No. 8 BYU faces a growing threat from the Big 12 as it tries to find its mojo Friday night when Iowa State visits LaVell Edwards Stadium. No. 12 Utah hosts Kansas, a program fighting to take a step forward in the league.
BYU and Utah should both win these games, as both are better overall teams than their opponents. Utah State is expected to be in a tight battle with Washington State. It would be nice if Bronco Mendenhall got this one, but it would be a steal if that happened.
The drama this weekend is in Provo, as the Cougars must show how they will operate without reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year LJ Martin, who is reportedly out for four to six weeks with a lower-body injury.
If his absence is this long, people may want to examine how this Cougar offense will work without a true game controller capable of forcing defenses to center their game plans around stopping him.
At TCU, we saw this plan when the Frogs dropped two deep safeties to prevent Bear Bachmeier from connecting with freshman speedster Legend Glasker. They rarely provided help in the box as they didn’t have to charge for Martin, who played only briefly before withdrawing from the field due to injury.
TCU could do it because its front was so big, fast and talented. Can Iowa State try this? Will Bachmeier have to compensate for the loss of Martin by running more, risking injury? Or will Martin’s replacements, Preston Rex, Journee Tonga and Devaughn Eka, need to step up and pose a threat to Iowa State’s defenders?
“I have a lot of confidence in this offense, even without LJ Martin,” offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick said this week.
Martin will be gone after this season. Maybe it’s time to see what happens – what should happen without his talent.
That means more passes, more targets for the tight ends, and more chances for Kyler Kasper and Jojo Phillips to step up and take care of business.
BYU won without Martin healthy or present. It’s just harder. This was a factor in the Cougars’ first loss to Texas Tech last year.
In 2024 and 2025, BYU has played five times without Martin.
2024 season
- September 14, 2024: at Wyoming – BYU won 34-14. (Martin did not play; BYU rushed for 140 yards, led by quarterback Jake Retzlaff with 62.)
- September 21, 2024: vs. Kansas State (No. 13) – BYU won 38-9. (Martin did not play; Sione Moa led with 76 rushing yards.)
- September 28, 2024: at Baylor – BYU won 34-28. (Martin did not play; BYU rushed for 149 yards, led by Retzlaff with 53.)
These absences follow a significant ankle sprain (following previous shoulder problems that occurred in the spring of 2024). He returned for the remainder of the season (including the Alamo Bowl victory over Colorado).
2025 season
- Last year at Iowa State, Martin played briefly before going to the bench and staying there for the rest of the game. BYU won that game 41-27 and improved to 8-0. Martin had just five carries for 15 yards and a 4-yard touchdown in the first quarter. He injured his shoulder (hard hit) late in the first quarter, went to the locker room for an evaluation (x-rays) and did not return. He was seen on the sidelines, wearing a sling without pads.
This was the injury that later led to his shoulder surgery (after the regular season/championship), causing him to only miss the Pop-Tarts Bowl. He returned and played in the following games (including limited snaps the following week at Texas Tech).
- December 27, 2025: vs. Georgia Tech (Pop-Tarts Bowl, neutral site) – BYU won 25-21. (Martin did not play due to his recovery from shoulder surgery; he had been limited after an injury against Iowa State. Substitutes including Jovesa Damuni and Enoch Nawahine contributed to the victory.)
BYU went 4-0 in those games without Martin (part of a broader 4-2 record in career games he missed up to that point). He played in every other game in 2024 and 2025.
Martin was a tank. He has played a major role in BYU’s success over the past three years. A gifted runner with exceptional vision, footwork, balance and power, he is an excellent blocker and receiver. His absence will impact BYU’s offense.
But in college, star players come and then have to leave. Has life without Martin begun for the BYU offense?
It’s time for BYU to prepare their replacement without the also injured RB2 Sione Moa, perhaps for the rest of the season.
It’s now a committee matter for Roderick: Rex, Tonga and Eka, it’s your turn.
Oh, and it’s also up to the rest of the offense to play at a high level without penalties, errors, and poor execution like killer holding calls.
In Provo, the Cougars may have to prove they can pass. So far, BYU has been effective in passing, but the numbers are among the lowest in the country.
In Salt Lake City, the Utes have no problem with their multi-level ground attack. Wayshawn Parker looks to be a durable workhorse who can live up to expectations based on the schedule played so far.
Kansas, he’s coming to you.
This week’s picks
- Oregon 34, UCLA 24
- Arizona State 31, Hawaii 10
- Utah 42, Kansas 24
- Alabama 27, Georgia 24
- Tennessee 28, Arkansas 9
- Houston 31, Kansas State 28
- Arizona 33, West Virginia 31
- Oklahoma State 38, UCF 27
- Missouri 21, Texas A&M 17
- Indiana 38, Nebraska 21
- Washington 24, Iowa 21
- Utah State 24, Washington State 21
- Ohio State 42, Maryland 17
- State of Pennsylvania 27, USC 24
- BYU 34, Iowa State 17
Last week, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.; overall 58-18 (.768)
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