BYU football is picking the pieces up from the stunning UCF loss. That means operating without running back LJ Martin against Arizona State. But Cougar fans received an optimistic update on Martin before BYU faces in-state rival Utah.

So Martin isn't anticipated to be healthy against the Sun Devils. But college football insider Pete Nakos dropped this update that'll grab the attention of Cougar fans.

“Martin has made strong progress in the last two weeks, with sources at the time saying they were hopeful he would be good to go against the Utes, with real confidence growing since then,” Nakos wrote.

Even Martin's head coach Kalani Sitake is another increasing his optimism here.

“He’s looking better and we’re we’re seeing him in lots of training. So, he’s getting close, but we want to make sure that it’s right timing for him,” Sitake told reporters.

Re-adding Martin will become huge for a BYU team aiming to crack into the 12-team College Football Playoff. BYU fell short one year ago in losing out to Texas Tech. Then the Cougars entered the weekend of Oct. 24 as one of three Big 12 Conference teams ranked in the top 10.

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Now BYU dropped six spots down from its previous No. 2 ranking after the overtime loss to the Knights. But the Nov. 7 showdown with the rival Utes could emerge as a top 10 battle, plus come with major Big 12 title game implications.

Meanwhile, the Cougars will face a 4-3 Arizona State team in Provo, where BYU hasn't lost at all this season.