The BYU football team have been waiting to get star running back LJ Martin back from injury. And they will finally get him back for the Holy War against fierce rivals Utah. ESPN's Pete Thamel confirmed the big news during College GameDay.
In addition to that, ESPN's Taylor McGregor has reported that Martin will start for the Cougars if he clears his pre-game health checks.
The BYU running back has been on course to play after missing the last month with an ankle injury. The expectation is that he might play a limited part in the game, although the extent of his role will be determined when he's evaluated before the game.
Nevertheless, the Cougars will still be happy to have the senior running back available for the Holy War. Martin rushed for 1,305 yards with 12 touchdowns last season as he was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.
Unfortunately, Martin has missed the Cougars' last four games after getting hurt against TCU. But even though he has missed half the season, he is still BYU's leading rusher with 344 yards on an impressive 7.8 yards per carry.
In his absence, Preston Rex and Sione Moa have carried the load in the Cougars' backfield. Rex has rushed for 223 yards, including a season-high 66 yards in BYU's big win over then-No. 2 Notre Dame. Meanwhile, Moa has three rushing touchdowns in his last two games.
Rex did not feature in BYU's 27-20 win over Arizona State, though, and it remains to be seen if he will be back against Utah. With both Rex and Martin missing, the Cougars could only get 47 yards on 1.6 yards per carry against the Sun Devils. BYU will be hoping Martin's return can help improve the running game.