Flashback: Jim McMahon breaks BYU and NCAA records as Cougars route Colorado State

Exactly 31 years ago today, Brigham Young Cougars quarterback Jim McMahon made the Colorado State Rams suffer a bad case of deja-vu.

Four years earlier, Marc Wilson torched the Rams, in Fort Collins, throwing seven touchdown passes in a game BYU won 63-17. McMahon tossed seven touchdowns of his own as the Cougars put another 63 spot on Colorado State. This time, Colorado State was only lucky enough to get 14 points.

The Rams scored those points in the first half to help make the game interesting early. Scoring wasn’t the problem for Colorado State. It was stopping BYU.

The offensive line played a near perfect game, while McMahon was flawless himself on his first 60 pass attempts. McMahon set an NCAA record with 44 pass completions. He finished the day 44 of 65 for 538 yards with 7 touchdowns and one interception. The attempts, completions, and touchdown passes set or tied BYU records.

Tight end Gordon Hudson was McMahon’s favorite target with 11 receptions for 117 yards and three touchdowns.

The win got BYU (8-2) back into the UPI (Coaches) poll at number 17.

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