History of the Battle of the Bricks

Twenty years after the first collegiate football game in the state of Ohio, Miami would start another historical rivalry with the first Battle of the Bricks against the Ohio University Bobcats in 1908.

Ohio outranks Miami by five years as the oldest university in the state, with the former being established in 1804 and the latter in 1809. A century later, football teams from both schools met for the first time.

There have been 102 Battles of the Bricks matchups. The RedHawks currently hold a 56-44-2 advantage in the series. The 100-year-long rivalry contains several notable games over the years.

Oct. 17, 1908 – Miami wins 5-0

In the very first Battle of the Bricks, both teams engaged in a defensive war that ended in a low-scoring affair. Neither team impacted the scoreboard until Miami left end B.C. Morris, who was “especially good in handling the forward pass” according to that year’s Recensio, caught a touchdown in the endzone.

A touchdown, of course, equaled five points at the time, and the “Big Red” took their victory 5-0 in the first of more than 100 matchups between the two schools.

Oct. 22, 1960 – Ohio wins 21-0

The Battle of the Bricks became an annual tradition starting in 1945. Miami went 14-0-1 over 15 years until 1960, when the Bobcats ended their losing streak with a 21-0 shutout in front of 15,000 people.

Miami entered the matchup as the underdogs, given Ohio’s dominance at the time. The Bobcats won their first five games decisively and would finish the 1960 season undefeated, taking the AP small college football No. 1 ranking.

The RedHawks, coached by John Pont, reached opposing territory three times but were held off the scoreboard. Ohio scored three touchdowns to shut out Miami and end its drought. The Bobcats finished the year with four more wins to maintain a perfect 10-0 season and take the Mid-American Conference (MAC) title.

Oct. 13, 1973 – Miami wins 10-6

The early 1970s were arguably Miami’s best years in program history. The RedHawks were 32-1-1 between 1973-75, won three-straight MAC championships and made it to the Tangerine Bowl each year, winning all three.

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Miami’s dominance was replicated in the Battle of the Bricks matchup each year. In 1973, the RedHawks entered the game ranked No. 20 in the country.

The homecoming game saw more than 11,000 fans at Miami Field. Despite their national ranking, the RedHawks only scored 10 points on the Bobcats due in part to Hall-Of-Famer Bob Hitchens sitting out with a knee injury. His substitute, future Miami head coach Randy Walker, gained 160 yards on the ground and scored the team’s only touchdown.

Miami’s defense, ranked third in the nation, held Ohio to 121 total yards. Gary Homer kicked two field goals for the Bobcats, but a fourth-quarter field goal from Miami’s Dave Draudt kept the RedHawks up until the final whistle.

Oct. 14, 1989 – Both teams tie

The 1989 season was ugly for both teams. Neither team had won a game going into the annual rivalry matchup, and both matched each other with one loss in conference play the week prior.

Ohio held a 19-7 lead halfway through the third quarter, but a pick-six from Miami linebacker Jerry Prochko proved to be a much-needed spark. A Bobcats field goal put them back up 22-14, but quarterback Joe Napoli found receiver Milt Stegall for a 30-yard touchdown. Head coach Tim Rose opted for a two-point conversion to tie the game with six minutes left, and Napoli targeted Mark Matthews to even the score 22-22.

The RedHawks got the ball back with more than three minutes remaining and drove down the field, but Napoli threw an interception. They nearly forced a safety, but Ohio quarterback Anthony Thorton escaped a tackle in the endzone.

Miami won two more games after the tie, while Ohio beat Kent State one week later before going 0-3 to end the season. Rose and Ohio head coach Cleve Bryant would both be replaced at the end of the year.

Oct. 17, 1992 – Miami wins 23-21

The RedHawks won 1992’s Battle of the Bricks 23-21, but the real headline for this year was when Miami’s football team fought Ohio’s Marching 110 alumni band.

At halftime, the Marching 110 took center stage at Peden Stadium for its performance. The Miami players stretched and practiced on the sidelines. At some point, a practice ball made its way onto the field during the band’s performance. When a Miami player went to retrieve it, members of the band got into an altercation.

More players and coaches joined the field as the situation escalated into a brawl.

Nov. 22, 2003 – Miami wins 49-31

Miami won six games straight at the start of the 21st century, taking the mug between 2000-05. In Ben Roethlisberger’s final season in Oxford, the RedHawks once again took the mug to jump up three spots to No. 15 in the national rankings.

Roethlisberger threw four touchdowns against the Bobcats, who entered the game on a four-game losing streak. He broke his passing yards record from the previous season (3,532) and reached 290 completions on the year.

Meanwhile, Ohio head coach Brian Knorr swapped four different quarterbacks during the game. Despite this, the Bobcats scored 31 points, including a 21-point fourth quarter when freshman quarterback Austin Everson entered the game as Miami pulled its starters on defense.

The game pushed Miami to 10 wins. The RedHawks finished the year at 13-1, their most wins in a season, and they finished the year with a MAC championship and a win at the GMAC Bowl.

Oct. 19, 2024 – Miami wins 30-20

In the first of two Battles of the Bricks last season, the two oldest colleges in Ohio met at Yager for the 100th anniversary of the rivalry.

The RedHawks took a 16-0 lead at half before the Bobcats found the scoreboard. Two more touchdowns at the end of the third quarter, including one after an interception, kept Miami up enough to give head coach Chuck Martin his 59th win, matching Walker for most in program history.

The two teams would meet again in Detroit at the 2024 MAC championship, where Miami would not replicate this same success.

Dec. 7, 2024 – Ohio wins 38-3

A little over a month passed between the 100th and 101st meeting in this rivalry, but Miami looked entirely different compared to its regular season win over the Bobcats.

At the MAC championship, Ohio outperformed Miami in every statistical category. The Bobcats had 467 total offensive yards to the RedHawks’ 189 and kept Miami off the scoreboard except for one field goal on the opening drive.

The loss ended the RedHawks’ seven-game winning streak and marked the largest score differential in the history of the MAC championship. Ohio took the title for the first time since 1968.

@kethanbabu_04

babukc2@miamioh.edu