Did you know that Taylor Martinez can make radical 70 degree jump cuts in less time than it takes an arrow to leave a bow? Well now you do.
And while that classic Sport Science clip doesn’t entirely encompass what super sophomore T-Magic does for Nebraska, it’s a good indicator: he runs often, he gets a ton of yards, and he scores touchdowns. Some brief stats:
- Martinez averaged 5.96 yards per carry last year on his way to 965 yards and 12 TD’s
- Martinez is averaging about 15 carries and 105 yards a game so far this year, which makes him a top-20 rusher in the FBS (albeit through the Cornhuskers’ soft non-conference schedule so far)
- Martinez has 7 touchdowns on the ground this year. I’m not someone who’s taken a math class in 3 years, but that’s almost 2 per game on top of his one passing TD per game so far
- Martinez is not alone–junior running back Rex Burkhead has LITERALLY IDENTICAL RUSHING STATS, meaning he is also a top-20 FBS rusher
- Nebraska has gone 10-0 when Martinez rushes for at least 50 yards
- Martinez threw five (5) touchdowns and added 112 rushing yards in a 51-41 win over #13 Oklahoma State last year
So, Martinez is really good. It’s easy to try and compare him to Russell Wilson, but there are a lot of similarities. They’ve both faced criticism of their passing skills. They’re now both the stars of their respective offenses. They’re both the first person any opposing defense needs to figure out how to stop. They both have bruising offensive lines and dangerous running backs. They’re both putting up huge numbers. They’re both Heisman trophy candidates. They both embody a promise to raise their teams to national glory once more. They’re both down-to-earth, bright, and willing leaders (if you’re inclined to believe things like New York Times and Sports Illustrated articles). So what’s the difference?
It comes down to one more stat: Martinez has a 50% completion percentage this year. Wilson is at 75%, and he has merely twice as many incompletions (22) as touchdowns (11) through the air.
In other words, Martinez is an incredible zone-read and option runner who can throw the ball effectively; Wilson is an incredible pro-style passer who can scramble effectively.
Honestly, at the rate each of these offenses is producing points and yards, you can take your pick as to which one you like more. The only problem for Nebraska is that if Wisconsin is able to gameplan effectively and take away the running game, there is a bit of a question as to how Martinez will be able to respond with his throws. For Wisconsin, you can trust the rush attack and you can trust Wilson passing downfield.
But that’s not to dismiss any Cornhusker trust in Martinez. Make no mistake, Wilson and Martinez are equally capable of delivering a victory this Saturday, and delivering a statement to the Big Ten, national media, pollsters and fans alike. There’s really only one way to describe the anticipation for this matchup:
Taylor Martinez Has The Chills
I’ve got chills throughout my boday too, Taylor. I’ve got the chills too.