BYU rallies to win in battle of the Cougars
A two-touchdown underdog played its guts out against a highly ranked favorite at Cougar Stadium.
Wait a minute. Wasn't that the story line for BYU vs. Miami last week? Yep. And it happened again this weekend, but with a change of roles. Instead of being the underdog, BYU was the favorite. And instead of getting upset, BYU (3-0) pounded Washington State (1-2) for 36 fourth-quarter points and a 50-36 win.
Quarterback Ty Detmer threw for five touchdowns and 448 yards in leading the Cougars from Provo over the Cougars from Washington.
"We've kind of had our way the first two games," Detmer said, explaining how the team almost let this one get away from them. "We're not going to let it happen again."
BYU trailed 29-7 at halftime. In the fourth quarter, which began with WSU ahead 29-14, Detmer completed 11-of-16 passes for 192 yards and three touchdowns.
"I told them it didn't matter whether we won or lost, but that how they played in the second half would set the tone for the whole rest of the season," said BYU coach LaVell Edwards.