By Ryan Ernst
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Miami University football coach Terry Hoeppner doesn't want anyone to think his program is ducking tough opposition.

The RedHawks take the nation's longest active winning streak into the first game of the college football season against struggling Division I-AA Indiana State (3-9 last year). But that wasn't the original plan.

"We made a home-and-home (scheduling arrangement) with Colorado State last year; they chose to renege on it," Hoeppner said. "It's as simple as that. They couldn't afford to lose to us again."

Miami beat Colorado State 41-21 last year. It was the second of what would become 13 straight wins heading into this season. The victory also was another impressive non-conference showing for a program steadily gaining national attention.

In the past six seasons, the RedHawks have won at North Carolina (twice), at Northwestern (twice) at Colorado State and at Vanderbilt.

In the same span, they've had respectable showings against Big Ten powers Iowa, Ohio State and Michigan.

This year's schedule was supposed to begin with a trip to Michigan, followed by the home game against Colorado State. But, according to Miami officials, the Rams asked to move the game to 2010, leaving the RedHawks to scramble and fill a void in the schedule. Due to scheduling conflicts, the NCAA granted Indiana State and Miami a waiver to move their game to Aug. 28, a week ahead of the official season start date.

But despite the low-profile opening opponent, the RedHawks, coming off their first bowl win in 28 years, still will get a chance at more national exposure. They play at Michigan Sept. 4 and will play at least two nationally televised games when they take on Mid-American Conference foes Marshall (Wednesday, Sept. 29) and Toledo (Tuesday, Nov. 2) on ESPN2. Miami played on national TV five times last season, including a 49-28 win over Louisville in the GMAC Bowl.

"I think ESPN likes us," Hoeppner said. "We've performed well and taken advantage of those opportunities. And I think they like coming here."

2004 Schedule

Date	Opponent	Opp. record
Sat., Aug. 28	Indiana State	3-9
Sat., Sept. 4	at Michigan	10-3
Sat., Sept. 11	at Cincinnati	5-7
Sat., Sept. 18	Ohio	2-10
Wed., Sept. 29	at Marshall*	8-4
Sat., Oct. 9	Kent State	5-7
Sat., Oct. 16	at Buffalo	1-11
Sat., Oct. 23	UCF	3-9
Tue., Nov. 2	Toledo*	8-4
Sat., Nov. 13	at W. Michigan	5-7
Sat., Nov. 20	at Akron	7-5

*Televised on ESPN2

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