17. 10/15/94 - First win over Notre Dame: BYU Cougars – 21, #17 Notre Dame – 14

            In the final game of a three game series with #17 Notre Dame (4-2), the Cougars (5-1) desperately wanted a win. Head coach, LaVell Edwards, had never gone 0-3 against an opponent since taking over as head coach, but playing in South Bend, the prospects of that streak continuing seemed to dim considerably. The Irish, led by All-American DB Bobby Taylor, were favored by 15 points, and sported a streak of 85 consecutive games with a national ranking.

            Notre Dame struck first. Starting at their own 38-yard line, the Irish made their way into Cougar territory. On the sixth play of the drive, RB Randy Kinder broke a tackle at the line, then rushed up the right hand sideline for a 41-yard TD. Things went from bad to worse when the Cougars’ return man fumbled the kickoff and Notre Dame recovered at the Cougar 11-yard line. The Cougar Defense stepped up, however, not only stopping the Irish, but forcing them backwards on a fumble that was recovered by Notre Dame. Even better, Notre Dame’s kicker missed the field goal attempt. The Cougars had to punt to end their first true possession, but they pinned the Irish inside their own ten. The Irish Offense couldn’t make any headway, and the resulting punt gave the Cougars excellent field position - at the Irish 47-yard line. After advancing up to the 32-yard line, kicker David Lauder booted a 49-yard field goal to put the Cougars on the board. ND - 7, BYU - 3.

            During Notre Dame’s opening drive of the second quarter, QB Ron Powlus connected with Marc Edwards for a 39-yard reception and run. After giving up the big play, the Cougar D stepped up, forcing the Irish backwards into another punting situation. Starting at their own 15-yard line, BYU QB John Walsh orchestrated a long 13-play drive to the ND 25-yard line, before losing ground on a QB sack. Still within FG range, Lauder nailed a 48-yard FG, narrowing the deficit to one. When Notre Dame fumbled the ball at their own 45-yard line, BYU took advantage of the situation. The short drive ended with a short pass to Jamal Willis, who ran through a defender just short of the goal line for a 19-yard TD catch a few minutes before halftime. Shortly before the half, Derrick Mayes caught a 55-yard reception that he was able to carry all the way to the BYU 21-yard line. Several plays later, now at the Cougar 7-yard line, Powlus found Mayes again, this time at the extreme right edge of the end zone with only 34 seconds remaining in the half. Stef Schroffner’s extra point gave Notre Dame a one-point lead. John Walsh tried to make a quick score, but his pass bounced off of the receiver’s hands and intercepted by Brian Magee, who ran it back to the Cougar 39-yard line with 8 seconds to go. On the very next play, Powlus was hit while attempting a pass. The ball floated into the hands of LB Shay Muirbrook, who was tackled as time ran out. ND -14, BYU - 13.

            After a quick three-and-out by the Cougars to open the third quarter, Notre Dame took over at their own 15-yard line. They slowly marched up the field. On fourth-and-six, at the Cougar 24-yard line, Powlus converted a first down pass to Charlie Stafford, whose momentum took him out of bounds at the Cougar 3-yard line. After two failed attempts to punch in the ball, Powlus attempted to pass, but the swarming Cougar Defense sacked him for a huge loss way back at the 22-yard line. Playing on special teams, TE Chad Lewis somehow managed to block the field goal attempt, ending the Irish’s 18-play drive with nothing to show for it. When the Cougars took over, Jamal Willis fumbled the ball, but luckily BYU recovered it. The Cougars then continued to drive all the way to the Irish one-yard line. From there, Jamal Willis leaped over the top to break the plane of the goal, giving BYU a 19-14 lead. A 2-point conversion pass from Walsh to a wide-open Hema Heimuli gave the Cougars a 21-14 lead with one quarter to play.

            The fourth quarter was a defensive battle. BYU fumbled the ball away twice in the quarter, but luckily Notre Dame couldn’t capitalize. The Notre Dame kicker missed yet another FGA, finishing 0-3 on the day. Notre Dame began its final drive with 1:36 remaining. After converting first downs on their first two plays of the drive, the offense stuttered to a halt once they entered Cougar territory. After four straight incomplete passes, they turned the ball over on downs. From there, all the Cougars had to do was take a knee and allow the clock to run down to triple zeros.

John Walsh
Courtesy of BYU Photo

The win over the most storied program in college football was a huge boost for a BYU team that had finished a disappointing 6-6 the previous season. The Cougars would go on to finish the season 10-3, beating Oklahoma in the Copper Bowl. Walsh finished the game with 216 passing yards and would go on to lead the nation in passing yards, attempts, completions and TDs. For their part, the Irish dropped out of the polls for the first time in 8 years, and finish the season with a mediocre record of 6-5-1.

 Game highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHCkjXJevHg