Sunday, September 24, 2000
MIAMI NOTEBOOK
Bath reaches 5,000 passing yards
By Pete Holtermann
Enquirer contributor
OXFORD — Mike Bath became the second Miami quarterback to pass for 5,000 career yards when he completed a 41-yard pass to Sly Johnson with five seconds left in the first quarter.
With 261 yards in the game, Bath's career total is 5,196 yards. Bath, who twice has been named Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Week this season, has a completion percentage of .527 and has averaged 271.8 yards a game through Miami's first four games.
“His dad was a quarterback, and he grew up a quarterback,” Miami coach Terry Hoeppner said. “He's truly mature beyond his years. He helps not only our offensive guys but also the defensive guys.”
Saturday was the 26th consecutive start for the native of Celina, Ohio, and the victory improved Bath's record as a starter to 20-6.
Bath also threw for two touchdowns, both to Johnson, moving him into a tie with Sam Ricketts for the Miami record of 44 career touchdown passes. Ricketts, who played from 1994-97, also holds the career mark for passing yards with 5,870.
Bath had little to say about his assault on the record book.
“I think I got out of that in high school,” he said. “I just want to win.”
EFFICIENCY EXPERTS: Miami put together five scoring drives that lasted less than 1 minute, 32 seconds, and four of those drives went for more than 35 yards.
The RedHawks found the end zone on an 80-yard drive in just four plays and one minute and went 87 yards on four plays in 1:32. Miami also scored on drives of 36 and 38 yards in 1:25 and 1:12, respectively, and used 1:14 to go 13 yards in three plays for another touchdown.
“My favorite team outside of Miami is the (St.Louis) Rams,” Hoeppner said. “That's the philosophy I want to adopt, to put points on the board, then get back out there again and keep the pressure on.”
FIRST DOWN! The Miami crowd of 16,298 took part in the game in a way RedHawks fans never have before. When Miami picked up a first down, stadium announcer Scott Shriver would end his description of the play with, “for another Miami ... ” — and the crowd finished his sentence by yelling, “First down!”
The new cheer was implemented Friday night at an on-campus pep rally and was used on all of MU's 27 first downs Saturday.
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