Provo • There was no beating around the bush when BYU head coach Kalani Sitake and offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick watched the film from the Cougars’ 27-20 win over Arizona State last Saturday.
The run game, or lack thereof, wasn’t a good look in the 7-point win over the Sun Devils.
In the four games since the Cougars lost star running back LJ Martin to an apparent leg injury, BYU’s production in the run game has steadily declined.
Injuries to other linemen haven’t helped, including starting tackle Andrew Gentry and backup right guard Trevin Ostler. Take away the running ability of dual-threat quarterback Bear Bachmeier, and the production has been even worse.
The easiest fix? Martin returning. But his status for Saturday’s game is still up in the air.
“He practiced today,” Roderick said Tuesday. “I’d say he did some good things. I’d say it’s too soon to say if he’s going to be ready by Saturday.
“Obviously, we got to look out for him first, and then we’ll just see if he does better tomorrow,” he added. “Hopefully, he doesn’t have any setbacks. We’ll just keep looking at him throughout the week.”
Even if Martin can’t go, the Cougars (7-1, 4-1 Big 12) aren’t running away from the issues. They’re not even placing the burden of fixing those problems on backup running backs like Sione Moa — who recently returned from a second leg injury in the past year — or Preston Rex, who saw a noticeable uptick in carries against Iowa State and Notre Dame before sitting out against Arizona State.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) BYU Cougars running back Sione Moa (30) celebrates after scoring a touchdown, in Big 12 football action between the BYU Cougars and the Arizona State Sun Devils at Lavell Edwards Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026.
Rather, it’s an all-hands-on-deck kind of situation. The issues don’t fall on one player or position group, Sitake said.
“The running game can’t just be all on the running back or even the O-line,” Sitake said. “It takes all 11 guys on the field doing their part.”
The offensive line is certainly feeling it, starting with position coach TJ Woods. The outspoken run-game coordinator has been blunt with his players in meetings, during film review, and in practice as BYU works to figure out its rushing ahead of Saturday’s rivalry game at third-ranked, undefeated Utah (10 a.m. MT, ABC).
“One thing coach Woods does a great job of is keeping us accountable,” said veteran guard Sonny Makasini, the fifth-year senior out of Timpview High. “Whether it’s a good game or a bad game, he’s going to let us know what we messed up on.
“It’s not about the results. It’s about us doing our jobs, and the process of getting better,” he added. “When we focus on that, the mistakes tend to fix themselves.”
Without Martin, the reigning Big 12 offensive player of the year who had averaged 7.8 yards per carry, BYU’s rushing productivity has steadily declined — or relied heavily on Bachmeier’s dual-threat capabilities.
The Cougars rushed for 154 yards on 38 carries in a rain-soaked win over TCU, good for 4.05 yards per carry that included 66 yards from Bachmeier.
They followed it up with 177 yards on the ground in a 24-10 win over Iowa State, a higher average of 5.7 yards per carry that included a 109-yard game from the quarterback.
The Cougars needed just 4.03 yards per carry to stun then-No. 2 Notre Dame, getting a career game from the converted safety Rex with 66 yards on 10 carries. But one week later, the average dropped to 3.22 yards per rush in a double-overtime loss at UCF and bottomed out at 47 total rush yards and just 1.6 yards per carry in Saturday’s 27-20 win over the Sun Devils.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) BYU Cougars quarterback Bear Bachmeier (47) is hit by Sun Devils Safety Adrian Wilson (6) on a quarterback keeper, in Big 12 football action between the BYU Cougars and the Arizona State Sun Devils at Lavell Edwards Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026.
An offensive line that was a midseason candidate for the Joe Moore Award, which recognizes the nation’s most outstanding offensive line, has felt each slip-up on its shoulders, too.
“We need to improve our standard in the O-line room, and keep the process — how we’re carrying ourselves daily, what we do in meetings, at practice, and when we’re not here at the facility,” said BYU guard Kyle Sfarcioc, who battled injuries against UCF before returning last week.
“Just be us, and don’t try to do anything different,” he continued. “The Big 12 is hard to play in; you’ve got to bring your best every week to win. Going up to Rice-Eccles, we need to keep our standard and respect the process.”
Clearly, figuring out the run game has been a topic of conversation in the offensive line group chat.
“We’re all hungry to get better,” Sfarcioc said.
“We’ve just got to keep working,” he added. “The past is the past, and there is no better time than the present to get better.”
The conference slate gets more difficult beginning this weekend.
The Cougars were shut down by Arizona State, which ranks just 59th nationally in rushing defense, allowing 134 yards per game. Utah’s 22nd-ranked rush defense allows just 101.4 yards per game.
Roderick offered up a seemingly simple idea for improvement.
“I just need to call more run plays,” he said after practice Tuesday, adding that he only called eight run plays on first and second down against the Sun Devils. “It’s hard to get in a rhythm doing that.”
Easy as that, right?
“I thought we needed to block better,” Roderick said. “Perimeter blocking was not great. But I’ve just got to commit to it more. I got away from it a little early last game because we were having pretty good success throwing the ball.”
If the Cougars can’t find success on the ground Saturday, it could make for a long rivalry morning.