but it's a big game
redshirt senior captain Lee Renfro said. The matchup with Miami is just another game to the coaches, a matter of pride for alumni and backyard rivalry for students.
But what does it mean to the players?
All week they are coached to treat it as a typical Mid-American Conference contest.
But when they walk down the street and to class, alumni and students stress the significance of beating the hated RedHawks. Not to mention they'll play this year's game on Homecoming.
To say it's just another game is true; it is another game but it's a big game
redshirt senior captain Lee Renfro said. It's a MAC game
it's against a MAC East opponent and it's against Miami.
For players in their last year of eligibility, like Renfro and fellow captain Brandon Jones, this last game against Miami is special for many reasons.
We used to have to wait until the last game of the year to play Miami
Jones said. Not knowing if we were really going to have a big crowd
but now we got on a winning streak
we'll have a fan base here and we're looking forward to giving a good show for Homecoming.
Currently, Miami owns the Battle of the Bricks. The RedHawks hold a 51-32-2 series lead over the Bobcats and lead 10-8 when the teams play on Homecoming.
But the Bobcats have dominated the series lately. A win would be their fourth in a row and the first time they won back-to-back home games against Miami since 1982 and 1984. This year's seniors could graduate with a perfect record against the RedHawks.
A rivalry game can define a season, Jones said. Miami enters the game winless and, at this point, a win over the Bobcats would at least salvage something from its disappointing season.
I think their attitude is that they're going to come in trying to get their first win
first MAC win
against Ohio
Renfro said. They've got really everything going for them right now to try to win this ball game.
Miami is 0-6 this season, has an 11-game losing streak dating back to last year and ranks in the bottom half of the MAC in nearly every statistical category.
The RedHawks are last in the nation in scoring offense (10.67 points per game), 110th in rushing offense (88.3 yards per game), and 93rd in total offense (328.83 yards per game).
Ohio is 4-2, 3-0 in the MAC and in the driver's seat in the MAC East. Unlike Miami, the Bobcats rank in the top half of the MAC in most statistical categories.
But all of those numbers become irrelevant in a rivalry game, Renfro and Jones said.
A rival game can go either way
