1979 BYU Cougars football team

Last updated

1979 BYU Cougars football
WAC champion
Holiday Bowl, L 37–38 vs. Indiana
Conference Western Athletic Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 12
APNo. 13
Record11–1 (7–0 WAC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinator Doug Scovil (3rd season)
Offensive scheme West Coast
Defensive coordinator Fred Whittingham (1st season)
Base defense 4–3
Home stadium Cougar Stadium
Seasons
  1978
1980  
1979 Western Athletic Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 13 BYU $ 7 0 011 1 0
Utah 5 2 06 6 0
San Diego State 4 2 08 3 0
Hawaii 3 3 06 5 0
New Mexico 3 4 06 6 0
Colorado State 3 4 04 7 1
Wyoming 2 5 04 8 0
UTEP 0 7 02 9 0
  • $ Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1979 BYU Cougars football team represented Brigham Young University (BYU) for the 1979 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Cougars were led by eighth-year head coach LaVell Edwards and played their home games at Cougar Stadium in Provo, Utah. The team competed as a member of the Western Athletic Conference, winning the conference title for the fourth consecutive year with a conference record of 70. BYU finished the regular season with an undefeated record of 110. BYU was invited to the 1979 Holiday Bowl, where they lost to Indiana. They were ranked 13th in the final AP Poll and 12th in the final Coaches Poll.

Contents

Schedule

DateOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendanceSource
September 8at No. 14 Texas A&M *W 18–1740,000 [1]
September 15 Weber State *W 48–333,161 [2]
September 29 UTEP
  • Cougar Stadium
  • Provo, UT
W 31–734,724 [3]
October 5 Hawaii No. 20
  • Cougar Stadium
  • Provo, UT
W 38–1534,741 [4]
October 13at Utah State *No. 16W 48–2428,094 [5]
October 20at Wyoming No. 13W 54–1414,723 [6]
October 27 New Mexico No. 11
  • Cougar Stadium
  • Provo, UT
W 59–733,921 [7]
November 3at Colorado State No. 11W 30–725,612 [8]
November 9at Long Beach State *No. 11W 31–1720,051 [9]
November 17 Utah No. 10
  • Cougar Stadium
  • Provo, UT
W 27–040,236 [10]
November 24at San Diego State No. 10 ABC W 63–1446,121 [11]
December 21vs. Indiana *No. 9
L 37–3852,500 [12]
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[13]

Game summaries

Vs. Texas A&M

BYU Cougars (0–0) at #14 Texas A&M Aggies (0–0)
Quarter1234Total
BYU 037818
Texas A&M 707317

at Rice Stadium, Houston, Texas

  • Date: September 8, 1979
  • Game attendance: 40,000
  • Box Score
Game information

The game was played at Rice Stadium because Kyle Field was being renovated.

QB Marc Wilson had undergone an emergency appendectomy and had lost weight during the week of the game.

The defense carried the offense that was still finding its rhythm with a blocked punt and a goal line stand. The ailing Wilson drove BYU down the field to score with 52 seconds left to pull within 17–16. Coach Edwards let the team decide whether to go for the tie or the win and they chose the latter. The attempt was converted and BYU put itself in the national spotlight with a major upset.

[14] [15]

External videos
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg 1979 vs. Texas A&M – Game-winning touchdown & two-point conversion

Utah

1234Total
Utah00000
BYU1737027

Marc Wilson threw for 374 yards as BYU clinched at least a share of the WAC title and set up a showdown with San Diego State for the following week. Wilson set an NCAA record for the most passing yards against a single opponent in two games and tied Rice's Tommy Kramer 1976 record for 300-yard passing games in a season with seven.

[16]

Game 12: Holiday Bowl (vs. Indiana)

Marc Wilson 28/43, 380 yards, 2 TD, TD rushing [17]

Personnel

1979 BYU Cougars football team roster
PlayersCoaches
Offense
Pos.#NameClass
TE 85 Clay Brown Jr
WR 3Scott Collie Redshirt.svg  Fr
OT 72 Nick Eyre Jr
WR 87Lloyd JonesJr
RB 36 Eric Lane Jr
QB 9 Jim McMahon   Injury icon 2.svg Redshirt.svg  Jr
OT 64 Andy Reid Jr
QB 6 Marc Wilson Sr
Defense
Pos.#NameClass
DT 78 Chuck Ehin Fr
LB 48Scott GarrettJr
DE 83 Mat Mendenhall Sr
DE 77Mike MorganFr
LB 41 Glen Redd Jr
LB 59 Kyle Whittingham So
Special teams
Pos.#NameClass
K 2Brent JohnsonSr
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injury icon 2.svg Injured
  • Redshirt.svg Redshirt

Roster

References

  1. "Brigham Young comeback gives Texas A&M 18–17 shock". Corpus Christi Caller-Times. September 9, 1979. Retrieved October 19, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  2. "Weber State is no match for Cougars". The El Paso Times. September 16, 1979. Retrieved October 19, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  3. "BYU bombs Texas–El Paso 31–7". San Angelo Standard-Times. September 30, 1979. Retrieved October 19, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  4. "BYU humbles Hawaii". South Idaho Press. October 7, 1979. Retrieved October 19, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Marc Wilson hurls BYU past Utah St". The Idaho Statesman. October 14, 1979. Retrieved October 19, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  6. "BYU crushes Wyoming, 54–14". The Daily Spectrum. October 21, 1979. p. 7. Retrieved October 19, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Ambitious BYU zaps New Mexico, 59–7". The Salt Lake Tribune. October 28, 1979. Retrieved October 19, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  8. "BYU rolls as Wilson sets mark". The Tulsa World. November 4, 1979. Retrieved October 19, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Wilson (and BYU) make points as 49ers lose, 31–17". The Los Angeles Times. November 10, 1979. Retrieved October 19, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  10. "BYU blanks Utes 27–0". The Daily Herald. November 18, 1979. Retrieved October 19, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  11. "BYU batters Aztecs to win WAC title". The Salt Lake Tribune. November 25, 1979. Retrieved October 19, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  12. "Indiana shocks BYU 38–37". The Sacramento Bee. December 22, 1979. Retrieved October 19, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  13. "1979 Brigham Young Cougars Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  14. BYU Football Talk
  15. "Late Pass Enables BYU to Upset A&M." Palm Beach Post. 1979 Sept 9.
  16. "BYU stays unbeaten, Wilson breaks records." Eugene Register-Guard. 1979 Nov 18.
  17. "1979". Holidaybowl.com. Archived from the original on December 16, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2012.