Miami RB Mark Fletcher carted to locker room after non-contact leg injury

Miami running back Mark Fletcher was injured in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl against Rutgers, immediately heading to the team’s training tent after coming up limping during the first quarter.

Fletcher appeared to injure himself while making a jump cut without contact, favoring his left leg.

After being checked out by team trainers, Fletcher was loaded into the passenger seat of a golf cart, where he was set to be taken from the field for further evaluation.

Miami trailed Rutgers 7-0 at the time Fletcher exited the contest. Fletcher had logged two carries for just two yards in the contest.

Mark Fletcher’s exit from the contest could be a significant blow to the Hurricanes, who were finding it difficult to move the ball on the Scarlett Knights in the early going on Thursday afternoon.

The freshman back had run for 512 yards and five touchdowns during the regular season, while also catching seven passes for 62 yards. He was a solid complement to fellow running back Henry Parrish Jr., who has totaled 579 yards this season.

Andy Staples picks Rutgers to win Pinstripe Bowl

Miami was already down several players going into the Pinstripe Bowl, even before the Mark Fletcher injury. For that reason, On3’s Andy Staples felt like Rutgers was the pick to win.

“I don’t know that Rutgers, which is a 1.5-point favorite, has that big of an advantage because of the weather,” Staples said. “But, yes, Rutgers is a 1.5-point favorite and Miami does not have Tyler Van Dyke, Colbie Young, Don Chanie, two-fifths of its offensive line, Kam Kinchens, Leonard Taylor on the d-line — that’s a lot to not have when Rutgers has almost everything.”

Staples noted that he might not have picked Rutgers if both teams were at full strength, but that wasn’t the case in Thursday’s game.

“I think I’m going to take Rutgers in this game because you mentioned if they were at full strength, I’m not sure but I think that would have been a pretty good game between Rutgers and Miami. Because Miami, other than the FSU game where they played a little bit above their skis, I don’t know that Miami played — well, Texas A&M, I guess.”