While the debate rages on over my Monday post, which has been featured on the FoxSports.com College Football page, including some time as a feature story with a nice picture of Bronco Mendenhall, there is little debate that the Brigham Young Cougars played elite football 15 years ago during the 1996 season.
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The 1996 season started earlier than normal. BYU would face 13th ranked Texas A&M in the Pigskin Classic. It was the third time since 1985 that BYU had played in one of the two big college football season opening games (Kickoff Classic, 1985; Pigskin Classic, 1991). The Aggies were a Big XII favorite and national title dark horse. Nevertheless, on the arm of Steve Sarkisian (536 yards passing, 6 touchdowns) the game stayed close until late in the fourth quarter. With 1:23 to play, Sarkisian found K.O. Kealaluhi for a 46-yard touchdown pass to win the game 41-37.
It was an amazing start to what would be the longest season in NCAA history. When all was said and done, BYU would play 15 games, and would win an NCAA record 14 games. The only hiccup during the year came in game 3, September 14, at Washington—one of the hardest places to play in college football. BYU fell 29-17 to a Huskies team that ended up finishing 9-3 and was ranked as high as number 12, but finished number 16.
The offensive firepower on the 1996 team wasn’t a big surprise. BYU teams had been rolling up the points and the yardage for two decades. Quarterback Steve Sarkisian led the nation in pass efficiency (173.6), and became only the fourth BYU quarterback to pass for more than 4,000 yards (4,027). The tight end tandem of Itula Mili and Chad Lewis would go on to combine to play 19 seasons in the NFL and catch 393 passes for 4,104 yards and 36 touchdowns. Running backs Brian McKenzie and Ronney Jenkins were both newcomers, but they would become the best 1-2 punch out of the backfield in BYU history accounting for nearly 1,700 yards and 22 touchdowns on the ground. The offensive line was solid and featured future NFL star John Tait.
On the season, BYU finished 6th in the nation averaging 478 yards per game, and 5th in the nation averaging 40.8 points per game. BYU’s average margin of victory was more than 23 points.
Credit for that large margin of victory must be shared with the real reason the 1996 team was an elite college football team: the defense. After giving up 37 points in the opener to start the year, the defense allowed only 240 points the final 14 games. On the season, opponents averaged less than 19 points a game. The defense was opportunistic. Shay Muirbrook and Henry Bloomfield returned a fumble for a touchdown. Chris Ellison ran an interception back for six. Whether they were facing a bruising, oversized fullback or an All-American wide receiver, the Cougar D found a way to throttle and disrupt the opposition, and give the offense what it needed to win the game.
Special teams were special. James Dye, the nation’s leading punt returner the year before, continued his magic. He returned two punts and one kickoff for touchdowns during the year. Ethan Pochman, a converted soccer player, went down in school history. Not only because he set a new school record with 123 points scored in a season, but because he kicked the game-tying and game-winning field goals in the WAC championship game.
As great as the team had played all year, they had to lay it all out on the line, January 1, 1997, in the Cotton Bowl. Ranked number 5 in the nation, the Cougars were snubbed by the Bowl Alliance. Their opponent in the Cotton Bowl was 14th ranked Kansas State. Led by Muirbrook, the BYU defense dominated the game. Two fluke plays, however, gave Kansas State a 15-5 lead in the fourth quarter.
It was crunch time.
BYU did the crunching. Sarkisian threw back-to-back touchdown passes to Dye and Kealaluhi to put BYU up 19-15 with close to 3:00 to play. Now the defense needed to make one final stand. Omarr Morgan, another newcomer, ended the Wildcats’ threat by intercepting a pass inside the 10 yard line.
At 14-1, BYU had a better record than any other NCAA Division 1-A football team. Along with Florida, Florida State, Ohio State, and Arizona State, they comprised a select group of one-loss teams. BYU started and ended the year playing in a prestigious college football game. BYU started and ended the year beating a team ranked in the top 15. BYU’s only loss was to a top 16 team. All three phases of the game—offense, defense, special teams—were remarkable. There was no weakness to the 1996 team.
It was a season to remember. It was a season playing elite football.
More Flashbacks can be found on the Flashbacks page.
The Editor appreciates all feedback. He can be reached via email at bluecougarfootball@gmail.com
The 1996 season started earlier than normal. BYU would face 13th ranked Texas A&M in the Pigskin Classic. It was the third time since 1985 that BYU had played in one of the two big college football season opening games (Kickoff Classic, 1985; Pigskin Classic, 1991). The Aggies were a Big XII favorite and national title dark horse. Nevertheless, on the arm of Steve Sarkisian (536 yards passing, 6 touchdowns) the game stayed close until late in the fourth quarter. With 1:23 to play, Sarkisian found K.O. Kealaluhi for a 46-yard touchdown pass to win the game 41-37.
It was an amazing start to what would be the longest season in NCAA history. When all was said and done, BYU would play 15 games, and would win an NCAA record 14 games. The only hiccup during the year came in game 3, September 14, at Washington—one of the hardest places to play in college football. BYU fell 29-17 to a Huskies team that ended up finishing 9-3 and was ranked as high as number 12, but finished number 16.
The offensive firepower on the 1996 team wasn’t a big surprise. BYU teams had been rolling up the points and the yardage for two decades. Quarterback Steve Sarkisian led the nation in pass efficiency (173.6), and became only the fourth BYU quarterback to pass for more than 4,000 yards (4,027). The tight end tandem of Itula Mili and Chad Lewis would go on to combine to play 19 seasons in the NFL and catch 393 passes for 4,104 yards and 36 touchdowns. Running backs Brian McKenzie and Ronney Jenkins were both newcomers, but they would become the best 1-2 punch out of the backfield in BYU history accounting for nearly 1,700 yards and 22 touchdowns on the ground. The offensive line was solid and featured future NFL star John Tait.
On the season, BYU finished 6th in the nation averaging 478 yards per game, and 5th in the nation averaging 40.8 points per game. BYU’s average margin of victory was more than 23 points.
Credit for that large margin of victory must be shared with the real reason the 1996 team was an elite college football team: the defense. After giving up 37 points in the opener to start the year, the defense allowed only 240 points the final 14 games. On the season, opponents averaged less than 19 points a game. The defense was opportunistic. Shay Muirbrook and Henry Bloomfield returned a fumble for a touchdown. Chris Ellison ran an interception back for six. Whether they were facing a bruising, oversized fullback or an All-American wide receiver, the Cougar D found a way to throttle and disrupt the opposition, and give the offense what it needed to win the game.
Special teams were special. James Dye, the nation’s leading punt returner the year before, continued his magic. He returned two punts and one kickoff for touchdowns during the year. Ethan Pochman, a converted soccer player, went down in school history. Not only because he set a new school record with 123 points scored in a season, but because he kicked the game-tying and game-winning field goals in the WAC championship game.
As great as the team had played all year, they had to lay it all out on the line, January 1, 1997, in the Cotton Bowl. Ranked number 5 in the nation, the Cougars were snubbed by the Bowl Alliance. Their opponent in the Cotton Bowl was 14th ranked Kansas State. Led by Muirbrook, the BYU defense dominated the game. Two fluke plays, however, gave Kansas State a 15-5 lead in the fourth quarter.
It was crunch time.
BYU did the crunching. Sarkisian threw back-to-back touchdown passes to Dye and Kealaluhi to put BYU up 19-15 with close to 3:00 to play. Now the defense needed to make one final stand. Omarr Morgan, another newcomer, ended the Wildcats’ threat by intercepting a pass inside the 10 yard line.
At 14-1, BYU had a better record than any other NCAA Division 1-A football team. Along with Florida, Florida State, Ohio State, and Arizona State, they comprised a select group of one-loss teams. BYU started and ended the year playing in a prestigious college football game. BYU started and ended the year beating a team ranked in the top 15. BYU’s only loss was to a top 16 team. All three phases of the game—offense, defense, special teams—were remarkable. There was no weakness to the 1996 team.
It was a season to remember. It was a season playing elite football.
More Flashbacks can be found on the Flashbacks page.
The Editor appreciates all feedback. He can be reached via email at bluecougarfootball@gmail.com
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