#88 - 11/14/22 – Brigham Young University’s First Win: BYU – 7, Wyoming – 0

        1922 is considered the first official year of BYU football. However, the origins of BYU football date back to 1896. That spring, Brigham Young Academy challenged the University of Utah to a football scrimmage. On April 6, 1896, the two teams met in Salt Lake City. The University of Utah won 12-4. You may be thinking that the scoring consisted of 4 field goals and 2 safeties, but in those days a touchdown was worth 4 points, a goal after a TD was worth 2 points, a FG worth 5 points and a safety worth 2 points.

        In the fall of 1896, BYA played its first regular season. Benjamin Call was both coach and captain of the team, which fielded 14 players. The starting 11 played both offense and defense, with 3 substitutes coming in as needed. On Nov. 14, they played the U of U in an official game at SLC, and lost 6-0. On Dec. 5, Utah’s team came down to Provo for a rematch at Public Square (now known as Pioneer Park). Heber Larson scored on a 10-yard rush to give BYA a 4-0 lead. Utah scored late in the first half, adding a goal to take a 6-4 lead. Midway through the second half, Jesse LeFevre blocked a Utah punt, giving BYA great field position. David Hyde scored the touchdown that gave BYA an 8-6 win. Although it is unclear how many other games BYA played that season, there is evidence that they played SLC High and the Fort Douglas 24th Infantry. The team also claimed a share of the 1896 state football championship.

Brigham Young Academy Football team 1896
Courtesy of BYU Library Digital Collection

        In 1897, BYA played the SLC YMCA, tying the first game 0-0, and losing the second 16-0. They did much better against the University of Utah, shutting them out 14-0 in SLC, and then sweeping them in Provo with a 22-0 win. The other team on BYA’s schedule was the Salt Lake Crescents. In the first game, the Crescents won 14-10. In the second game, a controversy broke out over possession of the ball. When the referee awarded possession to the Academy, the Crescent fans rushed the field and a brawl ensued. The referee ruled that BYA won by forfeit, and needed a police escort to escape the enraged fans. Once again, the BYA team was labeled state champions; but the brawl had long-lasting consequences for the program. George Goddard, superintendent of the LDS Church-owned schools advised that the game be abandoned by Latter-day Saints due to the profanity and fighting that were “an inevitable byproduct of football.”

        The first game of the 1898 season was scheduled for Oct. 29, against SLC YMCA, but was canceled due to faculty opposition to the game. On Thanksgiving Day, BYA took the field for the final time against a combined team from Salt Lake City High and the University of Utah. The game was played in the snow, and resulted in a defensive battle. Utah scored the lone TD (now worth 5 points), but missed the kick, to win 5-0. In 1899, the Church Board of Education officially banned football from all Church-owned schools.

There are few records to authenticate the contests played during the period of 1896-1898. Many contests were considered scrimmages, and were played against a wide range of amateur teams ranging from high schools, to athletic clubs to service clubs. Two decades later, when Brigham Young University obtained permission to form a football squad for the 1922 season, university officials chose not to recognize those 19th century contests as official games. Therefore, the first official BYU football game was played on Oct. 7, 1922 against Utah Agricultural College (now Utah State). They lost that contest 41-3, and did even worse in their next two contests - a 49-0 shellacking by Utah and a 47-0 shutout at the hands of Colorado Mines. Luckily, BYU (0-3) hosted the Wyoming Cowboys (0-6) for game 4. Both teams entered the contest with high hopes of leaving with their first victory of the season.

Both defenses played well on the muddy field, holding the other team’s offense scoreless for three quarters. Cougar defenders Elwood Gledhill and Merrill Bunnell both recorded interceptions in the contest. Midway through the fourth quarter, BYU finally broke the tie. According to The Y News, “[Hunter] Manson in a line plunge eluded the frantic Cowboys and raced 55 yards for the first touchdown of the year.” The extra point provided the 7-0 margin of victory in what would go down as BYU’s first official win - and first official shutout. The “first” touchdown of the year would also be the only one, as BYU was shutout in their final two games to finish the year with a 1-5 record. Still, as The Y News proclaimed, “WE HAVE ARRIVED! FIRST VICTORY SCORED.” BYU football was here to stay.