‘A Major Blow,’ ‘ND Got Lucky’ — CFB World Reacts As BYU Loses LJ Martin for Significant Stretch

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How does the No. 8 BYU Cougars replace the reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year? ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Wednesday, citing sources, that running back LJ Martin will miss four to six weeks with a lower-body injury he suffered in Saturday’s win at TCU.

Thamel’s report said the absence would include the Cougars’ Oct. 17 home game against the No. 3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish. BYU’s availability report, released Tuesday, already lists Martin as out for Friday’s home game against Iowa State.

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Thamel wrote on X that Martin, a senior, “will be out for at least a month with a lower body injury he suffered against TCU.”

Martin entered the TCU game averaging 109.3 rushing yards per game, then carried twice for 16 yards before leaving in the first quarter. BYUtv’s Spencer Linton reported that Martin told teammates he wanted to go back in, but doctors held him out as a precaution.

BYU coach Kalani Sitake said after the 17-10 win that Martin and linebacker Isaiah Glasker were standing and moving, though MRIs would tell the staff more. On Monday, he said he was still evaluating both players and that “right now, it looks doubtful for both of them.”

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Brandon Gurney, who covers BYU for the Daily Herald, quoted Thamel’s post and wrote that it “seemed likely this sort of news was coming given how fast he was deemed ‘doubtful’ for the Iowa State game.” He added that it was obvious how tough the injury is for the Cougar offense.

After Martin exited the TCU game, quarterback Bear Bachmeier led BYU in rushing with 66 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries, including a 21-yard score with just over two minutes left that put the Cougars up 17-7. BYU passed for just 62 yards in the rain.

Jake Hatch, a podcast host and content creator, looked further ahead, calling the news “a major blow for BYU as they have Notre Dame a week from Saturday & Utah looming early next month as well…”

BYU, which climbed from No. 10 to No. 8 in Sunday’s AP poll, hosts Notre Dame on Oct. 17 at LaVell Edwards Stadium. PFN’s College Football Playoff Meter flags the matchup as the seventh-most important game of Week 7 in terms of the College Football Playoff race, and the Cougars were already considered an underdog with a 32.3% win probability before the Martin news.

Did Notre Dame Catch a Break? Fans Weigh LJ Martin’s Value to BYU

If Notre Dame beats the Stanford Cardinal this weekend, the Irish will be 6-0. Some fans replying to Thamel saw the injury as a break for the Irish. One fan put it bluntly. “ND got lucky LJ Martin ain’t playing.”

Martin has run for 344 yards and three touchdowns on 44 carries this season, an average of 7.8 yards per carry, with 176 of those yards and all three scores coming at Colorado State. In 2025, he led the Big 12 with 1,305 rushing yards and scored 12 touchdowns.

Not everyone agreed his absence tips the scales. Another fan pushed back on that first reply. “Got lucky that non first round talent isn’t playing?”

Running back Preston Rex, a former safety, said after the TCU game that “LJ is the best back in the Big 12.” He credited running backs coach Harvey Unga and said it was the backups’ time to step up.

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Rex ran eight times for 21 yards at TCU, and true freshman Journee Tonga added 28 yards on seven carries. BYU is also without No. 2 back Sione Moa, who is listed as out for Friday.

Sitake said Monday that possibly having his top two running backs out was not ideal, but “we have a committee of guys that can do it.” Offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick said Tuesday that freshman Devaughn Eka could also get carries this week.

BYU hosts Iowa State on Friday night in its first game this season without Martin. Sitake believes that the running back room is deep, and the staff has to trust it. “This is their time.”

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.

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