Martin didn’t have a lot to talk about after Miami’s Mid-American Conference East Division game against Kent State, scheduled for this past Saturday at Yager Stadium, was cancelled due to COVID-19 issues among the Golden Flashes. That left the 2-1 RedHawks with one game left on their schedule, this Saturday at 0-5 Bowling Green. Kickoff is scheduled for noon.
Miami was scheduled to play six games after presidents of MAC schools voted unanimously in late September to allow teams to play six games, starting in November. That reversed an earlier vote to postpone fall sports because of the pandemic. The RedHawks have seen games against Ohio and Kent State, both at Yager Stadium, cancelled because of COVID-19 concerns.
That leaves Miami’s players and coaches savoring every opportunity they have to actually play games, even the 42-10 loss at Buffalo on Nov. 10.
“It was worth it,” Martin said. “Even though it didn’t look like it, playing the Buffalo game was a blast. The Ball State game was a blast. The Akron game was a blast. The three we’ve gotten to play have been a lot of fun for a lot of people. When we got the opportunity against Akron, we took advantage of it.”
The RedHawks dominated the Zips, 38-7, on Nov. 28 in what Martin later described as the best game his team has played in his Miami career.
Martin said he learned last Wednesday that the Kent State game would be cancelled, but he knew as early as the previous Sunday that the Golden Flashes were experiencing positive tests.
“I knew the Tuesday tests would make or break them,” he said. “After the positive tests and the contact tracking, we found out on Wednesday that we couldn’t do it.
“I wasn’t as disappointed as I was as about Ohio. The more you get bad news, the more you get numb to it. I know everybody is trying. We’re testing four days a week. We’re jumping through so many hoops.”
SATURDAY’S GAME
Miami at Bowling Green, Noon, ESPN3, 980, 1450
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