Preview: Miami football kicks off 2025 season against Wisconsin at Camp Randall

The 2025 college football season begins this week, but Miami University RedHawk fans won’t have to wait until Saturday to see the team on the gridiron. The RedHawks ring in the season on the road against the University of Wisconsin-Madison Badgers on Aug. 28.

Miami opens this year against a Big Ten opponent, similar to 2024. The RedHawks dropped last season’s opener 13-6 against Northwestern University and entered Mid-American Conference (MAC) play at 1-3 before going 7-1 in the conference to earn a spot at the conference championship in December.

The team’s efforts fell short when the Ohio University Bobcats put up 38 points against Miami to take the championship. The RedHawks finished 2024 with a bowl game victory over the Colorado State University Rams, the second bowl game win under head coach Chuck Martin.

Eight months later, the RedHawks are heading to Camp Randall Stadium with a reworked roster consisting of multiple first-year and transfer players. Returning defensive back Eli Blakey said practicing over the summer has hopefully given the new players time to prepare for the Big Ten environment.

“We got a lot of young guys this year,” Blakey said, “so being able to have them come along and understand that even though we got a nice environment, you still got to be able to lock in. Especially in places like Wisconsin, how big that atmosphere is going to be, it’s like, ‘Can you handle that environment while still doing your job?’ I think that’s very important for us.”

Facing a Big Ten opponent to begin the season will be an early test of the new roster. Above all else, Martin and the coaching staff want to emphasize the expected atmosphere that the RedHawks will face at Camp Randall.

“I wish there’s a way I could get them to understand what they’re getting into,” Martin said. “If you can’t concentrate enough to do your job consistently in practice, you have no chance … The bright light’s going to go on. It’s gonna be your first game, and anybody [that’s] had that first college game knows what that experience is like.”

The Badgers won against another MAC opponent, the Western Michigan University Broncos, in last season’s opener. Wisconsin rose to 5-2 but dropped its last five games, ending the season under .500.

With the departure of last year’s quarterback, Braedyn Locke to the University of Arizona, Wisconsin will rely on graduate student quarterback Billy Edwards Jr., who transferred from the University of Maryland. Edwards threw 2,881 yards, 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions for the Terrapins last season.

The Badgers’ receiving core sees Vinny Anthony II and Trech Kekahuna playing once more at Camp Randall. Anthony led the roster with 532 yards and three touchdowns in 2024, and Kekahuna totaled 339 yards and two touchdowns. Wisconsin will be without Will Pauling, who transferred to the University of Notre Dame after catching three touchdowns last year, but added redshirt senior receiver Jayden Ballard from The Ohio State University.

Sophomore running back Darrion Dupree returns after rushing for 317 yards and one touchdown in 2024. Wisconsin also returns redshirt junior running back Cade Yacamelli, who rushed for 274 yards and three touchdowns. The Badgers’ leading back, Tawee Walker, transferred to the University of Cincinnati after finishing the season with 864 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Wisconsin’s changes on offense coincides with the hiring of new offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes. He was previously the offensive coordinator at the University of Kansas (2024), Baylor University (2021-23) and Brigham Young University (2017-20).

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The Badgers’ leading tackler, senior safety Hunter Wohler, was drafted to the Indianapolis Colts in the seventh round of the NFL draft. Returning junior linebacker Christian Alliegro ranked second in tackles with 66 while sacking opposing quarterbacks three times, tied for most on the roster.

Graduate student safety Preston Zachman will be another returning face on defense. He led last year’s roster with two interceptions and finished the season with 58 tackles.

Both teams faced significant changes on both sides of the ball. For Miami, the returning players like Blakey need to fill the shoes left by last year’s leaders.

“I think this year was a big step for me, just trying to be a leader,” Blakey said. “When I came up as a freshman, we had guys like Ryan McWood, [Matt Salopek], so they kind of taught me everything. It was about being a leader, not trying to tell everybody that you’re bigger, better than them … I’m no better than anybody next to me, and we’re gonna do this together.”

The Thursday night game will be the first season opener since 2019 with someone other than Brett Gabbert starting at quarterback. Dequan Finn will take snaps, and he said his mentality going into the matchup is about lifting the team and keeping the focus on Miami instead of himself.

“Being that vocal leader,” Finn said, “just not being selfish, not worrying about me but worrying about the guys on the team as well. I might be frustrated by a play, but I know that I can’t let everybody else see me like that.”

Kickoff will be at 9 p.m. EST at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, and the game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network. The RedHawks may regret their outing at last year’s MAC championship, but an early upset over a team favored to win by 17.5 points on FanDuel Sportsbook can be a good way to send Miami for a redemption at Ford Field in a third-straight appearance.

“It’s that time,” Martin said. “Everybody’s excited [for] the season and for us to get an opportunity to go play Wisconsin … It will be a fun, hostile, raucous, loud – great environment for anyone who can make the trip.”

@kethanbabu_04

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