Miami’s Damien Martinez scores three TDs
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Carlos Leon-Trejo, Contributor
- September 23, 2024
Damien Martinez made the most out of his carries
Miami running back Damien Martinez didn’t have many rushing yards, but nobody in college football did more with his carries. The Oregon State transfer scored his first three touchdowns of the season Saturday.
Martinez, a junior from Lewisville, Texas, scored on almost a third of his carries. He rushed for 31 yards on 11 carries in a 50-15 rout over South Florida.
Martinez opened the scoring with a 2-yard run with 11:30 to play in the first quarter. He accounted for Miami’s two touchdowns in the third quarter with a pair of 1-yard runs.
Damien Martinez rolls
The 6-foot, 232-pounder powered his way to cash in on scoring opportunities. Damien Martinez also made two catches for 50 yards.
Damien Martinez was Our Esquina’s Latino Football Player of the Week for Week 4. It’s the first time he has been selected for the honor this season after earning such honor multiple times over the past two seasons at Oregon State.
Here is how other Latino standouts performed:
Xavier Restrepo reaches 2,000 yards
Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Xavier Restrepo made a 16-yard catch to become the 10th receiver in Hurricanes history with 2,000 receiving yards.
The 5-foot-10 senior caught six passes for 99 yards and a touchdown. With five touchdowns and 362 yards this season, Restrepo solidified himself as one of the most consistent receivers in the country.
With five receiving touchdowns, Restrepo leads the ACC in receiving touchdowns.
Miami tight end Elijah Arroyo contributed to the Hurricanes’ dominant victory. The towering 6-foot-4, 245-pounder hauled in two catches for 25 yards. Arroyo’s big frame and reliable hands have been a major factor this season. He has racked up 184 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Miami kicker Andres Borregales was perfect in 6-for-6 in field goals. The Miami native has been flawless in points after touchdowns this season, contributing a total of 36 points to the team’s success.
Trebor Peña surpasses 100-yard receiving mark
Syracuse wide receiver Trebor Peña caught 10 passes for 101 yards in a 26-24 loss to Stanford. The native of the Bronx is tied for second in the ACC in receiving touchdowns with four.
South Alabama quarterback Gio Lopez did it all in a 48-14 rout over App State. He completed 16 of 24 passes for 154 passing yards and two touchdowns. He added 105 rushing yards with one touchdown on seven carries.
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia almost led the Commodores to an upset victory over No. 7 Missouri. The graduate transfer completed 14 of 23 passes for 178 passing yards and two touchdowns.
Pavia also rushed for a team-high 84 yards on 17 carries. Unfortunately for Pavia, Missouri beat Vanderbilt 30-27 in double overtime.
More College Football
Our Esquina College Football Player of the Year: Sebastian Castro
App State QB Joey Aguilar sets more records
Sebastian Castro, Xavier Restrepo, Kevin Concepcion lead Latinos in D1 Football
Junior linebacker Jacob Rodriguez led Texas Tech with seven tackles in a victory over Arizona State. Rodriguez has 20 solo tackles and one forced fumble this season.
Aguilar shines in defeat
App State quarterback Joey Aguilar had an impressive game against the South Alabama Jaguars. Aguilar showcased his arm strength with a 47-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Dalton Stroman.
Despite completing 21 of 40 passes for 266 yards with one interception, App State fell short against the Jaguars, losing 48-14. UCLA wide receiver Logan Loya caught an 11-yard touchdown pass to help the Bruins head into halftime tied at 17 at LSU.
The senior finished with four catches for 46 yards. Sophomore Rico Flores Jr made four catches for 27 yards for the Bruins. Senior linebacker had seven tackles, five solo, for UCLA.
Penn State linebacker Tony Rojas had two tackles in a 56-0 rout over Kent State. Iowa safety Sebastian Castro had four tackles in the victory over Minnesota.
Colorado junior kicker Alejandro Mata kicked a 43-yard field goal in the second quarter to help the Buffaloes tie the game against Baylor. Mata has been perfect on extra points this season, going 14-for-14. The Buffaloes defeated Baylor 31-38 in overtime with Mata accounting for eight crucial points.
Carlos Leon-Trejo
Contributor
Carlos Leon-Trejo is a co-host on the Bring on the Blitz! podcast on the Our Esquina network. A graduate of the University of Houston-Victoria, Leon-Trejo teaches fifth grade math and science in Houston ISD.
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