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| Austin Kafentzis bucked family tradition and came to BYU (Erik Verduzco, Las Vegas Review-Journal) |
BYU Cougars fans and Hawai'i Warriors fans will hear a lot of familiar names from years gone by this Saturday, but the color on the jerseys won't look familiar.
Cougar fans young and old can appreciate the Collie name. Patriarch Scott played for BYU from 1979-82. A generation later his sons Zac (2005-06) and Austin (2004, 2007-08) deepened the family's imprint on the program. Scott's youngest son Dylan will take the field in Honolulu this Saturday, but not for BYU.
Dylan Collie signed with BYU out of high school and redshirted the 2012 season. After his two-year missionary service for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, BYU had made some coaching changes on offense, and he decided not to return to the Y. He went to Hawai'i where Norm Chow was the Warriors' head coach. Chow also coached at BYU when Scott played for the Cougars.
Collie, a junior, is Hawai'i's second leading receiver with 50 receptions for 533 yards and four touchdowns this season.
One of the defensive stalwarts from BYU's 1984 National Championship team was Kurt Gouveia. He was a hard hitting linebacker who went on to have a long NFL career that included becoming a Super Bowl champion with the Washington Redskins in the 1990s.
Gouveia made one of the biggest hits in BYU history against Hawai'i in 1985.
Gouveia will also have a son suit up Saturday, but his son will also be wearing green and not blue. Dalton Gouveia is a sophomore and backup linebacker. Dalton's bio on Hawai'i's website conveniently omits his father's playing days at BYU.
BYU fans have become familiar with the Kafentzis name this season as Austin Kafentzis has seen spot duty at running back. His family, however, has a long running legacy in Hawai'i green.
Growing up, the stories Kafentzis heard about BYU quarterbacks Robbie Bosco, Steve Young, and Jim McMahon were probably not about Bosco's national championship run, or Young and McMahon's Holiday Bowl heroics. Rather, Austin's father Kyle (1983-86) and his uncles Mark (1980-81) and Kent (1981-82, 84-85) probably made sure Austin knew they all intercepted passes thrown by BYU's big three quarterbacks from the early 1980s.
Four uncles (Kurt, 1981-84; Sean, 1987) in total, plus his father, were part of the BYU-Hawai'i rivalry from 1980 to 1987. The four brothers combined to make 41 tackles against BYU over the years. Mark also returned a punt 14 yards, Kurt had one reception for seven yards, and Kyle had a pass breakup. None of the four, however, ever recorded a victory over BYU.
The Kafentzis legacy at Hawai'i doesn't stop there. In more recent times, Austin has had three cousins play their college careers in the islands. Landon (2004-05), Mikhail (2005), and Tyson (2005-08). BYU and Hawai'i did not play each other in any season from 2004-08.
Austin has 23 carries for 129 yards and 1 touchdown for BYU this season. He was a high school quarterback, but hasn't thrown a pass from the wildcat formation, yet. Don't be surprised if that changes on Saturday.
Hopefully, with the role reversals, there will not be a reversal in result. Meaning the Collie and Gouveia families will suffer their first loss in the rivalry, while the Kafentzis family can finally taste victory.
The Editor appreciates all feedback. He can be reached via email at bluecougarfootball@gmail.com
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