For the fourth consecutive season, BYU has started 3-0.
The Cougars secured their first road win of 2026 with a 41-23 victory over Colorado State Saturday night in Fort Collins, Colorado.
3 takeaways
BYU scored early and often. The Cougars had one of their fastest offensive starts in recent memory, finding the end zone on their second play of the night and again just three snaps later.
LJ Martin became the first BYU player since 2001 to score three touchdowns in the first quarter of a game — but more on him later.
The Cougars racked up 559 yards of total offense on the night, averaging 8.1 yards per carry and scoring on seven of 10 non-kneeldown drives.
They also averaged 9.6 yards per play, meaning they almost gained a first down each time they snapped the ball. That’s almost always going to be a guaranteed winning formula.
Perhaps most impressive about BYU’s offensive outburst was how it came on a night when quarterback Bear Bachmeier logged just two carries for -3 yards.
Bachmeier’s rushing ability is still a tremendous asset for the Cougars, but with the sophomore posting a passer rating of 181.6, they no longer need him to bail them out with his legs in order to put up big scoring numbers.
LJ and Legend each put on a show. Martin had nearly as many first quarter touchdowns on Saturday (three) as he had first half touches (four) last week against Arizona.
BYU was so satisfied with his early contributions that Martin only ran the ball once after halftime, which got him to his final game total of 176 rushing yards at 11.7 yards per carry, with each ranking as the second-highest such marks of his decorated career.
Martin also passed Taysom Hill for sixth place on BYU’s career rushing leaderboard (2,896 yards) and broke into the top-10 with his 24th, 25th and 26th career touchdowns as a Cougar.
In addition to Martin’s heroics, freshman sensation Legend Glasker was outstanding yet again, leading all receivers with 131 yards on five catches — including a jaw-dropping 70-yard grab in the first quarter — while rushing three times for 21 yards and touchdown.
Praise should also be given to BYU’s crew of backup running backs, as Preston Rex crossed the goal line for a score, Journee Tonga ran 10 times for 91 yards and Devaughn Eka added another 28 yards on four carries to help bolster the Cougar rushing attack.
All things considered, BYU’s defense didn’t offer enough consistency. Colorado State has a talented offense, but 23 points was too many for the Cougars to surrender — especially considering how Rams starter Hauss Hejny left the game in the first quarter with an injury.
After Colorado State marched 75 yards into the end zone on its first drive, BYU straightened itself out and held the Rams scoreless on their next eight drives, including a Hunter Clegg interception and a turnover on downs.
Through three quarters excluding that opening drive, Colorado State managed just 129 yards of offense at 3.1 yards per play against the Cougars.
But backup-heavy BYU couldn’t manage a clean closeout, allowing touchdowns on the final two Ram possessions to make the final score appear a bit less appealing.
The Cougars committed five penalties and allowed five explosive plays (three passes of 15+ yards and two rushes of 10+ yards). Such sloppiness, especially in the final frame, are survivable against a Group of Six foe such as Colorado State, but defensive coordinator Kelly Poppinga’s unit will need to be more crisp and consistent once Big 12 play resumes in two weeks.
Luckily for the Cougars, they have a bye week next to solve Saturday’s problems — and problem solving is a lot more fun after a victory.