The BYU football team - thanks to Arizona State and Florida State falling from the ranks of the unbeaten the past couple of days - can now boast of finishing with the best winning percentage in the nation for the recently completed collegiate campaign.
And while the Cougars' record-breaking 14-1 mark didn't earn them the national championship, they did finish in the top 5 - at No. 5 - for just the second time in school history. Six NCAA Division-IA teams finished with only one loss this year, but BYU became the first major college football team to win 14 games in a season.The Cougars completed their near-perfect campaign with a 19-15 victory over Kansas State in Wednesday's Cotton Bowl. It was the first New Year's Day bowl game in school history.
Said LaVell Edwards following his 25th season as BYU's head coach, "There was just a special feeling with this team all year long."
"Long" being the operative word. No other college football team had ever played 15 games. In fact, the season that wrapped up Wednesday touched on seven calendar months. Cougar freshmen reported to pre-season camp on July 29 with the veterans following shortly thereafter. At least one game was played every month from August to January.
"We got through it, but I'm not in favor of 15 games," said Edwards. "It's way too much football for a college team."
But not necessarily for college football fans. It's safe to say the Cougar faithful wouldn't mind seeing the '96 team on the field a few more times.
Most of the Cougars' 14 wins were lopsided, but the three victories against nationally ranked opponents were dandies.
It started in the Kickoff Classic against Texas A&M, which was ranked 12th at the time. K.O. Kealaluhi hauled in a 41-yard Steve Sarkisian pass for a touchdown with one minute to play to give the Cougs a 41-37 win. Sarkisian threw for 536 yards and six TDs.
BYU's next battle with a ranked team didn't turn out as well for the Cougars. Washington sacked Sarkisian eight times and ended BYU's hopes for the national title with a 29-17 victory in Seattle.
"I wish we could play that one over again," said Edwards.
The Cougars struggled a bit in their WAC opener in beating New Mexico 17-14 at home, but from their it was clear sailing. BYU won its next nine games by an average of - get this - 29 points. The final win in that string came at the expense of Utah in Rice Stadium, 37-17, snapping a three-game Ute winning streak in the series.
The WAC title game in Las Vegas against No. 20 Wyoming would be considerably more difficult, however. After squandering a 13-point halftime lead, the Cougars needed a bone-headed intentional safety directed by Wyoming coach Joe Tiller, a heads-up timeout call by receiver Kaipo McGuire and an Ethan Pochman field goal on the last play of regulation just to get to overtime. In BYU's first-ever overtime game, Pochman calmly nailed a 32-yard field goal to give the Cougs a 28-25 win.
The Cotton Bowl finish was just as dramatic. BYU came back from 10-points down in the final quarter on a pair of Sarkisian TD passes. But it wasn't until Omarr Morgan picked off a pass with Kansas State threatening with under a minute to play that Cougar fans could breath easy.
Edwards will lose 15 starters to graduation if you include the place kicker, punter and return specialist. Among the fine group of seniors are the WAC's offensive and defensive players of the year - Sarkisian and linebacker Shay Muirbrook. Also gone will be All-WAC tight ends Chad Lewis and Itula Mili, All-American punt returner James Dye, All-WAC cornerback Tim McTyer, All-WAC center Larry Moore, All-WAC defensive lineman Henry Bloomfield and second-team all-league selections James Johnson (offensive lineman), Pochman (kicker) and McGuire (receiver).
Kealaluhi, the team's leading receiver and the man who scored the winning touchdowns in the bookend upset wins over Big 12 teams, as well as four-year punter Alan Boardman and safeties Eddie Sampson and Lane Hale will graduate too .
In other words, the 1997 Cougars who open up next season at home against Washington will be vastly different from this year's 14-win team.
That's not to say the Cougars won't have some returnees of note. Morgan, an All-WAC cornerback, will return for his senior year. Four offensive linemen with starting experience return as do running backs Dustin Johnson, Brian McKenzie and Ronney Jenkins. Two solid linebackers - Brad Martin and Spencer Reid - will be back along with defensive linemen Ed Kehl, Byron Frisch and Daren Yancey.
Sarkisian finished the year with the best passing efficiency rating in the country. He completed 69 percent of his passes for 4,027 yards and 33 touchdowns.
The race to become Sarkisian's replacement is already on. Left-handed sophomore-to-be Kevin Feterik and junior-to-be Paul Shoemaker are the odds on favorites to battle it out in spring practice to be the next Cougar QB. Both saw limited action this year in mop-up time. Feterick completed 5-of-8 passes for 26 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Shoemaker was 7-for-10 passing for 73 yards and a pair of TDs this year.
One other change that may occur this offseason is in the coaching ranks. Norm Chow, the Cougars' offensive coordinator who is presently in Hawaii following the death of his father earlier this week, seems to always be a candidate for different coaching jobs each offseason. This year it's Arkansas that is seriously interested in the veteran Cougar assistant coach's services.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Final Top 25
The Top Twenty Five teams in The Associated Press final college football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, final records, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote, and last week's ranking:
Record Pts Pv
1. Florida (651/2) 12-1 1,6731/2 3
2. Ohio St. (11/2) 11-1 1,5851/2 4
3. Florida St. 11-1 1,529 1
4. Arizona St. 11-1 1,486 2
5. Brigham Young 14-1 1,360 5
6. Nebraska 11-2 1,316 6
7. Penn St. 11-2 1,293 7
8. Colorado 10-2 1,228 8
9. Tennessee 10-2 1,172 9
10. North Carolina 10-2 1,070 12
11. Alabama 10-3 977 16
12. LSU 10-2 849 17
13. Virginia Tech 10-2 786 10
14. Miami 9-3 690 19
15. Northwestern 9-3 663 11
16. Washington 9-3 643 13
17. Kansas St. 9-3 625 14
18. Iowa 9-3 535 21
19. Notre Dame 8-3 511 18
20. Michigan 8-4 466 15
21. Syracuse 9-3 451 23
22. Wyoming 10-2 314 22
23. Texas 8-5 169 20
24. Auburn 8-4 130 -
25. Army 10-2 71 24
Others receiving votes: West Virginia 43, Navy 41, East Carolina 37, Southern Miss. 22, Stanford 16, Wisconsin 14, San Diego St. 4, Virginia 3, Clemson 2.
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USA Today/CNN Top 25
The final Top Twenty Five teams in USA Today-CNN college football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, final records, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote, and last week's ranking:
RecordPtsPvs
1. Florida 12-11,546 3
2. Ohio State 11-11,466 4
3. Florida State 11-11,408 1
4. Arizona State 11-11,341 2
5. Brigham Young 14-11,261 5
6. Nebraska 11-21,235 6
7. Penn State 11-21,205 7
8. Colorado 10-21,128 8
9. Tennessee 10-21,077 10
10. North Carolina 10-2 971 13
11. Alabama 10-3 906 15
12. Virginia Tech 10-2 791 9
13. Louisiana State 10-2 746 16
14. Miami (Fla.) 9-3 636 19
15. Washington 9-3 622 12
16. Northwestern 9-3 594 11
17. Kansas State 9-3 564 14
18. Iowa 9-3 549 21
19. Syracuse 9-3 446 22
20. Michigan 8-4 390 17
21. Notre Dame 8-3 381 18
22. Wyoming 10-2 259 23
23. Texas 8-5 141 20
24. Army 10-2 106 24
25. Auburn 8-4 103 -
Others receiving votes: West Virginia 85, Navy 76, Virginia 30, Stanford 24, East Carolina 19, Wisconsin 15, Southern Mississippi 13, Nevada 5, San Diego State 5, Clemson 4, Texas Tech 2.
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14-1
Aug. 24 BYU 41, Texas A&M 37
Aug. 31 BYU 58, Arkansas State 9
Sept .14 Washington, 29, BYU 17
Sept. 21 BYU, 17, New Mexico 14
Sept. 28 BYU, 31, Southern Methodist 3
Oct. 4 BYU 45, Utah State 17
Oct. 12 BYU 63, Nevada-Las Vegas 28
Oct. 19 BYU 55, Tulsa 30
Oct. 26 BYU 45, Texas Christian 21
Nov. 2 BYU 40, Texas-El Paso 18
Nov. 9 BYU 49, Rice 0
Nov. 16 BYU 45, Hawaii 14
Nov. 23 BYU 37, Utah 17
Dec. 7 BYU 28, Wyoming 25
Jan. 1 BYU 19, Kansas State 15