1979 BYU Cougars football team
The 1979 BYU Cougars football team represented Brigham Young University (BYU) for the 1979 NCAA Division I-A football season.
Schedule
| Date |
Opponent# |
Rank# |
Site |
TV |
Result |
Attendance |
|---|
| September 8 |
at No. 14 Texas A&M* |
|
Rice Stadium • Houston |
|
W 18–17 |
40,000 |
| September 15 |
Weber State* |
|
Cougar Stadium • Provo, Utah |
|
W 48–3 |
33,161 |
| September 29 |
UTEP |
|
Cougar Stadium • Provo, Utah |
|
W 31–7 |
34,724 |
| October 5 |
Hawaii |
No. 20 |
Cougar Stadium • Provo, Utah |
|
W 38–15 |
34,741 |
| October 13 |
at Utah State* |
No. 16 |
Romney Stadium • Logan, Utah |
|
W 48–24 |
28,094 |
| October 20 |
at Wyoming |
No. 13 |
War Memorial Stadium • Laramie, Wyoming |
|
W 54–14 |
14,723 |
| October 27 |
New Mexico |
No. 11 |
Cougar Stadium • Provo, Utah |
|
W 59–7 |
33,921 |
| November 3 |
at Colorado State |
No. 11 |
Hughes Stadium • Fort Collins, Colorado |
|
W 30–7 |
25,612 |
| November 9 |
at Long Beach State* |
No. 11 |
Memorial Stadium • Long Beach, California |
|
W 31–17 |
20,051 |
| November 17 |
Utah |
No. 10 |
Cougar Stadium • Provo, Utah |
|
W 27–0 |
40,236 |
| November 24 |
at San Diego State |
No. 10 |
San Diego Stadium • San Diego |
|
W 63–14 |
46,121 |
| December 21 |
vs. Indiana* |
No. 9 |
San Diego Stadium • San Diego (Holiday Bowl) |
|
L 37–38 |
52,500 |
*Non-conference game.  Homecoming. #Rankings from AP Poll. |
[1]
Game summaries
Game 1: Texas A&M
| |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|
| • BYU |
0 |
3 | 7 | 8 |
18 |
| Texas A&M |
7 |
0 | 7 | 3 |
17 |
|
|
| Scoring summary |
|---|
|
| 1 |
| A&M | Brothers 1-yard run (Hardy kick) | A&M 7-0 |
|
| 2 |
| BYU | Johnson 27-yard field goal | A&M 7-3 |
|
| 3 |
| A&M | Mosley 7-yard run (Hardy kick) | A&M 14-3 |
|
| 3 |
| BYU | Plater 21-yard pass from Wilson (Johnson kick) | A&M 14-10 |
|
| 4 |
| A&M | Hardy 37-yard field goal | A&M 17-10 |
|
| 4 |
0:52 | BYU | Brown 3-yard pass from Wilson (Wilson to Lacey pass) | BYU 18-17 |
|
[2]
The game was played at Rice Stadium because Kyle Field was being renovated.
QB Marc Wilson had undergone an emergency appendectomy and had lost weight during the week of the game.
The defense carried the offense that was still finding its rhythm with a blocked punt and a goal line stand. The ailing Wilson drove BYU down the field to score with 52 seconds left to pull within 17-16. Coach Edwards let the team decide whether to go for the tie or the win and they chose the latter. The attempt was converted and BYU put itself in the national spotlight with a major upset.
[3]
Utah
| |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|
| Utah |
0 |
0 | 0 | 0 |
0 |
| • BYU |
17 |
3 | 7 | 0 |
27 |
|
|
| Scoring summary |
|---|
|
| 1 |
| BYU | Matt Braga 14-yard run (Johnson kick) | BYU 7-0 |
|
| 1 |
| BYU | H. Jones 5-yard run (Johnson kick) | BYU 14-0 |
|
| 1 |
| BYU | Johnson 39-yard field goal | BYU 17-0 |
|
| 2 |
| BYU | Johnson 44-yard field goal | BYU 20-0 |
|
| 3 |
| BYU | Matt Braga 18-yard pass from Marc Wilson (Johnson kick) | BYU 27-0 |
|
Marc Wilson threw for 374 yards as BYU clinched at least a share of the WAC title and set up a showdown with San Diego State for the following week. Wilson set an NCAA record for the most passing yards against a single opponent in two games and tied Rice's Tommy Kramer 1976 record for 300-yard passing games in a season with seven.
[4]
Game 12: Holiday Bowl (vs. Indiana)
Marc Wilson 28/43, 380 yards, 2 TD, TD rushing [5]
References
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National championship seasons in bold |
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National championships in bold |