Tech DC preps for 'Cats QB he knows from way back

When Texas Tech goes up against No. 25 Kansas State on Saturday, Red Raiders defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter will see a different Adrian Martinez than the one he first encountered. This Adrian Martinez has been shaving for years — he sports a beard and mustache now, as a matter of fact. He's also one of the most experienced quarterbacks in college football with 42 career starts over five seasons.

The Martinez that DeRuyter first knew was a kid at Clovis West High School in Fresno, California, when DeRuyter was head coach at Fresno State. That kid already had a reputation, however.

"I watched him play one time," DeRuyter said Monday, "and then he was on our campus a few times on unofficial visits, because he was still young at that time. I think he was a freshman or sophomore back then."

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Two years ago, before a Texas Tech game against Iowa State, then-Red Raiders defensive coordinator Keith Patterson noted he'd known record-setting Cyclones passer Brock Purdy from when Patterson was on staff at Arizona State and Purdy was a high-school quarterback in a Phoenix suburb less than 20 miles away. Patterson poked fun at himself, saying he asked Purdy to walk on with the Sun Devils.

DeRuyter was more prescient in pursuit of Martinez.

"I offered him a scholarship back at Fresno State, if that's what you're wondering," DeRuyter said. "Heck, yeah. I knew he was going to be a really good player. I think we might have been the first team to offer him a scholarship. ... But he had a lot of attention from a lot of schools."

Martinez signed with Nebraska and started 38 games for the Cornhuskers from 2018 through 2021, setting multiple school records including the ones for career total offense and passes completed. He had his name entered into the NCAA transfer portal this off-season and chose Kansas State.

The 6-foot-3, 225-pound fifth-year senior went into this season as one of two active quarterbacks in the FBS with at least 8,000 yards in career passing and at least 2,000 in career rushing.

Times are good at the moment for both DeRuyter and Martinez. With Tech coming off a 37-34 upset of Texas, DeRuyter has the Red Raiders ranking No. 27 in the FBS in rushing defense and No. 38 in total defense.

One of Martinez's finest hours came last week. In a Saturday night prime-time game, Martinez led Kansas State to a 41-34 upset of Oklahoma, throwing for 234 yards and one touchdown and rushing for 148 yards and four TDs. His TD runs went for 6, 3, 15 and 1 yard. Late in the game, he dashed 55 yards on third-and-16, which kept the Wildcats from having to punt with a seven-point lead and more than two minutes left.

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The Big 12 named him offensive player of the week on Monday.

"He's a true dual-threat guy that they're going to have designed quarterback runs," Tech coach Joey McGuire said. "He can fly. I'm watching guys (defensive players) take angles that you think are good angles, and he's just eatin' up grass and destroying."

Martinez has knocked out remarkably consistent rushing-yardage totals over the course of his career: 629 yards in 2018, 626 in 2019, 521 in 2020 and 525 in 2021. Keep in mind, those totals are after yards lost to sacks are deducted. He's on pace for a fifth consecutive 500-yard rushing season with 298 this year, and he has 41 career rushing touchdowns.

Opposing defensive coordinators now have another weapon to account for when putting together a plan against Kansas State. Deuce Vaughn, the Wildcats' pint-sized dynamo at running back, presents problems enough. The 5-foot-6 senior from Round Rock Cedar Ridge has more than 3,400 yards from scrimmage and 34 career touchdowns.

Vaughn has 15 career 100-yard rushing performances and Martinez has eight.

"This is almost like playing a triple-option team," McGuire said, "because you've got to have somebody who's got the running back. You've got to have somebody that's got the quarterback, so you've got to be really disciplined and you've got to take good angles to the football.

"But there's sometimes, too, that they're just running quarterback zone or quarterback sweep. It's going to be a tough task. I thought our guys did a good job tackling on Saturday (against Texas), but this is a different animal, because you can get caught up with your eyes on Deuce, and then the next thing you know, Martinez is coming out and he's flying down the sideline."

College football

Who: Texas Tech at Kansas State

When: 11 a.m. Saturday

Where: Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Manhattan, Kansas

Online streaming: ESPN+

Records: Texas Tech 3-1, 1-0 in the Big 12; Kansas State 3-1, 1-0

Rankings (AP/coaches poll): Texas Tech receiving votes/receiving votes; Kansas State 25/receiving votes

Last game: Texas Tech 37, Texas 34 (OT); Kansas State 41, Oklahoma 34

Last meeting: Kansas State 25, Texas Tech 24 last year in Lubbock

Line: Kansas State by 8

Fast fact: Kansas State has won the past six games in the series.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech DC Tim DeRuyter preps for 'Cats QB he knows from way back