44. 9/22/84 – Kyle Morrell's goal line tackle: #6 BYU – 18, Hawaii - 13

            When the #6 BYU Cougars (3-0) flew out to the Islands to face the Rainbow Warriors of Hawaii (0-2), it looked as if it would be a mismatch - at least on paper. BYU was sporting the longest winning streak in the nation (14 games), while Hawaii was riding a four game losing streak. However, Hawaii also had one of the biggest home field advantages in the nation. Not only were visiting players distracted by sunny beaches, they also had to deal with jet lag - in this case a time zone four hours later than Provo.

            The Warriors took the kickoff, and immediately started eating up yardage. After they reached the Cougar 8, the Cougar Kurt Gouveia brought down Marco Johnson behind the line of scrimmage, knocking the ball loose. He then pounced on a loose ball, recording the Cougar D’s first big play of the game. Defense dominated the rest of the first quarter. Near the end of the quarter, the Cougar special teams unit set the offense up on the Hawaii 47. Two completions to Glen Kozlowski got them to FG range, setting up their first score - a 46-yard FG by Lee Johnson. After one, BYU led 3-0.

            As they started the second quarter, junior QB Robbie Bosco finally got the Cougar offense moving, including a 41-yard reception by Koz. Once they reached the Blue Zone, however, the Warrior D stiffened and the Cougs had to settle for another field goal - this one a 36-yarder. Senior DB Kyle Morrell provided the next big play - intercepting a deflected pass at midfield that placed the pigskin back in Bosco’s capable hands in Warrior territory. Seven plays later, Kelly Smith dove into the end zone to complete a 4-yard rush and give the Cougars a 12-0 lead. Unfortunately, the 2-point conversion attempt failed. The Warrior D was now fired up. On the Cougars’ next possession, they had a net loss of 1 yard. The punt was even worse, with David Aguiar collecting the blocked punt in the end zone for Hawaii’s first score. On the ensuing possession, Rich Miano intercepted a Bosco pass, setting up a short drive and a Hawaii FG. When the half ended, the Cougars escaped into their locker room clinging to a 12-10 lead.

            As they started the third quarter, the Cougar offense was still a little out of sync, fumbling away the ball in Hawaii territory. Luckily, the Warriors returned the favor in a quarter that was again dominated by strong defense.

As the fourth quarter began, the Rainbow Warriors were methodically marching down the field. With BYU still clinging to its 2-point lead, the Warriors reached the Cougar 2-yard line, thanks to an 8-yard rush and a penalty that set up a first-and-goal. The Warriors decided to let their QB, Raphel Cherry, pound the ball over the line behind their massive O-line. On first down, Cherry picked up a yard. On second down, he arrived was stopped less than a foot away from his goal. *On third down and inches to go, Kyle Morrell made the greatest defensive play in BYU history. Timing the snap perfectly, he catapulted spread-eagle over both lines and grabbed Cherry by his jersey, holding him back until the Cougar D-line could stack him up, and keep him from crossing the goal line (#5). Facing fourth down, the Warriors opted to salvage their 20-play, 84-yard drive by kicking a short field goal, and taking a 13-12 lead. The fired up Cougars responded, embarking on their longest drive of the night. Bosco completed 29-yard passes to both David Mills and Glen Kozlowski before capping the 80-yard drive by hitting Kozlowski again as he sprinted into the end zone for a 25-yard TD reception. Once again, the 2-point attempt was thwarted and the Cougars clung to an 18-13 lead with 5:24 to play. However, the Cougar D was more than up for the match, holding the Warriors to a net loss of 5 yards for the remainder of the game.

Morrell's season-saving tackle
Courtesy of BYU Photo

Kyle Morrell
Courtesy of BYU Photo

The narrow victory was enough to keep their perfect season alive, despite dropping two spots in the next AP poll. Although they would also have close calls against Wyoming and Air Force, the Cougars continued to win week after week, becoming the only undefeated team in the nation, and clinching their only national championship with a Holiday Bowl win over Michigan. For their part, the Rainbow Warriors rebounded from the loss by winning their next 7 games and finishing second in the WAC.

 

*BYU Tv's Top 100 plays in BYU Football TV history (updated 12/12/20 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYzgPw-bQ_c)

 

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