The biggest moments in BYU sports history have a running theme — almost all of them were pleasant surprises. On the contrary, the stinging disappointments were often saddled by expectations.
Finding a balance between the expected and unexpected isn’t easy and on the cusp of an athletic year that could camouflage joy and make it harder to find, the Cougar fan is sure to be tested.
Never in its history has the men’s basketball program been discussed as a Final Four contender six months prior to the start of a season. Most early polls have BYU in the top five — and it’s not even mid-May. The 1981, 2011 and 2020 squads received a lot of late attention, but nothing like this.
Football is coming off an 11-2 season and with most of the team returning, plus a few additions from the transfer portal, the Cougars are expected to conquer again; however, because of all the winning, BYU is losing the element of surprise and that will change the game for everybody.
It’s highly probable that Colorado will be better prepared for the Cougars in the Big 12 opener on Sept. 27 after getting wrecked by BYU 36-14 in the Alamo Bowl last December. It’s also reasonable to assume that Kansas, Iowa State, Arizona and Baylor will take Cougar basketball more seriously when they meet again in 2026.
High expectations create a juxtaposition. Coaches, players and fans long for them because of what they represent — the program is built for success on all fronts — winning, recruiting, ticket sales and fundraising. But, if not met, those same expectations can quickly turn a smile upside down and keep it there — and nobody likes a frowny face.
BYU’s lofty projections are linked by a lengthy genealogy of smiles, and nothing creates a smile more than a surprise. A Sunday dinner question among Cougar Nation that begins with “Do you remember that one time when …” always precedes a memory that came unexpected.
For example, do you remember that one time when Mike Lacey stretched out to catch a pass from Marc Wilson for a two-point conversion to upset No. 14 Texas A&M in 1979?
Or, in 1980 when Jim McMahon threw a Hail Mary pass to Clay Brown to beat SMU 46-45 in the Miracle Bowl.
Or, in 1981 when Danny Ainge drove the length of the floor to beat Notre Dame in the 1981 Sweet 16.
Or, in 1983 when Steve Young scored all three of BYU’s touchdowns to beat Missouri in the 1983 Holiday Bowl – he threw for one, he ran for one and he caught the game winner in the final seconds.
Or, in 1984 when BYU started the season unranked and finished as national champions.
Or, in 1990 when the Cougars upset No. 1 Miami and Ty Detmer won BYU’s first Heisman Trophy.
Or, in 2006 when John Beck found Jonny Harline wide open in the end zone at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Or, in 2007 when Austin Collie got behind Utah’s defense on fourth-and-18.
Or, in 2011 when Jimmer Fredette scored 52 points against New Mexico to break Ainge’s all-time scoring record and was named National Player of the Year.
Or, in 2012 when the Cougars made NCAA Tournament history by overcoming a 25-point deficit to beat Iona in the First Four.
Or, in 2014 when Taysom Hill leaped over a Texas defender and danced into the end zone in front of over 90,000 gasping Longhorns fans in Austin.
Or, in 2015 when Mitch Mathews caught Tanner Mangum’s Hail Mary touchdown pass to stun Nebraska on the last play of the game.
Or, in 2017 when BYU upset No. 1 Gonzaga in Spokane and snapped the Bulldogs 29-game winning streak
Or, in 2022 when Puka Nacua made a circus catch in the end zone to beat Boise State.
More recently, do you remember that one time when Parker Kingston returned a punt 140 yards for a touchdown against Kansas State?
Or, when Darius Lassiter caught a 35-yard touchdown pass with 10 seconds left to beat Oklahoma State.
Or, when Will Ferrin kicked a 44-yard field goal to stun Utah 22-21 at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Or, when unranked BYU hammered No. 23 Kansas by 34 points at the Marriott Center.
Or, when Richie Saunders made two free throws with 3.2 seconds left to upset No. 19 Arizona 96-95 in Tucson.
Or, when Keba Keita raced down the floor and blocked a would-be layup at No. 10 Iowa State.
Or, when Mawot Mag stopped Wisconsin’s All-American on the final play to send the Cougars to the Sweet 16.
Or, when BYU signed the world’s top recruit AJ Dybantsa.
Yes, Cougar Nation loves surprises. Those memorable moments get discussed and written about all the time; however, disappointments from failing to meet preconceived expectations also decorate BYU’s history.
For example, do you remember that one time when No. 9 BYU missed a 27-yard field goal at the end of the 1979 Holiday Bowl that cost the Cougars a perfect season?
Or, in 1985 when UTEP upset No. 7 BYU 23-16 in El Paso. The defending national champions were 35-point favorites, and they were riding a 25-game winning streak.
Or, in 1988 when UAB routed No. 2 BYU 102-83 to prevent the Cougars from claiming their first No. 1 basketball ranking.
Or, in 2013 when Matthew Dellavedova hit a halfcourt shot at the buzzer to lift Saint Mary’s over BYU at the Marriott Center. Two seconds earlier, a basket by Tyler Haws had given the Cougars the lead and all but assured a victory.
Or, in 2016 when, after dominating the second half, Taysom Hill was tackled at the goal line on a failed two-point conversion attempt in a one-point loss at Utah.
Or, in 2017 when lowly UMass came to LaVell Edwards Stadium and stunned BYU 16-10.
Or, in 2024 when BYU was eliminated by Duquesne in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Or, more recently, last November when Kansas recovered a pooch punt on the 3-yard line and turned it into a game-winning touchdown to spoil BYU’s unbeaten season.
In those lingering moments, the high expectations and low results magnified the anguish. So, what’s better — low expectations with surprises or high expectations with the risk of disappointment?
Alabama is disappointed when it doesn’t make it to the championship game, while Vanderbilt is overjoyed by an invite to the Birmingham Bowl. Which fan base is having the most fun? Arguments can be made for both.
It’s also easy to contend that the 2024-2025 athletic year for football and basketball was the most enjoyable in BYU history — largely because of all the surprises it delivered as a member of a power conference.
Being tabbed 13th in the preseason Big 12 poll, with even lower projections for quarterback Jake Retzlaff, set BYU football up to steal the show — and it did. Kalani Sitake’s Cougars tied for first place, they won the Alamo Bowl and finished No. 13 in the AP Top 25.
Likewise, Kevin Young’s basketball team was projected ninth in the conference and the Cougars tied for third, it reached the Sweet 16 and also finished No. 13 in the AP Top 25.
The challenge is doing it again, but in less surprising fashion.
Success and the desire to sustain it changes the game for everybody — coaches, players and fans. It’s high risk, high reward with the potential for glory, but also for gut punches and disappointment.
It might even be the hidden theme of Alfred Lord Tennyson’s famous phrase — “Tis better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.” Who knew he had penned a pep talk for Cougar fans?
The past is behind them, but as a tribute to what Sitake and Young have already done, the measuring stick moving forward will be how BYU meets what is expected, as opposed to surprising those who expected less.
Dave McCann is a sportswriter and columnist for the Deseret News and is a play-by-play announcer and show host for BYUtv/ESPN+. He co-hosts “Y’s Guys” at ysguys.com and is the author of the children’s book “C is for Cougar,” available at deseretbook.com