Why Quinton Martin Jr. Hasn't Played a Bigger Role in Penn State's Offense

Penn State offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser knew before he arrived at Beaver Stadum on Tuesday that he would be fielding questions about the team’s run game.

“To say that I wasn’t thrilled with where the run game's at would be an understatement,” Mouser said. “I feel like there's a lot of growth to be had there.”

But specifically, he knew he’d be asked about running back Quinton Martin Jr., who didn’t see a snap offensively during last Saturday’s 27-9 win over Temple. Martin didn't take his first snap of the opening game against Marshall until the third quarter.

There’s been a major disconnect between Martin’s playing time and what his coaches have said about him. Campbell has pointed to Martin's 101-yard game against Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl as evidence of his skill. Running backs coach Savon Huggins said in August that the former 4-star recruit has an “unbelievable skill set.”

And Mouser said Tuesday that Martin had a great preseason training camp. Yet Martin has played very little offensively through the first two games.

The Nittany Lions' running backs averaged 4.7 yards per carry against Temple after rushing for 4 yards per carry against Marshall. Penn State is the only Big Ten team without an explosive run play of 20+ yards and is tied for 16th in the Big Ten in carries of 10+ yards (five). Cam Wallace has the team’s longest run, a 16-yarder vs. Marshall.

So why didn’t Martin play an offensive snap against Temple, even though he might be Penn State’s most well-rounded back, and especially when Mouser said that he has earned playing time? The offensive coordinator explained.

“We had a package with Koby [Howard] at running back last week that we wanted to try out and test things out,” Mouser said. “It wasn't a reflection of our lack of trust in Quinton or where he's at. He's good enough to help our football team, and we're going to need that guy to make big plays in big moments this year. And his time's coming, and I have all the trust in him to go out there and play.”

How does Quinton Martin Jr. get more carries?

Penn State Nittany Lions safety Omarion Davis (27) attempts to tackle running back Quinton Martin Jr. (25) during practice. — Penn State Nittany Lions safety Omarion Davis (27) attempts to tackle running back Quinton Martin Jr. (25) during spring practice at Beaver Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Penn State running back Carson Hansen took 70 percent of the carries at Temple, rushing 19 times for 84 yards. That included two direct snaps in the Wildcat offense. Clearly, Mouser and head coach Matt Campbell trust their former running back at Iowa State.

James Peoples ran the ball seven times against Temple, and Mouser also wanted to test that unning package Howard, who got one carry. That didn’t leave much room for Martin.

Mouser said that Martin will play in “big moments” this year. But if that were the case, the back probably would’ve seen the field against Temple, when Hansen, Peoples and Wallace registered at least one touch in what was a close game for nearly three quarters.

Martin, who carried the ball 10 times for 38 yards against Marshall, wasn’t a game-breaker on the ground. But he didn’t struggle to the point that he looked significantly worse than every other back. Saturday’s non-conference game against Buffalo will be Martin’s last chance to prove himself before Big Ten play. If he doesn’t play against the Bulls, it’s hard to say he’ll develop a significant role this season.

Campbell said Tuesday that he sees an offense with “a lot of playmakers” that’s trying to identify its leaders before the Big Ten schedule begins. Campbell also said there’s some “gray area” at running back, which means that the evaluation process will continue for at least another week.

“We've got a lot of guys, and that’s why practice is so critically important right now,” Campbell said. “You’re kind of working through the week, trying to either go with a hot hand or find the guys that are earning the right to either have packages or get critical moments. I just think there's going to be so many guys throughout the season that are going to pop up and showcase themselves.

“Quinton is certainly one of those guys we have great belief in. I think the reality of even that running back room, there's still some gray. That room is going to continue to work itself out as we work through the weeks, work through these games. I think we're grateful there are a lot of guys that can do a lot of things with the ball in their hands. We'll see how practice progresses through this week, for sure”.

No. 14 Penn State hosts Buffalo for a noon ET kickoff Saturday at Beaver Stadium. Big Ten Network will televise.

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