Miami v. Buffalo Preview

by Michael Truax
11/01/07

REVERSAL OF FORTUNE IN THE MAC EAST

Saturday’s match-up between the Miami RedHawks and the Buffalo Bulls could decide the East Division’s entrant in the Mid American Conference title game on December 1.

The Bulls (4-5) come to Yager stadium 3-0 in MAC East games. The surging Bulls have won three of their last four games, with the three wins against MAC teams and a loss at Syracuse week eight.

Last year at this time, the Bulls were 0-5 in MAC play and 1-7 overall. They had beaten a weak Temple team to start the season. The Bulls would finish the 2006 season 2-10 overall, and 1-7 in conference games, at the bottom of the MAC East.

Up to this time last season, Miami was 1-8 overall, and 1-4 in MAC games, with its single win coming against Buffalo. Miami finished second-to-last in the MAC East.

There have been major changes in the standings this year so far. Miami and Buffalo combined for four wins in 2006 and finished as the bottom two team in the MAC East; this year, the teams are combined for eight, with five games left to play and are on top of the East. Ohio University and Kent State University were the top two in the East in 2006, and now are the bottom of the standings.

This year, Buffalo is in the running for the East title for the first time in nine years in the conference. Miami is second in the East, and a win on Saturday would give them the advantage in a tie-breaker, should the teams end the season with identical division records.

“All you have to do is look at the standings,” said Miami head coach Shane Montgomery. He insisted that the RedHawks would not overlook the Bulls, despite a one-sided historic series.

“It’s not like it’s a one-to-two game fluke,” he said. “They’ve played very well.”

Montgomery noted that the Bulls are playing with confidence, which increases their level of play.

Buffalo will try to end a series shut-out against the RedHawks on Saturday—In nine previous games against Miami, the Bulls are 0-9. The first game between the teams was in 1951, and the RedHawks and Bulls have seen each other in each of the last eight seasons.

The Bulls have been ending several such embarrassing streaks this season. They beat Akron and Toledo for the first time in their history.

Buffalo, since coming to the MAC in 1999, has not won the East in whole or part, and has never won the championship. A win at Miami on Saturday would guarantee the Bulls at least a share of the East title. The Bulls’ four wins are the most they have recorded in a season since moving to Division 1-A and joining the MAC in 1999.

“The team that’s going to win the championship is the team that plays the best at the end,” said Montgomery.

The RedHawks (4-5) enter the game 2-1 in MAC East play this year, having lost at Temple week eight in a contested 17-24 game. The RedHawks recorded a tough loss at Vanderbilt last week.

Miami’s next two games, against Buffalo and Akron, are at home. Miami then travels to Ohio University, to end the regular schedule.

The RedHawks and Bulls face each other as the East leaders, and are both contending for an entry to the MAC Championship on December 1 at Ford Field in Detroit, home of the Lions of the NFL.

The RedHawks have went to the championship in 2003 and 2004, with quarterbacks Ben Roethlisberger and Josh Betts. Miami last win in the MAC championship was in 2003, at Bowling Green. In 2005, Miami shared the MAC championship, but lost the tie-breaking criteria and did not go to the championship.

WHERE: Yager Stadium, Oxford, Ohio.
WHEN: November 3, at 3:00.
BROADCAST: ONN (TV); ESPN Game Plan (TV); WMOH-AM 1450 (Hamilton); WFTK-FM 96.5 (Cincinnati); WFMG-FM 101.3 (Richmond, IN); WONE-AM 980 (Dayton).

STRONG DEFENSE
Miami leads the MAC in scoring defense, allowing 25.8 points per game. Against MAC teams, Miami has allowed an average of 16.8 points. The RedHawks, however, are sixth in the conference, yielding over 410 yards per game.

IN THE RED
Buffalo leads the conference in red zone efficiency, scoring 27 out of 30 trips inside the opponents’ 20, with 19 touchdowns. The three failures are all turnovers on downs. Miami is 12th in the MAC out of 13 teams in red zone efficiency, scoring only 22 times in 34 attempts.

FOOT PROBLEMS
Nathan Parseghian of the RedHawks will most likely start again on Saturday as Miami’s place-kicker in front of Trevor Cook. Miami’s coaching staff has shown concern over the RedHawks trouble on kicking, making only 11 of 19 field goals this year. Montgomery said the effort was “not good enough,” but noted that there has been no evidence in practice that Cook would perform better.

KOKAL RETURNS
Quarterback Mike Kokal (Miami) is questionable for Saturday’s game. Coach Montgomery said he would likely dress, and may be ready if needed. The RedHawks have kept backup Clay Belton off of the field, in an effort to preserve his red-shirt freshman status. “You’re getting to that point in the season where you just can’t worry [about preserving lightly-injured players] anymore,” Montgomery said.