BYU’s offense is heading into a rough stretch without its biggest running threat.
LJ Martin, the Big 12 Player of the Year, will miss at least a month because of a lower-body injury, according to multiple reports. That timeline knocks him out for the Oct. 17 meeting with No. 3 Notre Dame in Provo, a top-10 matchup that carries major weight for both teams’ College Football Playoff chances.
Martin’s injury showed up in last week’s 17-10 win over TCU, when he carried the ball only twice for 16 yards before leaving the game. He was pulled down awkwardly, jogged off with a slight limp and did not return.
BYU was already thin in the backfield, and Martin’s exit made it worse. Sione Moa has been out since suffering an injury in Week 1, leaving the Cougars without their top two rushers. Even so, BYU still managed 154 rushing yards and 4.1 yards per carry in wet conditions against TCU.
Bear Bachmeier helped finish the job, taking over at quarterback and sealing the win with a 21-yard run for the game’s decisive score. He’ll be asked to do even more now. Through the first three games, Martin had piled up 42 carries for 328 yards and three touchdowns, giving BYU a steady and dangerous presence on the ground.
His absence leaves a big hole, because Martin has been central to what BYU has done offensively. In his career, he has more than 3,200 total yards and 29 total touchdowns.
The Cougars have still been one of the most productive offenses in the Big 12, ranking 16th nationally and fourth in the league with 235.5 rushing yards per game. Martin has been a major part of that production, but Bachmeier has been part of it too, and the next month may force BYU to decide which part of its attack it wants to lean on most.
If the passing game has to stay protected, the run game may not be able to carry the same load. If the ground attack gets scaled back, then Bachmeier could be the one shouldering more of the offense in key games.
Against Notre Dame, that balancing act will matter. The Fighting Irish defense has played well and rarely makes mistakes, and if BYU becomes too one-dimensional, life without Martin could get a lot harder over the next month.
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