{"id":237593,"date":"2026-04-06T19:57:07","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T19:57:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/237593\/"},"modified":"2026-04-06T19:57:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T19:57:07","slug":"why-byu-stars-see-texas-tech-as-the-standard-to-chase-deseret-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/237593\/","title":{"rendered":"Why BYU stars see Texas Tech as the standard to chase \u2013 Deseret News"},"content":{"rendered":"

For two of BYU\u2019s most significant seniors, LJ Martin<\/a> and Isaiah Glasker<\/a>, the team they want to beat the most this fall is not even on the schedule.<\/p>\n

The long-awaited clash with Notre Dame in Provo<\/a> (Oct. 17) will boast national ramifications and the rivalry showdown at Utah (Nov. 7) speaks for itself; however, it\u2019s earning another shot at Texas Tech that drives both of them to get better.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t want it any other way. They are a really good team,\u201d said Martin, the reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. \u201cWe know if we want to compete for the Big 12 championship or the national championship, that\u2019s what we are going to have to go up against.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cQuite frankly, we weren\u2019t good enough last year. We have another chance this year to go out there and prove we are good enough and compete against them again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 \u00a0BYU running back LJ Martin on Texas Tech<\/p>\n

The only way for BYU and Texas Tech to face each other will be if they both reach the Big 12 title game on Dec. 4 in Arlington, Texas \u2014 the same stage and venue where, last December, the No. 5 Red Raiders routed the No. 11 Cougars<\/a>, 34-7.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to take that extra step this year,\u201d said linebacker Isaiah Glasker. \u201cI feel like we fell short last year, but we are taking gradual steps forward, so I think just pushing a little extra will get us into the playoffs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Texas Tech is the preseason favorite to repeat as Big 12 champion. With an excellent coach and committed NIL coffers, the Red Raiders have quickly become the standard the other 15 programs are chasing, including BYU.<\/p>\n

\u201cQuite frankly, we weren\u2019t good enough last year,\u201d said Martin. \u201cWe have another chance this year to go out there and prove we are good enough and compete against them again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Texas Tech beat BYU 29-7<\/a> during the regular season (Nov. 8) when the Cougars traveled to Lubbock, Texas, with a program-best No. 7 ranking in the College Football Playoff poll. In the loss, Glasker had a team-high 10 tackles and Martin, favoring a tender shoulder, amassed 78 yards of total offense.<\/p>\n

During the rematch in the Big 12 title game, Glasker produced six tackles and Martin combined runs and receptions for 107 yards and a touchdown, but a flurry of second-half turnovers turned the tide toward Texas Tech.<\/p>\n

Healing from postseason surgeries, Glasker and Martin spent spring practice coaching up their teammates<\/a>. Glasker expects to be cleared for workouts in June. Martin will get the green light in May.<\/p>\n

Favorite run<\/p>\n

During Martin\u2019s junior season, where he rushed 236 times for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns, his favorite was one 10-yard scoring burst against Texas Tech.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt that first drive was really good. It was in the championship game and we were feeling good,\u201d said Martin of BYU\u2019s 14-play, 90-yard drive to give the Cougars a 7-0 lead. \u201cSome things happened from there where it didn\u2019t work out, but in that moment, it gave us confidence and reassurance after we lost that first game and couldn\u2019t move the ball on them. To move the ball on them felt good.\u201d<\/p>\n

With 2,541 yards, Martin ranks No. 9 among BYU\u2019s all-time rushing leaders. Another season like last year will put him within reach of breaking Jamaal Williams\u2019 program record (3,901).<\/p>\n

Feeling better<\/p>\n

A blow to the shoulder knocked Martin out of the Iowa State game in the first quarter on Oct. 25. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound former Texas prep star returned for the final five games of the regular season before having surgery prior to the Pop-Tarts Bowl. <\/p>\n

In those games that didn\u2019t include Texas Tech and their vaunted defense, Martin combined for 405 yards and six touchdowns, including a 222-yard performance at Cincinnati. Even with the two bouts against the Red Raiders, Martin still finished with the most rushing yards in the Big 12.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s ready to get back on the field.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been testing (the shoulder) already,\u201d Martin said. \u201cThey have a punching bag in the weight room. I probably should not be saying this, but from time to time, I run at it and put my shoulder into it. It feels pretty good.\u201d <\/p>\n

Sitting out spring drills brought a change of pace for Martin, where standing instead of running caused more thinking than doing. <\/p>\n

\u201cLearning the basics, seeing the fundamentals, things that everyone can improve on \u2014 low pad level, watching the safety, watching the defense and how they rotate, how they move, just understanding (where) the pressures are coming from,\u201d Martin said. \u201cThat\u2019s something I\u2019ve been able to learn.\u201d<\/p>\n

BYU opens the season against Utah Tech at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Sept. 5.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we had to play tomorrow, I\u2019d be fine,\u201d Martin said. \u201cI\u2019m eager. I\u2019ve been missing it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"BYU fans cheer and hold up letters for BYU running back LJ Martin (4) during the Big 12 championship game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News <\/p>\n

Dave McCann is a sportswriter and columnist for the Deseret News and is a play-by-play announcer and show host for BYUtv\/ESPN+. He co-hosts \u201cY\u2019s Guys\u201d at ysguys.com and is the author of the children\u2019s book \u201cC is for Cougar,\u201d available at deseretbook.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For two of BYU\u2019s most significant seniors, LJ Martin and Isaiah Glasker, the team they want to beat…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":237594,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[150,152,151,17092],"class_list":{"0":"post-237593","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arlington","8":"tag-arlington","9":"tag-arlington-headlines","10":"tag-arlington-news","11":"tag-news-feed-local"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237593","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=237593"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237593\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/237594"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=237593"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=237593"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=237593"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}