Brigham Young scored 35 points against Arkansas in the teams’ meeting last year. Expecting that happen against in 2023 is silly.
Not only are the Cougars a much different team than they were last year, they will be a much different team Saturday than they expected to be last week.
Freshman running back LJ Martin is set to get his first start of the season after leading BYU in yards rushing through the team’s first two games with 118. Most expected UNLV transfer Aidan Robbins to not only earn the No. 1 gig, but potentially show out as an all-conference type performance. Robbins ran for more than 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns last year.
But it’s been Martin, in his first year out of high school in El Paso, who has been best, by far. Offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick simply said Martin’s ability to break tackles has allowed him to leapfrog others in the depth chart.
For the good news, there’s also bad for BYU. Wide receiver Kody Epps was supposed to make his season debut against Arkansas on Saturday, but he suffered a setback from a hamstring injury and is a game-time decision. Epps caught 39 balls with six touchdowns last year, both second on the team.
First-year quarterback Kedon Slovis, a transfer from Pittsburgh, has distributed the ball at a clip of 246 yards per game even without Epps, though, so BYU can sling it a bit.
Long-term, the Cougars’ prospects are better with Epps, but for now, they’re worrying about Saturday against the Razorbacks.
“It would be great to get him back if we ever do, but not sure yet,” Roderick said.