57. 10/1/83 – First win over UCLA: BYU – 37, UCLA – 35

            Although the Cougars had won seven consecutive WAC titles, BYU was perennially overlooked in preseason polls. And once they broke into the polls, the Cougars were consistently leapfrogged by teams with more losses. Part of the reason was that the WAC was viewed as a lesser conference than several of the elite conferences - including the PAC-10, which had poached two of the WAC’s top teams (Arizona and Arizona State) in 1978. Therefore, when the Cougars (2-1) had a chance to play the UCLA Bruins (1-2), one of the premier teams in the PAC-10, they jumped at the opportunity to prove themselves against a big name opponent. Although the Bruins were not off to a great start to the 1983 season, they had a good team. They started the season ranked #20, and both of their losses had been to ranked opponents. Also, they had long history of gridiron excellence - 19 straight years ranked among the nation’s Top 20. The Cougars, on the other hand, had only made an appearance in the polls five times, despite their 9 WAC titles. Although the Bruins hadn’t lost at home in six years, the Cougars invaded L.A. ready to prove that they belonged among the nation’s elite teams.

Playing on a mud-soaked field, the Cougars jumped out to a great start, scoring on their initial drive with a 9-yard pass from Steve Young to a wide-open Mike Eddo. Although their next two drives ended prematurely with interceptions, the Cougar D was awesome, not allowing a single first down on each of the Bruins’ first four drives. Meanwhile, the Cougar Offense managed to get things back on track, driving 80 yards, thanks to a 48-yard reception by Waymon Hamilton. Several plays later, Hamilton finished off the drive with a 2-yard TD rush.

Waymon Hamilton
Courtesy of BYU Photo

In the second quarter, the Bruins finally started to move the football. Taking advantage of Young’s third interception of the day, they completed their 54-yard drive with a 33-yard TD rush by Mike Sherrard. Shrugging off his uncharacteristic wildness, Young responded by directing another 80-yard scoring drive. This one culminated with a 19-yard rush by Hamilton, who took advantage of great blocking to race untouched into the end zone. With the first half winding down, UCLA narrowed the gap with 68-yard drive, capped by a 5-yard TD on a QB sneak by Steve Bono. With 1:28 remaining in the half, Young and crew went into hurry-up mode, driving 50 yards into Bruin territory. With 5 ticks remaining in the half, Lee Johnson nailed a crucial 47-yard FG to give the Cougars a 24-14 halftime lead.

In the third quarter, the Bruins Offense continued to click, marching 85 yards to pull within three points following an 8-yard TD rush by Frank Cephous. The Cougar D stepped up again, forcing a Bruin fumble. Taking advantage of the short field, the Cougars extended their lead with a 12-yard TD pass from Young to TE Gordon Hudson.

Following another Bruin fumble, the Cougars capped their next drive with a 22-yard FG by Johnson. Down by 13, the Bruins answered with a 58-yard TD pass from Bono to Mike Young. Clinging to a 6-point lead, Young guided a 14-play, 70-yard drive that milked more than 6 minutes off the clock. A 23-yard FG by Johnson extended their lead to 9 with 2:30 remaining. With time running out, UCLA narrowed the gap to 2 points with a 36-yard Hail Mary pass that Mike Young caught despite the ball being batted by a Cougar defender. With 25 seconds remaining, everyone knew what was coming - an onside kick. Luckily Kurt Gouveia dove on the kick to preserve the win.


            With the 37-35 win, Young was thrown into the national spotlight, becoming a serious Heisman candidate as the Cougars jumped into the polls at #20. They would run the table, including a dramatic Holiday Bowl win over Missouri to finish the season with a 11-1 record and a #7 final ranking. For its part, UCLA recovered from its lousy start to win the PAC-10 with a 6-1-1 record (7-4-1 overall), to earn a berth in the Rose Bowl, where they thrashed #4 Illinois 45-9.

 BYU Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6dNIVlj_U4

 

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