BYU will take the field on Saturday against Arizona without third-year running back Sione Moa.
Moa, who carried the ball six times for 22 yards against Utah Tech last week, suffered a torn MCL and PCL during that contest, the Cougars’ rusher shared via Instagram on Wednesday. Moa lined up behind starting running back LJ Martin on the depth chart.
The result is consecutive seasons with Moa sidelined for medical concerns. Last year saw Moa nearly lose his leg in a bout with compartment syndrome, according to reporting by the Deseret News. Both Moa and fellow running back Jovesa Damuni are unavailable for the Arizona game, per the team’s latest injury report.
Moa started two games last year, combining 18 carries, 92 yards and a touchdown in starts against Stanford and Texas Tech. The Victorville, California, native technically has two remaining seasons of eligibility under the new 5-for-5 ruling adopted by the NCAA.
In the season opener, Devaughn Eka led all BYU rushers with eight carries totaling 59 yards and a touchdown. Five different Cougars scored on the ground, but Martin will be the primary figure in the backfield this weekend against the Arizona defense.
The Cougars are a 7.5-point favorite with an over/under of 47.5 points in the Arizona contest as of Thursday.
