Why has Damien Martinez underperformed this year?

Miami's star running back, Damien Martinez, is averaging a full yard-and-a-half less than he did his two years at Oregon State. He has four touchdowns on the year, but only one is longer than two yards. Will he get on track this year or is this what we should expect the rest of the way?

Miami fans should temper expectations if they think Martinez will revert to his Oregon State levels of usage, but he can still improve in terms of efficiency. There are a few reasons why Martinez has been disappointing. First and foremost is the Hurricanes' crowded backfield.

In 2023, Martinez was a lock to touch the ball 15-25 times a game as Oregon State's bell cow. Through five games this year, his high mark for touches in a game is 16, achieving that number in the victories against Florida and Virginia Tech. In the other three games, he's touched the ball three times, 12 times, and 13 times.

Miami wants to employ a rushing attack featuring Martinez. Mark Fletcher Jr., Jordan Lyle, and Chris Johnson Jr. Martinez won't be forced to carry the load with such a deep and talented RB room, and so far, he's only accounted for roughly 26 percent of Miami's rushing yards this year after recording 53 percent of Oregon State's rushing yards a year ago.

It can take a player out of their groove if they're spending more time on the sideline than they're used to, but Martinez has never really found a groove this year, even early in games. As an example, Martinez rushed for three yards on three carries early on against Ball State, and then never saw the field again due to the lopsided nature of the game.

Miami fans shouldn't expect Martinez to shoulder much of the load, especially when the other RBs are performing well, but they should certainly expect more efficiency. Perhaps that comes down to the running scheme. Perhaps it comes down to the offensive line not being able to open up big enough holes.

Regardless of the reason, Miami needs to figure out how to get the two-time First Team All-Pac-12 rusher going. Even if he only touches the ball 10-15 times per game, we should expect six or seven yards per carry. We'll see how Miami utilizes Martinez in their upcoming matchup against Cal and for the rest of the season.