Penn State Notebook: Martin runs for daylight with 1st carries of the year

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NEW YORK – Quinton Martin Jr. didn’t carry the football during the 2025 season.

Until Saturday at Yankee Stadium.

Martin ran 20 times for 101 yards behind a makeshift offensive line and helped Penn State beat Clemson 22-10 in the Pinstripe Bowl.

“I did not think I was going to get 20 carries,” Martin said. “My mentality coming into this game was about effort and playing the best I can.”

Martin was a Pennsylvania high school star who led Belle Vernon to the PIAA Class 3A championship two years ago. But he’s been stuck the last two seasons behind Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton, two of the best running backs in school history.

Allen, who was in uniform, and Singleton, who was not, did not play Saturday.

“This was an honor,” Martin said. “It meant a lot to me. I’ve been waiting two years behind Nick and Kaytron. I learned a lot from them. They showed me a lot about this game and what you need to play at this level. I’m very grateful for today. It was amazing. I was tired at times, but it’s football. What’s there not to love?”

Martin was a three-time all-state selection who rushed for 1,181 yards and 16 touchdowns and caught 53 passes for 764 yards and 11 TDs as a senior at Belle Vernon.

“He’s an extremely talented young man,” interim head coach Terry Smith said. “He’s a tall, lean guy and a slasher. Today’s game required downhill running. He displayed it. He displayed tough running. He showed that he could be a slasher and a physical back in one game.”

“We didn’t have the two backs with all the yards. He stepped right in and didn’t miss a beat. We took an old-school approach and he stepped up to the challenge.”

Next men up: Four of Penn State’s five starting offensive linemen opted out of the Pinstripe Bowl, but Anthony Donkoh and the four backups performed admirably.

Donkoh slid from right guard to right tackle and joined center Dominic Rulli, guards Cooper Cousins and T.J. Shanahan and left tackle Eagan Boyer. They protected quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer well enough for him to pass for a career-high 262 yards and two touchdowns. They opened enough holes for Martin to rush for 101 yards on 20 carries.

They replaced center Nick Dawkins, guard Vega Ioane and tackles Drew Shelton and Nolan Rucci, who are all draft eligible. It was the first career starts for Rulli and Boyer.

“It’s an amazing thing,” Rulli said. “I’ve been behind some guys (Dawkins, Hunter Nourzad and Juice Scruggs) who have led the way and who have set the standard. I’m just so happy that I got my chance. It felt like we’ve been playing all year, to be honest with you. I’m extremely blessed.”

Money kicker: Penn State sophomore Ryan Barker continued his terrific kicking, going 3-for-3 on field goal attempts of 22, 48 and 43 yards in wintry conditions.

“It took me back to SMU last year,” Barker said about the College Football Playoff first-round game played in similar conditions at Beaver Stadium. “You have to change up the swing a little bit with the ground being really hard. It makes it a bit harder to get that plant foot into the ground.”

Barker became the first Penn State kicker to make at least two field goals of at least 43 yards in a bowl game. He finished the season 18-for-19 on field goals, his .947 percentage the best in school history.

“I would say I took an exceptional step forward this year not only mentally but on the field with the statistics,” Barker said. “I’m proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish. I always believed in myself but I never thought I would succeed as much as I did this year.”

Stadium update: Vinny James, the Penn State deputy director of athletics for internal operations, offered an update on the Beaver Stadium renovation project during a pregame news conference.

“We remain on schedule, targeting a completion date of fall 2027,” James said. “Our fans can expect to see (in 2026) the structure of the new west side or the visiting side. You’ll see that structure come to form. You’ll be able to see the volume and magnitude of what that west side will ultimately be. There’s a lot of infrastructure work behind it.”

James was filling in for Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi and Director of Athletics Pat Kraft. Bendapudi was unable to attend the game because of travel issues. Kraft’s arrival was delayed, also because of travel issues.

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