The No. 9 BYU Cougars are set to return Big 12 standout running back LJ Martin on Saturday against No. 3 Utah, according to multiple sources reporting that the senior is slated to dress.
Martin moved up from “doubtful” to “questionable” on BYU’s latest injury report for Week 10 at Utah, and, according to a Friday report by Pete Thamel at ESPN, Martin’s spent the last three days actively participating in practice in hopes of seeing the field for Saturday’s pivotal matchup that could shape the final three weeks of Big 12 football.
The Thamel report included that Martin is “determined to impact the game” on Saturday as the Cougars enter the matchup as a slight 4.5-point underdog.
Martin’s missed four consecutive weeks of football since enduring a lower-body injury during a 17-10 road win at TCU in early October. He’s carried the ball 44 times for 344 yards, 3 touchdowns and an average of 7.8 yards per touch.
Last year vs. then-No. 23 Utah, Martin rushed for 122 yards, 1 touchdown. BYU won the contest 24-21 in Provo, going on to finish the season 12-2 overall following a loss to Texas Tech in the Big 12 Championship Game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
It’ll be the first time the Cougars (7-1, 4-1 Big 12) and the Utes (8-0, 5-0), in the 98-year history of the football series, have been featured in the top 10. Upping the stakes is Utah’s perfect record and Big 12 title ambitions in Morgan Scalley‘s first season as head coach.
