behind the mask

Kyle Decker

HOLDER, SENIOR

Q What has been your most memorable moment on a football field?

A It was the first game I participated in here at Miami, which was against Ohio State (Sept. 3, 2005, at Columbus; Ohio State won 34-14). It was in front of 105,000 people. I remember running out into the field and holding for two extra points near the end of the game.

Q Which three items would comprise your favorite meal?

A Kraft mac and cheese, my grandma's potato salad, and my mom's applesauce cake. When I go home, it's hey, have these things ready for me.

Q Your favorite TV show?

A We just got HBO; I live with (offensive guard) Dave DiFranco. It's "Hard Knocks," about the Dallas Cowboys' training camp.

Q What do you do to relax?

A I just like to watch TV with my friends. Sports, mostly.

Q With which person, past or present, would you most like to have a conversation?

A My grandpa Decker. He died years before I was born. I've heard a lot about him. I'd like to hear about my dad (from his grandpa).

By the numbers

9

Opening-day victories by Vanderbilt over the last 25 years.

32

Consecutive passes attempted by Shane Montgomery, which still stands as the NCAA record, when he played quarterback for North Carolina State, in the second half of a game against Duke. He completed 16.

1899

The year Miami and Vanderbilt first played on the football field. Vanderbilt won 12-0.

take five

Since Daniel Raudabaugh won the starting quarterback competition at Miami, will red-shirt freshman Clay Belton spend another season doing little besides looking and learning?

Not likely. At some point, and it might be soon, head coach Shane Montgomery will want to see that Belton can do. He has too much potential to ignore, including remarkable strength and accuracy in his passing arm, his left arm. Also, somewhere down the road, Miami might need a back-up quarterback with game experience.

How has Miami done recently against teams from BCS conferences?

Not too good. In those games over the last two years, Miami is 1-8 and has been outscored 285-133.

Which team has played in more bowl games, Miami or Vanderbilt?

Miami has appeared in nine bowl games, Vanderbilt three. The Commodores beat Auburn 25-13 in the 1955 Gator Bowl, tied Texas Tech 6-6 in the 1974 Peach Bowl, and lost to Air Force 36-28 in the 1982 Hall of fame Bowl.

Which Mid-American Conference team faces the toughest task this week?

The Akron Zips, who open Saturday, Aug. 30 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis. Against the 12th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers. The Zips last beat a Big Ten Conference team in 1894, a 12-6 victory over the Buckeyes. John Heisman coached Akron in that game. Yes, the guy for whom the award is named.

Which Vanderbilt football player has seen more action on the Commodores' basketball court than on the gridiron?

Jamie Graham, a red-shirt freshman wide receiver from Nashville, sat out the 2007 football season but then played guard for the Vanderbilt basketball squad, appearing in 15 games. He was one of the few bright spots in the Commodores' brief appearance in the NCAA Tournament, coming off the bench to scored six points on 3-for-3 shooting and also contributing two steals in an 83-62 loss to Siena.

Key Players:

Miami: If junior QB Daniel Raudabaugh can show the same consistency he has displayed during the preseason, he will prove head coach Shane Montgomery right in choosing experience over potential (red-shirt freshman Clay Belton) in naming his starting quarterback. Senior DB Robbie Wilson is an overlooked but integral part of a Miami defense which must prevent the big play, both on runs and passes, and as the team's strong safety he is in a good position to do just that.

Vanderbilt: Senior QB Chris Nickson, who ran for 42 yards but did not throw a single pass in the Commodores' 24-13 victory over Miami last season, has been named the starter for tonight's game following a close competition with junior Mackenzi Adams. Junior DB D.J. Moore has the talent to hurt the RedHawks in three, and perhaps even four, different ways. Last year he intercepted six passes at cornerback, set a team record with 823 kickoff return yards and averaged 13 yards on six rushing attempts, and this year he has been added to the punt return team.

Scouting Report:

Both Miami and Vanderbilt have a high-caliber defense and an offense with question marks, the RedHawks with an inexperienced group of running backs, the Commodores with an inexperienced group of receivers. Both teams had a stiff quarterback competition with the head coach choosing the more experienced player. The contest could come down to something as simple as prestige and home-field advantage. Miami never has beaten a Southeastern Conference team in Oxford, mainly because Miami never has played an SEC team at home. Also, the RedHawks seem to be back on track at Yager Stadium after having lost six in a row there and in 2006 going winless at home for an entire season for the first time in history. Miami has won its last four at Yager.

— Pete Conrad