The Game that Changed BYU Football
BYU's victory over Arizona State in 1974 paved the way for the Cougars to dominate the WAC and become a national power.
BYU owes an enormous debt to LaVell Edwards for turning the Cougars into a winning program and household name in the college football world.
When Edwards took over in 1972, BYU was nothing more than an afterthought in the Western Athletic Conference. The Cougars had claimed one WAC title since helping to form the league in 1962 - their only conference title since restarting football in 1922.
Edwards changed the trajectory of BYU football with the introduction of a revolutionary passing offense. His offensive approach stood in stark contrast to run-oriented offenses like the Veer and the Wishbone that were highly popular in that era.
One game changed BYU’s football fortunes forever and allowed Edwards’ passing offense to prove it had long-term viability: A showdown with WAC power Arizona State in 1974.
One-sided Series
Recent history between BYU and Arizona State heading into their 1974 matchup offered no reason to believe the Cougars could challenge the Sun Devils for WAC supremacy. Under Frank Kush, Arizona State had turned into one of the nation’s top football teams. The Sun Devils ruled the WAC, reeling off five straight conference titles from 1969 to 1973. They posted a perfect record in 1970 and had three Top 10 finishes nationally in that five-year stretch. Arizona State lost five total games to WAC opponents over a seven-year period.
BYU barely put up a fight against Arizona State in past games against the Sun Devils. The Cougars had lost eight straight in the series heading into the 1974 season and few of those contests were close. Arizona State won by an average margin of 23.0 points during that eight-game losing streak. In Edwards’ first two seasons at the helm, the Sun Devils outscored BYU 101-29.
Airing it Out
BYU did a much better job than usual in 1974 at reigning in Arizona State’s normally potent offense. The Cougars held the Sun Devils to 186 total yards and 11 first downs. Arizona State averaged 3.4 yards per play. BYU also recovered a pair of fumbles and snagged four interceptions.
Offensively, senior quarterback Gary Sheide kept Arizona State off balance with his relentless passing. Sheide threw for 223 yards and two touchdowns while completing 59% of his passes.
Still, the Cougars made enough mistakes offensively to counter a solid defensive effort. Arizona State forced five fumbles and recovered three. Shiede also had five interceptions. Two of his interceptions were returned for touchdowns and helped the Sun Devils scratch out an 18-14 lead after three quarters.
BYU would not be denied an upset win. The Cougars put together one more drive in the fourth quarter and sealed a 21-18 comeback victory on Sheide’s nine-yard TD pass to Tim Mahoney.
Turning Point
BYU’s victory over Arizona State paved the way for the Cougars to claim their second WAC title and face Oklahoma State in the 1974 Fiesta Bowl. Along the way, BYU had taken a major step forward in its football evolution.
Arizona State would reclaim the WAC title a year later and finished 1975 with a 12-0 record and no. 2 national ranking. But the Sun Devils’ era of WAC dominance had come to an end. Starting in 1976, BYU won 10 straight conference titles and became entrenched as the new WAC ruler when Arizona State and Arizona joined the Pac-10 in 1978.
Edwards proved the Cougars could win big with a pass-oriented offense. It opened the door for him to draw other prolific quarterbacks to Provo in subsequent seasons. BYU built on that breakthrough season throughout the late 70s and early 80s - culminating with a national championship in 1984.