By Mark Schmetzer
Enquirer contributor

Miami RedHawks coach Terry Hoeppner will make a point of constantly reminding his players that Wednesday's loss at Marshall doesn't automatically mean elimination from the Mid-American Conference championship race.

His evidence? The 1997 season, Marshall's first in its return to the MAC. The RedHawks beat a Thundering Herd team that featured quarterback Chad Pennington and wide receiver Randy Moss, but Marshall still won the East Division championship because Miami lost two other MAC games.

"I'll remind them of that every game we play from here on out - that possibility," Hoeppner said. "We're not mathematically eliminated."

Admittedly, the schedules don't favor Miami (2-3, 1-1 Mid-American Conference). Marshall (1-3, 1-0) needs to lose twice while Miami wins out for the RedHawks to win the MAC East Division. If they tie, Marshall's head-to-head win over Miami is the tiebreaker. Both teams play all of the East teams and share Western Michigan as a common West Division opponent.

But while Bowling Green, which was picked in a preseason poll of MAC media members to finish third in the division, is the Thundering Herd's other West Division opponent, the RedHawks drew Toledo, the pick to win the West and beat Marshall in the MAC championship game. Both teams also have to play at Akron, which was picked to finish third behind Miami in the pre-season poll.

Bowling Green is 2-2 overall and 0-1 in the MAC. Toledo was 2-2 overall and 1-0 going into its conference home game Saturday night against Ball State (1-3, 1-0).

The good news for Miami is Marshall plays at Bowling Green on Nov. 13; Miami plays the Rockets in Oxford on ESPN2 on Nov. 2.

NO HASSLES: The RedHawks couldn't get out of Huntington, W.Va., with a win Wednesday, but they were able to escape with none of the problems that plagued them on their last trip, in 2002.

Two years ago, after a last-minute loss to the Thundering Herd at Marshall, assistant coach Taver Johnson punched a hole in a press box wall and defensive coordinator Jon Wauford was arrested and charged with misdemeanor battery after knocking a fan to the ground on the field. The charge later was dropped. Wauford resigned.

MU athletic director Brad Bates wasn't aware of any increased security measures for Wednesday's game, but he was surprised to find out after returning that security concerns were among the reasons Miami's cheerleaders didn't make the trip. A member of his staff and cheerleading coach Cindi McDaniel used several reasons to decide that the group should stay home, Bates said.

"In no way should this be a reflection of any concerns we had about security at the game," Bates said. "It shouldn't reflect badly on Marshall. This was not an issue, and I don't want it to become an issue.

"... There were a variety of factors, and one of them was security, but that wouldn't have been the only reason they wouldn't have gone."