Welcome to CougarsPedia™ - The BYU Cougars Encyclopedia.
NOTE: To remove pop up ads; press F5 key.
Our Mission:
Provide consumers with faster, easier access to the information, products and services they want.
We search the major search engines and remove the duplicates, the advertising sites, the pop-up ads, and anything that might harm your computer. Then we include all the related products and services in this easy-to-remember place where you spend less time searching, and more time finding what you want.
Athlon Sports: Preseason #34
BYU hopes the finish of the 2010 season was the start of something big. With quarterback Jake Heaps and two other freshmen in starring roles offensively, the Cougars rolled past UTEP 52–24 in the New Mexico Bowl and launched themselves into a new era with some momentum. Read more.
Lost Lettermen: Brigham Young University (BYU).
BYU Links: School Web Site - Athletics
Cougars Recent News:
All-Conference Selections Announced
22 Feb 2012 at 12:33pm
PROVO, Utah – All-Conference selections for the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation have been announced, with BYU clai...
BYU to Face Three Ranked Teams This Weekend
22 Feb 2012 at 12:17pm
CATHEDRAL CITY CLASSIC
Feb. 23-25, 2012
Big League Dreams Sports Park
Cathedral City, Calif.
No. 21 Oklahoma St...
Gymnasts Host USU & SUU for Annual Pink Meet
22 Feb 2012 at 11:48am
PROVO, Utah – The BYU women’s gymnastics team will host in-state competitors Utah State and Southern Utah University,...
Two More At Home for Volleyball
22 Feb 2012 at 9:01am
Quick Look
#3 BYU Cougars record: 10-3, 6-2
#12 UCSB Gauchos record: 4-8, 2-6
Cougars Finish Ninth in Vegas
21 Feb 2012 at 5:37pm
LAS VEGAS –The BYU women’s golf team finished ninth overall at the UNLV Rebel Invitational after finishing its final ...
Powered by MediaPedia®
Brigham Young University (BYU) Cougars: (From Wikipedia)
Brigham Young University (BYU), located in Provo, Utah, United States, is a private, coeducational research university owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS or Mormon Church). It is the oldest existing institution within the LDS Church Educational System, is America's largest religious university, and has the second-largest private university enrollment in the United States. Approximately 98% of the 34,000 students at BYU are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS or Mormon Church); one-third of its American students come from within the state of Utah.
BYU students are required to adhere to an honor code, which mandates behavior in line with LDS teachings (e.g., academic honesty, adherence to dress and grooming standards, and abstinence from extramarital sex and from the consumption of drugs and alcohol). Approximately 97% of male BYU graduates have taken a two-year hiatus from their studies at some point to serve as Mormon missionaries, and 32% of BYU female graduates have been missionaries as well. Many BYU students obtain a level of foreign language proficiency while serving as LDS missionaries, and BYU has many foreign language classes, offering courses in over 70 languages. Over 75% of BYU students have some foreign language proficiency.
The university's primary focus is on undergraduate education, but it also has 68 master's and 25 doctoral degree programs, including a Juris Doctor program. About 70% of student tuition is funded by LDS Church tithing funds, making tuition less expensive than at similar private universities.
Campus:
The main campus sits on approximately 560 acres (2.3 km2) nestled at the base of the Wasatch Mountains and includes 295 buildings. The buildings feature a wide variety of architectural styles, each building being built in the style of its time. The grass, trees, and flower beds on BYU's campus are impeccably maintained. Furthermore, views of the Wasatch Mountains, (including Mount Timpanogos) can be seen from the campus. BYU's Harold B. Lee Library, which The Princeton Review ranked as the #1 "Great College Library" in 2004, has approximately 8½ million items in its collections, contains 98 miles (158 km) of shelving, and can seat 4,600 people. The Spencer W. Kimball Tower is home to several of the university's departments and programs and is the tallest building in Provo, Utah. Furthermore, BYU's Marriott Center, used as a basketball arena, can seat over 22,000 and is one of the largest on-campus arenas in the nation.
Athletics:
BYU has Athletics teams in a number of different sports ranging from Men's volleyball to Women's rugby. They play mainly in the Mountain West Conference since its inception in 1999. Prior to that time BYU teams competed in the Western Athletic Conference. All teams are named the "Cougars", and Cosmo the Cougar has been the school's mascot since 1953. The school's fight song is the Cougar Fight Song. Because many of its players serve on full time missions for two years, BYU's athletes are often older on average than other school's players. The NCAA allows students to serve missions for two years without subtracting that time from their eligibility period. This has caused minor controversy, but is largely recognized as not lending the school any significant advantage, since players receive no athletic and little physical training during their missions. BYU has also received attention from sports networks for refusal to play games on Sunday, as well as expelling players due to honor code violations.
Football:
The Brigham Young University Cougars football team is a college football program representing Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. The Cougars participate in the Mountain West Conference as part of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly I-A). The Cougars won the national championship in 1984 and have a Heisman Trophy winner in Ty Detmer. The team holds the NCAA record for most consecutive games without being shutout, 361 games over 28 years. The Cougars have won 23 conference championships and played in 28 bowl games (10-17-1).
History:
The Early Years:
Football made a brief appearance at Brigham Young Academy in 1896, but was discontinued in 1903. It didn't get its official start at Brigham Young University until 1922. The team struggled during the first couple of seasons, but in 1928, BYU hired G. Ott Romney, who gave the school its first winning seasons.
Pre-World War II Successes:
Ott Romney and Eddie Kimball ushered in a new era in cougar football in which the team went 65–51–12 between 1928–1942. In 1932, the Cougars posted a 8–1 record and outscored their opponents 188-50, which remains one of the school's finest seasons on record. Also, it was during this era that they first beat the Utes from the University of Utah. Since 1922, they had gone 0–17–3 against them. In 1942, BYU finally broke through and beat the Utes by a score of 12–7 in Salt Lake City. The university did not field a team from 1943–1945 due to World War II.
Both Kimball (34–32–8) and Romney (42–31–5) finished their respective terms as head coach with winning records, and they are joined by LaVell Edwards, Gary Crowton and current head coach Bronco Mendenhall as the only coaches to do so. In 1975, Kimball and Romney were inducted into the BYU Athletic Hall of Fame.
1957–1971:
Slowly, the program improved and began to again show some signs of life. Head coach Hal Kopp engineered back-to-back winning seasons in 1957 and 1958. Lead by southpaw quarterback Jared Stephens and the ferocious Nose Tackle Gavin Anae. For the first time in its history, the University made a real commitment to football. In 1964, Cougars' stadium was built and had a capacity of 30,000. Also, in 1961, BYU experienced national success when Eldon "The Phantom" Fortie was honored as the school's first All-American as a running back. His #40 was retired by BYU to honor his accomplishments. In 1965 Virgil Carter was honored as the first quarterback from BYU to be selected first team All-Conference. The biggest accomplishment of this era was in 1965 when Head coach Tommy Hudspeth led the Cougars to their first conference championship with a record of 6-4. Coach Hudspeth retired in 1972 and finished with a record of 39–42–1. Despite not finishing with a winning record as head coach, he did lead the cougars to 3 winning seasons between 1965 and 1967. With a great offensive line anchored by all conference tackles Adam Johnson, and Matt Shumway.
In 1962, the program made its most important hire ever when LaVell Edwards was hired from Granite High School in Salt Lake City Utah. Coach Edwards was successful at running the single-wing and served as an assistant coach until Coach Hudspeth's resignation in 1972.
The mid-1960s saw the introduction of the "Y" on the Cougars' helmets. The 'Y' had become the symbol of the university after only the 322-foot-high letter 'Y' of 'BYU' was constructed in 1907, overlooking the campus on what is now called Y Mountain.
The Early Edwards Era:
Soon after he was named head coach (in 1972), LaVell Edwards revamped the Cougar offensive attack. While everyone else in college football was using run-heavy offenses such as the veer and wishbone, Edwards and his staff installed a drop-back passing game. This was considered by many experts to be the early implementations of the West Coast offense. Ironically, in its first year, the new offense produced the nation's leading rusher in Pete Van Valkenburg, who ran for 1,386 yards. In 1973, Gary Sheide took over as quarterback and the Cougars struggled to a 5-6 finish. This would be the only time that Edwards would have a losing season during his run as BYU coach. In 1974, Sheide led the Cougars to their first conference championship under Edwards, including a 21-18 victory over Arizona St., ending the Sun Devils domination of the WAC.
A new era dawned in Provo, in which BYU began excelling in football with consistent winning. BYU finished in a tie for the conference championship in both 1976 and 1977 leading to a string of outright WAC titles that lasted from 1978-1985. However, they lost their first four bowl games. In 1980, they appeared to be on their way to their fifth consecutive bowl loss, trailing SMU 45-25 with four minutes left in the Holiday Bowl. During these final four minutes, the Cougars scored 21 points to upend the Mustangs and record one of the greatest bowl comeback wins in college football history. BYU would win their 1981, 1983 and 1984 bowl games as well. The new era also led to success against rival Utah. Up until 1964, the Cougars were 2-34-4, but from 1965 to 1992, the Cougars were 22-6 against the Utes.
BYU also produced several All-American quarterbacks during this time and earned the nickname "Quarterback U." Gifford Nielsen, Marc Wilson, Jim McMahon and Steve Young were all named first team All-Americans. BYU had several quarterbacks that came close to winning the Heisman Trophy, including Steve Young, who finished second in the race in 1983 to Nebraska's Mike Rozier, and Jim McMahon, who finished third in 1980 to Herschel Walker of Georgia.
1984 National Championship:
In 1984, BYU was declared NCAA Division I-A national champions. The team is the most-recent national champion that is not a current member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. At the end of the season, BYU had the number one ranking in the AP, UPI, and every other poll, making the team the consensus choice.
The undefeated Cougars (12-0-0) opened the season with a 20-14 victory over Pitt, ranked #3 in the nation at the time and finished by defeating the Michigan Wolverines (6-5-0), who had been ranked as high as #2 during the season (although both Pitt and Michigan finished the season unranked). BYU beat Michigan 24-17 in the Holiday Bowl in San Diego on December 21, marking the only time a national champion played in (and won) a bowl game before New Year's Day. (The #3 University of Washington was invited to play #1 BYU in the Holiday Bowl, but chose to play for a bigger payout in the Orange Bowl against Oklahoma.) Coupled with the 11 consecutive wins to close out the 1983 season, BYU concluded the 1984 championship on a 24-game winning streak.
The national championship win opened new doors of opportunity for BYU football. The growing success of the program, and increased national exposure brought recognition to BYU athletes. In 1985, Robbie Bosco finished third in the Heisman balloting. In 1986, defensive lineman Jason Buck became the first BYU player ever to win the Outland Trophy, which is awarded to the top interior lineman in all of college football. In 1989, offensive lineman Mo Elowonibi also won the Outland Trophy.
1989 to 1996 under Edwards:
Between 1989 and 1996, BYU won at least a share of the conference championship each year except 1994. Ty Detmer quarterbacked the Cougars from 1988 to 1991, during which Detmer threw for 16,206 yards and 127 touchdowns (including bowl games) while setting 59 NCAA records and tying for three others. During that time period, BYU played difficult schedules consisting of match-ups against traditional college football powers, including Miami, Florida State, Penn State, Iowa, UCLA, Oregon, Texas, and Texas A&M. Detmer's tenure at quarterback also saw the Cougars achieve their first victory over a top-ranked team when they defeated the #1 Miami Hurricanes early in the 1990 season. The 1990 season culminated with Detmer also providing BYU its first and only Heisman Trophy winner.
In 1996 BYU produced arguably its best team ever. That team completed the longest season in modern-day college football history by playing in 15 games in one season. Starting off with a victory over Texas A&M in the Pigskin Classic, the Cougars only loss that regular season was at Washington.
In 1996 the WAC expanded to a 16-team conference by adding Rice, TCU, SMU, Tulsa, San Jose State and UNLV. After winning their division by going undefeated in conference play, the #6 Cougars faced #20 Wyoming in the first ever WAC Championship Game in Las Vegas. BYU defeated the Cowboys in overtime and earned a bid to play in the Cotton Bowl Classic, in Dallas, Texas, on January 1, 1997. It was the Cougars first ever New Year's Day bowl game and their opponent was #14-ranked Kansas State of the newly formed Big 12 Conference. Although the Cougars had a high powered offense led by quarterback Steve Sarkisian, the game was a defensive struggle. Sarkisian connected with K.O. Kealaluhi for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to give BYU a 19-15 lead. Kansas State, however, was driving with time winding down in the game. With less than one minute left, Cougar defensive back Omarr Morgan tipped a KSU pass to himself for an interception inside the 5-yard line, preserving the Cougar win. BYU finished 14-1 and ranked fifth in the nation. BYU's 14 wins that season was the most ever by a Division I college football team in a single season until Ohio State tied that record with a 14-0 record in 2002.
LaVell's Last Years:
BYU returned to the WAC Championship Game in 1998 but lost to Air Force 20-13. In 1999 after leaving the WAC along with seven other teams to form the Mountain West Conference, the Cougars won a share of the inaugural MWC championship. Just prior to the 2000 season, Edwards announced that it would be his final year as the program's head coach. That season, the Cougars struggled and found themselves with a 4-6 record with just two games left. Prior to Edwards' final home game, against New Mexico, LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley announced that Cougar Stadium would be renamed "LaVell Edwards Stadium." Before the game started, President Hinckley addressed the BYU players in the locker room and admonished them, "Don't muff it." The Cougars went on to dominate the Lobos 37-13. The season finale against the Utes was much more intense as the Cougars were trailing late in the 4th quarter, still deep in their own territory. On a fourth and thirteen, quarterback Brandon Doman found Jonathan Pittman on a Hail Mary pass. On the next play, Doman completed another pass to Pittman to put them in scoring position. Doman completed the comeback by running for the clinching score, winning the game 34-27, and Coach Edwards was triumphantly carried off the field.
Edwards is a legend among college football coaches, winning 257 games over a span of 29 years. Only five other head coaches have won more games. He was twice awarded with Coach of the Year awards (1979 and 1984). Under Edwards' leadership, the Cougars were Western Athletic/Mountain West Conference champions 20 times, had 26 winning seasons, played in 22 bowl games, and held a top-25 ranking for some portion of 22 different seasons, including 9 seasons with top-10 rankings.
The Gary Crowton Era (2001–2004):
The 2001 Cougars returned several key players including quarterback Doman and running back Luke Staley. BYU ran off 12 straight wins to open the season and were ranked seventh nationally in at least one major poll, becoming the first MWC team to go undefeated in conference and won the conference championship outright. Staley, however, broke his leg in their 12th game against Mississippi State. Walking on crutches due to his broken leg, he accepted the Doak Walker award, given to the nation's top running back, after compiling 1,596 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns. Staley's absence proved critical as the Cougars lost their last two games including their bowl game.
The 2002 season started with a big home win, but after that the Cougars struggled in ways that were unheard of under LaVell Edwards. A loss to Utah in the season finale marked the first losing season in 29 years. 2003 also saw BYU start the season with a win, but by the time the season was over the Cougars had suffered their second straight losing season. The Cougars were also shut out in the finale against Utah, ending their nation-leading record of consecutive games without being shut out, which dated back to 1975. In 2004, BYU opened the season with a victory at home over Notre Dame, however, the Cougars ended their season with a final record of 5-6. After leading the Cougars to their third straight losing season and posting an overall record of 26-23, Crowton resigned and became the offensive coordinator at the University of Oregon.
The Mendenhall Era (2005–Present):
Bronco Mendenhall, who had been brought into the program in 2003 as defensive coordinator was named the next BYU head football coach after Kyle Whittingham turned down BYU's offer to be Head Coach in favor of coaching the University of Utah. In his first season, Mendenhall led his team to a 6-5 regular season record. Mendenall's defensive secondary was weak, a significant problem for the Cougars in several close games including a 51-50 loss to nationally ranked TCU. Nevertheless, Mendenhall, like Crowton before him, did return BYU to a bowl game in his first season, and the team finished second (5-3) in the Mountain West Conference.
In 2006, the Cougars lost two early non-conference games to opponents from BCS conferences: one to Arizona on a last minute field goal and another to Boston College in double overtime. After that, the Cougars went on to run the table in their first seven conference games. In the regular season finale at Utah, BYU had already clinched the conference championship outright but faced its rival in a very hostile stadium. BYU jumped out to a 14-0 lead and was again driving until John Beck fumbled on a third-and-short play and the Cougars were forced to punt after recovering the fumble. The Utes would hold BYU's offense scoreless the rest of the first half and went into halftime down just 14-10. In the second half, Utah jumped out to a 24-14 lead, much to the surprise of almost everybody, as BYU was favored to win. BYU responded in the fourth quarter, with Beck throwing a pair touchdown passes. Utah scored again to take a 4-point lead with just over a minute left to play. The Cougars then drove down to the Utah 11 yard line with only 3.5 seconds left in the game. The final play would take about 13 seconds before Beck, as he was being hit, falling through the air, with his momentum carrying him the other direction, found Jonny Harline all by himself clear across the field. Harline caught the ball on his knees in the endzone at the opposite side of the field, giving BYU a thrilling 33-31 victory. That final play has often been referred to as the "Answered Prayer". With fans rushing and crowding the field, BYU, having seized the win, did not attempt a PAT which would have marked the score 34-31, the same score by which the Utes had defeated BYU twice in recent years.
The Cougars would then go on to dominate the PAC-10 Oregon Ducks in the Las Vegas Bowl, 38-8. The win was the largest margin of victory for BYU in their bowl game history, and it marked BYU's first bowl win since the Cotton Bowl Classic on New Year's Day 1997, ten years earlier. The Cougars finished the year 11-2 (8-0 in conference), and ranked 15th in the nation, their first top-20 ranking since 2002.
The Cougars started the 2007 “rebuilding” season with unproven redshirt sophomore quarterback Max Hall - a transfer from Arizona State. As in 2006, the team opened with two early losses to non-conference opponents. However, to fans delight the squad went on to run the table the rest of the way, winning nine straight games to finish the season 10-2 with their second consecutive undefeated conference title. In what was once again a hard-fought game against Utah, who were riding their own nine-game winning streak, BYU seized the win with about a minute left on the game clock after Hall completed a 49 yard pass to Austin Collie from the BYU 12 on 4th & 18, which was followed by a Harvey Unga touchdown. Collie's post-game comments led the amazing play to be dubbed, "Magic Happens" by BYU fans and the local sports media. The Cougars played UCLA in the Las Vegas Bowl. In another dramatic moment, BYU preserved their Las Vegas Bowl win on a last-second field goal block by Freshman Defensive Lineman Eathyn Manumaleuma.
In 2008, Mendenhall's team went 10-3 which marked the 3rd consecutive 10 win season for the Cougars. Notable games in the 2008 season included the historic 59-0 shutout of UCLA (UCLA's worst loss since 1929), and a 28-27 victory over the Washington Huskies in Seattle, thanks to BYU's defense blocking a last-second extra point attempt. With those two victories, BYU's 2008 season began with an undefeated record against non-conference opponents, including all BCS opponents. BYU suffered a lopsided defeat to Top-15 TCU, and again against Top-10 Utah, finishing with a 6-2 conference record, as the Mountain West Conference showed itself to be the strongest conference outside of the SEC and the Big-12 in 2008. BYU lost the Las Vegas Bowl to Arizona, 31-21.
Coach Mendenhall continues to build for the future and recruit very well. Scout.com ranks his 2009 recruiting class #40 nationally with 4 four-star recruits and 9 three-star recruits. BYU's stellar 2009 recruiting class four-star commitments included S Craig Bills, RB Adam Hine, TE Richard Wilson, & WLB Kyle Van Noy. A number of high-profile high school juniors also gave commitments to the program in 2009, including Jake Heaps.
Victory Over #3 Oklahoma in Dallas:
The 2009 season for BYU began against 3rd ranked Oklahoma at the new Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas. The field was supposed to be neutral, but nearby Oklahoma supplied the vast majority of the 75,000+ fans in attendance. The scoring opened with Ryan Broyes catching a touchdown pass from 2008 Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford from eight yards out shortly after BYU had dropped a punt return. In the second quarter, quarterback, Max Hall answered with a touchdown pass to Andrew George to tie the game at 7. Near the end of the first half, Oklahoma went up 10-7 on a 35 yard field goal by Jimmy Stevens, but with seconds remaining in the 2nd Quarter, Sam Bradford was knocked out of the game by Colby Clawson with an AC joint sprain.
There was no scoring in the 3rd quarter. In the 4th Quarter, Oklahoma drove down to the 1 foot line, but BYU's defense held strong, and Oklahoma settled for another Jimmy Stevens field goal, this time from 22 yards out. Then, Max Hall led the Cougars on a 16-play, 78-yard drive, culminating in a 7 yard touchdown pass to McKay Jacobson, to take the lead 14-13 with 3:03 remaining in the game. The Sooners had one more drive, but came up short on a 54 yard field goal attempt. The Cougars held on for one of the biggest upsets in their history.
School Colors and Football Uniforms:
From the 1970s to 1999—a period coinciding with the some of the school's best and most prominent football seasons—BYU school colors were royal blue and white. The football team generally wore royal blue jerseys and white pants at home, and white jerseys and royal blue pants on the road.
In 1999, Coach Edwards' penultimate year, the school colors switched to dark blue, white, and tan, and the football helmets switched from white to dark blue. The block 'Y' remained on the sides of the helmet but received a new, more current treatment. The home uniforms consisted of dark blue jerseys with white "bib" and dark blue pants, and the away uniforms consisted of white jerseys with white pants. These new uniforms were disliked by both the conservative fans in Provo and the NCAA, who required the team to remove the white bib on the front of the blue home jersey in 2000 (NCAA rules require that a team's jersey have a single dominant color). The home jersey thereafter was modified with blue replacing the white on the bib area.
These uniforms lasted until 2004, when a uniform new style incorporating New York Jets-style shoulder stripes was introduced (the helmets remained the same). The new uniforms were worn in a "mix-and-match" strategy—e.g., the home blue jerseys were worn with either blue or white pants and the white away jerseys were worn with either blue or white pants. This uniform incarnation lasted for only one season.
Ultimately, the traditional design with the white helmet and former logo was re-introduced for the 2005 season. While the uniforms were also changed to be similar to the 1980s uniforms, the darker blue remained instead of the former royal blue, but all tan highlights were eliminated. This change was done at the insistence of new head coach Bronco Mendenhall, who wanted to return the team to the successful traditions of the 1980s. Normally, it takes a minimum of 1–2 years to create, design and approve a uniform change. When Nike, the team's uniform supplier, said that they could not possibly make the change in just five months, former head coach and BYU legend LaVell Edwards made a call to Nike and asked them to help the new Cougar coach. Edwards had worked with Nike on several occasions since his retirement, and with the legendary coach's weight behind the request, BYU was able to take the field in 2005 in new, traditional uniforms. One slight change in the uniform came in the 2007 season, when a small traditional 'Y' logo was added to the bottom of the collar.
Bowl Games:
BYU has made 28 Bowl appearances, winning 10, losing 17, and tying 1. They have played in the Holiday Bowl (4 wins, 6 losses, 1 tie), the Cotton Bowl Classic (1 win), the Las Vegas Bowl (3 wins, 2 losses), the Copper Bowl (1 win), the Tangerine/Citrus Bowl (2 losses), the Freedom Bowl (1 win, 1 loss), the Liberty Bowl (2 losses), the Aloha Bowl (1 loss), the Fiesta Bowl (1 loss), the Motor City Bowl (1 loss), and the All-American Bowl (1 loss).
Awards:
National Championship:
After finishing the season 13-0, BYU was ranked number one by the Associated Press, United Press International (coaches' poll), Sports Illustrated, CNN-USA Today, and the Football Writers of America.
Heisman Trophy:
In 1990, quarterback Ty Detmer won college football's most prestigious individual award, the Heisman Trophy. Detmer is the only BYU football player ever to win the award. Detmer passed for 5,188 yards and 41 touchdowns during the 1990 season, with 28 interceptions. During the same season, he also led BYU to defeat the number-one-ranked Miami Hurricanes 28-21 in Provo. The Heisman Trophy has been awarded every year since 1935. Other BYU quarterbacks finishing in the top ten in Heisman voting include Marc Wilson (3rd in 1979), Jim McMahon (5th in 1980, 3rd in 1981), Steve Young (2nd in 1983), Robbie Bosco (3rd in 1984 and 1985), Ty Detmer (Winner in 1990, 3rd in 1991), and Max Hall (10th in 2009).
The Doak Walker Award:
The Doak Walker Award has honored the nation's best running back since 1990. BYU running back Luke Staley won this award in 2001 while helping the Cougars win their first 12 games in a row before becoming injured. Staley rushed for 1,596 yards and 24 touchdowns in just 11 games.
The Davey O'Brien Award:
The Davey O'Brien Award has honored the nation's best quarterback since 1981. BYU quarterbacks have won the award four times—more than any other school. Former NFL greats Jim McMahon and Steve Young both won the award while at BYU, and in 1991, Ty Detmer became the first of only three quarterbacks to win the award twice.
The Outland Trophy:
The Outland Trophy has honored the nation's best interior lineman since 1946. Two BYU linemen have won the prestigious award. In 1986, Jason Buck earned the honor while Mohammed Elowonibi received the honor in 1989. Other notable players who have won the Outland Trophy include Bruce Smith of Virginia Tech in 1984, former NFL draft #1 pick Steve Emtman of Washington in 1991 and Orlando Pace of Ohio St. in 1996.
Sammy Baugh Trophy:
The Sammy Baugh Trophy is awarded to the nation's best passer. Steve Sarkisian was awarded this trophy for the 1996 season during which he had a 173.6 passer rating, the highest in the nation. Other BYU quarterbacks to win the award were Gary Sheide (1974), Marc Wilson (1979), Jim McMahon (1981), Steve Young (1983), Robbie Bosco (1984), and Ty Detmer (1991).
Coaching Awards:
Amos Alonzo Stagg Award - LaVell Edwards - 2003
AFCA (Kodak) Coach of the Year Award - LaVell Edwards - 1984
Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award - LaVell Edwards - 1979
College Football Hall of Fame Inductees:
Gifford Nielsen (QB), 1994
Marc Wilson (QB), 1996
Jim McMahon (QB), 1999
Steve Young (QB), 2001
LaVell Edwards (Head Coach), 2004
Gordon Hudson (Tight End), 2009
Rivalries:
Utah–BYU rivalry - Utah Utes
The Old Wagon Wheel - Utah State Aggies
The Beehive Boot - Best of Utah
Basketball:
The BYU men's basketball team is ranked among top 25 NCAA programs for all-time total victories. As of 2006, BYU had 82 winning seasons, 26 conference titles, 21 NCAA tournament invites, 10 NIT invites, and 2 NIT titles (1951 and 1966). In 2005, the program was ranked 36th in Street & Smiths "100 greatest College Basketball Programs of All Time", based on NCAA tournament success, NIT success, national championships, conference regular-season and tournament titles, all-time win-loss percentage, graduation percentage, NCAA infractions, NBA first round draft picks, and mascot ferocity. In the 2006-2007 season, the Cougars became nationally ranked for the first time since 1994 and won the Mountain West Conference regular season championship outright.
Other Sports:
BYU's Men's Volleyball has won the NCAA National Championship three times (1999, 2001, and 2004) and was the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation champion four times (1999, 2001, 2003 and 2004). The Women's Volleyball team is also consistently nationally ranked and in 2007 reached the Elite Eight before losing to eventual national champion Penn State. BYU Club Men's Lacrosse is consistently ranked in the top 5 in the nation, having won the USL-MDIA (now MCLA) national championship in 1997, 2000, and 2007. The team is a member of the RMLC and plays a national schedule. BYU is also a major force in American collegiate rugby union (known as rugby), with several students and alumni providing players to the United States national rugby union team, the Eagles. BYU's Rugby team was the national runner-up in 2006, 2007, and 2008, and in 2009 the school won its first National Rugby Championship by defeating the University of California in the final. The BYU women's cross-country team won National Championships in 1997, 1999, 2001, and 2002. BYU's men's soccer club participates as a university-owned franchise in the United Soccer Leagues' Premier Development League. The women's soccer team has appeared in the NCAA tournament 9 times, reaching as far as the Elite Eight in 2003 before losing to UConn. BYU's racquetball team also recently placed third at the 2008 USA Racquetball National Intercollegiate Championships, and BYU Golf won the 1981 NCAA Championship. BYU is considered a national powerhouse in Men's and Women Cross Country and Track and Field. The programs are consistently ranked, cracking the Top Ten on a regular basis. The 1970 Men's Track and Field Team tied with Oregon and Kansas to win the National Championship. Two BYU runners have won Individual Cross Country National Champions; Ed Eyestone in 1985 and Josh Rohatinsky in 2006. Ice Hockey has been a part of BYU for many years, but at the beginning of the 2007/2008 season, the formally known Provo IceCats, a club team composed of Brigham Young Students which had been around since 1994, finally gained recognition as an official sport at BYU. Upon being officially recognized, the Cougar hockey team began proudly representing their school by wearing the BYU logo on their uniforms, and gaining full access to university facilities. Although the team is officially recognized and sponsored by the university, it will continue to be funded by donors and private individuals. The Cougar ice hockey team now competes in the Division II Western Conference of the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA). The team is currently coached by: Head Coach Stan Weiss and Assistants: Joel Patrick, Jeremy Weiss, Dave Spice.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. See Terms of Use for details. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
If you have information or links that you would like included in CougarsPedia™, please email us at: