DaytonDailyNews.com

DETROIT — Tuesday, Nov. 11 should be an interesting date on Miami University's football schedule for a couple of reasons.

That night the RedHawks will play at home against the Ball State Cardinals in a game scheduled to be televised on ESPN2. Each team has been picked to finish second in its respective division in the Mid-American Conference.

The game also will feature two of the nation's premier punters.

Ball State senior Chris Miller ranked second in the NCAA with 45.4 yards per kick. He was named to the All-MAC first team.

Miami senior Jake Richardson ranked sixth in the nation with 45.0 yards per punt. He was named to the All-MAC third team.

In fact, five of the top 16 punters in the nation in 2007 came from the MAC.

When Miller first started playing football, he said his favorite part of the game did not involve swinging his foot against the pigskin.

"I wanted to hit guys," said Miller, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 211 pounds. "In the eighth grade I played the defensive line."

He did not become a punter until his junior year of high school.

"I got into kicking because I had a soccer background," he noted. "Every year I kinda honed my skills a little bit, getting better and better.

"I didn't have good form, but I had a strong leg," Miller said, "and in high school you can get away with just having a strong leg. As a senior in high school and a freshman in college, I really focused on getting more flexible and controlled."

Miller will focus on his form on Nov. 11, but he'll also have a good idea of how his punts are stacking up against those of Richardson.

"You have to stay focused on your job," Miller said, "but you do compete against the other punter."

Back to Square 1

There will be no resting on laurels for two-time defending champion Central Michigan, according to Chippewas senior offensive tackle Andrew Hartline.

"It's important not to live through what we've done," said the 6-5, 288-pound Hartline, whose team beat Ohio 31-10 in the 2006 MAC championship game and then knocked off Miami 35-10 in last year's title game.

"We have to go at it as though we've never won a MAC championship, as if last year was a losing season. You've got to wipe the slate clean."