Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Year Clayton Mullins will have the responsibility of stopping Central Michigan's No. 1 ranked offense.
For the third time in the last five seasons, the Miami University RedHawks will make the four-hour trip up to Detroit for the Mid-American Conference Championship game. The RedHawks will battle the Central Michigan University Chippewas at 11 a.m. with the game airing on ESPN2.
The game will feature a classic matchup of strength versus strength. Miami boasts the MAC's top defense while Central Michigan features the MAC's top offense. As cliché as it may be, something has got to give.
"When you have the top ranked scoring defense, you wouldn't want to have to play anyone else in the championship game but the top offense," junior linebacker Joey Hudson said. "I know we're all really excited about the challenge."
Hudson, who was injured in game two against the University of Minnesota, didn't let the injury slow him down, and has had 90 tackles through Miami's 12 games. When the MAC announced the season ending awards, Hudson, along with several other RedHawks, won awards for their play this season. Hudson was voted to the All-MAC Second Team Defense, while junior linebacker Clayton Mullins was voted the MAC's Defensive Player of the Year after leading the conference with 129 tackles. Junior defensive lineman Joe Coniglio was a member of the Third Team Defense.
In stark contrast, Central Michigan had six players selected to the All-MAC Team Offense, headlined by sophomore quarterback Dan LeFevour, who was the MAC offensive player of the year. Containing LeFevour will be Miami's greatest challenge Saturday, and it proves to be a tall order. He set CMU's single-season records for passing yards (3,175), completions (314), pass attempts (475) and total offense (4,013) this season. LeFevour's artillery is not only limited to his passing abilities either, as he is a talented runner as well: He ranks second in rushing touchdowns amongst Football Bowl Subdivision quarterbacks, with 15 behind University of Florida Heisman candidate Tim Tebow who has 22.
"Obviously we have to control their quarterback," Hudson said. "He's probably the best player in the MAC on offense. He's tough to bring down and he can move, so we're really going to be keying on him, trying to get some good shots on him and play as fast as we can."
After last year's results, it seemed unlikely that the 'Hawks would even be in contention for the MAC Championship. While no one wanted to make excuses for last season's play, a major factor in the RedHawks' struggles stemmed from dealing with a constant stream of injuries that left the team scrambling to fill holes on both sides of the ball, according to Head Coach Shane Montgomery.
This season was no kinder to Miami, as the 'Hawks quickly lost their top two running backs, Brandon Murphy and Andre Bratton, and their senior quarterback Mike Kokal. However, one of the distinguishing characteristics between this year's squad and the team from just one season ago is depth. Miami has had numerous standout performances from backup players who have stepped up to fill in for their injured teammates.
"We've found a way to win a lot of close games we didn't last year," Montgomery said. "One of the things is that even though we've had some injuries like we did last year, this year we were able to overcome them a little bit. We had some depth at some positions more than we did last year and that helped us counteract some of the injuries we've had."
Another contributing factor to Miami's surprise season has been the team's attitude. Both players and coaches alike have noted the team's maturity, especially when the game is on the line. Hudson believes that while this year's squad is not necessarily more talented than last year, rather they are able to win now because they can remain focused and poised under pressure. According to Mullins, this trend of mental growth pays dividends in the team's preparation as well.
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"I think the maturity level had something to do with our success," Mullins said. "We were a pretty young team last year. We are young this year but we are more experienced this year. Knowing how to go about things week to week put us in position to do well."
One key this season has been the RedHawks' ability to come out on top in close games. Five of Miami's six wins have been by a touchdown or less. Last year the 'Hawks were a mere 2-5 in such contests.
"We've played better when our backs have been against the wall," Montgomery said. "Our backs are against the wall here and it seems that the more times that has happened this year the better we've played. We fight, we're very competitive and we've given ourselves a chance to win just about every game, especially in the last half of the year."
For the 'Hawks a win Saturday would guarantee them a bid to a bowl game. Right now, the RedHawks' six wins make them one away from being a bowl eligible team. A loss Saturday could mean that Miami would not go to a bowl game this year, despite winning the MAC East Championship.
Even this late in the season, the RedHawks are still tweaking their game.
"Believe it or not you'd think that by week 12 you'd have everything figured out but we're still making a lot of mistakes out there," Hudson said. "Even after the season I think we'll all be looking forward to improving a lot this off season with spring ball and lifting-we just need to get smarter, stronger and faster."
The RedHawks must view Saturday's game as a must-win.
"You can throw the records and statistics out because it's a one-game season," Montgomery said.
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