Martin’s 3-TD Night Leads No. 11 BYU Past Colorado State, 41-23.

FORT COLLINS, Colo. — LJ Martin wasted little time making his presence felt Saturday night.

The BYU running back broke loose for a 56-yard touchdown run on the second play of the game and went on to rush for 176 yards and three touchdowns as No. 11 BYU defeated Colorado State 41-23 at Canvas Stadium. The victory moved the Cougars to 3-0 for the fourth consecutive season and gave BYU its 20th all-time 3-0 start. Six of those starts have come under head coach Kalani Sitake. “We’re exactly where we want to be,” Sitake said.

Martin did most of his damage before halftime, piling up 173 rushing yards in the opening two quarters. The reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year was largely kept on the sideline in the second half with BYU holding a comfortable advantage. “He’s one of the best running backs in the country,” Sitake said. “He could be sitting right now playing in the NFL. He just had come back for a reason and thankfully he came back.” The game itself was delayed 37 minutes because of a thunderstorm, but once the Cougars took the field, their offense quickly found its rhythm. BYU finished with 559 yards of total offense. Quarterback Bear Bachmeier completed the night with 227 passing yards and an interception, while freshman receiver Legend Glasker emerged as another major contributor. Glasker caught five passes for 131 yards, including a 70-yard reception, and also scored on a rushing touchdown.

Colorado State entered the matchup undefeated but suffered its first loss of the season, dropping to 2-1 in Jim Mora’s first season leading the Rams.Mora, who previously helped turn around the program at UConn, said the loss did not change his view of the team’s progress.

“The feeling I get from our players in the locker is yeah, they’re disappointed, but they’re not discouraged,” Mora said. “There were no cracks and when you’re building a football program those are the things you’re looking for.” The Rams also dealt with significant quarterback issues throughout the game. Starting quarterback Hauss Hejny threw for 80 yards and a touchdown before leaving late in the first quarter with a hamstring injury. Backup K’saan Farrar took over and passed for 70 yards and an interception before leaving the game early in the fourth quarter after being poked in the eye. Although Farrar was cleared to return, Darius Curry continued running the offense and eventually threw a late touchdown.

Colorado State Addresses Student Chants

Following the game, Colorado State issued an apology to BYU after derogatory chants from the student section during the matchup. “Mocking anyone's faith has no place at CSU,” the school said in a statement. “It runs counter to our community's values and to who we are. BYU's players, coaches and fans deserved better. We are addressing this with our students.”

What the Result Means

BYU extended its streak of winning its first true road game of the season to nine consecutive seasons under Sitake. Colorado State, meanwhile, has now lost 28 straight games against ranked opponents. The Rams' most recent victory over a ranked team came in 2002, when they defeated No. 7 Colorado.

Up Next

BYU will return to action Oct. 3 with a road matchup against TCU.

Colorado State will look to bounce back next Saturday when the Rams travel to UTSA.