BYU’s perfect start has taken a hit at the worst possible time.
The No. 8 Cougars are 4-0 after rolling past Utah Tech, Arizona, Colorado State and TCU, but they now face a stretch that could define the early part of their season without their top back. Star running back LJ Martin is expected to miss four to six weeks with a lower-body injury, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
That’s a massive setback for a team trying to stay in step with No. 11 Texas Tech, which is 5-0 and sitting atop the Big 12.
Martin has been one of BYU’s biggest weapons through four games. He’s rushed for 344 yards and three touchdowns this season, and even though he was limited to just two carries against TCU because of the injury, his production before that had helped drive the Cougars’ fast start. Last season, he was even more central to the offense, carrying the ball 236 times for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns.
The timing could hardly be worse. If Martin is out four games, BYU would have to get through matchups with Iowa State, No.
3 Notre Dame, UCF and Arizona State without him. Those four opponents are a combined 13-6.
If the absence stretches to six weeks, then games against No. 12 Utah and Baylor could also be in play.
For now, freshman Journee Tonga is expected to absorb more of the workload. A former three-star recruit, Tonga has 19 carries for 157 yards and one touchdown so far this season.
In Other News...
TCU Has Found A Reliable Weapon As Baylor Week Arrives
As Baylor week arrives, TCU has a clear reminder of the kind of weapon it can lean on in Ashley. He has emerged as one of the Horned Frogs most dependable offensive pieces this season, and his production has stood out even as the team has had its share of struggles. The value goes beyond simple targets, too, because Ashley has been able to move around the formation and still find ways to affect the game.
Against BYU, that versatility was on display again. Ashley lined up in multiple spots and delivered one of the biggest plays of the night with a touchdown, reinforcing why he has become such a steady option in the passing game. For TCU, the broader question is whether that kind of reliability can keep creating openings as conference play tightens and the rivalry spotlight turns to Baylor. [Read more 🡒]
TCUs Bye Week Now Centers On One Offensive Problem
TCU heads into its bye week with a familiar kind of frustration for an offense that has moved the ball well enough to look dangerous, yet not well enough to finish drives the way it needs to in Big 12 play. The Horned Frogs are averaging 405.4 yards per game overall, but that production has not translated cleanly into points against conference opponents, where the offense has managed just 23 points in two losses.
The bigger issue has been getting a running game that can settle the unit down and keep the offense on schedule. Sack yardage has eaten into the rushing totals, and pass protection has been shaky enough to complicate everything else around it, which is why the break comes at a useful time before Baylor. For TCU, the next week is less about installing something flashy than finding a cleaner, sturdier version of an offense that has shown volume without enough payoff. [Read more 🡒]
TCU Fans Have Every Reason To Revisit The Josh Hoover Debate
The Josh Hoover conversation around TCU is getting harder to leave in the past. The former Horned Frogs quarterback has been rolling at Indiana, where he has put up 1,101 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and no turnovers while completing 71 percent of his throws, the kind of clean production that naturally sends TCU fans back to what might have been.
Hoovers new setting has helped, with Indiana giving him a strong defense and a reliable run game behind him, but the contrast still lands in Fort Worth. TCUs current quarterback, Jaden Craig, has dealt with turnover problems and hasnt matched Hoovers output, which makes the old debate feel a lot more relevant now than it did when Hoover was leaving campus. [Read more 🡒]