The BYU Cougars are the college football team for Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.

Since their first season in 1922, they have been consistent with their gameplay and producing a number of brilliant players.

As well as a promising future, the Cougars have had an interesting history that has made them into the team they are today.

In this article, we cover the history of the Cougars, the championships they have won, who their rivalries are, and their notable alumni. 

Understanding the history and background of a team is a great way of predicting NCAAF odds.

History

Despite Brigham Young University being founded in 1903, they wouldn’t see their first football team until 1919. This was due to a 20-year football ban in LDS church schools in Utah due to a football-related death.

The Cougars joined the Rocky Mountain Conference in 1921 and saw their first win in 1929.

Their first few seasons in the conference were good but their performance in the 1940s was relatively poor. One reason for this was that they had no team from 1943 to 1945 due to World War II.

The team began to rebuild in the 1950s and in 1962 they moved to the Western Athletic Conference.

The Cougars would get their first conference championship in 1965 with an overall record of 6 wins and 4 losses.

LaVell Edwards Era

In 1972 LaVell Edwards was promoted to head coach of the Cougars and it ushered in a new era for the team.

His first season in 1973 would be his only losing season at 5-6 across his 28 years as head coach. From 1974 to 1985, the Cougars won every single conference championship bar one in 1975.

One of these victories included the infamous 1980 Holiday Bowl which came to be called the ‘Miracle Bowl’. This was because the Cougars were behind 45-25 with 4 minutes left but were still able to gain a victory against Southern Methodist University.

The 1984 season saw their first national championship with an undefeated and untied season. This historic season would go on to see the Cougars Stadium be renamed to the LaVell Edwards stadium in honor of the head coach that got them that victory.

During his tenure as head coach, BYU earned the nickname ‘Quarterback U’. This is because they consistently produced All-American quarterbacks such as Steven Young, Jim McMahon, and Gifford Nielsen.

Championships

The Cougars won their first national championship in 1984 with a 13-0 record. As of 2022, they have won 23 conference championships and 2 division championships.

They have participated in 39 bowls and won 16 of them. These include the Holiday Bowl, the Las Vegas Bowl, the Freedom Bowl, and the Poinsettia Bowl.

Rivalries

Utah Utes

Their rivalry is known as ‘The Holy War’ due to the fact that BYU is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and that the University of Utah has a large LDS student population.

They had their first meeting in 1896 and as of 2022, the Utah Utes are in the lead of victories.

Utah State Aggies

The Cougars and the Aggies battle for the Old Wagon Wheel and had their first meeting in 1922. As of 2022, the Cougars are in the lead of victories.

Notable Alumni

  • Andy Reid – Won the Super Bowl in 2020 as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs
  • Bart Oats – Won 2 Super Bowls in 1986 and 1990 with the New York Giants and then a third in 1994 with the San Francisco 49ers
  • Brett Keisel – Won 2 Super Bowls in 2006 and 2009 with the Pittsburgh Steelers
  • Brian Billick – Won the Super Bowl in 2001 as head coach of the Baltimore Ravens
  • Chad Lewis – Won the Super Bowl in 2000 with the St Louis Rams
  • Chris Hoke – Won the Super Bowl in 2006 with the Pittsburgh Steelers
  • Dennis Pitta – Won the Super Bowl in 2013 with the Baltimore Ravens
  • Jason Buck – Won the Super Bowl in 1992 with the Washington Redskins
  • Jim McMahon – Won the Super Bowl in 1986 with the Chicago Bears and then the Green Bay Packers in 1997
  • Lee Johnson – Won the Super Bowl in 1989 with the San Francisco 49ers
  • Rob Morris – Won the Super Bowl in 2007 with the Indianapolis Colts
  • Steve Young – Named Super Bowl MVP in 1995 after winning with the San Francisco 49ers. Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005
  • Todd Christensen – Won the Super Bowl in 1981 with the Oakland Raiders
  • Tom Holmoe – Won 3 Super Bowls in 1985, 1989, and 1990. He would go on to win one more as a head coach. All of these wins were with the San Francisco 49ers
  • Travis Hall – Won the Super Bowl in 1999 with the Denver Broncos
  • Ty Detmer – Only player from BYU to win the Heisman Trophy, which he did in 1990

Final Thoughts

The Cougars have been led by head coach Kalani Sitake since 2015. In 2021 they were accepted into the Big 12 Conference and are expected to start playing games with them in the 2023 season.

 

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