Spring Break
History between two universities makes game a personal battle for Hoke, players
Ryan Wood
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The lone institution that stood in the Cardinals' way on at least one occasion was Miami University. It's been 35 years since Ball State was admitted to the conference, but the Cardinals' football players are still aware of the opinion the RedHawks had about Ball State.
"Coach [Brady] Hoke let us know the history about how they were the only team in the MAC that voted us not in," senior nose tackle Arama Koroma said. "That's a slap in our face. We want to prove that we should've been here long before they were here."
For Hoke, who said Miami was "a very intense rival," the game is a little more personal. Hoke's father played for Miami, and Hoke calls himself an "Ohio guy." However, the RedHawks didn't recruit him or his brother to play football, and he decided to play at Ball State.
Hoke, who spent seven seasons as a defensive coach for the University of Michigan, compared the Ball State and Miami rivalry to the intense relationship between Michigan and Ohio State University.
"I have a great deal of respect for them and I always have," Hoke said after an extended pause. "I think if you look at the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry, there was a great deal of respect. It's the same with Miami with the tradition of what their university and football team has stood for."
Another factor in the rivalry is the proximity the two schools have to one another. Though the universities are located in separate states, they are separated by only 75 miles.
"There's a lot of history in our rivalry and when we were playing them every year it was just an hour and 25 minutes down the road," Hoke said. "There's a lot of tradition at Miami over the course of a lot of years. So I think back when we were playing them every year. They were a lot of things Ball State wanted to be."
Between Hoke's senior season in 1980 and his first season as Ball State's coach in 2003, cornerback B.J. Hill said the rivalry lost a bit of its flavor. In that stretch Ball State lost 12 of 19 against Miami, including seven losses by at least 10 points.
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 4
John Moldovan
posted 8/30/07 @ 7:52 AM EST
I also remember when the PC crowd at Miami changed the name from "Redskins" to "Red Hawks", their University President commented that the red hawk is a fierce bird of prey, not a wimp bird like a cardinal. (Continued…)
John E. Wadd
posted 8/30/07 @ 8:56 AM EST
"PC crowd at Miami." That's laughable. The place is full of suburban, young republican types who were rejected by Big Ten campuses. It's one of the most conservative campuses in America. (Continued…)
Alan
posted 8/30/07 @ 9:05 AM EST
Does anyone else see the irony of BSU Athletics hosting a "white out?" Let's hope Ronny doesn't hear about this.
Bob Hanson
posted 8/30/07 @ 12:04 PM EST
Miami of Ohio should have changed their nickname to the Backstabbers. Given what their self-important, pompous administration did, is it any wonder that their students end up so full of themselves. (Continued…)
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