BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill made a very unusual plea this week leading up to BYU’s final regular-season game at home against UCF. Hill called upon BYU fans to get out and be loud and impactful at LaVell Edwards Stadium at the early 11 a.m. kickoff.
Hill knows a fast start is important Saturday, and this final home game, a celebration of the seniors on the team, is a huge step for the team to get to the Big 12 championship game in Arlington, Texas, Dec. 6.
The Cougars are tied with Texas Tech atop the Big 12 standings with identical 7-1 league records. Both are 10-1 on the season.
The Cougars are involved in a national debate about the fairness and accuracy of the CFP rankings, which have multiple two-loss teams ranked ahead of them, and the quandary of the committee possibly putting both Tech and BYU in the College Football Playoff if both survive this weekend with 11-1 records.
But first comes Saturday’s game against UCF, a team fighting for a sixth win to make it to a bowl.
Cougar Insider predictions
Question of the week: BYU’s offense rode LJ Martin in a win over Cincinnati. Can offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick expect Martin to carry the ball 32 times in future games? What other alternatives might work? Predict the outcome.
Jay Drew: Junior running back LJ Martin touched the football 35 times in the Cougars’ 26-14 win over Cincinnati last Saturday, which, on the surface, would seem to be too much. He had 32 carries for 222 yards and three catches — on three targets — for 44 yards. It was one of the more memorable performances I’ve seen from a Cougar running back in the 18 seasons I’ve been covering the program.
It ranked right up there with the 286 yards that Jamaal Williams put on Toledo, the 210 yards Williams put on Wyoming in the 2016 Poinsettia Bowl — when Josh Allen was quarterbacking the Pokes — or the 266 yards Tyler Allgeier had against Virginia and Bronco Mendenhall in 2021.
There was obviously more on the line in last week’s game, as No. 11 BYU hunts a Big 12 championship game berth and possible ticket to the College Football Playoff. So I can’t blame Aaron Roderick for giving Martin that many carries. Almost every one of them was needed — BYU has basically no depth behind Martin, although Preston Rex and Enoch Nawahine have been fairly serviceable when called upon.
At this stage of the season, all bets are off. The priority has to be winning games at all costs, even if it requires Martin to get 30-plus carries per game. So I don’t see anything changing. Maybe give him more than five catches and fewer than 30 carries. That might work.
I remember Puka Nacua’s final season at BYU, when coaches lined him up in the backfield because he was better than any of Allgeier’s backups. Problem is, there’s not a receiver on BYU’s roster who is that multitalented.
Prediction: BYU 24, UCF 10
Dick Harmon: You run LJ Martin 32 times a game, he’s going to get battered and possibly hurt. Yet, when Roderick does that, he answers the call, and the offense showed it is very effective when Martin is more involved (Cincinnati, TCU).
Martin has run more effectively the past two games because he’s been healthier than he was at Texas Tech. This past week, he gained 118 yards after contact. Pro Football Focus calculated Martin had 12 missed tackles forced in the Cincinnati game, the most among any running back in FBS in Week 13. It was the most in his three-year BYU career. His 35 MTF is the most in the Big 12 this season and fifth among Power Four running backs. He is a weapon.
As challenging as it must be to keep Martin going and protect him, there is no question he is the prime reason Bear Bachmeier has become so effective, both as a runner and passer. This formula can’t be disrupted in coming weeks. It works.
In the meantime, Roderick needs to get BYU’s passing game on track, because if the Cougars meet up with the Red Raiders in Arlington, they’ll need more than Martin; they’ll need an effective pass game threat.
Prediction: BYU 31, UCF 10
Cougar tales
In a crucial road trip two time zones away, BYU’s football team defeated Cincinnati to climb into a tie with Texas Tech atop the Big 12 standings. Here are our stories of that victory:
- Sitake’s culture plays role in BYU’s 10-1 record (Jay Drew)
- What Cincy coach said after losing to BYU (Jackson Payne)
- BYU just grinding out wins (Jay Drew)
- LJ Martin put on a power beast-mode display (Dick Harmon)
- 3 difference-making plays for the Cougars (Dave McCann)
- Latter-day Saint donations moved pantry officials (Jackson Payne)
- Cincinnati AD apologizes for crowd chant (Jackson Payne)
- Church donations, Cincy crowd derogatory chants (Camille Smith)
- Cougar freshman distance runner Jane Hedengren finished runner-up to defending champion in the NCAA XC championships over the weekend. Here is our roundup of BYU’s women No. 2 finish.
Kevin Young’s No. 9-ranked basketball team had a blowout win over Wisconsin in the Delta Center. Here is my report.
Women’s soccer season came to an end after a Sweet 16 NCAA tournament loss to top-seeded Stanford.
From the archives
From the X-verse
Extra points
- Last six BYU games most difficult in country (Sports Illustrated)
- Analyst demands BYU, Utah be thrown out of CFP rankings (PFSN)
Fanalysts
Comments from Deseret News readers:
The CFP committee is only going to let the B12 and ACC have one team in the CFP PERIOD. If BYU would have beaten TT, TT would be on the outside looking in. The best thing that could happen to create a huge controversy is for BYU to beat TT in the CCG and have the committee have to justify leaving out TT; a team everyone has proclaimed one of the best team in college football.
—AZCOOG1
At the end of the first half I was thinking where is this team going to get enough offense to win this game? I mean with all due respect to Kingston we really don’t have much speed, we don’t much depth at wide receiver, no depth at all at running back, who knows what we have at QB after a miracle find in Bear. Truly, for a team that’s just gone through the gauntlet of a Big 12 season, it’s amazing to be where we’re at! What we do have is a stud of a running back, consistent, tough, shifty and always leaning down hill, a vastly underrated O Line, and a stout defense coached by a great D coordinator. All of it grounded and empowered by Kalani and his vision for the program. I can’t say I love this team, but I respect ... it. Let’s just keep riding this train and see how far it will go!
— Knotholegang
Up next
- Nov. 26| 6 p.m. | women’s volleyball | Utah
- Nov. 27 | 3 p.m. | men’s basketball | Miami
- Nov. 27 | 3:30 p.m. | women’s basketball | Virginia Tech, Virgin Islands
- Nov. 28 | TBA | men’s basketball | Dayton/Georgetown
- Nov. 29 | TBA | women’s basketball | Oregon State/Vanderbilt
- Nov. 29 | 11 a.m. | football | UCF
- Nov. 29 | 1 p.m. | women’s volleyball | Colorado