LJ Martin just passed Taysom Hill on BYU football's all-time rushing leaderboard thanks to a 176-yard outing against Colorado State in Week 3.
In just over two quarters of play, LJ pushed near the 200-yard mark. That's an incredible feat for any running back in the nation, and just further evidence that he's one of the best tailbacks in college football today.
But his eruption on Saturday night has deeper meaning than simply one good performance. It pushed LJ Martin over Taysom Hill on BYU's all-time leading rushing list, and within 50 yards of Tyler Allgeier, who currently holds the fifth spot.
And suddenly, despite some underwhelming volume against Utah Tech and Arizona, Martin is back within range of Jamaal Williams' spot atop the list.
Last season, LJ Martin ran for 1309 yards in 13 games -- a 100.4 yard average per game -- and that earned him the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year Award.
Thanks to his Week 3 outburst, Martin now averages 109.3 yards per game through three games, which would place him in first place all-time at BYU if he can maintain that average through 13 games, just 61 yards ahead of Jamaal Williams.
But there are a few things that have to happen in order for Martin to claim the number-one spot, and the chances of each of them happening are uncomfortably slim.
Martin must stay healthy
LJ Martin has a bit of an injury history from his first two collegiate seasons, but it's not quite as bad as you may remember.
As a freshman and a sophomore, Martin caught the injury bug, limiting him both physically and in the way of availability. In just 10 games each year, he posted 518 and 718 yards. Last season, he appeared in 13 games for the Cougars, dodging injury all while carrying the offensive load of a run-heavy offense.
He'll need to do that again this year, outgaining himself from a season ago (which is no small task) and keeping himself available.
BYU must reach the Big 12 Championship Game
Assuming Martin avoids injury (knocking on every wooden surface in my vicinity), he'll need some help from his teammates for a chance at the record. To be more specific, he'll need BYU football to do what they did so well last season: win.
More wins means more games, and more games means more yards. It's a simple formula, but a crucial one for Martin, who played in 13 games last year thanks to the Cougars reaching the Big 12 Championship -- he could have played in 14 games, but opted to nurse an injury rather than appear in the Pop-Tarts Bowl against Georgia Tech.
If BYU can not only reach but win the Big 12 Championship game, they get an automatic bid to the College Football Playoff, and the chance to play several more games. Again, more games means more yards, but none of that is possible if the Cougars underperform.
Martin must overcome excellent defenses
As easy as he made 176 yards look in Fort Collins, maintaining a 100+ yard average is far from a guarantee.
Especially with daunting opponents like Notre Dame and Utah on the schedule.
Excepting the Colorado State surge, LJ Martin hasn't been posting very high rushing numbers to this point in the year. That's partially due to resting early against Utah Tech and an odd game plan against Arizona that saw Martin barely touch the ball at all in the first half, but Martin is averaging 109 yards after posting 176 in Week 3. Those numbers need to pick up week-by-week.
To his aid is a veteran offensive line, touted as one of the strongest units in the entire nation. It's a slew of linemen who have had their way with opposing defenses through three games, opening running lanes and giving Martin freedom to control the offense and keep the defense guessing.
The number-one spot is still within reach for LJ Martin, but he'll need a lot of things to go right if he hopes to claim it.
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