One of Marshall's more historically heated rivals will be revived in 2013, when MU begins a two-game football series with Miami (Ohio).

The school announced Wednesday that the RedHawks will come to Huntington to open the 2013 season, playing on Aug. 31, and Marshall will play its 2014 season opener in Oxford, Ohio, on Aug. 30.

"We have a great history with Miami and this is a regional nonconference game that is in line with our scheduling philosophy," said MU athletic director Mike Hamrick. "The proximity of the two campuses will also allow our fans the chance to easily travel to a road game, and this series will renew the Marshall-Miami rivalry."

Miami owns a 30-10-1 advantage in the series, with Marshall not winning between 1939 and 1976. In the latter year, the Herd scored a 21-16 victory, an upset considered so profound The Associated Press moved the score three times to assure members it was not a hoax.

Even to this day, older Herd fans still seethe over Miami's 66-6 win in 1971, which came a week after the Young Thundering Herd's historic victory over Xavier. Miami fans may still be equally upset over the Herd's 36-34 win over the Ben Roethlisberger-led RedHawks in 2002, after which Miami defensive coordinator Jon Wauford was arrested for allegedly assaulting a fan.

Roethlisberger exacted his revenge in 2003, thumping the Herd 45-6 on a windy night in Oxford. Marshall owns the last laugh in the series, though, winning 33-25 in 2004. The Herd moved to Conference USA and the teams have not played since.

That leaves one spot open on the Herd's 2013 and '14 nonconference schedules. The Herd plays at Ohio and at Virginia Tech in 2013 and has home games against Ohio and Louisville in 2014.

That probably means Marshall is looking for a home game in 2013 and could take another road game in 2014 to make those even splits between home and away. Marshall has asked for equal footing with West Virginia if the schools continue play past 2012.

Since Miami won its last MAC championship in 2003, the RedHawks have fallen on hard times on the gridiron. Since 2006, they have finished 2-10, 6-7 and 2-10, and are 1-8 this season.

One of Marshall's more historically heated rivals will be revived in 2013, when MU begins a two-game football series with Miami (Ohio).

The school announced Wednesday that the RedHawks will come to Huntington to open the 2013 season, playing on Aug. 31, and Marshall will play its 2014 season opener in Oxford, Ohio, on Aug. 30.

"We have a great history with Miami and this is a regional nonconference game that is in line with our scheduling philosophy," said MU athletic director Mike Hamrick. "The proximity of the two campuses will also allow our fans the chance to easily travel to a road game, and this series will renew the Marshall-Miami rivalry."

Miami owns a 30-10-1 advantage in the series, with Marshall not winning between 1939 and 1976. In the latter year, the Herd scored a 21-16 victory, an upset considered so profound The Associated Press moved the score three times to assure members it was not a hoax.

Even to this day, older Herd fans still seethe over Miami's 66-6 win in 1971, which came a week after the Young Thundering Herd's historic victory over Xavier. Miami fans may still be equally upset over the Herd's 36-34 win over the Ben Roethlisberger-led RedHawks in 2002, after which Miami defensive coordinator Jon Wauford was arrested for allegedly assaulting a fan.

Roethlisberger exacted his revenge in 2003, thumping the Herd 45-6 on a windy night in Oxford. Marshall owns the last laugh in the series, though, winning 33-25 in 2004. The Herd moved to Conference USA and the teams have not played since.

That leaves one spot open on the Herd's 2013 and '14 nonconference schedules. The Herd plays at Ohio and at Virginia Tech in 2013 and has home games against Ohio and Louisville in 2014.

That probably means Marshall is looking for a home game in 2013 and could take another road game in 2014 to make those even splits between home and away. Marshall has asked for equal footing with West Virginia if the schools continue play past 2012.

Since Miami won its last MAC championship in 2003, the RedHawks have fallen on hard times on the gridiron. Since 2006, they have finished 2-10, 6-7 and 2-10, and are 1-8 this season.

In announcing its new bowl agreement for 2010-13, Conference USA officials made an apparent mistake in announcing its tie-in with the EagleBank Bowl in Washington.

C-USA announced it will provide the opposition for the ACC in 2010 and 2012. That is entirely the case in 2010, but Army gets the first crack at the 1012 game, with C-USA serving as a backup.

The ACC provides one team all four years and is currently giving the No. 8 team. C-USA has the first crack at the other side in 2010, Navy in '11, Army in '12 and the Big 12 in '13. If the military schools are not bowl-eligible in their respective years, the Big 12 gets the 2011 slot and C-USA gets the 2012 slot.

C-USA does get a spot in two of the first four Dallas Football Classics, assuming the new Cotton Bowl-based game wins NCAA approval. C-USA is guaranteed a spot after the 2011 and '13 seasons, and could get a back-up bid after the 2010 and '12 seasons.

With the Big Ten slated in all four seasons, that is a distinct possibility. Reports indicated that the Big Ten will supply its No. 7 team, an agreement similar to that in place for the Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl (formerly the Motor City Bowl). In seven years, the Big Ten has only supplied the bowl with teams twice, with at-large teams filling in the other five.

Cody Slate has been honored for the second time as the John Mackey Tight End of the Week, as named by the Nassau County (N.Y.) Sports Commission.

Slate leads all tight ends in the Bowl Subdivision with 48 receptions for 582 yards. He had 80 yards on five catches with a touchdown, all in the first half, in Marshall's 21-20 loss at Central Florida.

He did not have a pass thrown his way after halftime.

Reach Doug Smock at 304-348-5130 or dougsm...@wvgazette.com.