Cougars-Knights is a battle between LJ and RJ – Deseret News

LJ and RJ may be the shortest names on their respective rosters, but on Saturday, when No. 11 BYU puts their undefeated record on the line at UCF (1:30 p.m., ESPN), they could have the biggest say in which team wins .

LJ Martin is No. 11 BYU’s resurgent 6′2″, 225-pound sophomore running back who rushed for a career-high 120 yards and two touchdowns against Oklahoma State last week. After missing three games due to an ankle injury, Martin is finally back to full speed and breathing life into a ground attack still led by the quarterback.

RJ Harvey is UCF’s dynamic 5′9″, 208-pound senior rusher from Orlando. Harvey ran for a season-best 196 yards and two touchdowns at Iowa State last week, including an 80-yard touchdown burst in the second quarter. Not only has Harvey stayed healthy through the first seven games, but he has also emerged as the best running back in the Big 12 with 890 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Despite the Knights riding a four-game losing skid (3-4, 0-4), Harvey leads the Big 12’s top offense, which averages 465.6 yards per game and has the most running plays (63) of has 10 yards or more in the competition. FBS. UCF had touchdown runs of 80 and 67 yards at Iowa State last week.

BYU will counter Harvey’s big potential with a defense that ranks No. 4 in the Big 12 in total defense (324.7 yards), No. 3 in scoring defense (19 points) and No. 1 in turnovers gained (16) .

When Martin gets the ball, he will face a stingy group of Knights that is No. 2 in the conference in rushing defense (114), but No. 11 in total defense (364.7 yards), No. 11 in scoring defense ( 25.7). points) and last in the Big 12 in red zone defense.

Both running backs are crucial cogs for their respective offenses, but in different ways. UCF is in charge, and Harvey is their bell cow. Last week against the Cyclones, quarterback Jacurri Brown threw for just 62 yards as Harvey and the Knights rushed for 354 yards in a 38-35 loss.

BYU needs Martin to run so Jake Retzlaff can pass. A ground game that averages four yards per carry opens up Aaron Roderick’s playbook like nothing else. Last week against Oklahoma State, the Cougars averaged 7.1 yards per rush and scored 38 points.

Martin is averaging 5.2 yards on 49 carries this season. He knows his production is a priority for the task ahead.

“Coach A-Rod always talks about how we have 12 Super Bowls and this is another one,” Martin told BYUtv’s “GameDay” pregame show. “We had to treat (Oklahoma State) like a Super Bowl and like it was the last game we were going to play – just try to get that seventh win.”

The Cougars (7-0, 4-0) are seeking their fifth 8-0 start in program history and first since 2020.

“We’re all together,” Martin said. “I feel like I can hang out with anyone from any job group this year. I feel like we are very close to each other. We are all involved. We all believe there is no game we cannot win.”

BYU head coach Kalani Sitake is 25-7 when playing as a ranked team and his Cougars are one of nine remaining undefeated teams in college football. Just about every prognosticator has BYU earmarked for the Big 12 Championship Game and the College Football Playoff.

All the attention can derail the focus of a young player like Martin, but he draws strength from Sitake’s steadfastness.

“Going back to last year (5-7), he was the same person through this whole process. He’s the same person today (7-0). Regardless of the outcome, he always preaches the same message and that is the type of coach I want to play for,” said Martin. “Our ultimate goal is to promote God through football. We just try to do that. That’s what he always preaches to us through our actions on the field – and to win every game we play – that’s another one of our goals.

Dave McCann is a sportswriter and columnist for the Deseret News and is a play-by-play announcer and anchor for BYUtv/ESPN+. He co-hosts “Y’s Guys” at ysguys.com and is the author of the children’s book “C is for Cougar,” available at desertbook.com.