1.12/19/80 - 1980 Holiday “Miracle” Bowl: #14 BYU – 46, #19 SMU – 45

             The #14 ranked BYU Cougars (11-1) had never won a bowl game in four tries. The Cougars, led by junior QB Jim McMahon (who broke 32 NCAA passing and total offense records), had the most potent passing attack in the nation. Their opponent in the 1980 Holiday Bowl, the #19 SMU Mustangs (8-3), featured the “Pony Express” – a running attack led by two future NFL running backs, Craig James and Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson, who took turns pounding the opposing defense into submission.

From the outset, SMU quickly took control of the game. Eric Dickerson busted into the end zone from 15 yards out for the first score. On their next possession, facing a fourth-and-one, SMU faked a punt, and Craig James scythed through the surprised Cougars for a 45-yard TD run. Meanwhile, the BYU offense couldn’t get anything going. After going 3-and-out for the third consecutive time, the Cougars’ center hiked the ball over the punter’s head, into the end zone for a safety. The Mustangs followed that up with a 42-yard field goal on their next possession to take a 19-0 lead. Finally, on their fourth possession, Jim McMahon completed his first pass. A couple of plays later, *McMahon threw a dart toward Clay Brown, that zipped past the outstretched arms of three Mustang defenders. The pass was slightly behind Brown, who reached back to snag it with his left hand and secured it against his hip, just past midfield, turned and ran up the left sideline with two Mustangs galloping hot on his heels. A fortuitous block kept the pursing Mustangs at bay as Brown streaked through a last second grasp and into the end zone for a 64-yard touchdown (#20).  

Clay Brown Jersey
1980 Holiday Bowl Trophy
Legacy Hall

After the Cougar defense finally stopped SMU at the end of the first quarter, BYU started the second quarter by throwing an interception. The Mustangs capitalized by orchestrating a short drive that ended with a 3-yard TD pass from Lance McIlhenny to Craig James. SMU then padded their lead with a 44-yard field goal by Eddie Garcia. As the second quarter wound down, SMU was forced to punt. *Cougar return specialist Vai Sikahema caught the ball on a high bounce at the Cougar 17-yard line, juked past several SMU players, cut hard left, making two more Mustangs slide past grasping at air, and broke free of the field, running it all the way back for an 83-yard TD (#46). The Cougars faked the extra point attempt, but the play ended with an incomplete pass. As the half drew to a close, the Cougars entered the locker room with a 29-13 deficit.

Vai Sikahema
Courtesy of BYU Photo

The second half started with another long drive featuring the Pony Express. After burning more than five minutes of clock, the drive finally ended when Eric Dickerson leaped over the line for a 1-yard TD plunge. With a 22-point lead, SMU attempted a 2-point conversion, but failed. BYU responded with a long drive of their own, culminating with an 18-yard TD pass from McMahon to Brown. They too went for two, but the pass slipped through the arms of the receiver and fell incomplete. Another long drive by the Mustangs ended with yet another 42-yard field goal, giving SMU a 38-19 lead after three quarters of play.

Midway through the fourth quarter, BYU orchestrated a long drive that ended with Scott Phillips finally sweeping into the end zone from a yard out, but the drive burned too much time off the clock. With just over four minutes remaining, the Cougars’ two-point conversion attempt again fell incomplete. The Cougars compounded the problem by muffing the onside kick, giving the ball back to SMU in Cougar territory. On the first play from scrimmage, Craig James scampered 42 yards for a touchdown. With 3:58 remaining, Garcia nailed the extra point, giving the Mustangs a seemingly insurmountable 20-point lead. As many disgusted Cougar fans filed out of the stadium, and TVs across the nation clicked off, the greatest comeback in NCAA bowl game history began…

Matt Braga
Courtesy of BYU Photo

BYU began their next possession at their own 28-yard line. The Cougars quickly marched up the field, making it to the SMU 15-yard line on a 25-yard catch and run by Clay Brown. *On the next play, Jim McMahan dropped back in the pocket, but couldn’t find his target. With the pocket collapsing, McMahon scrambled left. He spotted one of his receivers and zipped a low, sidearm pass into the end zone, where Matt Braga made a diving one-armed catch with 2:31 remaining (#67).  Once again, BYU failed to complete the 2-point conversion, leaving them 14 points behind. *With the clock as big of an adversary as the Mustangs, a cadre of Cougars jumped on the onside kick at midfield, and Todd Shell came up with it, keeping the comeback alive (#79). 

Bill Schoepflin
Courtesy of BYU Photo

On the ensuing drive, the comeback was almost snuffed out on a tipped pass that fell just out of reach of two Mustang defenders. On the next play, Bill Davis made a spectacular 40-yard catch and dove for the front corner of the end zone for what appeared to be a touchdown; however, he was ruled out of bounds at the one-foot line. McMahon then handed off the ball to Scott Phillips, who swept right untouched for another touchdown. A delay of game call on the two-point conversion pushed the ball back to the 7-yard line. This time, the Cougars finally converted on a short pass to Scott Phillips, pulling the Cougars to within 6 points (45-39) with just under two minutes to play. BYU attempted yet another onside kick, but this time the Mustangs recovered it at the Cougar 47-yard line. The Cougar defense held, forcing SMU to punt on fourth down after a three-and-out in which SMU milked 1:45 off the clock. *As SMU prepared to punt, Bill Schoepflin came flying in from the left side of the Cougar line and leapt in front of the punter, blocking the punt. Although the Mustang kicker came up with the ball, the Cougars took over on downs at SMU’s 41-yard line with 13 ticks remaining (#26).

After two incomplete passes took the clock down to 0:03, offensive coordinator Doug Scovil called for the play appropriately named “Save the Game.” *All BYU receivers raced for the end zone and McMahon backpedaled past midfield as time expired. Looking for his favorite receiver, McMahon launched a Hail Mary into the night sky... Here is the call by Tony Roberts of Mutual Radio:

“Back to throw, last down. No time on the clock. It's up in the air. It is deep. (Pause) It is...what? (Pause) He caught it! It's a touchdown! A touchdown on the last play! And Brigham Young has won it! A miracle catch! An unbelievable Brigham Young comeback! I don't believe it! I don't believe it! And yet I saw it!”

Smothered by four SMU defenders, BYU tight end Clay Brown hauled in the ball to tie the game (#1). Kicker Kurt Gunther booted the extra point through the goalposts to clinch the Cougars' first ever bowl victory.

Clay Brown's Hail Mary Catch
Courtesy of Meridian Magazine

Jim McMahon Jersey &
Davey O'Brien Award
Legacy Hall

Jim McMahon and RB Craig James of SMU were voted co-MVPs of the game. The Cougars finished the season ranked #12. The game featured six of BYU TV’s Top 100 plays - four in the the final four minutes of the game. No wonder it received the appellation “The Miracle Bowl”!

 Game link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMahiA1Wv_o

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