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Adrian Martinez
Quarterback
On physical strain of playing seven consecutive games
“It’s part of football and you’re never truly going to be 100 percent. Once the season gets going, you get nicks and bruises. But we have one game until bye week, so I know that the teams know that and we’re going to push through.”
On mental and physical toughness of playing without interruption
“Each week is a building block. If you don’t take care of yourself in week three, then you may not deal with the consequences of week four but you probably will during week eight. Continuing to stay consistent with taking care of your body and nutrition and sleep all adds up.”
On the importance between the mental versus physical aspects of playing
“It’s hard to say. I would say that it’s a balancing act and it's all inclusive. You have to take care of all of those aspects. If one of those parts is missing it makes it a lot tougher to handle.”
On takeaways from the game
“I feel really good about the way that our team played. We fought our ass off and battled. There were a couple mistakes on my end and some as a unit, but we’re getting those things cleaned up. I’m proud of the way that these guys battled. We’re going to take away the positive things from that game and transfer it on to Minnesota.”
On mistakes Martinez would have corrected in hindsight
“The fumble play is the biggest thing. Just continuing to be aware and hold on as tight as possible to that ball. It’s hard to really see anything else there from that play.”
On strategy toward Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson
“He’s a really good player. I think that we knew that going into the game he was going to make some plays, but we were going to make some plays as well. Outside of that it was more about having faith in those guys to handle them. I wouldn't say that there is anything incredibly specific. He’s a player that you have to be aware of out on the field. I know that in some instances we kept our running back and our tight end in protection, or sometimes both. He’s just a guy that you have to be aware of.”
On stepping up in the pocket
“That’s accurate. Then those guys wheel them around me and continue to step up in the pocket. Some of that's every week. This past week those guys were pretty wide and they would definitely pin their ears back and get up the field.”
On the team's ability to bounce back
“Part of it’s the work that we put in and part of it is what I saw in practice today. I know that after the week we lost to Michigan State that this team knows how to battle. We still know how good of a team we are despite our record. We know what we’re capable of. We still have some big games on the schedule and the biggest one is Minnesota. Lucky enough we play in a great conference where each week is another great opponent and these guys are ready to answer the call. We haven't given up on each other. I have a lot of confidence in these guys, and I know it's mutual between all of us.”
On thoughts about offensive lineman Bryce Benhart’s role in the game
“He’s not alone in an experience like that of being benched and then thrown right back into the middle of the game. Benhart’s well-equipped to handle it. Coach Austin has done a good job of making sure that room is really competitive right now. I thought he did a really good job of stepping in when he was called on in the last game. It’s a grind and it's mentally and physically challenging to answer that call. He’s a tough guy and he wants it. I truly believe that he has passion for football and to be a great player so he’s going to make it through.”
On his own experience coming in and out of games in past seasons
“It was challenging from a competitive standpoint. Especially mentally and physically. I think that some of those lessons were different for me than this particular example. But for me it was this big experience learning that I had an impact outside of just the role that I was playing as the starting quarterback. Being the second string guy for a little bit and having that leadership impact that I was able to have on the team meant a lot to me and kind of showed.”
On the effects of running the ball early in the game
“Running games are essential regardless and that's something that we’re always going to want to develop. We’ve definitely grown in our abilities to have big plays throwing the ball. I think that the option game and running game has played a critical role in that.”
On Minnesota’s competition
“They are a group that flies. They’re physical. Nothing that's necessarily new in the Big Ten. I know that they’re going to be ready to play, but they always have been and they've gotten our number the last couple of years. They’re a good group and they’re going to be physical with us and we have to respond and execute.”
On playing in the Big Ten
“It’s a little tricky. I’ve gotten into this discussion before about the way that I viewed certain teams or players or if I played them again now how would I view them. The level of play is really high right now and each week you have to be on. I truly believe that each team is capable of beating each other, so it’s a tough and fun league.”
On improvement of the Big Ten Conference as a whole
“I would say so, but our team is also a really good team. We can be in a completely different spot if we can get a couple of those plays cleaned up.”
On maintaining toughness throughout the ongoing stress of the season
“I think that all the combined experiences from the past years and the work done off the field has helped me to be where I’m at now to handle the whole deal and turn into the player that I’ve wanted to become. That’s a really high compliment coming from him and in general. Coach Frost has said something to the team about if you want to be remembered as a tough player. That’s probably one of the highest compliments you can receive from your peers.”
On deserving a better fate
“No that’ll be for a later date. All you can do is work your tail off and continue to work and push forward and have faith that things will work out. Prepare, work your tail off and let the chips fall where they may. At the end of the night I can lay down knowing I have everything I had and that's what it’s about for me.”
NU Athletic Communications
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