I Expect a Big Season from Doug Martin

In his career thus far, Boise State running back Doug Martin has proven to be the go-to guy when Boise State needed a goal-line touchdown (Fiesta Bowl 2009) and a breakaway touchdown to spur the team to victory (2010 Las Vegas Bowl).  Martin has that rare combination of innate toughness and blazing speed that few running backs have.  That is one of several reasons why I look for Martin to have a sensational senior year.

Martin is a back you can count on in short-yardage situations and a guy that can also get you the 80-yard touchdown to break the game open.  From the time he was Boise State Scout Player of the Year, the Bronco coaches knew they had to find a way to get him on the field.  Originally thought to be a strong competitor for Boise State's all-important "nickle" position on defense, Martin switched to running back when Winston Venable stepped up out of junior college to become a stud at that position.

Martin has excelled since moving back to offense.  Despite not being a starter, Martin led the Broncos with 15 rushing touchdowns and averaged 5.9 yards a pop in 2009.  Martin played considerably more last year and ran for 1,260 yards, 12 touchdowns and a 6.3 average.  So we know the guy has the talent to put forth a monster year.

He'll need to.  Boise State lost star tailback Jeremy Avery to graduation and Matt Kaiserman to too many concussions.  And one can not begin to predict what D.J. Harper will do.  Harper was granted another year of eligibility because of injuries each of the past two seasons.  Behind those two are a couple of walk-ons and a freshman.  While each of those backs can get the job done, Martin has far and away the most carries, the most experience and the most durability.  I don't question at all that Martin could handle 25-30 carries a game.

Talent, durability, depth--those are three reasons why Martin should have an amazing year.  Another has to do with the loss of Titus Young and Austin Pettis.  Those two by all rights should both be drafted in the first round if NFL scouts have a clue (I'm not in the camp that thinks they do.)  Nevertheless, both are huge losses to the receiving corps.  Let me start off this part by saying that if I was out on the field, Kellen Moore would find a way to get me the ball; in other words, I don't think you have to be a great talent to catch some footballs this fall.  So I'm not worried in the least about the Boise State passing game.  But let's face it--you do have some drop-off at receiver when you lose Austin Pettis and Titus Young.  The younger receivers (Hiwat, Burks, Potter, perhaps Miller) will eventually grow into their new roles.

But in the meantime, you want yards you can count on from the get-go, especially in the season opener against Georgia.  The same is true for the rest of the early part of the schedule, until the receivers named above can "get in their groove".  Again, that is not to say that the Bronco passing game will suffer--it won't.  But with Martin, you have the proven, known commodity who you know can get it done in the clutch and get the tough yards.

It's never good to put a number out there as to what I think he'll rush for so I won't do that.  Just suffice it to say that Martin should explode for his best season as a Bronco.