​BYU running back Lj Martin, left, is congratulated after he carried the ball for a touchdown by quarterback Bear Bachmeier in the first half of an NCAA college football game against Colorado State Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, in Fort Collins, Colo.
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David Zalubowski
For the fourth consecutive season, BYU has started 3-0.The Cougars secured their first road win of 2026 with a 41-23 victory over Colorado State Saturday night in Fort Collins, Colorado.3-0. pic.twitter.com/rChpmiHlht— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) September 20, 20263 takeawaysBYU scored early and often. The Cougars had one of their fastest offensive starts in recent memory, finding the end zone on their second play of the night and again just three snaps later.LJ Martin became the first BYU player since 2001 to score three touchdowns in the first quarter of a game — but more on him later.The Cougars racked up 559 yards of total offense on the night, averaging 8.1 yards per carry and scoring on seven of 10 non-kneeldown drives.WHAT A CATCH BY LEGEND GLASKER 😳 @BYUFootballpic.twitter.com/tKMfOwRfbA— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) September 20, 2026They also averaged 9.6 yards per play, meaning they almost gained a first down each time they snapped the ball. That’s almost always going to be a guaranteed winning formula.Perhaps most impressive about BYU’s offensive outburst was how it came on a night when quarterback Bear Bachmeier logged just two carries for -3 yards. Bachmeier’s rushing ability is still a tremendous asset for the Cougars, but with the sophomore posting a passer rating of 181.6, they no longer need him to bail them out with his legs in order to put up big scoring numbers.LJ and Legend each put on a show. Martin had nearly as many first quarter touchdowns on Saturday (three) as he had first half touches (four) last week against Arizona.BYU was so satisfied with his early contributions that Martin only ran the ball once after halftime, which got him to his final game total of 176 rushing yards at 11.7 yards per carry, with each ranking as the second-highest such marks of his decorated career.easy six for @aLJayMartin📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/IOSaKB4ZTU— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) September 20, 2026Martin also passed Taysom Hill for sixth place on BYU’s career rushing leaderboard (2,896 yards) and broke into the top-10 with his 24th, 25th and 26th career touchdowns as a Cougar.In addition to Martin’s heroics, freshman sensation Legend Glasker was outstanding yet again, leading all receivers with 131 yards on five catches — including a jaw-dropping 70-yard grab in the first quarter — while rushing three times for 21 yards and touchdown.P