Cougars could be shorthanded at running back against Wyoming

As has been thoroughly debated since the 2023 football season ended with a 5-7 record and Aidan Robbins opted to forgo his final season of eligibility and enter the NFL draft, BYU football coaches did not bring in an experienced running back from the transfer portal.

They believed that sophomore LJ Martin, BYU’s leading rusher as a freshman in 2023, and the cadre of young backs behind the El Paso, Texas, native would be sufficient in BYU’s second season in the Big 12.

Well, that belief is about to be tested, big time.

BYU coach Kalani Sitake announced Monday in his weekly press briefing that Martin and his primary backup, senior HInckley “Folau” Ropati, are “doubtful” for Saturday’s game at Wyoming with undisclosed injuries. Martin sustained his injury in the first half of Friday’s 18-15 win over SMU, while Ropati got banged up in the second half.

Reserves Miles Davis and Enoch Nawahine got the bulk of the carries in the second half, and made plays that enabled the Cougars to pull off the upset win as double-digit underdogs. Sitake said both RBs will be further evaluated Monday, noting that the next 24 hours will tell the tale.

“The good news is that no one is out for the year, which is good. But it might take some time to get some of those guys back, and hopefully we can see what happens in the next 24 hours, if (they) are going to be available for this week or not,” he said.

Offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick acknowledged on his “Coordinators’ Corner” show that Martin, who rushed for 518 yards and four TDs last year, is doubtful. Martin needed crutches to get to the locker room at Gerald J. Ford Stadium after BYU’s win.

“We are probably not going to have him,” Roderick said.

Martin appeared to have suffered an ankle injury when he limped off the field in the first quarter.

“That didn’t help (BYU’s sputtering offense) at all, because LJ has been playing really well,” Roderick said. “And even in this game he had some great runs before we lost him. That was a factor (in the slugginshness), for sure.”

Sitake said they planned to use Monday afternoon’s evaluation to get a feel for where both players are at physically.

“You just never know; people heal differently,” Sitake said. “Today is going to be a really important day for us to see where we are going to be at, for both those guys.”

After suffering an undisclosed injury that caused him to miss two games last year, Martin suffered a shoulder injury during spring camp and was held out of contact drills the first few weeks of fall camp. Some in the program believed he would not be able to make it back in time for the opener, but he ran for 67 yards and caught a touchdown pass in the 41-13 win over Southern Illinois.

Ropati didn’t play at all last year after suffering a knee injury in 2023 fall camp.

“If they happen to be able to come back and play this week, that is just an added bonus. But that’s kind of the mindset we have to have. It sucks. But we still love those guys,” Sitake said. “They want us to be at our best, so we have to get our (other) guys ready.”

Those other guys include not only Davis and Nawahine, but true freshmen Sione I. Moa, Jovesa Damuni and Pokaiaua Haunga.

“This is going to be an opportunity for some of these young guys to get out there and make plays,” Sitake said. “We are still not counting Hinckley and LJ out, but we have to be real with you guys and be honest about where we are seeing it. The fortunate thing is it is not for the season. Like I said, they are doubtful. That is kind where we are at right now.”

Nawahine finished with four carries for 16 yards and a 9-yard TD jaunt on fourth down, while Davis had three carries for 37 yards, including the 37-yard run that got BYU into game-winning field goal territory.

“That’s why we spent so much time developing our depth and getting our guys right (in the offseason),” Sitake said. “Enoch did a great job with his vision and being able to run the ball. For a guy that didn’t have a lot of reps in practice to be able to function at a high level, he made some really big-time plays for us, and so did Miles. We know that we can count on those guys.”

On a more positive note, Sitake said cornerback Mory Bamba is close to returning after missing the first two games with a lower leg injury.

“This might be the week that we might be able to see him,” Sitake said of the redshirt junior from Tyler (Texas) Junior College.