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2005 Miami University RedHawks Additional Information

3yardsandacloud

Administrator Emeritus
2005 Miami University RedHawks Additional Information


Links

Official Sites:
Official School Site - Miami University
Student Newspaper - Miami Student
Official Athletic Site - Miami University RedHawks
Official Conference Site - Mid American Conference


Previews/Breakdowns:
Miami 2005 Preview - CFN
Miami 2005 Offensive Preview - CFN
Miami 2005 Defensive Preview - CFN
Miami 2005 Further Anaylsis - CFN
MAC 2005 Preview - CFN
MAC Top 5s - CFN
All-MAC Team & Top 30 - CFN
MAC Unit Rankings - CFN
MAC 2005 Preview - CFN
MIAMI (OHIO) Team Report-Inside Slant (7/25/05) - College Sports (The Sports Exchange)
Preview - #22 Miami of Ohio - Real Football 365
MAC preseason conference outlook - Real Football 365


Prospectus & Info:
2005 Miami RedHawk Prospectus (PDF) - MU RedHawks
2005 Quick Facts (PDF) - MU RedHawks
2005 Rooster - MU RedHawks
2005 MAC Conference Prospectus (PDF) - MAC Sports


Message Boards & Team Pages:
Message Boards - RedHawk Insider (Scout)
Message Boards - MiamiHawkTalk (Independent)
MAC Message Boards - NCAAbbs (Independent)
Fan Site - HawkHead (Independent)
Team Page - ESPN
Team Page - College Football News
Team Page - Fox Sports
Team Page - USA Today
Team Page - Yahoo
Team Page - CBS Sportsline
Team Page - Sports Blogz
Team Page - CNN/SI Team Page*
Team Page - The Sporting News*
* = Contains out of date material


News Sources:
Cincinnati Enquirer - Local News
Cincinnati Post - Local News
Hamilton Journal News - Local News
MAC Report Online - MAC Sports News
Google - National Sports News​




Coaching Staff

Head Coach: Announced just before the Independence Bowl, Shane Montgomery (former offensive coordinator) will become Miami's 32nd head football coach this season. A native of Newark Ohio, Shane played high school ball for Newark Catholic High School and then went on to quarterback the North Carolina State Wolfpack, winning offensive MVP awards in the '88 Peach Bowl and the '89 Copper Bowl. Shane still holds the NC State single game passing mark of 535 yards versus Duke. Before arriving at Miami, Shane was a grad assistant at N.C. State ('91-'93), then joined the staff at University of Tennessee-Chattanooga ('93-'00). Montgomery retained two coaches from the previous staff, Tim Cooper and Brian Von Bergen.

Assistant Coaches:
Craig Aukerman - Linebackers
Tim Cooper - Defensive Backs
Matt Hohman - Offensive Line
Jay Hood - Defensive Line
Bret Ingalls - Tight Ends/Tackles
Taver Johnson - Defensive Coordinator
DeAndre Smith - Running Backs
Brian Von Bergen - Wide Receivers
Rusty Wright - Special Teams
Mike Bath - Offense (GA)
Frank Smith - Defense (GA)​




Rebuild or Reload

Starters Returning: 16 (Offense 8, Defense 7, Special Teams 2)
Lettermen Returning: 40 (Offense 18, Defense 20, Special Teams 2)
Notable Returners:
Terna Nande (LB) - First Team All-MAC Defense
Marcus Johnson (DL) - First Team All-MAC Defense - Team's sack leader
Darrell Hunter (DB) - Second Team All-MAC Defense
John Busing (LB) - Honorable Mention All-MAC
Ryne Robinson (PR) - MAC Special Teams Player of the Year

Starters Lost: 9 (Offense 3, Defense 4, Special Teams 2)
Lettermen Lost: 16 (Offense 7, Defense 6, Special Teams 3)
Notable Losses:
Alphonso Hodge (DB) drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in 5th round - Second Team All-MAC Defense
Matt Pusateri (DB) signed free agent with the Browns - Second Team All-MAC Defense - Team's leading tackler
Larry Burt (DT) signed free agent with the Browns
Luke Clemens (RB) - Honorable Mention All-MAC - Team's leading rusher

Incoming Recruits:
RB Andre Bratton, Woodbridge, Virginia (RB 5' 11", 180 lbs, 4.68 forty); Rivals 2*; Scout 1*
DB/WR Antonio Brunson, Fort Peirce (Florida) John Carroll (5' 11", 175 lbs, 4.60 forty); Rivals 2*, Scout 1*
OL Heath Cartwright, Westville (Indiana) Chesterton (6' 6", 265 lbs, 4.82 forty); Rivals 2*; Scout 2*
DB Brayden Coombs, Cincinnati Colerain (6' 1", 180 lbs, 4.50 forty); Rivals 2*; Scout 1*
DE Travis Craver, Ft. Wayne Snider (6' 4", 220 lbs, 4.50 forty); Rivals 2*; Scout 2*
LB Brad Goatley, Maumee, Ohio (6' 2", 220 lbs, 4.60 forty); Rivals 2*; Scout 2*
LB Joe Hudson, Piqua, Ohio (6' 2", 218 lbs, 4.70 forty); Rivals 2*; Scout 1*
DB Sean Kavanagh, Cleveland St. Ignatius (6' 1", 205 lbs, 4.40 forty); Rivals 2*; Scout 2*
OT Brian Klesmith, Grand Rapids (Michigan) Ottawa Hills (6' 6", 276 lbs, 5.00 forty); Rivals 2*; Scout 1*
WR E.J. Morton-Green, Cincinnati Princeton (6' 4", 205 lbs, 4.56 forty); Rivals 2*; Scout 2*
QB Daniel Raudabaugh, Coppell, Texas (6' 4", 205 lbs); Rivals 2*; Scout 1*
DL Kevin Samy, Canton Jackson (6' 1", 255 lbs, 4.70 forty); Rivals 2*; Scout 1*
DB Jeff Thompson, Worthington Kilbourne (5' 10", 175 lbs, 4.55 forty); Rivals 2*; Scout 1*

Miami of Ohio, like all MAC schools, recruits very solid football players who for one reason or another are unable to impress the coaching staffs at the BCS schools - many players are "tweeners" who lack the size, strength, or speed necessary to fit the template used by most major programs, and others are simply late bloomers who don't develop early enough to catch a coach's fleeting eye at a day-long summer camp or scouting combine. In any event, most recruits enter Miami as "two-star" players, but many end up as Big Ten caliber talents by the end of their stays in Oxford.

Of Miami's incoming freshmen, E.J. Morton-Green is possibly the most talented. At 6' 4", 205 pounds, and possessing very good athleticism (4.56 forty, 36" vertical) and excellent hands, many observers consider E.J. to be a classic "sleeper" who will eventually develop into a real weapon for the RedHawk offense; some even felt that Ohio State should have pursued him more vigorously. Dave Berk from Ohio Prep Scene rated Morton-Green the fifth-best wide out in Ohio for the class of 2005 (behind only Big Ten signees Mario Manningham, Andre Amos, Greg Orton, and Brian Hartline). After being selected for the Ohio-Pennsylvania "Big 33" game, E.J. had 3 receptions for 44 yards in that contest; he also had 3 catches for 80 yards in the Ohio North-South all-star game. Before signing with Miami of Ohio last February, Morton-Green had offers from Illinois, Cincinnati, and several MAC schools.

With one notable exception, Ohio State and Miami of Ohio do not recruit the same players, and thus do not get into any recruiting battles. Of course, that "notable exception" is QB Ben Roethlisberger. As a senior at Findlay High School in 1999, Big Ben threw for 4,041 yards and 54 touchdowns, both of which were state records at that time. Even though Ben was rated as one of the top 10 high school quarterbacks in the nation after his stellar senior campaign, he did not generate a lot of interest amongst recruiters, who were concerned about his size (he was a thin 195 pounds back then) and by the fact that he had been a wide receiver prior to switching to quarterback for his final season of high school football. Miami of Ohio offered early, and Ben committed to the RedHawks in December of 1999, rejecting an offer from Ohio State in the process. The rest is history - Ben had a tremendous career at Miami, was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2004 NFL draft, and led the Steelers to fourteen straight victories as a rookie.

Many years after the fact, several explanations have arisen as to why Big Ben selected the RedHawks over the Buckeyes; some of the more colorful include the following: that Ohio State recruiters would always call too late in the evening, that the Buckeye coaching staff couldn't pronounce the family's last name correctly, and that Coach Cooper once failed to recognize Ben at an airport. Why Roethlisberger Didn't Go to OSU, BP, 11/30/04. While some of these rumors have since been "confirmed" by family members, at the time of his recruitment, Ben's reasons for selecting Miami of Ohio were notably different. According to the Buckeye Sports Bulletin, Ben shied away from Ohio State for several reasons: (1) the Bucks had already received a commitment from Rick McFadden, a quarterback from Struthers, Ohio; (2) Ben felt that Ohio State wanted to run an option offense, which didn't fit his talents; and (3) Ben had heard "internet rumors" that the Ohio State staff wanted to sign him as an "athlete" and possibly use him as a wide receiver or tight end. Looking Back at Quarterback Recruiting, BSB, 01/28/05.

In retrospect, given the success which he has enjoyed both at Miami of Ohio and with the Pittsburgh Steelers, it now appears that Ohio State made a huge mistake in not pursuing Roethlisberger harder, and "losing" such a talented player to a MAC school. However, would the Buckeyes have been any better off if they had signed Big Ben for their recruiting class of 2000? Even at Miami, Ben red-shirted for his first year, and there is no reason to think that he would have seen action at Ohio State as a true freshman. In 2001, Ohio State was led by senior QB Steve Bellisari; it is doubtful that Roethlisberger would have unseated Bellisari, who was a three-year starter and team captain. In 2002 and 2003, Craig Krenzel led the Bucks to a combined record of 25 wins and 2 losses, a pair of Fiesta Bowl victories, and an undisputed National Championship. Could Big Ben, for all of his talent, improved upon that? Clealry, Roethlisberger could have been a factor in 2004 as a fifth-year senior; that is, if he hadn't already trasnferred out of the program like Rick McFadden.

The bottom line is this: Ben Roethlisberger made a good choice by attending Miami of Ohio, where he achieved much personal success and earned his ticket to the NFL; but Ohio State didn't really miss him, and the Buckeyes won a National Championship without him.​

Historical Data

Miami RedHawks (Oxford, Ohio) Founded in 1809

Football 1st Season: 1888

Stadium: Fred C. Yager (1983) - 30,012

Conference: Mid American Conference (MAC) since 1947. 1939-1946* Independent, 1925-1938* Buckeye Intercollegiate Athletic Association, 1910-1927* Ohio Athletic Conference, 1888-1909* Independent.

Colors: Red & White

Mascot: RedHawks (Swoop). Formerly the Miami Redskins, the nickname was discontinued in 1996 at the urging of the Oklahoma based Miami tribe.

College Classification: D-IA (or equivalent) since 1983. Bounced between Small College (I-AA) and Major College (I-A) designations in previous years.

Conference Championships: 21 total including 4 OAC titles thru 1927, 3 BIAA titles thru 1936 and 14 MAC titles, the last one in 2003

Consensus All-Americans: 2
College Hall-of-Famers: 6
Pro Hall-of-Famers: 2 - Paul Brown & Weeb Ewbank
Award Winners: 3 ACFA Coach of the Year recipients (Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler & Ara Parseghian)
National Championships: None
Number of AP/Coaches final rankings: AP-5 years, Coaches-5 years
Highest Final Poll Ranking: 10 (1975 and 2003)
Perfect Seasons (since 1920): 1921, 1955, 1973




Inside the Numbers

From a macro historical point of view

Since OSU adopted the policy of playing an Ohio team every year the results are as follows:

1997-2004 OSU @ home vs Ohio teams
Record: 9 wins 0 losses
Total points: 324-119
Avg Score: 36-13
Largest MOV: 49 points
Smallest MOV: 7 (2003 vs BGSU)
OSU highest/lowest score: 51/24
Opponents highest/lowest: 20/0
Scored 50 or more: 1 time
Scored 40-49: 3 times
Scored 30-39: 1 time
Scored 20-29: 4 times
Scored less than 20: 0 times

Under JT
Record: 4-0
Total Score: 130-54
Avg score: 33-14


From a recent history point of view

Some stats for those leery of Miami:

Miami’s results vs common 2004 opponents
Michigan L 10-43
Cincinnati L 26-45
Marshall L 25-33

That’s a combined 61-121 effort for an average beating of 20-40. FWIW we beat all three teams by a total of 88-48 for an average of 29-16.

Another way to say it is 3-0 by an average margin of 13 points vs 0-3 with an average 20 point loss.

I am normally not one to buy into the transitive property of football (i.e. Team A beats team B, Team B beats team C so therefore team A must be > team C), however when it happens three times in the same season I’d say you might have a pretty good indicator of a slight talent difference between two teams.

Miami vs only other BCS school 2004
Iowa State L 13-17

For those worried about Miami’s impressive offensive stats last year I would direct your attention to how they did vs the 2 BCS schools they lost to and how those two schools stacked up defensively.

Michigan results/Michigans defensive rank and average allowed:
Passing: 19-40-5 (47.5%), 217 yards/43rd 203 ypg
Rushing: 25 rushes, 60 yards (2.4 ypc)/39th 133 ypg
Total: 65 plays, 277 yards (4.3 ypp)/33rd 336 ypg
10 points/42nd 23.25 ppg

Iowa State:
Passing: 20-44-1 (45.5%), 240 yards/20th 203 ypg
Rushing: 25 rushes, 60 yards (2.4 ypc)/46th 139 ypg
Total: 69 plays, 300 yards (4.3 ypp)/ 29th 329 ypg
13 points/35th 21.58 ppg

That’s a pretty unimpressive output vs two teams with defenses that statistically were on par with OSU’s last year.

If you don’t have faith in big numbers repeating themselves or in the huge discrepancy in outcomes vs a good sample size of common opponents then have faith in this:

IA National Team Report - Rushing Offense
#91 - Miami (Ohio)

That’s right, 91st in the country due to a whopping 120 ypg. average.

Miami is a one dimensional passing team that simply cannot run the football. As an added bonus this pass happy team loses Michael Larkin who accounted for 23% of their receiving yards, 21% of their total receptions and 16% of their total TD’s from last year.

Now how many teams have been able to use that particular formula to beat OSU under JT? The answer is not very many, look at how OSU fares when they hold their opponent to various rushing yard marks.

Opp rush yds....Record...Win %...Avg score
Less than 100..,,....23-1.......(.958)........29-14
100-150................9-6........(.600)........22-18
151-200................7-3........(.700)........26-20
200 plus................1-1........(.500)........29-29


This game is very similar to UC last year except for the fact Miami doesn’t have a coach that knows our D inside and out. Their only hope is pinned squarely to catching OSU napping/looking ahead to Texas. This simply isn’t going to happen in a home opener under Jim Tressel in my opinion.

2001 vs Akron: W 28-14
2002 vs TTech: W 45-21
2003 vs Wash: W 28-9
2004 vs UC: W 27-6

Again, a pretty decent sample size to draw from as far as football stats go. However here is an even larger sample to feel good about; we have played 28 home football games under Jim Tressel and won 25 of them. That’s an .893 win % for those keeping score at home.

All in all we should respect Miami, but there is absolutely no reason to fear Miami.​




Records

All Time: 633-349-44 (.638)

Bowl Games: 6-2-0 (.750), most recently a loss to Iowa State (2004) in the Independence Bowl

All Time vs the BigTen: 13-35-2 (.280) Miami's only winning record is against Northwestern where they hold a 6-1-0 advantage. Miami is 13-32-2 (.298) versus the Big Ten teams with conference alignment at the time of the game.

All Time vs the Ohio State Buckeyes: 0-3-0 (.000), Last meeting versus the Buckeyes was a 27 to 16 loss at Ohio Stadium in 2000. Miami also received 2 shutout losses versus the Bucks, 80 - 0 in 1904 and 3 - 0 in 1911.

Last Season: Miami RedHawks finished 8-5-0 (.615)
W (49-0) - Indiana State
L (10-43) - Michigan
L (26-45) - Cincinnati
W (40-20) - Ohio
L (25-33) - Marshall
W (47-27) - Kent State
W (25-7) - Buffalo
W (43-7) - Central Florida
W (23-16) - Toledo
W (42-21) - Western Michigan
W (37-27) - Akron
L (27-35) - Toledo (MAC Championship Game)
L (13-17) - Iowa State (Independence Bowl)

Last 5 Years: 41-21-0 (.661)

Last 10 Years: 80-36-1 (.688)​




Preseason Rankings

#22 - Real Football 365
#23 - Phil Steele's Top 25
#42 - Sporting News College Football preview
#49 - College Football News
#56 - Lindy's 2005 Football Preview
#67 - Athlon 2005 Football Preview​




Preseason Watch Lists

2005 Heisman Watch List

2005 Walter Camp POY Watch List

2005 Doak Walker Award Watch List

2005 Maxwell Watch List

2005 Outland Trophy Watch List

2005 Lombardi Trophy Watch List
DL - Marcus Johnson
LB - Terna Nande

2005 Butkus Award Watch List
LB - Terna Nande

2005 Rimington Watch List
C - Todd Londot

2005 Bronko Nagurski Watch List
LB - Terna Nande

2005 Bednarik Watch List

2005 Thorpe Watch List
CB - Darrell Hunter

2005 Johnny Unitas Watch List
QB - Josh Betts

2005 Davey O'Brien Watch List

2005 Groza Watch List

2005 Biletnikoff Award Watch List
WR - Martin Nance

2005 Hendricks Watch List

2005 Lott Trophy Watch List




Notes of interest

• Miami University has the unique reputation as the "Cradle of Coaches." At last count, more than 100 Miami graduates were active in coaching or administrative work in the professional and collegiate levels. The list of Miami graduates in the scholastic ranks totals more than 500. Miami has been the training ground in football for eight national "Coach of the Year" recipients, including Earl H. (Red) Blaik; Woody Hayes, Ara Parseghian, John Pont and Bo Schembechler.
• Jim Tressel served as an assistant coach at Miami from 1979-1980. Other OSU coaching connections include: Jim Bollman, Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler, Sid Gillman, Chuck Stobart & Mel Tucker
• 31 Miami players have been drafted into the NFL.




Miami RedHawk News

Hoeppner bringing 5 assistants with him to IU - Cincinnati Post (AP) (1/1/05)
Montgomery named coach, new assistants to follow - Miami Student (1/14/05)
RedHawk Football Signs 13 Prep Standouts to National Letters of Intent - MU Redhawks (2/2/05)
Miami University signees - Hamilton Journal News (2/3/05)
Montgomery names signees, 13 prep to join RedHawks - Miami Student (2/4/05)
Linebackers Expected to Lead Miami's Defense Into 2005 Campaign - MU Redhawks (3/24/05)
Miami Football Off and Running in Spring Football Season - MU Redhawks (3/25/05)
Miami's Nance heals after surgery, reflects upon lost season - MU Redhawks (The Miami Student) (3/25/05)
New Breed of Running Back to Headline Miami Ground Game in 2005 - MU Redhawks (3/28/05)
Marcus Johnson and Terna Nande Named to Lombardi Award Watch List - MU Redhawks (3/30/05)
Miami Football Looking to Build Depth at Wide Receiver This Spring - MU Redhawks (4/1/05)
Football Plays First Spring Scrimmage in Blustery Conditions - MU Redhawks (4/2/05)
Veteran Offensive Line to Pave the Way for RedHawks in 2005 - MU Redhawks (4/5/05)
RedHawk Quarterbacks Benefitting From Spring Repetitions - MU Redhawks (4/8/05)
RedHawk Football Shows Continued Improvement in Second Scrimmage - MU Redhawks (4/9/05)
Mixture of Experience and Youth Bolsters Defensive Front - MU Redhawks (4/11/05)
RedHawk Tight Ends Poised to Increase Their Roles in 2005 - MU Redhawks (4/12/05)
Miami's Secondary Looks to Replace Two All-MAC Performers in 2005 - MU Redhawks (4/13/05)
RedHawk Specialists Look to Make Strong Contributions in 2005 - MU Redhawks (4/14/05)
Miami preparing for now, later - Cincinnati Enquirer (4/15/05)
White Handles Red, 31-7, in Annual Spring Game - MU Redhawks (4/15/05)
RedHawk gridiron spotlight - Miami Student (4/15/05)
MU spring game unveils 2 more QBs - Cincinnati Enquirer (4/16/05)
Robinson showcases talent - Miami Student (4/19/05)
Mid-American Conference spring recap - ESPN (5/4/05)
Shane Montgomery Radio Interview - MAC Report Online (wav file-13mb) - MAC Report Online (6/10/05)
Miami and Ohio State Announce Gametime For Sept. 3 Season Opener - MU Redhawks (6/30/05)
Two Football RedHawks Tabbed For Preseason Award Watch Lists - MU Redhawks (7/1/05)
Joey Card can’t wait to turn 21, play Ohio State - Canton Repository (7/2/05)
Athlon's All-MAC team - Athlon Sports (7/21/05)
Miami Football Receiving Recognition in Preseason Publications - MU Redhawks (7/21/05)
Miami Football Picked Second in Mid-American Conference East Division - MU Redhawks (7/26/05)
Ryne Robinson Selected Preseason All-American by College Sports Report - MU Redhawks (8/06/05)
MURedHawks.com Begins Week-Long Football Season Preview - MU Redhawks (8/08/05)
Emerging from the shadows-Montgomery steps into spotlight as Miami coach - Cincinnati Enquirer (8/08/05)
Depth to Be a Strength at Quarterback for Miami Football - MU Redhawks (8/09/05)
Defensive Front Looks to Replace Three Starters in 2005 - MU Redhawks (8/09/05)
MAC Preview - CBS Sportsline (8/09/05)
Big-Play Ability Expected to Balance Out Inexperience in Miami's Running Game - MU Redhawks (8/10/05)
Linebackers Set to Lead RedHawk Defense in 2005 - MU Redhawks (8/10/05)
Talented RedHawk Wide Receivers Poised for Big Year in 2005 - MU Redhawks (8/11/05)
RedHawk Defensive Backs Experienced Despite Graduation Losses - MU Redhawks (8/11/05)
Veteran Offensive Front to Pave the Way for RedHawks in 2005 - MU Redhawks (8/12/05)
RedHawks Return Key Weapons on Special Teams - MU Redhawks (8/12/05)
Summer Toils Paying Off For Miami Football During First Week of Fall Camp - MU Redhawks (8/13/05)
New Miami coach takes comfort in seniors - Cincinnati Enquirer (8/13/05)​




Link to: Offense, Defense, & Special Teams Previews
A wealth of information about this week's opponent. Broken down by a team of BuckeyePlanet writers.




Note: Statistical data was complied using a variety of sources, including:
Stassen (Chris Stassen) - Data
College Football Data Warehouse - Data
Two Cousins College Football Emporium - Data
American College Football-RSFC (Dave Wilson) - Data
D1A Football (Formerly WALJ 10 College Football) - Data
National Champs.net - Data
Hickok Sports - Data
 
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