BYU True Freshman RB Pokaiaua Haunga Made a Case for More Carries

Casey Lundquist | Sep 15, 2024

Sep 14, 2024; Laramie, Wyoming, USA; A general view of the Brigham Young Cougars helmet against the Wyoming Cowboys during the second quarter at Jonah Field at War Memorial Stadium. / Troy Babbitt-Imagn Images

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.