The 2024 season is a significant milestone for BYU in numerous respects.
BYU will commence its 100th football season on August 31 against Southern Illinois. The Cougars boast a rich history filled with numerous achievements, including a national championship, a Heisman Trophy winner, a Doak Walker Award winner, two Outland Trophy winners, seven College Football Hall of Fame inductees, and a National Coach of the Year.
As the school prepares for the season-long celebrations marking a century of football, there are several additional milestones to celebrate in 2024.
50th anniversary of first bowl game
Coach LaVell Edwards and quarterback Gary Sheide not only initiated BYU’s quarterback legacy but also guided the No. 17 Cougars to their inaugural bowl game at the Fiesta Bowl on December 28, 1974.
In a game against Oklahoma State, played at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, before a crowd of 50,878 and televised by CBS, BYU took an early 6-0 lead. However, quarterback Sheide was sidelined with a shoulder injury following what he still believes was a questionable hit. The Cowboys went on to win 16-6.
Fifty years later, BYU and Oklahoma State now share the same conference, and for the first time in history, the Cowboys will face BYU in Provo on Friday, Oct. 18, at 8:15 PM (ESPN).
Incidentally, the Cougars will also return to Mountain American Stadium (formerly Sun Devil Stadium) on Nov. 23 against Arizona State.
40th anniversary of national championship
BYU secured its first undefeated season and national championship with a 24-17 win against Michigan in the Holiday Bowl on December 21, 1984.
Quarterback Robbie Bosco, despite playing with knee and ankle injuries, led two fourth-quarter touchdown drives to rally the Cougars past the Wolverines, ending the season 13-0 and ranked No. 1.
After finishing the 1983 season with an 11-game winning streak, BYU began the 1984 season unranked and eager to make an early impression against Pittsburgh.
Their 20-14 upset over the No. 3 Panthers in the opener was historic for two reasons: it was the first live college football broadcast on ESPN and the start of BYU’s 13 consecutive victories.
By late November, BYU had risen to No. 3 in the rankings. On the same day they defeated Utah 24-14 in Salt Lake City, No. 1 Nebraska lost to Oklahoma and No. 2 South Carolina was upset by Navy.
The Cougars took the No. 1 spot in the AP Top 25 the following Monday and maintained it through the end of the season.
30th anniversary of ‘Super Saturday’ at South Bend
This year marks the 30th anniversary since BYU’s surprising 21-14 upset victory over No. 17 Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, on October 15, 1994. Running back Jamal Willis secured his second touchdown of the game early in the fourth quarter, ultimately serving as the decisive score.
During the game, Willis totaled 75 rushing yards and 83 receiving yards, while Jon Pollock contributed significantly to BYU’s defense with a team-leading seven solo tackles and a sack. The BYU defense notably shut out Notre Dame in the second half, solidifying their victory.
Reflecting on the improbable win, quarterback John Walsh expressed to the New York Times, “Nobody believed in us going into this game, but we had confidence in ourselves, and that’s what counted.”
20th anniversary of September to remember
It has been two decades since two of the most iconic programs in college football history, Notre Dame and USC, both visited Provo to face BYU within the same month.
BYU started its 2004 season against Notre Dame on September 4th. The Cougars’ defense limited the Fighting Irish to just 201 yards of total offense, while wide receivers Todd Watkins (five receptions for 115 yards) and Austin Collie (three receptions for 54 yards) delivered standout performances. Quarterback Matt Berry, stepping in for the injured John Beck, connected with Collie on a 42-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter, propelling BYU to a 20-3 lead. The Cougars ultimately prevailed with a 20-17 victory.
Two weeks later, on September 18th, the top-ranked USC Trojans, led by eventual Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush, brought their high-profile squad to LaVell Edwards Stadium.
Bush amassed 124 rushing yards with a touchdown and added another touchdown reception. LenDale White contributed 115 rushing yards and a touchdown, while quarterback Matt Leinart threw for two touchdowns and rushed for another, leading the Trojans to a decisive 42-10 victory.
BYU held a 3-0 lead midway through the second quarter until Leinart connected with Bush on a 21-yard touchdown pass. Bush extended USC’s lead with a dynamic 66-yard touchdown run, solidifying their dominant performance for the remainder of the game.
10th anniversary of the Taysom leap
Ten years ago, the Cougars traveled to Austin, Texas, on Sept. 6, 2014 to face the No. 25 Longhorns in front of 93,463 fans. This was supposed to be a payback game for the home team in the wake of BYU’s 40-21 one-sided victory in Provo 12 months earlier.
Texas learned quickly that there would be no payback, only more pain. After two first half field goals, the Cougars exploded for 28 points in the third quarter to amass a 34-0 lead.
Quarterback Taysom Hill rushed for three touchdowns, including a 30-yard burst and a flying leap over a Longhorns defender.
BYU routed Texas 41-7. In two games against the Longhorns, Hill combined for 358 yards rushing and six touchdowns, solidifying his Cougar legacy as a quarterback Texas couldn’t contend with.
Here and now
Celebrating and commemorating the past is important because it has done much for BYU’s present. A national championship, 40 bowl appearances, significant victories and the elevation to Power Four status will do that for a program.
Looking ahead, there’s a lot of groundwork ahead. After a disappointing 5-7 season, the 2024 Cougars are expected to rank near the bottom of the Big 12, with Las Vegas giving them virtually no chance of winning a national championship this year.
The players set to begin fall camp on July 30 will have to forge their own path. Past achievements can’t dictate present success or future outcomes.
Nevertheless, history remains a crucial part of the equation. As philosopher George Santayana famously said, “Those who don’t learn history are doomed to repeat it.” In sports terms, this means understanding past successes can fuel optimism for future achievements, even against daunting odds.
What makes BYU a formidable contender this coming season is their optimism under coach Kalani Sitake and the resilient spirit of the Cougars.
