1978 BYU Cougars football team

American college football season

1978 BYU Cougars football
WAC champion
Holiday Bowl, L 16–23 vs. Navy
Conference	Western Athletic Conference
Record	9–4 (5–1 WAC)
Head coach	LaVell Edwards (7th season)
Offensive scheme	West Coast
Defensive coordinator	Dick Felt (7th season)
Base defense	4–3
Home stadium	Cougar Stadium
Seasons← 1977 1979 →

1978 Western Athletic Conference football standings
v t e	Conf					Overall
Team	W		L		T	W		L		T
BYU $	5	–	1	–	0	9	–	4	–	0
Utah	4	–	2	–	0	8	–	3	–	0
Wyoming	4	–	2	–	0	5	–	7	–	0
New Mexico	3	–	3	–	0	7	–	5	–	0
Colorado State	2	–	4	–	0	5	–	6	–	0
San Diego State	2	–	4	–	0	4	–	7	–	0
UTEP	1	–	5	–	0	1	–	11	–	0

$ – Conference champion

The 1978 BYU Cougars football team represented the Brigham Young University (BYU) in the 1978 NCAA Division I-A football season as a member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). The team was led by head coach LaVell Edwards, in his seventh year, and played their home games at Cougar Stadium in Provo, Utah. They finished the season with a record of nine wins and four losses (9–4, 5–1 WAC), as WAC champions and with a loss against Navy in the Holiday Bowl.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance
September 9	at Oregon State*	Parker Stadium Corvallis, OR	W 10–6	19,651
September 16	at Arizona State*	Sun Devil Stadium Tempe, AZ	L 17–24	70,311
September 23	Colorado State	Cougar Stadium Provo, UT	W 32–6	31,052
September 30	at New Mexico	University Stadium Albuquerque, NM	W 27–23	24,892
October 7	Utah State*	Cougar Stadium Provo, UT (rivalry)	L 7–24	32,668
October 14	at Oregon*	Autzen Stadium Eugene, OR	W 17–16	24,500
October 21	UTEP	Cougar Stadium Provo, UT	W 44–0	23,335
November 4	Wyoming	Cougar Stadium Provo, UT	W 48–14	30,415
November 11	San Diego State	Cougar Stadium Provo, UT	W 21–3	22,682
November 18	at Utah	Robert Rice Stadium Salt Lake City, UT (Holy War)	L 22–23	29,326
November 25	at Hawaii*	Aloha Stadium Honolulu, HI	W 31–13	35,678
December 1	vs. UNLV*	Yokohama Stadium Yokohama, Japan (Yokohama Bowl)	W 28–24	27,500
December 22	vs. Navy*	San Diego Stadium San Diego, CA (Holiday Bowl)	L 16–23	52,500
*Non-conference game

Game summaries

At Oregon State

Brigham Young at Oregon State

	1	2	3	4	Total
• Cougars	7	3	0	0	10
Beavers	0	0	6	0	6

Date: Saturday, September 9
Location: Parker Stadium, Corvallis, Oregon
Game attendance: 19,651

Source: Eugene Register-Guard

Scoring summary

1	3:57	BYU	Thompson 10-yard pass from Wilson (Kittell kick)	BYU 7-0

2	13:35	BYU	Kittell 34-yard field goal	BYU 10-0

3	2:09	ORST	Coury 46-yard pass from White (kick failed)	BYU 10-6

Colorado State

Colorado State at BYU

	1	2	3	4	Total
Rams	0	0	6	0	6
• Cougars	7	6	19	0	32

Date: September 23
Location: Cougar Stadium, Provo, Utah
Game start: 10:50 a.m. MST
Game attendance: 31,052
Game weather: Clear, 70 °F (21 °C)
Television network: ABC (regional)

Scoring summary

1	2:07	BYU	Ring 1-yard run (Johnson kick)	BYU 7-0

2		BYU	Phillips 5-yard run (kick failed)	BYU 13-0

3		BYU	Wingard 1-yard run (run failed)	BYU 20-0

3		BYU	Jones 39-yard pass from McMahon (pass failed)	BYU 26-0

3		CSU	Newberry 10-yard pass from Lee (pass failed)	BYU 26-6

3		BYU	McMahon-yard run (Johnson kick)	BYU 32-6

Jim McMahon, the backup quarterback and normally handles the punting duties, came off the bench to pass for one score and run for another when Marc Wilson was injured early in the second quarter with a bruised hamstring. "It's nice to have quarterbacks like those two, isn't it", head coach LaVell Edwards said after the game.

At Oregon

BYU at Oregon

	1	2	3	4	Total
• Cougars	0	3	0	14	17
Ducks	10	0	6	0	16

Date: Saturday, October 14
Location: Autzen Stadium, Eugene, Oregon
Game attendance: 24,500

Scoring summary

1	9:55	ORE	English 34-yard field goal	ORE 3-0

1	8:15	ORE	Lawler 3-yard blocked punt return (English kick)	ORE 10-0

2	6:42	BYU	Johnson 42-yard field goal	ORE 10-3

3	11:00	ORE	Durando 13-yard pass from Johnson (kick failed)	ORE 16-3

4	6:21	BYU	Thompson 21-yard pass from McMahon (Johnson kick)	ORE 16-10

4	3:03	BYU	Williams 1-yard run (Johnson kick)	BYU 17-16

Wyoming

Wyoming at BYU

	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	7	7	0	0	14
• Cougars	10	10	7	21	48

Date: November 4
Location: Cougar Stadium, Provo, Utah
Game attendance: 30,415

Scoring summary

1	BYU	McMahon 13-yard run (Johnson kick)	BYU 7-0

1	WYO	Jones 1-yard run (Christopulos kick)	Tied 7-7

1	BYU	Johnson 44-yard field goal	BYU 10-7

2	WYO	Jones 20-yard run (Christopulos kick)	WYO 14-10

2	BYU	Ring 2-yard run (Johnson kick)	BYU 17-14

2	BYU	Johnson 38-yard field goal	BYU 20-14

3	BYU	Thompson 7-yard pass from McMahon (Johnson kick)	BYU 27-14

4	BYU	McMahon 1-yard run (Johnson kick)	BYU 34-14

4	BYU	Thompson 16-yard pass from Wilson (Johnson kick)	BYU 41-14

4	BYU	Wilson 13-yard run (Johnson kick)	BYU 48-14

At Utah

See also: Holy War (BYU–Utah) BYU Cougars (7–2) at Utah Utes (5–3)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cougars	10	6	6	0	22
Utes	0	0	7	16	23

at Robert Rice Stadium, Salt Lake City, Utah

Date: November 18, 1978
Game weather: Sunny, 43 °F (6 °C)
Game attendance: 29,326
Box Score

Game information

First quarter

BYU – Brent Johnson 20-yard field goal. BYU 3–0.
BYU – Lloyd Jones 37-yard pass from Jim McMahon (Brent Johnson kick). BYU 10–0.

Second quarter

BYU – Brent Johnson 52-yard field goal. BYU 13–0.
BYU – Brent Johnson 21-yard field goal. BYU 16–0.

Third quarter

UTAH – James Teahan 25-yard pass from Randy Gomez (Jeff Hucko kick). BYU 16–7.
BYU – Dave Francis 20-yard interception return (kick failed). BYU 22–7.

Fourth quarter

UTAH – Jeff Hucko 37-yard field goal. BYU 22–10.
UTAH – Tony Lindsay 42-yard pass from Randy Gomez (Jeff Hucko kick). BYU 22-17.
UTAH – Frank Henry 19-yard pass from Randy Gomez (pass failed), 2:15. Utah 23-22.

Top passers

BYU – Jim McMahon – 15/38, 249 yards, TD
UTAH – Randy Gomez – 20/31, 265 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT

Top rushers

BYU – Lloyd Jones – 1 rush, 32 yards
UTAH – Tony Lindsay – 30 rushes, 104 yards

Top receivers

BYU – Lloyd Jones – 4 receptions, 67 yards
UTAH – James Teahan – 5 receptions, 85 yards, TD

External videos
Game highlights

Roster

1978 BYU Cougars football team roster

Players

Coaches

Offense

Pos.	#	Name	Class
TE	`85`	Clay Brown	So
QB	`10`	Royce Bybee
WR	`29`	Mike Chronister	Sr
WR	`3`	Scott Collie	Fr
OT	`72`	Nick Eyre	So
WR	`87`	Lloyd Jones	So
QB	`9`	Jim McMahon	So
WR	`3`	Rainey Meszaros	Fr
OT	`64`	Andy Reid	So
TE	`92`	Tod Thompson	Sr
WR	`25`	Kent Tingey	Jr
QB	`6`	Marc Wilson	Jr
RB	`4`	Casey Wingard	Sr
WR	`7`	Stan Younger	So

Defense

Pos.	#	Name	Class
DB	`11`	Dean Bona	So
DB	`12`	Mark Brady
DB	`13`	Steve Brady	Fr
DB	`13`	Steve Corson	Sr
DB	`21`	Jason Coloma	Sr
DB	`8`	Dave Francis	So
DE	`74`	John Kormylo	Sr
DB	`15`	Dave McKee	Jr
LB	`1`	Mike Mees	Fr
DE	`83`	Mat Mendenhall	Jr
DB	`5`	Bob Prested
LB	`41`	Glen Redd	So
DB	`0`	Greg Sargent	So
DB	`43`	Bill Schoepflin	So
DT	`79`	Doug Stromberg	Jr
DE	`9`	Ron Velasco	Sr
DB	`14`	Kevin Walker	Fr
LB	`59`	Kyle Whittingham	Fr

Special teams

Pos.	#	Name	Class
K	`2`	Brent Johnson	Jr
K	`1`	Rob Kittell	So
P	`9`	Jim McMahon	So
K	`3`	Craig Wing	Sr

Head coach

LaVell Edwards

Coordinators/assistant coaches

Legend

(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible

Injured
Redshirt

Roster

References

"BYU squeaks past Oregon State, 10–6". The Arizona Republic. September 10, 1978. Retrieved October 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
"Sun Devils stop BYU". The Salt Lake Tribune. September 17, 1978. Retrieved October 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
"BYU overwhelms CSU 32–6". The Daily Sentinel. September 24, 1978. Retrieved October 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
"BYU powers over Lobos". The Santa Fe New Mexican. October 1, 1978. Retrieved October 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
"Aggies upset Brigham Young". The Arizona Daily Sun. October 8, 1978. Retrieved October 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
"Fourth quarter foldup again fatal for Ducks". The Columbian. October 15, 1978. Retrieved October 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
"BYU demolishes UTEP". South Idaho Press. October 22, 1978. Retrieved October 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
Marion Dunn (November 5, 1978). "Cougars claw Cowboys in 48–14 clash". The Daily Herald. p. 6. Retrieved October 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
"San Diego mistakes give BYU Holiday". The Billings Gazette. November 12, 1978. Retrieved October 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
"Gomez leads Utes past Cougars, 23–22". The Daily Herald. November 19, 1978. Retrieved October 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
"Cougars roar back to bounce Hawaii". The Salt Lake Tribune. November 27, 1978. Retrieved October 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
"Cougars slip by Rebels". The Daily Herald. December 3, 1978. Retrieved October 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
"Navy rallies to down Cougars, 23 to 16". The Baltimore Sun. December 23, 1978. Retrieved October 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
BYU Office of Sports Information. "1978 Results" (PDF). 1979 BYU Football Media Guide. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 6, 2013. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
"1978 Brigham Young Cougars Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
"BYU unveils another QB in rout of Rams." Eugene Register-Guard. 1978 Sept 24.
"CougarStats.com. 1978 season - Colorado State". Archived from the original on October 11, 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2012.
"Ducks stunned at the gun - again, 17-16." Eugene Register-Guard. Withers, Bud. 1978 Oct 15
"BYU Rips Wyoming." Palm Beach Post. 1978 Nov 5.

v t e BYU Cougars football
Venues	LaVell Edwards Stadium (1964–present)
Bowls & rivalries	Bowl games Utah: Holy War (Beehive Boot) Utah State (Beehive Boot, The Old Wagon Wheel)
Culture & lore	Cosmo the Cougar "The Cougar Song" BYU Cougar Marching Band Mormons vs. Mullets
People	Head coaches NFL draftees Statistical leaders
Seasons	1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943–1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
National championship seasons in bold

v t e Western Athletic Conference football champions
I-A/FBS	New Mexico (1962) Arizona State (1963) Arizona, New Mexico & Utah (1964) BYU (1965) Wyoming (1966) Wyoming (1967) Wyoming (1968) Arizona State (1969) Arizona State (1970) Arizona State (1971) Arizona State (1972) Arizona & Arizona State (1973) BYU (1974) Arizona State (1975) BYU & Wyoming (1976) Arizona State & BYU (1977) BYU (1978) BYU (1979) BYU (1980) BYU (1981) BYU (1982) BYU (1983) BYU (1984) Air Force & BYU (1985) San Diego State (1986) Wyoming (1987) Wyoming (1988) BYU (1989) BYU (1990) BYU (1991) BYU, Fresno State & Hawaii (1992) BYU, Fresno State & Wyoming (1993) Colorado State (1994) Air Force, BYU, Colorado State & Utah (1995) BYU (1996) Colorado State (1997) Air Force (1998) Fresno State, Hawaii & TCU (1999) TCU & UTEP (2000) Louisiana Tech (2001) Boise State (2002) Boise State (2003) Boise State (2004) Boise State & Nevada (2005) Boise State (2006) Hawaii (2007) Boise State (2008) Boise State (2009) Boise State, Hawaii & Nevada (2010) Louisiana Tech (2011) Utah State (2012)
I-AA/FCS	Sam Houston (2021) Abilene Christian & Stephen F. Austin (2022)
National championships in bold

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