LJ Martin is the Big 12’s rushing leader, the No. 8 leading rusher in the nation and the most consistent weapon in BYU’s offense.
And he’ll be watching the Pop-Tarts Bowl from the sidelines with his arm in a sling following shoulder surgery.
This is how the No. 12-ranked Cougars will enter Saturday’s game and face No. 23 Georgia Tech in Orlando.
It’s a big loss.
How big?
Martin is one of the major reasons BYU has 11 wins in 2025. He’s that good.
It’s like diving a submarine without sonar. You wing it.
A powerful, strong runner with elite vision and timing with his blockers, Martin is also a big weapon as a receiver out of the backfield, definitely something for opposing defensive coordinators to account for.
Also, he’s a polished blocker in max protection for his QB. Offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick and run game coordinator TJ Woods have worked overtime with running back coach Harvey Unga and pass game coordinator Fesi Sitake to design a game plan without Martin.
The running back situation without Martin will be handled by a committee consisting of the most experienced backs, Enoch Nawahine, Jovesa Damuni and Preston Rex.
This will be interesting, especially if BYU’s No. 2 rusher, quarterback Bear Bachmeier, has lingering issues from his ankle injury suffered in the first quarter of the Big 12 Championship game against Texas Tech.
Roderick seems unfazed. Well, sort of.
He knows injuries are a part of the game and who the next man up will be. His bowl preparation has centered on a different look with other personnel. That’s the science of football.
“I do have confidence in those guys, but any time you are missing the Big 12 Player of the Year, that is going to be a big loss,” Roderick told reporters in Orlando.
“We went into every game this year saying LJ has to carry the ball 20 times and then everything else follows. That is what kind of player he is. With the other guys, it will be decided by committee. We are going to spread the ball around and see if one of them gets hot, then maybe they will field more carries, but right now, we have a plan to use all three of those guys.”
Roderick is confident in Nawahine because he has seen him in various situations and formations over a long period of time. Roderick also spoke specifically about Damuni, whom he says possesses “a little juice.”
Damuni is the fastest running back in the program.
“I’m excited to see Jovesa play, find out who he is and what he can do for us in the future,” Roderick said.
“He has speed and makes some plays in practice sometimes that you think, ‘OK, that is going to show up in a real game when his time comes.’ It wasn’t quite his time yet because we (were) trying to get to LJ as much as we could.”
Georgia Tech’s defense goes up against an excellent run game and mobile quarterback every day in practice. QB Haynes King is one of the best in the country at what he does.
GT defensive coordinator Blake Gideon believes BYU will be prepared, even without Martin, and he expects to get the best from Cougar freshman Bachmeier.
“Whenever you watch him on tape you have to remind yourself that the kid is a true freshman and he’s mature beyond his years,” Gideon said of Bachmeier.
“I think you see growth that’s probably accelerated faster than most freshman quarterbacks. Again, I think his toughness and competitiveness and the willingness to go compete in those environments that they played in in the Big 12 all year, it’s apparent that he’s not afraid, right?”
If BYU’s offense struggles like it did against Texas Tech twice this season, and if Cougar defensive coordinator Jay Hill pulls out some magic from his rested defense, this could be a defensive, low scoring game.
But one thing you usually get in a bowl game, is not what’s expected. This should be a solid ACC versus Big 12 matchup with teams fighting for respect and validity outside the political brand worship of the College Football Playoff.