BYU Cougars

BYU football: The 10 best wins of the LaVell Edwards era

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 8:10 p.m. ET

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Fansided, Nathan Cunningham/FanSided via Lawless Republic

Legendary BYU football head coach LaVell Edwards has passed away. Now it’s time to celebrate his lengthy legacy in Provo.

LaVell Edwards was the head coach of BYU football for nearly 30 seasons. He was the greatest coach the Cougars have ever had – and one of the greatest coaches in the history of college football.

A member of the College Football Hall of Fame, Edwards provided BYU football fans countless memories. Big wins, very few losses and the coveted National Championship.

But which wins were his best?

Let’s find out.

No. 10: BYU vs Texas A&M – 1996

BYU football kicked off the 1996 season with a 41-37 victory over the Aggies. The Cougars trailed in the second quarter, but came back to thanks to Steve Sarkisian‘s 536 yards and six touchdowns. His final TD pass of the day came with just over a minute remaining, when he fired a 46-yard strike to K.O. Kealaluhi. The Cougars outscored A&M 15-3 in the final quarter in front of more than 55,000 fans at Cougar Stadium.

No. 9: BYU vs UCLA – 1983

From 1983 to 1985 the Cougars won 25 straight games. Among those wins was a 37-35 win over the Bruins in the Rose Bowl. Steve Young didn’t have his best game in BYU blue (25-36 for 270 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions), and the Cougars nearly coughed up the game (they led by double-digits in the second half), but they did enough to get a win. Casey Tiumalo ran for 137 yards in the win and Todd Shell collected four sacks.

No. 8: BYU vs Utah – 2000

Rivalry games should bring out the best in players and coaches, and that’s certainly true for LaVell Edwards and the Holy War. Edwards was 22-7 against the Utes in his career, but things weren’t looking good for Edwards and the Cougars in 2000. BYU football was up 26-10 on the Utes after the third quarter, but Utah came back to score 17 points in the fourth. It looked like Edwards’ final game would be a sour one. But Brandon Doman hit Jonathan Pittman on a 4th-and-13 for 34 yards. On the next play the two connected on a 36-yard pass. Doman scored on the ground from four yards out and the Cougar defense held, sending Edwards out on top.

No. 7: BYU vs Wyoming – WAC Championship 1996

BYU football was on a 10-game winning streak and was ranked No. 6 when they faced No. 20 Wyoming in the WAC title game. The Cougars and Cowboys battled, with Wyoming opting for a safety over punting to return man James Dye. That worked out just fine for the Cougars, who escaped with a 28-25 overtime victory.

No. 6: BYU vs Notre Dame – 1994

1994 marked the first – and only – time that BYU went to South Bend and knocked off Notre Dame. The Cougars held No. 17 Notre Dame to just 14 points and won 21-14. Jamal Willis scored two touchdowns for BYU and had over 150 total yards. John Pollock collected eight tackles and a sack and Shay Muirbrook intercepted a pass in the win. It didn’t end up being the Irish’s best year (6-5-1) but any time a program collects its first win in such a historic venue is worthy of a top ten designation.

No. 5: BYU vs Kansas State – 1997 Cotton Bowl

The first New Year’s Day bowl game in BYU football history came in 1997, with the Cougars matching up with the Kansas State Wildcats in the Cotton Bowl. BYU won the game 19-15 behind Sarkisian’s arm and Muirbrook’s stellar defensive effort. Sarkisian passed for 291 yards and two touchdowns and Muirbrook posted 12 tackles and six (yes, six) sacks. The 1996 season was the last truly great year by BYU under Edwards, but he nearly led the Cougars to their second National Championship. If not for an early season loss to Washington, BYU may very well have captured a second title. Instead, the Cougars finished ranked No. 5 and owned a 14-1 record.

No. 4: BYU vs Pittsburgh – 1984

This game was the first ever live ESPN college football game. Pitt was ranked No. 3 and no one gave BYU a shot at winning in Pitt Stadium. Trailing 14-9 entering the fourth quarter the Cougars rallied and scored 11 unanswered points in the final frame to defeat the Panthers 20-14. Robbie Bosco completed 25-of-43 passes for 325 yards and Adam Haysbert reeled in nine passes for 141 yards. It was the start of the magical season that ended with a National Championship. But more on that later.

No. 3: BYU vs SMU – 1980 Holiday Bowl

Arguably the greatest comeback in the history of college football, the 1980 Holiday Bowl is one of the best bowl games of all time. Trailing SMU 45-25 with four minutes remaining, Edwards and quarterback Jim McMahon got the Cougars right back in it. BYU scored 21 points in the final 2:33 seconds to defeat the Craig James and Eric Dickerson led Mustangs 46-45. McMahon threw for 446 yards and BYU finished the year 11-1.

No. 2: BYU vs Michigan – 1984 Holiday Bowl

The (somewhat improbable) win that cemented BYU football as a dynasty and captured a National Championship. BYU was undefeated going into the game, but many were skeptical to rank the Cougars No. 1 because they played in the WAC. There was speculation BYU would ditch its obligations to play in the Holiday Bowl, opting for a larger bowl with a more lucrative payout, but it didn’t happen. Instead the Cougars faced the Michigan Wolverines. BYU outscored Michigan 14-3 in the fourth quarter to win 24-17 to win in front of 61,000 fans in San Diego. Bosco threw for 343 yards and two touchdowns in the victory. A week later, the voters announced BYU was the No. 1 team in the nation, securing a National Championship.

No. 1: BYU vs Miami – 1990

In the 1980’s there was Miami and everyone else. The Hurricanes captured three titles in the decade. The defending champs rolled into Provo in September 1990 as 13.5 point favorites. The Cougar faithful poured out – decked out in their Heisman “Ty’s” (really, one of the best marketing campaigns in BYU history) and cheered on their team. They witnessed history as the Cougars, led by Edwards and Ty Detmer defeated a Miami team that had 11 players selected in that year’s NFL Draft. Detmer threw for 406 yards and three touchdowns in the 28-21 victory and four different Cougars caught six or more passes. It was the finest win of Edwards’ career.

LaVell Edwards was a legend in every sense of the word. He will be missed by all of Cougar Nation. Rest in Peace, Coach.

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