Damien Martinez injury update: What happened to Miami RB in Pop-Tarts Bowl?

Miami's Damien Martinez left the Pop-Tarts Bowl against Iowa State late in the fourth quarter following what seemed an arm injury. The injury came after a seven-yard run in which the running back went through a lot of contact and came out of it holding his arm. At the time, there were 14 minutes left on the clock and Miami led the Cyclones 38-35.

Martinez had been key for the Canes, especially in the second half of the game following the benching of Cameron Ward. After Emory Williams took to the center of the huddle, Mario Cristobal started to rely more on the running game which led Damien Martinez to rise up to 179 rushing yards for the game. He also scored one rushing touchdown.

However, his contributions weren't enough for the Hurricanes to secure a win. The U lost the game in the final minute of the fourth quarter, with Cyclones quarterback Rocco Becht scoring a one-yard rushing touchdown.

Miami did get one more offensive drive, with 53 seconds left on the clock. However, it ended with an interception by Emory Williams when he attempted to throw a Hail Mary pass with zero seconds left in the clock. He was intercepted by Drew Surges.

Miami's Mario Cristobal on the defeat to Iowa State

Speaking with ESPN after the game, Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal had this to say about the unexpected defeat to the Cyclones:

"Disappointed that we couldn't pull out a victory, these guys have always fought and always competed and this was no exception. ... It's painful. It's as painful as it gets when you don't win. But there's a lot to build on.”

Cristobal is likely to be heavily criticized for his decision to pull Heisman finalist Cameron Ward out of the game at halftime. Miami's offense seemed to stymie in the fourth quarter, as the running game became less effective following Damien Martinez's injury. Cristobal also seemed reluctant to put more faith in Emory Williams, who only had six pass plays before the final drive.