MANHATTAN — Kansas State didn’t bring Adrian Martinez to Manhattan just to be a distributor and facilitator.
The Wildcats were looking for a dynamic playmaker to take new coordinator Collin Klein’s offense to another level.
And yet, there were no complaints when Martinez, the fifth-year transfer graduate from Nebraska, left after three quarters of work Saturday night in a comfortable 34-0 season-opening win over South Dakota.
Sure, the sellout crowd of 50,469 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium might have clamored for more than Martinez’s rather pedestrian stat line of 53 passes and 39 rushing yards. But the perspective inside the K-State locker room was very different.
What the yardage totals couldn’t show was Martinez’s efficiency (11 of 15 passes with at least two knockdowns) and the fact that there were no turnovers.
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“I thought he handled everything really well for the first time,” K-State coach Chris Klieman said of Martinez’s debut. “We changed a lot of things offensively. We weren’t what he was wearing last year or even anything in the (Texas) Bowl.
“We were up to speed most of the time, and I thought our operation was really good. I think Adrian did a really good job with the operational stuff.”
Martinez took three sacks but also struggled for the first few downs when his protection broke. And since the Wildcats averaged 6.6 yards per carry in the running game, there was no need to air it out.
“It felt great. First experience at The Bill and just taking what they gave us,” Martinez said. “I think they didn’t want us to take deep shots and play a lot (with receivers), and the running game was working really well.
“You always have to be patient and take what they give you.”
Sure enough, 297 of K-State’s 392 total yards came on the ground, led by Deuce Vaughn’s 126 yards. Backup running back DJ Giddens added 57 yards on six attempts and got his first career touchdown.
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As a result, Martinez played it safe most of the night with his longest completion of 10 yards on an over-the-middle pass to tight end Sammy Wheeler. He only threw deep a couple of times.
“Let the machine work, right?” Martinez said. “We have a lot of great playmakers.
“We’ve got Deuce (Vaughn), we’ve got Malik (Knowles) and Phil (Brooks). We’ve got guys, so if I need to spread out or I need to make a big play, I think those things will work.” happen naturally.”
Klieman, for his part, remained confident the airstrike would come.
“It didn’t find its footing, but I think we can shore it up and clean it up,” he said. “It doesn’t worry me at all because I’ve seen us operate at a really high level shooting the ball all fall camp.
“It’s something we’ll continue to work on, but I’m not worried about it. We may need to throw the ball and we need to continue to be more efficient.”
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A fast start allowed the Wildcats to pick and choose in the passing game. Wide receiver Malik Knowels’ 75-yard touchdown run in a final around 10 seconds, and a Desmond Purnell 17-yard scoop and Seth Porter’s blocked punt touchdown had K-State up 14-0 under. midway through the first quarter.
Vaughn added a 39-yard touchdown run to complete the 20-point first quarter and the defense took it from there with its first shutout since a 52-0 win over Bowling Green in 2019.
Vaughn was more than pleased with what he saw from Martinez.
“I think he did well,” Vaughn said. “He was a game manager and he made plays with his legs with the ball in his hands, and when we brought him in we told him that’s what he’s going to have to do.
“He did a great job, I think, and we’re just going to build on this first game.”
And by keeping the ball on the ground (they only attempted 19 passes in 64 plays), the Wildcats showed very little of the passing game to Missouri, which visits Manhattan next week.
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“We were able to run the ball pretty well to the point where if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” Vaughn said. “To be able to keep some of those things in the shadows until next week, to keep some of the plays that we could have made tonight in the shadows, unlike a team like Missouri, is a great moment.”
Martinez was very happy to pass the ball to Vaughn instead of trying to stretch the defense.
“I think our offensive line was doing a really good job up front, creating good holes in the running game, and Deuce was obviously doing a great job as well,” he said. “And that’s what the game required.”
What’s more, it was fair play for Martinez, whose biggest blow in Nebraska was his penchant for turning the ball over.
“That’s definitely a point of emphasis and something that Kansas State is known for,” he said. “And I want to be true to that.
“We had some mental mistakes tonight, but as long as we don’t beat ourselves up, I think we have a very good chance against anybody.”
Klieman agreed.
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“We probably missed a couple of chances. Sometimes there were protection issues and sometimes we maybe didn’t locate a receiver,” he said. “But I thought (Martinez) played very well and I thought he played within himself.
“The only thing is we don’t turn the ball over, and if you don’t turn the ball over and block a punt and run the ball for 297 yards, good things are going to happen.”
If that means Martinez has to wait to display the skills that led him to a school record 10,000 yards of total offense at Nebraska, then so be it.
“If that’s what the game requires and that’s what this team needs, then that’s what I’m going to be,” Martinez said. “I think we have a lot of playmakers, and I don’t need to put the team on my back per se.
“I have to do what Coach CK (Klein) wants me to do and what this team needs, and tonight he was maybe a little bit more of a dealer, game manager type. But we got the win and that’s what matters. “
Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett Network. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @arnegreen.