BYU Cougars running back LJ Martin will be out for at least a month dealing with an ankle injury, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.

This news changes the offensive approach for No. 8 BYU ahead of Friday’s clash with Iowa State and beyond. Martin is expected to be sidelined for two major matchups with No. 3 Notre Dame next Saturday and No. 12 Utah on Nov. 7. The senior running back had two carries for 16 yards in the Cougars’ 17-10 win over the TCU Horned Frogs before exiting. He never returned to the game.

Martin being out is a significant blow for BYU. The Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year had 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns last year. Bear Bachmeier took over when Martin left the game. He'll try to be more balanced, splitting the load with Preston Rex and Journee Tonga, who should both see increased production while filling in for Martin.

“We talk about our depth, and we’re just gonna have to trust it and let these guys be able to do some of the stuff that LJ was able to do,” BYU coach Kalani Sitake said.

Bachmeier is an extremely competent runner. He had the Cougars' game-winning score on Saturday with a 21-yard run. Bachmeier ran for 66 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries against TCU. This will serve as a tune-up game ahead of the Notre Dame matchup to see how much of the load Bachmeier takes.

Last year, he tore the Cyclones defense up by throwing for 307 yards and two touchdowns in a 41-27 road win. But the injury to Martin changes things a bit. The sophomore passer finished with a career low in passing yards after posting back-to-back 200-yard games against Arizona and Colorado State. His 62 yards was only the second time in the past two decades that BYU won a game without a quarterback throwing for 100 yards. For Bachmeier, the TCU game was only the second one in his career where he completed fewer than 59% of his pass attempts.

“Every game isn’t like Mary Poppins — perfect in every way,” Bachmeier said. “It was one of those games. Luckily, we got out of there with a win."

No. 8 BYU and Iowa State meet for the seventh time on Friday night. This will be the fourth game in Provo with the Cougars winless at 0-3. However, this year's Cyclones team is still in the midst of a rebuild under first-year head coach Jimmy Rogers. Kickoff is scheduled at 10:15 p.m. ET on ESPN.

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Source: Yahoo Sports