Why Adrian Martinez promised one K-State receiver an expensive meal after beating OU

Adrian Martinez used to be known for fumbles and interceptions, but he hasn’t lost a single turnover since he became the starting quarterback at Kansas State.

He is proud of that statistic. So much so, that he promised one of his receivers an expensive dinner for helping him stay turnover free during the Wildcats’ 41-34 victory over Oklahoma last weekend.

“I told him I owe him a meal and maybe something more after that,” Martinez said.

Malik Knowles was the receiver who helped Martinez get away with a questionable throw late in the first quarter against the Sooners.

Here’s what happened: Oklahoma got pressure on Martinez on a passing play when he was hoping to throw deep to Knowles on a double-move route. That forced Martinez to scramble to his left inside the pocket and throw a wobbly pass down field that looked like it was destined for an interception with Oklahoma safety Billy Bowman standing in perfect position to come up with a pick.

But Knowles didn’t let that happen. He switched from receiver to defensive back and broke up the potential interception by shoving Bowman to the ground as the ball fell into his hands.

“We had a double move on and really I didn’t have my feet set,” Martinez said. “The ball came out a little goofy. That’s a small play when you look at it over the course of the game, but it was a huge play for us.”

Shortly afterward, Martinez thanked Knowles for bailing him out.

“It speaks to Malik,” Martinez said. “Not every receiver is going to go do that. He laid it on the line so we wouldn’t turn over the ball and he protected me ... That gives me a lot of confidence in Malik, and it speaks to our team because he’s putting the team first. He realizes what’s on the line and he went and did it.”

Martinez also rewarded Knowles by targeting the senior K-State receiver seven times. They connected on four throws for 52 yards and a touchdown.

When he was at Nebraska, Martinez only had one four-game stretch that didn’t feature an interception. He has already matched that streak in his first four games with the Wildcats.

His turnover issues with the Cornhuskers have been well documented, as he threw 30 interceptions and lost way too many fumbles during his four years in Lincoln. But mistakes haven’t been an issue for him in Manhattan.

Martinez seemed so dead set on not turning the ball over that he played too cautiously in his first three games. Then he kicked it into high gear and had a turnover-free game while accounting for 382 yards and five touchdowns against the Sooners.

All of those numbers mean a great deal to him.

He wants to remain turnover free for as long as he possibly can.

“It’s a big thing,” Knowles said. “The turnover stat is one of the biggest in football, and wanting to balance that with being aggressive. Turnovers are going to happen. It’s part of the game. But you want to limit those and (having zero turnovers) is something that I’m proud of. We have to stay consistent with that.”