When news broke that BYU football would have to face 2nd-ranked Notre Dame without star running back and reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year LJ Martin, the chances of the Cougars' upset bid shrank substantially.
Offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick employs a run-heavy attack behind an excellent offensive line, and supplements it with the legs of his mobile freight train at QB, Bear Bachmeier.
But without Martin, BYU's hopes of knocking off a national championship contender shrink to an uncomfortable margin. College football is a next-man-up sport, of course, but the Cougars' reserve team of running backs rushed for only 156 yards combined against TCU and Iowa State -- Bachmeier led all rushers both times in Martin's absence.
Perhaps BYU football won't be without a powerful running back after all, as head coach Kalani Sitake shared that second-string back Sione Moa is back on the field and practicing. Moa went down with an injury in Week One against Utah Tech and hasn't seen the field since. His availability could be a huge boost to BYU's deteriorating backfield.
Additionally, LJ Martin's injury will only rule him out until the following weekend's matchup against UCF, and the team will evaluate his progress from that point.
As it stands today, LJ Martin and offensive lineman Andrew Gentry are the only Cougars listed as out against Notre Dame.
BYU head coach Kalani Sitake said that RB Sione Moa is back on the field practicing this week.
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) October 12, 2026
The only players he officially ruled out for this week against Notre Dame are RB LJ Martin and OT Andrew Gentry.
The Cougars' injury report was uncomfortably long last weekend against Iowa State. With the Irish in town, key players Raider Damuni, Cannon DeVries, and potentially even Isaiah Glasker are all currently available to play.
We'll wait for more information to come out as we approach Saturday.
BYU football's odds of upsetting Notre Dame are improving
I'm not a betting man, but when a betting line shifts significantly, I take notice.
Not because I can turn a quick profit, but rather because the public perception of a game is shifting. And as of late, it's been shifting in the direction of the home Cougs.
A diligent Notre Dame fan noticed the FanDuel betting line jumping from the Irish as 13.5-point favorites on October 8th to just 9.5-point favorites today. This isn't a gambling endorsement: it's a positive sign for BYU football.
Does somebody know something that I don’t know? https://t.co/rmOLuvKKIk pic.twitter.com/daZEXkYXf9
— Pete Sampson (@PeteSampson_) October 12, 2026
No, BYU football won't be approaching the game with the expectation of a 10-point loss. Nor would they take solace in the idea of losing within the bounds set by oddsmakers. I doubt that Kalani Sitake is even aware of how this game is being tilted.
But BYU has a lot of pride to play for. They have Playoff implications on the line. They have a loud and passionate home crowd stuffing LaVell Edwards Stadium at prime time. And on top of it all, they're finally getting healthier.
Who knows what could happen on a Saturday night in Provo?
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