundering Herd with 14 points.
How it Happened: Hunter knocked down a three-point field goal to score the opening points of the game. Marshall held the advantage at 8-7 before . . . |
Editor-Publisher Mike SmithMike grew up in Mid-American Conference football and basketball territory and returned there after military service. He has been covering MAC football and men's basketball for much of the last several decades. 
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