LJ and RJ may be the shortest names on their respective rosters, but on Saturday when No. 11 BYU puts their unbeaten record on the line at UCF (1:30 PM, ESPN), they could have the biggest say in which team wins.
LJ Martin is No. 11 BYU’s resurgent 6′2″, 225-pound sophomore running back who rushed for a career-high 120 yards and two touchdowns last week against Oklahoma State. After missing three games with an ankle injury, Martin is finally back at full speed and is breathing life into a ground attack that is still being led by the quarterback.
RJ Harvey is UCF’s dynamic 5′9″, 208-pound senior rusher from Orlando. Harvey ran for a season-best 196 yards and two touchdowns last week at Iowa State, including an 80-yard touchdown burst in the second quarter. Not only has Harvey been healthy through the first seven games, but he has emerged as the top running back in the Big 12 with 890 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Despite the Knights riding a four-game losing skid (3-4, 0-4) Harvey leads the Big 12′s top offense that averages 465.6 yards per game and boasts the most running plays (63) of 10 yards or more in the FBS. UCF had touchdown runs of 80 and 67 yards last week at Iowa State.
BYU will counter Harvey’s big-play potential with a defense that is No. 4 in the Big 12 in total defense (324.7 yards), No. 3 in scoring defense (19 points) and No. 1 in turnovers gained (16).
When Martin gets the ball, he will run against a stingy group of Knights that is No. 2 in the conference in rushing defense (114), but No. 11 in total defense (364.7 yards), No. 11 in scoring defense (25.7 points) and last in the Big 12 in red zone defense.
Both running backs are critical cogs to their respective offenses, but in different ways. UCF runs the ball, and Harvey is their bell cow. Last week against the Cyclones, quarterback Jacurri Brown threw for just 62 yards while Harvey and the Knights rushed for 354 yards in a 38-35 defeat.
BYU needs Martin to run so that Jake Retzlaff can pass. A ground game that can average four yards per carry opens Aaron Roderick’s playbook like nothing else. Last week against Oklahoma State, the Cougars averaged 7.1 yards per rush and scored 38 points.
Martin is averaging 5.2 yards on 49 carries this season. He knows his production is a priority for the task ahead.
“Coach A-Rod always talks about we have 12 Super Bowls and this is another one,” Martin told BYUtv’s “GameDay” pregame show. “We had to treat (Oklahoma State) like a Super Bowl and as if it was the last game we are going to play — just trying to get that seventh win.”
The Cougars (7-0, 4-0) are seeking their fifth 8-0 start in program history and the first since 2020.
“We are all together,” Martin said. “I feel like I can hang out with anyone from any position group this year. I feel we are really close together. We are all bought in. We all believe there is not a game we can’t win.”
BYU head coach Kalani Sitake is 25-7 when playing as a ranked team and his Cougars are one of nine remaining unbeaten teams in college football. Just about every prognosticator has BYU destined for the Big 12 Championship Game and the College Football Playoff.
All the attention can derail the focus of a young player like Martin, but he draws strength from Sitake’s steadiness.
“Going back to last year (5-7), he was the same person through it all. He’s the same person today (7-0). No matter the outcome, he always preaches the same message and that’s the type of coach I want to play for,” Martin said. “Our ultimate goal is to promote God through football. We are just trying to do that. That is what he is always preaching to us through our actions of the field — and to win every game we play in — that’s another one of our goals.”
Dave McCann is a sportswriter and columnist for the Deseret News and is a play-by-play announcer and show host for BYUtv/ESPN+. He co-hosts “Y’s Guys” at ysguys.com and is the author of the children’s book “C is for Cougar,” available at deseretbook.com.