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1980 BYU Cougars football team

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American college football season

1980 BYU Cougars football
WAC champion
Holiday Bowl champion
Holiday Bowl, W 46–45 vs. SMU
ConferenceWestern Athletic Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 11
APNo. 12
Record12–1 (6–1 WAC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorDoug Scovil (4th season)
Offensive schemeWest Coast
Defensive coordinatorFred Whittingham (2nd season)
Base defense4–3
Home stadiumCougar Stadium
Seasons← 19791981 →
1980 Western Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 12 BYU $ 6 1 0 12 1 0
Colorado State 5 1 1 6 4 1
Hawaii 3 3 0 8 3 0
Wyoming 4 4 0 6 5 0
San Diego State 4 4 0 4 8 0
New Mexico 3 4 0 4 7 0
Utah 2 3 1 5 5 1
Air Force 1 3 0 2 9 1
UTEP 1 6 0 1 11 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1980 BYU Cougars football team represented Brigham Young University (BYU) for the 1980 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Cougars were led by ninth-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 their fifth consecutive conference title with a conference record of 6–1. After a season-opening loss to New Mexico, BYU ended on a 12-game winning streak, including a victory over SMU in the 1980 Holiday Bowl, finishing 12–1 overall and ranked 12th in the final AP Poll. The Cougars' offense scored 606 points during the season for an average of 46.6 points per game. They scored over 50 points in a game five times, including two games scoring over 70 points.

Schedule

DateOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendanceSource
September 6at New MexicoL 21–2516,840
September 13San Diego StateABCW 35–1136,178
September 20at Wisconsin*KBYUW 28–371,496
September 27Long Beach State*
  • Cougar Stadium
  • Provo, UT
W 41–2537,152
October 11Wyoming
  • Cougar Stadium
  • Provo, UT
W 52–1741,296
October 18at Utah State*ABCW 70–4623,230
October 25at HawaiiNo. 19W 34–749,139
November 1UTEPNo. 17
  • Cougar Stadium
  • Provo, UT
W 83–736,251
November 8North Texas State*No. 13
  • Cougar Stadium
  • Provo, UT
W 41–2336,583
November 15Colorado StateNo. 13
  • Cougar Stadium
  • Provo, UT
W 45–1440,515
November 22at UtahNo. 13W 56–630,520
November 29at UNLV*No. 12W 54–1431,406
December 19vs. No. 19 SMU*No. 14MizlouW 46–4550,200
  • *Non-conference game
  • Homecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Game summaries

San Diego State

San Diego St at BYU
1 234Total
San Diego St 0 308 11
BYU 7 14140 35
Scoring summary
1BYUBrown 17-yard pass from McMahon (Gunther kick)BYU 7-0
2SDSUCorral 47-yard field goalBYU 7-3
2BYUPhillips 17-yard pass from McMahon (Gunther kick)BYU 14-3
2BYUDavis 15-yard pass from McMahon (Gunther kick)BYU 21-3
3BYULacey 12-yard blocked punt return (Gunther kick)BYU 28-3
3BYUBrown 80-yard pass from McMahon (Gunther kick)BYU 35-3
4SDSUKofler 4-yard run (Corral kick)BYU 35-11

Long Beach State

Long Beach State at BYU
1 234Total
Long Beach St 0 6136 25
BYU 21 7013 41
Scoring summary
1BYULane 5-yard run (Gunther kick)BYU 7-0
1BYUJones 20-yard pass from McMahon (Gunther kick)BYU 14-0
1BYUBraga 28-yard pass from McMahon (Gunther kick)BYU 21-0
2LBSDuddridge 25-yard pass from Starkey (run failed)BYU 21-6
2BYUDavis 2-yard pass from McMahon (Gunther kick)BYU 28-6
3LBSWilson 1-yard run (pass failed)BYU 28-12
3LBSWilson 1-yard run (Petrosian kick)BYU 28-19
4BYULane 1-yard run (Gunther kick)BYU 35-19
4BYULane 13-yard pass from McMahon (kick failed)BYU 41-19
4LBSJohnson 12-yard pass from Starkey (pass failed)BYU 41-25
  • BYU: Jim McMahon 339 Yds passing

Wyoming

Wyoming came into the contest with a wishbone attack that was fourth in the nation in rushing and sixth in total offense at 450 yards per game while BYU featured the nation's second best passing squad behind Jim McMahon, the best statistical passer in the country.

McMahon finished 22 of 31 for 408 yards and four touchdowns, his fourth straight game over 300 yards to keep his number one ranking. Wyoming attempted to rush seven and eight at McMahon but the offensive line and backs, normally featured in the passing game, did a superb job blocking. McMahon was never sacked as Nick Eyre, Lloyd Eldredge, Bart Oates, Calvin Close and Ray Linford dominated the line of scrimmage for the Cougars.

With the Cowboys committing to the pass rush, McMahon threw at will to targets Dan Plater (8 receptions for 99 yards and a touchdown), Lloyd Jones (5/120, TD), Bill Davis (7/143, TD) and Clay Brown (2/61, TD), who faced one-on-one coverage and exploit this advantage.

Meanwhile, BYU's defense was just as dominating, consistently getting into the Wyoming backfield and limiting the wishbone options for a team that came in averaging 323 yards on the ground. With the defensive line of Glen Titensor, Mike Morgan, Chuck Ehin, Pulusila Filiaga and Brad Anae shutting down the run, all the likes of Glen Redd, Kyle Whittingham, Bob Prested and Ed St. Pierre had to do was clean up.

The game was decided in the first quarter as BYU scored on two of its first three possessions and Wyoming gained 30 yards rushing in four. By halftime, BYU led 17-3 and the Cowboys had only increased their rushing total to 42.

"I've never seen a team compare with BYU throwing the football and I don't believe we've seen anyone physically as tough. BYU is much stronger than we are", Wyoming head coach Pat Dye said.

Dye continued, "McMahon is a great quarterback. We knew the four-man rush wouldn't get to them, so we tried different things. Today, a four-man rush or a seven-man rush didn't make any difference."

At Utah

#13 BYU Cougars (9–1) at Utah Utes (6–2–1)
Quarter 1 2 34Total
BYU 7 14 211456
Utah 0 0 066

at Rice Stadium, Salt Lake City, Utah

  • Date: November 22, 1980
  • Game weather: Light rain, 42 °F (6 °C)
  • Game attendance: 30,520
  • Box Score
Game information

First quarter

  • BYU – Eric Lane 1-yard run (Kurt Gunther kick). BYU 7–0.

Second quarter

  • BYU – Jim McMahon 7-yard run (Kurt Gunther kick). BYU 14–0.
  • BYU – Clay Brown 5-yard pass from Jim McMahon (Kurt Gunther kick), 1:47. BYU 21–0.

Third quarter

  • BYU – Eric Lane 11-yard pass from Jim McMahon (Kurt Gunther kick). BYU 28–0.
  • BYU – Eric Lane 1-yard run (Kurt Gunther kick). BYU 35–0.
  • BYU – Clay Brown 76-yard pass from Jim McMahon (Kurt Gunther kick). BYU 42–0.

Fourth quarter

  • UTAH – Hilria Johnson 1-yard run (pass failed). BYU 42–6.
  • BYU – Steve Carlsen 1-yard run (Kurt Gunther kick). BYU 49–6.
  • BYU – Scott Pettis 5-yard run (Kurt Gunther kick). BYU 56–6.
Top passers
  • BYU – Jim McMahon – 21/34, 399 yards, 3 TD, INT
  • UTAH – Ricky Hardin – 19/31, 258 yards, 2 INT
Top rushers
  • BYU – Scott Pettis – 4 rushes, 81 yards, TD
  • UTAH – Tony Lindsay – 22 rushes, 93 yards
Top receivers
  • BYU – Clay Brown – 5 receptions, 184 yards, 2 TD
  • UTAH – James Teahan – 7 receptions, 92 yards

BYU clinched its third straight Holiday Bowl berth and its fifth straight Western Athletic Conference title with the victory over their in-state rivals. Jim McMahon completed 21 of 34 passes for 399 yards, an NCAA record tenth straight game over 300 yards passing. McMahon also broke San Diego State's Dennis Shaw's 1969 single-season touchdown pass record of 39 with his first scoring toss and later surpassed Shaw for most total touchdowns in a single season (45).

External videos
video icon 1980 BYU at Utah – Highlights

Holiday Bowl

Holiday Bowl
SMU vs. BYU
1 234Total
SMU 19 1097 45
BYU 7 6627 46
Scoring summary
1SMUEric Dickerson 15-yard run (Eddie Garcia kick)SMU 7-0
1SMUCraig James 45-yard run (Eddie Garcia kick)SMU 14-0
1SMUSafety, centered out of end zoneSMU 16-0
1SMUEddie Garcia 42-yard field goalSMU 19-0
1BYUClay Brown 64-yard pass from Jim McMahon (Kurt Gunther kick)SMU 19-7
2SMUCraig James 3-yard pass from Lance McIlhenny (Eddie Garcia kick)SMU 26-7
2SMUEddie Garcia 44-yard field goalSMU 29-7
2BYUVai Sikahema 83-yard punt return (pass failed)SMU 29-13
3SMUEric Dickerson 1-yard run (pass failed)SMU 35-13
3BYUClay Brown 13-yard pass from Jim McMahon (pass failed)SMU 35-19
3SMUEddie Garcia 42-yard field goalSMU 38-19
4BYUScott Phillips 1-yard run (pass failed)SMU 38-25
4SMUCraig James 42-yard run (Eddie Garcia kick)SMU 45-25
4BYUMatt Braga 15-yard pass from Jim McMahon (pass failed)SMU 45-31
4BYUScott Phillips 1-yard run (Scott Phillips pass from Jim McMahon)SMU 45-39
4:00BYUClay Brown 41-yard pass from Jim McMahon (Kurt Gunther kick)BYU 46-45

Personnel

1980 BYU Cougars football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
TE 85 Clay Brown Sr
WR 88 Bill Davis Sr
OT 72 Nick Eyre Sr
RB Bruce Hansen Fr
TE 95 Gordon Hudson Fr
RB 36 Eric Lane Sr
C 52 Trevor Matich So
QB 9 Jim McMahon RJr
C 50 Bart Oates So
OT 64 Andy Reid Sr
RB 23 Vai Sikahema Fr
QB 8 Steve Young Fr
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
DE 93 Brad Anae Jr
DT 78 Chuck Ehin So
DB 46 Tom Holmoe So
DT 66 Doug Kellermeyer  Fr
DE 77 Mike Morgan So
LB 41 Glen Redd Sr
LB 47 Todd Shell Fr
LB 59 Kyle Whittingham Jr
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
K 10 Lee Johnson Fr
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

Roster

References

  1. "Heartbreak! Lobos ambush Cougars". The Daily Herald. September 7, 1980. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "McMahon, BYU whip San Diego State". Wisconsin State Journal. September 14, 1980. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Brigham Young bounces Badgers". The La Crosse Tribune. September 21, 1980. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Cougars club 49ers". The Salt Lake Tribune. September 28, 1980. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "BYU buries Pokes, 52–17". The Billings Gazette. October 12, 1980. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "BYU scores 70, and gives up 46". The Los Angeles Times. October 19, 1980. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Gutsy McMahon, defense stop Bows". The Daily Herald. October 27, 1980. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Cougars blast hapless Miners". The Salt Lake Tribune. November 2, 1980. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "McMahon outsoars Eagles with 40-50 – 464 and 3 TDs". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. November 9, 1980. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "BYU strikes quickly to top Colorado St". The Idaho Statesman. November 16, 1980. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Cougars storm past Utes, 56–6 for title". The Daily Herald. November 23, 1980. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. "BYU clobbers Nev.–Las Vegas". South Idaho Press. November 30, 1980. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. "Last-play TD lifts BYU to 46–45 Holiday victory". The Arizona Republic. December 20, 1980. Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. "1980 Brigham Young Cougars Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  15. Palm Beach Post. 1980 Sept 29.
  16. "Y. football stock up again." The Deseret News. Bill Ewer. 13 Oct 1980.
  17. "Brigham Young Crushes Utah." Ocala Star-Banner. 1980 Nov 23
  18. "BYU breezes." Eugene Register-Guard. 1980 Nov 23.
  19. My Favorite Bowl Games. Archived 2013-03-09 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved December 26, 2012.
  20. CougarStats. Retrieved December 26, 2012
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