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Kirk Herbstreit calls Nebraska QB Adrian Martinez ‘difference marker’ against Ohio State
By Dave Holcomb
Published:
Vegas expects Ohio State to knock off Nebraska by more than two touchdowns at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln on Saturday night. If the Cornhuskers have any chance at an upset, ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit says Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez is the man to pull it off.
“The difference maker to me, Adrian Martinez,” Herbstreit said according to 247Sports. “His ability to run and throw will be the key, because Ohio State, athletically up front is pretty special. They have some advantages in some key skill spots. How Adrian Martinez plays tonight will be huge, kind of an equalizer between that and the home crowd.”
Martinez won’t be facing the same Ohio State defensive scheme as last season, but in 2018 as a freshman, Martinez went 22 of 33 for 266 yards and a touchdown against the Buckeyes in a very close 36-31 loss at Ohio State. He also chipped in 72 rushing yards and another score on the ground.
He started slowly this season, but Martinez has really been rolling lately. He has completed 61.5 percent of his passes for 1,053 yards and seven touchdowns with two interceptions. He’s averaging 9.7 yards per pass and has 3.8 yards per rush attempt with three rushing scores.
Ohio State holds a 6-1 advantage in the series against Nebraska. The Cornhuskers only win in the series came in 2011. The Buckeyes have won four in a row since then, three of which have come in the last three years.
The Buckeyes are favored by about 17 points in Saturday’s matchup, which will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.