34. 12/1/01 – Cougars move to 12-0 with last second FG: #10 BYU - 41, Mississippi St. -38

            In a make-up game, originally scheduled for 9/15/01, but postponed due to 9/11, the Cougars (11--0) traveled to Mississippi State to face the Bulldogs (3-7). The Cougars had already clinched the Mountain West Conference with an undefeated record (7-0), and had received an invitation to play in the Liberty Bowl. However, with two games remaining on their schedule, the Cougars were hoping to receive a coveted invite to play in a BCS Bowl. And although Mississippi State had a pitiful record, they played in the highly lauded SEC, and four of those losses had been by seven points or less. MSU had beaten the Cougars in Provo in their only previous meeting (9/14/00), and the Cougs were committed to paying them back in kind.

BYU got off on the right foot, with Isaac Kelley intercepting a Bulldog pass in the first minute of play. The Cougars capitalized on the short field by driving to the 7-yard line, where senior QB Brandon Doman scrambled right and zipped a pass past 3 Bulldogs into the arms of WR Reno Mahe to take an early 7-0 lead. The Bulldogs responded with a 26-yard TD rush by Dicenzo Miller, tying the game at 7-up. Mississippi State then took the lead with a 30-yard TD reception at the hands of Ray Ray Bivenes on a pass by QB Kevin Fant.

In the second quarter, the Bulldogs doubled their lead with a 7-yard TD catch by Justin Jenkins. Late in the second quarter, the Cougars struck back. On second-and-14, Doman scrambled right and spotted a wide-open Mahe at the the Bulldog 35. Mahe caught the long heave, near the sideline, then outraced a pair of Bulldogs to the end zone for a 62-yard TD strike. After a quick 3-and-out by MSU, the Cougars crossed into Bulldog territory with a little over two minutes remaining in the half. They tied the score at 21 when Doman scrambled left after discovering that his primary target was covered. Improvising, the Domanator heaved a long bomb to Soren Halladay, who caught it inside the 5-yard line and tumbled into the end zone with a 45-yard TD catch. However, MSU quickly responded, taking a 24-21 lead with a 23-yard FG. The Cougars made a valiant attempt to score in the final minute, but were stopped despite a heroic 51-yard catch and run by Mahe.

Reno Mahe
Courtesy of BYU Photo

In the third quarter, the Bulldogs extended their lead to 10 points when the Fant-Jenkins combo connected again with a 27-yard TD pass. Near the end of the quarter, BYU’s kicker, Matt Payne, booted a 42-yard FG to narrow the deficit to 31-24.

BYU struck again early in the fourth quarter, after recovering a Bulldog fumble in Bulldog territory. Doman let fly a strike that TE Doug Jolley corralled in the end zone for a 26-yard TD reception, catching the Bulldogs at 31-all. However, the Bulldogs wouldn’t stay caught, taking the lead when Miller broke free with a 22-yard TD rush. The Cougars responded with a 69-yard drive, knotting the score at 38-38 on third-and-goal when Doman floated a 12-yard TD pass to Spencer Nead, who jumped to snag it at the 7 before barreling into the end zone. On their final drive, star running back Luke Staley broke his leg getting the Cougars into field goal position. Then, as the clock expired, Matt Payne booted a 25-yard field goal straight through the goalposts to win it 41-38.

Luke Staley
Courtesy of BYU Photo



Staley's Doak Walker Award
Legacy Hall


With the win, the Cougars raised their record to an impressive 12-0, and #9 ranking in the AP poll. After racking up 149 yards in the victory, Luke Staley finished the season with BYU season-records of 1,582 rushing yards (2nd) and 28 TDs (1st), leading the nation in scoring (15.5 ppg) and yards per carry (8.1 y/carry). Unfortunately, he was also out for the season, accepting his Doak Walker Award (as the nation’s best running back) on crutches. Without Staley, the Cougars got crushed by Hawaii in their regular season finale, dashing their dreams of a BCS Bowl game. The emotional blow probably contributed to their uninspired play in their Liberty Bowl loss to Louisville.

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