Miami, the defending MAC champion and the team picked to win the East Division in a poll of conference coaches, is scheduled to open the season on Wednesday against the Ball State Cardinals in the 34th meeting of the two teams.
“Obviously, we’re excited,” seventh-year RedHawks coach Chuck Martin said on Friday during a Zoom interview session. “It’s hard to wrap your brain around knowing we’re playing a game. I know everyone involved is very excited. It’s been an interesting year. It doesn’t feel like a normal opener at all.”
No fans except for team members' families will be on hand at Yager Stadium for Wednesday’s 7 p.m. kickoff of a game due to be televised on the CBS Sports Network. That’s just the latest in a series of adjustments forced on Miami and the rest of college football by the coronavirus pandemic, from spring practice being shut down to resuming workouts. MAC presidents voted in August to postpone fall sports seasons, then reversed that position and voted on Sept. 25 to allow limited schedules.
Lost were non-conference games at Pittsburgh and home games against Army and the annual “Victory Bell” game against Cincinnati.
“I don’t love not having fans for sure, but that’s not something I’m concerned with,” Martin said. “That hasn’t even hit the top one thousand of things on my list. I’m glad the families can come.”
After playing Ball State, the RedHawks are scheduled to meet the other five teams in the MAC East Division. The conference championship game is scheduled for Dec. 18 at Ford Field in Detroit.
“It’s a little different,” fifth-year senior wide receiver Jack Sorenson said during the virtual media session. “We’re behind schedule as far as a normal college season, but it feels good. There’s a lot of hype and excitement. We’re trying to build the cohesiveness that you normally would have a long time to build. We’re trying to find the ability to create those kinds of things.”
Like everybody else, Miami’s coaches and players have been forced to develop alternate means for staying in shape with limited access to facilities.
“Personally, I think the strength coaches have done a great job,” senior safety Mike Brown said. “We’ve been having to stay in shape while stuck at home for the most part, but I think, for the most part, everybody feels pretty good. From a team perspective, I think we’re I pretty good shape.”
Martin has been impressed with the flexibility displayed by everybody involved with the football program and the athletic department.
“The willingness to be fluid in dealing with everything that’s come their way and to make sacrifices others aren’t willing to make,” he said. "We’re asking younger kids, who aren’t high risk, to make sacrifices, and they’ve been willing to say we’re going to make sacrifices, not because it’s required, but to make everybody in Oxford safe. It’s just been their ability to roll with the punches
“There’s less people, but there’s more work. How do we make practice work? How do we make press conferences work? You don’t hear anybody complaining.”
Martin’s primary challenge is keeping his players focused, especially this week.
“We’re playing on the day after the most interesting election of my lifetime,” he said. "It’s kind of fitting. We’re trying to make it as normal as possible. We’ve spent less time on football.
“I spent most of the morning with (coronavirus) testing. It took up a lot of the morning. I’m not complaining. It’s just that there are a lot of different things on our plate.”
WEDNESDAY’S GAME
Ball State at Miami, 7 p.m., CBS Sports Network, 980, 1450
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