BYU’s run game has become the question hanging over everything heading into Saturday’s trip to Utah, and the answer may start with LJ Martin.
The Cougars have spent the past month watching their rushing production slide after Martin went down with an apparent leg injury. He practiced Tuesday, but offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick said it was still too early to know whether he’ll be ready for the rivalry game.
“He practiced today,” Roderick said Tuesday. “I’d say he did some good things. I’d say it’s too soon to say if he’s going to be ready by Saturday.
“Obviously, we got to look out for him first, and then we’ll just see if he does better tomorrow,” he added. “Hopefully, he doesn’t have any setbacks. We’ll just keep looking at him throughout the week.”
Without Martin, who had been averaging 7.8 yards per carry, BYU’s ground game has lost its punch. Injuries to other linemen, including starting tackle Andrew Gentry and backup right guard Trevin Ostler, have only made things tougher. And when dual-threat quarterback Bear Bachmeier isn’t carrying the load, the numbers have been even less encouraging.
That was on display in Saturday’s 27-20 win over Arizona State, when the Cougars managed just 47 rushing yards and 1.6 yards per carry. It was a sharp drop from earlier in the stretch, when BYU ran for 154 yards against TCU, 177 against Iowa State, and got enough production from Preston Rex to beat then-No.
2 Notre Dame. The trend line has gone the wrong way since Martin’s injury, with the Cougars also dipping to 3.22 yards per rush in a double-overtime loss at UCF.
Still, BYU isn’t pinning the problem on one player or one position group. Head coach Kalani Sitake said the fix has to come from the whole offense.
“The running game can’t just be all on the running back or even the O-line,” Sitake said. “It takes all 11 guys on the field doing their part.”
That message has been especially pointed in the offensive line room, where position coach TJ Woods has been blunt in meetings, film sessions and practice. Veteran guard Sonny Makasini said Woods has kept the group honest.
“One thing coach Woods does a great job of is keeping us accountable,” said veteran guard Sonny Makasini, the fifth-year senior out of Timpview High. “Whether it’s a good game or a bad game, he’s going to let us know what we messed up on.
“It’s not about the results. It’s about us doing our jobs, and the process of getting better,” he added. “When we focus on that, the mistakes tend to fix themselves.”
BYU guard Kyle Sfarcioc said the group has taken the recent struggles personally and is focused on tightening up the details before facing Utah’s defense.
“We need to improve our standard in the O-line room, and keep the process - how we’re carrying ourselves daily, what we do in meetings, at practice, and when we’re not here at the facility,” said BYU guard Kyle Sfarcioc, who battled injuries against UCF before returning last week.
“Just be us, and don’t try to do anything different,” he continued. “The Big 12 is hard to play in; you’ve got to bring your best every week to win. Going up to Rice-Eccles, we need to keep our standard and respect the process.”
Sfarcioc said the conversation around the run game has been constant.
“We’re all hungry to get better,” Sfarcioc said.
“We’ve just got to keep working,” he added. “The past is the past, and there is no better time than the present to get better.”
Roderick, meanwhile, said part of the answer may simply be leaning harder into the run. He admitted he only called eight run plays on first and second down against Arizona State, and said the offense never found a rhythm because of it.
“I just need to call more run plays,” he said after practice Tuesday. “It’s hard to get in a rhythm doing that.”
He also pointed to execution up front.
“I thought we needed to block better,” Roderick said. “Perimeter blocking was not great.
But I’ve just got to commit to it more. I got away from it a little early last game because we were having pretty good success throwing the ball.”
The challenge only gets bigger this weekend. Arizona State entered last Saturday ranked 59th nationally in rushing defense, allowing 134 yards per game. Utah is 22nd, giving up just 101.4 yards per game.
If BYU can’t get the ground game moving, Saturday morning in Salt Lake City could get long in a hurry.
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