#95 - 11/5/66 - BYU rewrites the Team Record Book - BYU - 53, Texas Western (UTEP) - 33

         After winning their first conference championship in 1965, the Cougars were hoping to follow up that break-through season with another banner year. With only one loss, the BYU Cougars (5-1) still held out hope of winning another conference championship. Although the Miners of Texas Western (UTEP) (4-2) were not yet members of the WAC, they were scheduled to play most of the teams from the conference, and would thus be a good measuring stick to help determine how the Cougars stacked up against their remaining foes.

        Senior QB Virgil Carter put the Cougars on the board first, completing a 2-yard pass to Kent Oborn. The Cougars added to their lead with a 20-yard TD pass to Casey Boyett. This time, the Cougars followed up the touchdown with a 2-point conversion courtesy of Oborn. UTEP came back with a scoring drive of their own. Larry McHenry scored with a 3-yard rush, then tallied two more by completing the 2-point play. Near the end of the first quarter, the Miners tied up the game at 15-all with a 12-yard TD pass to Chuck Anderson.

        In the second quarter, the Cougars began to establish their dominance. Virgil Carter called his own number at the Miner 1-yard line, retaking the lead for the Cougars. The Cougar D then got involved. Bobby Roberts intercepted a pass, and ran it back 26 yards for a Pick 6. The Cougar air-attack continued with an 18-yard strike from Carter to Casey Boyett. Before the half ended, Boyett scored again, catching a 23-yard TD pass to give the Cougars a 43-15 halftime lead.

        In the third quarter, UTEP tried to come back, scoring on a 1-yard TD pass to LeRoy Johnson. The extra point failed. BYU added to its lead with a 27-yard field goal by Ben Laverty. The Miners tallied six more points on an 83-yard punt return by Reg Matthews. Once again, the PAT attempt failed, leaving the Cougars firmly in charge by a 46-27 count through three.

        In the fourth quarter, Carter threw his fifth TD pass of the night, an 18-yarder to Lou Andrus that pretty much sealed the deal. UTEP scored one last time with a 6-yard TD pass to David Karns, but it was too little, too late. When the clock expired, the scoreboard read Cougars - 53, Miners - 33. But that was only part of the story. Throughout the course of the game, the Cougars had re-written the team’s record book.

Virgil Carter
Courtesy of BYU Photo

Phil Odle
Courtesy of BYU Photo

Bobby Roberts
Courtesy of BYU Photo

        Quarterback Virgil Carter led the charge by producing NCAA records with 599 yards of total offense (2nd) and 513 passing yards, while setting Cougar records with 29 completions and 5 TD passes against the #2 defense in the nation. His main weapons were WR Phil Odle, who set Cougar records with 14 catches (T3rd) for 242 receiving yards (3rd), and Casey Boyett, who corralled a Cougar record 3 TD receptions (T5th). Bobby Roberts also got into the record books with 3 interceptions (T1st).

Casey Boyett
Courtesy of BYU Photo

 Although the Cougars failed to win the conference, they would finish the season with an impressive 8-2 record - tying a school record for most wins in a season. Carter finished his collegiate career as the most prolific passer in BYU history. He set 6 NCAA records, 19 WAC records and 24 BYU records, was named All-Conference and WAC Player of the Year during both his junior and senior years, received All-American honorable mention, and was awarded the Dale Rex Memorial Award for his contribution to amateur athletics in Utah. Although his records have all been broken, he paved the way for the great BYU quarterbacks in the years to come.