After rushing for 179 yards in the Pop-Tarts Bowl on Saturday, running back Damien Martinez became the first Miami player to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season since 2016. Mark Walton had 1,117 rushing yards in 2016. Included for Martinez on Saturday was a career-high 75-yard TD run.
Martinez finished the season with 159 carries for 1,002 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns and added career highs of 17 receptions for 204 yards. Saturday was the second 100-yard game of the season for Martinez, Martinez previously had 15 carries for 148 yards and two TDs in a 36-14 Miami win over Florida State.
Martinez, Mark Fletcher Jr. and Jordan Lyle combined for 39 carries for 308 yards and two rushing TDs on Saturday. Fletcher Jr. had 12 carries for 62 yards and a TD and Lyle had nine for 34. Martinez was consistent for most of the season with at least 60 rushing yards in 10 games this season.
Martinez committed to Miami in the spring transfer portal. Miami quarterback Cam Ward who committed in January and Martinez played against each other in the Pac-12 during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Martinez did not have to carry Miami offensively as he often did during his two seasons with Oregon State.
Damien Martinez: New career high (179 yards) and now over 1,000 yards on the season.
— Christy Chirinos (@ChristyChirinos) December 28, 2024
Martinez went over 1,000 yards for the second consecutive season. In 2023 with Oregon State, Martinez ran for 1,185 yards with nine TDs. Martinez nearly had three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, rushing for 982 yards and seven TDs as a true freshman at Oregon State in 2022.
Martinez now has 3,169 rushing yards with 26 touchdowns and 32 receptions for 391 yards. As a junior, Martinez has the option of entering the NFL Draft or returning for a final season in college. Most speculation expects Martinez to leave for the 2025 NFL Draft.