“As soon as we heard about this bowl, we’ve been wanting to get here,” RedHawks coach Chuck Martin said during a recent press conference in Arizona. “It’s been exciting. I told my boss, ‘If there is any way we could go to Arizona to get to the Snoop Dogg Gin & Juice Bowl.’ I think any college kid would love it.
“We know other teams that have been here. They said it’s by far the best you’ve been treated at any bowl. First class, everything all the way.”
The RedHawks are coming off a 38-3 loss to Ohio in the Mid-American Conference Championship Game earlier this month. Miami took a seven-game winning streak into the MAC title game.
“We didn’t play well our last game,” Martin said. “We’ve had a great season. We didn’t win the championship game. Got a bad taste in our mouth from that. So, our kids are pretty locked in.”
Here are four things to know heading into Saturday’s Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl:
1. About Colorado State
Colorado State comes in at 8-4 (6-1 Mountain West) after scoring 29 fourth-quarter points to rally for a win in its regular-season finale.
The Rams won six of their last seven and posted the program’s highest win total since 2014.
CSU had nine players named All-Conference this season, including three offensive linemen led by First-Team selection Jacob Gardner.
Bowl bound ✈️#RiseUpRedHawks | 🎓🏆 pic.twitter.com/NVwEhBkW6o
— Miami Football (@MiamiOHFootball) December 24, 2024
Quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi has thrown for 2,475 yards and 13 touchdowns, completing better than 61% of his passes.
Avery Morrow has nine rushing touchdowns and 956 yards on the ground, averaging 5.8 yards a carry.
The Rams will be making their first bowl appearance since the 2017 New Mexico Bowl.
2. The series
Miami is 2-0 all-time against Colorado State, but the two programs have not squared off since 2010.
Ben Roethlisberger led the RedHawks to a 41-21 win over CSU in 2003, and Miami beat Colorado State 31-10 in 2010 in the only two meetings.
Miami is 8-7 all-time in bowl games.
3. RedHawks in the transfer portal
Miami will be without starting left tackle Will Jados, defensive back Raion Strader, receiver Javon Tracy and receiver Reggie Virgil.
Jados and Virgil are headed to Texas Tech, Tracy is going to Minnesota and Strader to Auburn.
“That is a million-dollar question,” Martin said when asked about how to keep the team focused. “Day by day, minute by minute. Obviously, everybody’s losing kids. Last two weeks, we’ve had kids in for visits 15 days in a row, and we’ve getting ready for bowl preparation. It’s chaotic like everybody thinks it is from the outside.”
4. The playmakers
Miami sixth-year quarterback Brett Gabbert, who missed the last six games of the 2023 season with a leg injury, has made 51 career starts.
Gabbert ranked third in program history with 10,630 passing yards, sixth in completion percentage (.590) and second in passing touchdowns.
On the defensive side of the ball, senior linebacker Matt Salopek, the reigning 2023 MAC Defensive Player of the Year, has 55 career tackles and has surpassed 100 stops in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.
Salopek is the first player in program history to have at least 100 tackles in four different seasons. His 505 tackles ranks fifth all-time in program history.
SATURDAY’S GAME
Miami vs. Colorado State, 4:30 p.m., CW, 980, 1450
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