Notre Dame’s toughest road test just got a whole lot easier following the latest injury update
Notre Dame is set to travel to Provo for a primetime showdown with BYU. Just how much does the latest Cougars news change things?
Notre Dame football’s biggest road test of the 2026 college football season just got a whole lot easier.
ESPN senior college football writer Pete Thamel reported that BYU star running back LJ Martin will be out at least a month with a lower-body injury he suffered against TCU. Martin, the reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, is now expected to miss four to six weeks. That window includes the Cougars’ home game against No. 3 Notre Dame on Oct. 17.
That game has been circled on the calendar for a long time, and not only by head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish. The entire Notre Dame fan base has been eyeing it. BYU is ranked No. 8 in the country, and the Irish have to make the trip out to Provo for this one.
Without Martin, it’s a different game.
What BYU loses without LJ Martin
It shouldn’t be a surprise that Martin is considered the heart and soul of the BYU offense. A season ago, he rushed for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns while adding 36 receptions for 255 yards through the air.
He picked up right where he left off this fall. Through four games, including the contest against the Horned Frogs where he got hurt, Martin had already rushed for 344 yards and three touchdowns. He was averaging 7.8 yards per carry and had added five receptions for 41 yards.
In total, Martin has rushed for 2,885 yards and 26 touchdowns during his BYU career. The 6-1, 230-pound runner has also hauled in 62 receptions for 439 yards and three more scores through the air.
The numbers only tell part of the story, though. Martin is an impressive runner, and he is also a premier blocker in the passing game. He consistently buys time for his quarterback, and he brings a reliable pair of hands out of the backfield. Losing a player of his status is gigantic.
More pressure on Bear Bachmeier
Martin’s absence now puts significantly more pressure on BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier. Through four games, Bachmeier has thrown for 704 yards and six touchdowns while completing 64 percent of his passes. He is also the third-leading rusher on the team with 130 yards and four scores on the ground.
That production will need to grow. The Cougars will also lean on true freshman Journee Tonga, the second-leading rusher on the roster. Tonga has carried the ball 19 times for 157 yards and a touchdown, which works out to an impressive 8.3 yards per carry.
Make no mistake about it, however. This is a huge blow to BYU’s chances of pulling off an upset in the primetime contest.
Notre Dame defensive coordinator Chris Ash and his unit will still need a strong performance against Kalani Sitake, Bachmeier, and a talented Cougars offense. But the most dangerous piece of that group won’t be on the field.
No excuses for Notre Dame now
If you ask me, there are no excuses left for the Irish. Notre Dame should be heavily favored in this contest, even on the road.
There is a bummer element to all of this for most Irish fans. Plenty of them wanted to see BYU at full strength, especially with the narrative floating around that Notre Dame plays a cupcake schedule.
The trip to Provo was one of the marquee games left on the slate, along with a matchup against Miami in a few weeks. Martin’s injury does dampen the intrigue and excitement of Notre Dame going into a hostile environment and coming away with a victory.
Regardless, all of Notre Dame’s hopes and expectations are still firmly in front of them. Freeman and his team need to travel to Provo and come out with a win no matter who is suiting up at running back for BYU. Their chances greatly improved with this latest injury news.
Most will hope for a speedy recovery for Martin. For now, the attention shifts to Notre Dame taking care of business against Stanford before getting ready for what the Irish hope is a decisive road victory in two weeks.
