Rutgers running back Joe Martinek has struggled so far to recapture the success he had running the football last season. But he said he is unconcerned and focused on the team's success.Last year, Joe Martinek made running the football so easy. There was a straight-forward and simple formula for success:
1) Snap the ball.
2) Turn around.
3) Hand Joe Martinek the football.
The rest was all by the book. The then-sophomore running back was filtered into the offense last season as a spot back, but quickly became the team’s home-run weapon. So when this season began, the buzz around the Hopatcong native began to build. Expectations were heightened.
So far, it hasn’t gone the way anyone intended it to.
"I think I’ve gotten better," Martinek said earlier this week. "My confidence is up. But I’m not getting too worried with how things have gone now -- that they haven’t gone the way they did last year. I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing and things will come around."
Rutgers is certainly hoping that’s the case.
Heading into Saturday evening’s game against Florida International, Martinek has struggled to recapture the success he had last season. Though the 2009 season is a scant two games old, Martinek has struggled so far, averaging a mere 3.7 yards per carry.
In the season-opener against defending Big East champion Cincinnati, Martinek began the game as the starter. Rutgers began the game with a heavy dose of running the football, but Martinek could only pick up small bits of yardage — not the big gains the Scarlet Knights were accustomed to last year.
"The only thing that’s really been frustrating was the first game," Martinek said, referring to Rutgers’ season-opening 47-15 loss to the Bearcats. "We didn’t win. We didn’t do a whole lot as an offense. But it doesn’t matter about me. As long as we run the ball and get the win, it’s good with me."
Still, with Rutgers’ running game struggling, winning games will likely mean more of a dose of Martinek.
Against Cincinnati, Martinek had 54 yards on 15 carries and reached the end zone once. That performance was chalked up to the all-around failure of the Scarlet Knights’ offense to get anything going against a Bearcats defense that was all over the field.
But last weekend against Howard, Martinek not only struggled once again (gaining only 38 yards on 10 carries), but also saw his time on the field slashed. Jourdan Brooks received the lion’s share of carries, gaining 124 carries and scoring three touchdowns.
So is Martinek worried about losing time in the future?
He says no. He says he isn’t concerned about anything except for winning.
"I think we’re all trying to move on to the next game," he said. "We’re going over all of our offensive schemes and do our best in practice. Try to find what works in the game."
Part of Martinek’s struggles can traced back to two factors that are out of his control: the inability of the offensive to create running lanes and other teams now have a season’s worth of team on which to game plan against.
Greg Schiano feels that it might be equal parts of both.
"I think it’s always a combination," Schiano said following practice this week. "Running the football effectively is not that complicated, but it is not easy to do. It’s one guy slipping off of one block. Running the ball is more team-oriented that even the passing game. You can get one guy running fast and you drop back and throw it to him, like two guys playing basketball out there.
"Running the ball takes everyone. It’s team offense. I think (Martinek) just hasn’t kicked it into high gear yet. We’ve just got to keep working at it, we’re getting better."
Right now, Martinek is content to continue to put his head down and keep pushing until he find what works to get him back to last year’s form. Perhaps it comes in the film room or perhaps it’ll just take one five- or 10-yard run to get things going.
Either way, Martinek’s going to keep searching until he finds the right mix.
"That can’t happen if I don’t prepare and keep working hard," he said. "That’s what I’m trying to do. If it happens, it happens, I’m not going to put my head down. I’m going to keep trying to run someone over or run around someone. Just keep doing what I’m doing."
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