Iowa State’s trip to BYU already looked like one of the toughest spots on the schedule. A Friday night game in Provo, Utah, against the No. 8 team in the country is a rough assignment on its own. Add the short week and the travel, and the Cyclones were staring at a serious test in Week 6 of the 2026 college football season.
But the injury report gave Iowa State a little more breathing room.
BYU will be missing major pieces on both sides of the ball, according to the official availability report shared by Alec Busse of Cyclone Alert on X. The biggest blow comes on offense, where the Cougars have already ruled out leading rusher LJ Martin.
Martin, the 2025 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, went down against TCU with a lower-leg and right ankle injury. He had been the engine of the BYU ground game, and his absence changes the look of that offense in a hurry.
Through this season, Martin has 44 carries for 344 yards and three touchdowns, plus five catches for 41 yards. His 385 yards from scrimmage lead the team.
BYU will also be without another running back, Sione Moa, who has six carries for 22 yards this season. That leaves the Cougars thinner in the backfield at a time when they’re already dealing with a major absence.
On the other side of the ball, BYU is also down star linebacker Isaiah Glasker. The 2024 All-American is out with a lower-body injury, leaving a clear gap in the middle of the defense.
For Iowa State, that opens the door for offensive coordinator Tyler Roehl to lean on a run game that has been steamrolling opponents, with Aiden Flora leading the way, while quarterback Jaylen Raynor and the passing game continue to find their rhythm.
The Cyclones do have some injury issues of their own. Iowa State will be without three defenders: safety Drew Surges, defensive end Caden Crawford and defensive tackle Ka'Mori Moore.
BYU, meanwhile, comes into the game 2-0 in Big 12 play after a tough road game against TCU in Fort Worth last week. Iowa State enters at 1-1 in conference play and 3-2 overall.
In Other News...
BYU Just Rewarded Key Staffers Behind Its Recent Rise
Kevin Young continued to reshape his staff this week by rewarding two key voices behind BYUs recent climb. Brandon Dunson has been elevated to associate head coach, while Jordan Brady was promoted to assistant coach and will keep his duties as Director of Player Development, a sign the program is leaning into the continuity that has helped fuel its surge in recent seasons.
Both coaches have played important roles in a stretch that has included NCAA Tournament appearances and a steady pipeline of player growth that has reached the NBA Draft. BYU also added seven new graduate assistants, giving Young even more depth around the program as the Cougars look ahead to the 2026-27 opener against Ohio State and the next step in the rise. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Has A Real Edge Friday But One Offensive Concern Lingers
BYU gets Iowa State at home Friday on a short week, and the setup tilts in the Cougars favor in more ways than one. Five of their final eight games are in Provo, and the matchups on paper point to a team that has leaned on its defense and efficiency in the biggest situations, especially with an ability to force quick punts and finish drives with touchdowns once it gets inside the red zone.
The concern is on the other side of the ball, where the offense still has to prove it can keep functioning if LJ Martin is not available. Iowa State has had trouble extending drives on third and fourth down and has also been leaky in the red zone, which creates an opening for BYU, but the Cougars still need a clear answer on how much production they can expect from the run game without their star back. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Faces A Trickier Iowa State Test Than Fans Might Expect
BYU heads into its meeting with Iowa State with the kind of model support that usually calms a fan base, at least on paper. Most prediction systems like the Cougars, some giving them roughly a seven-in-10 shot to win and others pushing that closer to the mid-80s, with projected scores generally leaning BYUs way. The numbers also point to a team that has stacked up well in the efficiency metrics that tend to matter most once conference play starts to tighten.
Still, this is the sort of matchup that can get slippery faster than expected, especially with Iowa State working through coaching changes and trying to settle itself for the stretch ahead. BYU may have the better profile right now, but that does not make this a routine Saturday, and the gap between favored and comfortable can be smaller than it looks when the game finally kicks off. [Read more 🡒]