LJ Martin knew exactly what Bear Bachmeier was feeling prior to his first start on a new team, at a new school with its own unique culture, in front of 60,000 eager fans and on national television. That’s a lot for a true freshman to take in.

“I was nervous for him going into the first game because I know my first game, I was really nervous and I wasn’t supposed to play,” Martin told BYUtv’s “GameDay” pregame show this week. “So, I can only imagine what it was for him, and he did a great job of handling it.”

Martin made his BYU debut during the 2023 opener against Sam Houston. With Aidan Robbins tending to broken ribs, the highly touted freshman from El Paso, Texas, entered the game in the second half and ran for 6 yards on his first carry. Martin proceeded to run the ball 15 more times

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