How Adrian Martinez turned a big weakness at Nebraska into a strength at Kansas State

Adrian Martinez has dropped back in the pocket and attempted 138 passes since he took over as Kansas State’s starting quarterback this season.

Given his well-documented issues with turnovers over the past four years at Nebraska, one might expect that he has thrown a handful of interceptions by now. After all, he averaged one interception per every 35 throws while he was playing for the Cornhuskers.

But that ratio didn’t follow Martinez across state lines when he opted for a fresh start with the Wildcats this year. Martinez hasn’t thrown a single interception in a purple uniform. He is one of only two quarterbacks in all of college football who has attempted more than 100 passes and not lost a turnover while doing so. The other is Vanderbilt QB AJ Swann, who has thrown 133 passes this season.

The biggest knock on Martinez has always been that he didn’t know how to protect the ball. That has quickly turned into one of his biggest strengths.

“It’s a big hats-off to the scheme that he is in now,” K-State receiver Kade Warner said. “It’s more of a pro-style offense that allows him to play free. We get guys open in space, and he can get the ball out quick. He doesn’t have to do a whole lot to succeed. He can just get the ball to his guys and let them do the rest. It’s cool to see playing free these last couple games and playing in an exciting manner, but also taking care of the football.”

How has Martinez evolved into the type of quarterback who can make plays while avoiding turnovers?

It was easy to explain why Martinez wasn’t turning the ball over in his first three games with the Wildcats. He wasn’t taking any chances. The senior looked so hesitant against South Dakota, Missouri and Tulane that K-State only amassed a combined total of 304 passing yards in those games.

But he has been much more dynamic since, leading K-State to wins over Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Iowa State while piling up 992 all-purpose yards. All the while, he only threw one turnover-worthy pass.

K-State offensive coordinator Collin Klein, who rarely turned the ball over when he played quarterback for the Wildcats, has helped Martinez learn how to play both smart and aggressive.

“It’s something we emphasize and something that he’s conscious of,” K-State coach Chris Klieman said of Martinez. “In a tight ball game maybe it is a turnover here or there that can flip the tide of a game. He understands that sometimes he has to check the ball down or tuck it away and maybe a punt isn’t a bad thing rather than forcing a throw.

“That is part of it. The other part of it is that he is really mature and has played a lot of football.”

For the record, Klieman says that Martinez has thrown a few interceptions in practice this season. He did that more often than coaches would have liked when he first arrived on campus, but he learned from those mistakes and is now making good, safe decisions in games.

K-State defenders say it is now rare to come up with a pick against Martinez, even in a practice setting. He is excellent at looking one way and throwing another.

“Adrian is great with the football,” K-State safety Drake Cheatum said. “It bothers me when he is looking all over the place with his eyes. I can’t get a good read on him. I have gotten him maybe once or twice, but it isn’t too often that we get an interception against Adrian. He does an excellent job taking care of the football.”

Martinez was asked earlier this week if he thought he was a better quarterback today than he was when he left Nebraska. He nodded immediately and backed up his answer with one key statistic.

One of his biggest weaknesses at Nebraska has become a strength at K-State.

“Turnovers would be the easy thing to point to,” Martinez said. “It’s something I have wanted to work on. I think that stems from preparation and Coach Klein and what we are doing offensively.”