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.

On Saturday night, BYU traveled to Laramie and took down the Wyoming Cowboys 34-14. The Cougars outgained the Cowboys 458-217, including 353 total yards of offense from Jake Retzlaff. BYU came into the game as a 9.5-point favorite. With the 20-point victory, BYU moved to 3-0 against the spread this season.

BYU’s offense got off to a quick start, quickly driving 50 yards down the field in seven plays before Retzlaff took a shot downfield to Kody Epps that was intercepted. The read was right – Epps had a step, but that ball was underthrown, culminating in another turnover from Jake Retzlaff.

Following a three-and-out from the Wyoming offense, BYU got the ball back and marched 44 yards for the score. Retzlaff found a wide open Keanu Hill for the 20-yard touchdown to give BYU a 7-0 lead.

After exchanging a few punts, the BYU offense took the field again and marched 74 yards in nine plays for the touchdown to take the 14-0 lead. Retzlaff found a wide open Kody Epps for the score.

On the ensuing drive, Wyoming’s offense showed signs of life, marching 75 yards for the score to cut into BYU’s lead and make it 14-7.

Just before halftime, a 49-yard field goal from Will Ferrin put BYU ahead 17-7.

The second half kicked off with some fireworks. BYU wide receiver Keelan Marion took back the second half kickoff 100 yards for the touchdown. That was the first BYU kickoff return for a touchdown since Adam Hine took one back against Virginia in 2014. At that point, BYU had complete control of the game.

A second field goal from Will Ferrin gave BYU a 27-7 lead with 09:42 remaining in the third quarter.

BYU’s last touchdown drive of the game was a 5 play, 77-yard drive that ended in a 20-yard touchdown pass from Jake Retzlaff to Darius Lassiter. That throw, in this author’s opinion, was Jake Retzlaff’s best throw of the night. Retzlaff calmly evaded the rush, stepped up into the pocket, remained under control, and threw a strike to Lassiter for the score.

Wyoming scored a late touchdown to cut into the lead and make it 34-14. Gerry Bohanon got the final drive for BYU, going 57 yards and running out the six minutes remaining on the game clock.

The BYU Cougars face the Wyoming Cowboys on the road while trying to stay unbeaten playing against a struggling, but very dangerous team. This game kicks off at 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET (7 p.m. MDT) on Saturday, September 14 with a live broadcast on CBS Sports Network, and streaming live on demand.

• WATCH: Wyoming vs. BYU football live for free with Fubo (free trial), with DirecTV Stream or see more streaming options below.

What TV channel is the BYU vs. Wyoming game on?

When: Kickoff takes place at 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET (7 p.m. MDT) on Saturday, September 14.

Where: War Memorial Stadium | Laramie, Wyoming

TV Channel: CBS Sports Network (CBSSN)

How to watch live stream online: If you don’t have cable, you can still watch this game live for FREE with Fubo (free trial). You can also watch with DirecTV Stream (free trial). If you already have cable, you can also watch this game live on CBS Sports Network with your cable or satellite provider login information.

What TV channel is CBS Sports Network on in my area?

You can find out more about which channel CBSSN is on in your area by using the channel finders here: Comcast Xfinity, DIRECTV, Dish, Verizon Fios, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice.

BYU vs. Wyoming spread, betting odds

Moneyline: BYU: -345 | WYO: +275

Point spread: BYU: -9.5 | WYO: +9.5

Over/Under: 40