BYU vs Kansas State 1996

[@mitchlong8077]

I remember this game well. A SWEET, SWEET win for BYU!!! They had the crowd against them, the sports media against them, the questionable behavior of KS defense, AND EVEN THE REFS (those 4th quarter interference calls were HORRIBLE!!!)😱 against them..........AND STILL, with grit and a suffocating defense, deservedly pulled it off. ONE OF BYU'S BEST TEAMS.....maybe THE BEST TEAM ever out of Provo🤗🤗🤗

[@larrybaxter6881]

BYU Grad here, Class of 1993. I was living in Dallas when this game was played. Afterwards I put the score up in the hatch back of my 93 mustang and drove around Dallas with it for a while. That was fun!

[@stevencraven4897]

For me, I was in Cougar Band at the 1980 Holiday Bowl. And to come back in the way they did, against a STACKED SMU team (most don't remember that it was in building that team that caused SMU's "death penalty" by the NCAA). Craig James and Eric Dickerson as tailback, Michael Carter (an Olympic medalist in the shot put) as nose tackle. And more. But to come back from down 45-25 with 3:58 left in the game to win 46-45 IN REGULATION.....

[@BogeyKing722]

Was home on Leave from the Army and attended this game. Who knew this QB would become the Coach of my Fav Team? Hook Em

[@cardcollector0385]

I was at that game. I was a grad student at Oklahoma City, so we drove down to Dallas. It was one of the greatest BYU games of all time. The KSU fans outnumbered us 3 to 1, and they were good people, but we were far louder in that 4th quarter drive. They were stunned!

[@thaynerasmussen2083]

This is one of the best teams BYU fielded! The quarterback also had one of the best performances by a BYU quarterback! A great year at the Cotton Bowl!👍👌🎉🎊🏈🏈

[@CoreyT127]

I think it's the best! They would kill the 84 team I think! They were the best team that year. I'm a FSU fan and thought BYU should've got to,play for 96 title! They were 1st team to win 14 games in season! They played 15 game season when all others played 12!

[@yellowmartian]

Those refs....yikes. And I'm not one to normally criticize refs, but not 1 but 2 blown pass interference calls ..BACK TO BACK! I watched this game live when I was 11. It was a perfect cap to the college football season that started with the BYU Texas A&M game. I only had local channels in Illinois, so to watch BYU games was really rare.

[@dostacos1]

I don't know how people can watch this and say that BYU didn't used to be good. Maybe they're a little unrealistic with who they can be today, but they've had some great teams over the years.

[@denniseverett1904]

We were a legitimate National power back in the 1980s and 90s. I was in 7th grade in '84, the National Championship year. And we had better teams talent wise than that one before and after.

[@denniseverett1904]

The Cougs under Lavelle were a legit football power.

[@twotwentyswift]

The officiating crew was the most crooked I've ever seen. Props to BYU for beating them as well.

[@georgeboone1898]

BYU had to beat k-state and the officials to win this one

[@Uhtred-the-bold]

Should’ve been BYU’s 2nd NC

[@jameslawlor3635]

Thanks for posting this. Awesome.

[@walterlv01]

Hard to believe but this was the only "major" bowl game (New Years 6) that BYU has ever played in. And because of their lack of a conference affiliation they most likely will never play in another one. They had some real good teams over the years but their conference always had an automatic tie-in to the Holiday Bowl no matter how good they were.

[@kylebarney3126]

@John Van Hof this was their first and only New Years Day bowl though

[@tannerplummer1996]

@John Van Hof the fiesta bowl wasn’t considered a big time bowl game at the time

[@johnlott518]

@@tannerplummer1996 True, although there weren't that many bowls either so even going bowling in 1974 was a big deal.

[@johnlott518]

This didn't age well, about a year or so after you posted this BYU gets invited to the Big 12.😁

[@Ashotjan]

2 of the worst no-calls in bowl history right there. Per Chad Lewis, those refs got the whole team pissed off and drove them to win the game.

[@denniseverett1904]

I was watching with family as KSU drove down on their final attempt. I Kept saying " they're NOT gonna score, they're NOT gonna score!" And then after intercepting it to preserve the win, we all ballistic

[@tbarron1631]

First NCAA football team to win 14 games in a season.

[@tannerplummer1996]

Dustin Johnson was such an underrated weapon for that team.

[@rickwood9938]

January 1, 1997. I was there.

[@williamdiemert9866]

BYU will be in the Big XII conference in 2023

[@johnlott518]

I called the pick as my sister and I watched. I don't think she believed it when it happened just a second after I called it. Good times.

[@danielclark5586]

The officials in this game were totally bought off.

[@Ashotjan]

K State with 2 lucky TD's.

[@denniseverett1904]

Especially that Hail Mary to end the half. TG the better team still won

[@alexkain8564]

They were evenly matched teams

[@dazwhit]

Lockett’s catch in the end zone was a TD.

[@denniseverett1904]

That Hail Mary before the half especially. Not that KState wasn't a good team, BYU overcame a few extra things and still won. I remember us holding our collective breaths on that final Wildcat attempt. Knowing they had to score a TD to beat us, I felt confident that the Y defense would keep them out of the end zone.

[@johnlott518]

@@dazwhit Not according to the refs and the rules of that time. Today, probably.

[@devobronc]

Probably the best BYU Team.ever. That said, those BYU Teams were NOT following their Honor Code, and all of the Coaches and Administrators knew aboit it. They lied about that back then... and they're still lying about it now. SHAMEFUL.

[@tannerplummer1996]

Do you have any proof of this?

[@smyleez]

Not true at all my great grandfather was great friends with lavell and lavell did not allow any such thing to happen