On Saturday night, BYU traveled to Laramie and took down the Wyoming Cowboys 34-14. The BYU offense was without its top two running backs in LJ Martin and Hinckley Ropati against the Cowboys. Without Martin and Ropati, BYU turned to junior running back Miles Davis in the starting lineup. BYU’s rushing attack struggled to get going with Davis in the backfield – Davis tallied just 15 yards on 8 carries.

After Davis, true freshmen Sione Moa and Pokaiaua Haunga got their first carries in a BYU uniform. Both freshmen showed flashes, but former Timpview standout and Polynesian Bowl All-Star Pokaiaua Haunga stood out most. Haunga tallied 35 rushing yards on just 5 attempts, averaging 7.0 yards per carry. That’s the highest per-carry average by any BYU running back in 2024 (minimum five carries). He also had one reception for 11 yards.

Haunga displayed a combination of vision and burst that, frankly, BYU has lacked since LJ Martin left the lineup. In the opinion of this author, he made a case to get more carries for BYU in the coming weeks while LJ Martin recovers from an ankle injury.

BYU relied on Jake Retzlaff to move the ball both through the air and on the ground against Wyoming. Retzlaff led BYU in rushing with 62 yards on 6 carries. While having a dual-threat quarterback is a nice luxury, that’s not sustainable. BYU’s offense won’t consistently score unless it can run the ball with its running backs.

That’s where Pokaiau Haunga enters the picture.

BYU kicks off conference play next week against Kansas State. The Cougars will need to move the ball on the ground to pull off the upset, at least enough to keep the defense honest. Haunga is BYU’s best bet unless LJ Martin is healthy. Whether he understands the playbook and is ready to be a three-down back remains to be seen, but the potential is there.

BYU was hoping to redshirt Haunga since he is a true freshman that is less than a year removed from missionary service. That’s out of the picture if Martin and Ropati are going to be out for an extended period of time.

BYU is 3-0 with an upcoming schedule that is more manageable than originally anticipated. The defense is doing its part. If the offense can put a few things together, the Cougars will have a chance to win more games than expected.

Through three games, there’s a weakness at running back that needs to be resolved. Pokaiaua Haunga looked like he could be the temporary solution to BYU’s problems while Martin nurses his ankle injury.

Idaho’s Supreme Court has assigned Bryan Kohberger’s upcoming student murders trial to a judge in Ada County after his defense team successfully sought a change of venue to take the proceedings away from rural Latah County, where he is accused of killing four college students.

A one-page order signed by Idaho’s Chief Justice Richard Bevan assigned District Judge Steven Hippler to the case.

Latah County District Judge John Judge granted the defense’s request for a change of venue last week, citing a number of factors that he said collectively were in favor of moving the trial to a larger courthouse, further removed from the location of the crime.

IDAHO JUDGE RULES ON BRYAN KOHBERGER’S MOTION TO CHANGE VENUE IN STUDENT MURDER TRIAL

The court also ordered Kohberger’s transfer from the jail in Moscow, Idaho, where he’s been held since January 2023, into the custody of the Ada County Sheriff’s Office.

The change of venue could impact scheduling surrounding the trial, which is expected to begin next June after prior delays, according to Edwina Elcox, a Boise-based defense attorney who previously represented another high-profile Idaho murder suspect, the “cult mom” Lori Vallow.

“I think they will want to get things moving and established,” she told Fox News Digital. “Judge Hippler will want his own timelines and deadlines set, and strictly adhered to.”

Bryan Christopher Kohberger arrives at Monroe County Courthouse in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania on Jan. 3, 2023, before waiving extradition to Idaho to face murder charges in the stabbing deaths of four university students. (The Image Direct for Fox News Digital)

Ada County also has a larger courthouse to accommodate more members of the public and what is expected to be a large contingent of journalists.

Prosecutors sought to have the trial held at the courthouse in Moscow, next to the jail where the 29-year-old Kohberger has been held without bail since shortly after his arrest in Pennsylvania at his parents’ house, roughly seven weeks after the Nov. 13, 2022 slayings.

Kohberger’s lawyers argued that the suspected quadruple murderer cannot get a fair trial in Latah County due to “extensive, inflammatory pretrial publicity.”

Read the Supreme Court order

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Bryan Kohberger talks to his attorney Anne Taylor before a hearing on Aug. 18, 2023 in Moscow, Idaho. Kohberger is accused of killing four University of Idaho students in November 2022.  (August Frank-Pool/Getty Images)

Judge wrote that he based his decision on the “totality” of factors, including legal and logistical concerns, expert testimony and the concerns of lawyers on both sides. But he deferred to the state Supreme Court to choose a new location.

Kohberger is accused of entering an off-campus rental home around 4 a.m. on that date and fatally stabbing 21-year-olds Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves as well as 20-year-olds Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin.

He was a criminology Ph.D. student at Washington State University, just 10 miles away across the state line at the time of the murders. He could face the death penalty if convicted.

Goncalves’ family previously denounced the change in venue but said relatives would welcome the appointment of a new judge in the case.

“What was the point of the non-dissemination order, private meetings, closed door tactics, allowing the Defendant to be dressed in a suit for every televised hearing etc…if not to keep the trial in Latah County?” the family said in a statement last week after Judge ordered the change in venue. “As victims’ families you are left to just watch like everyone else and really you have little rights or say in the process and at the same time you are the most invested in the outcome.”

MINNEAPOLIS — An interesting matchup between two teams that opened their 2024 schedules with victories is set for Sunday afternoon, as the San Francisco 49ers head to the Land of 10,000 Lakes to face the Minnesota Vikings.

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San Francisco 49ers (1-0) vs. Minnesota Vikings (1-0)

• When: Sunday, September 15
• Time: 1 p.m. ET
• Where: U.S. Bank Stadium (Minneapolis, Minn.)
• Channel: CBS
• Stream: FuboTV (Free Trial), DirecTV Stream, Sling, Paramount+

The 49ers began their quest for another long season with a solid all-around effort on Monday Night Football six days ago. In taking on the returning Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets, San Francisco’s defense was exceptional, holding the Jets to just 266 yards of total offense and two touchdowns. Brock Purdy and the Niners’ offense picked up 401 yards, but only reached the endzone twice, as former Michigan kicker Jake Moody nailed six field goals in a 32-19 win.

The Vikings came into the 2024 season with limited expectations, especially after quarterback JJ McCarthy was ruled out for the season following a preseason knee injury. Yet, against the lowly New York Giants in Week 1, their defense made some big plays in a 28-6 thrashing. Minnesota picked off two of Daniel Jones’ passes, with Andrew Van Ginkel returning one for a touchdown to seal the game. Sam Darnold wasn’t bad, throwing for over 200 yards and two touchdowns. It is still a long season, and the Vikings could be brought back to Earth on Sunday, but a win in Week 1 has given fans optimism.

The Niners hold a slim edge over the Vikings, historically, with a 25-24-1 record. However, Minnesota pulled out a win in Minneapolis last year.

MY PICK: 49ers win, 27-17

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