“The Wyoming game in 1974, my third year as head coach. My first year, we were 7-4; the second year, we went 5-6; the third year started out 0-3-1. Some of the players got together and had a team meeting to get a few things straightened out. Starting with the Wyoming game, we won 6 straight games and won our first conference championship, the second in BYU's history. We went to the Fiesta Bowl, the first of many bowl games for the Cougars.” YearsFirstsTogetherGamesPlayerTeamThirdsMeetingsStartingCoachesBowlsChampionshipConferencesWyomingHead CoachesCougarsByuFiesta Author:LaVell Edwards
“Milestones you'd like to reach before retiring? Not really. Because when I began it was never to reach 100 games or reach 200 or to get high on the all-time list or whatever else. Those things are by-products. I want to win another championship, beginning with the conference championship. The thing that was disappointing to me last year was the fact that we did not win the conference championship. I felt like we just let that game (against Air Force in Las Vegas) get away from us.” WantYearsFactsLastsTimeGamesWinningForceFeltJusticeAirProductsDisappointmentListsAll TimeGet AwayRetiringLast YearChampionshipConferencesVegasLas VegasDisappointingAir ForceGetting HighMilestone Author:LaVell Edwards
“After the Cougars' 19-15 Cotton Bowl victory over Kansas State We're the only team in NCAA history to win 14 games in a season. It was just a great experience and I can't say enough about it. . . . People don't know how difficult it is to get up for 15 games.” PeopleKnowsI CanStatesEnoughGamesWinningDifficultJusticeKnow HowTeamVictorySeasonsGet UpBowlsCottonKansasGreat ExperiencesNcaaCougars Author:LaVell Edwards
“Commenting on playoffs to determine a national champion: I'm not in favor of 15 games either. I think that's way too much football. The thing that I feel good about is that these guys hung together through 15 games and played hard every week. That's a marvelous tribute to the kids. We just hung in there today and kept playing. It's just been a special feeling all year long.” ThinkingWayFeelsYearsChildrenLongHardFeelingsKidsTodayTogetherGuyGamesToo MuchWeekSpecialFootballDetermineFavorsFeel GoodChampionHungMarvelousTributePlayoffsI Feel Good Author:LaVell Edwards
“Current condition of the BYU football program? I think it's in good shape. We've got some good young players. We've had two or three pretty good recruiting years. We lost some players, obviously, that hurt us, but you always have turnover in college through attrition (graduation, transfers). That's the nature of the game.” ThinkingYearsTwoYoungThreeGamesLostHurtPlayerConditionsFootballCollegeShapesLosingProgramCurrentsGraduationTransfersTurnoverAttritionByu Author:LaVell Edwards
“We have reached the point where we can lose a game or two and not drop out of sight in the rankings. I've been asked if it bothers me that BYU hasn't received the recognition it deserves. Well, BYU's gotten a lot of recognition over the years; I've never felt slighted. I honestly believed that we didn't deserve to be ranked any higher last year.” IfsYearsWellsTwoLastsGamesFeltLosesHigherDeserveSightHonestlyRecognitionBotherLast YearRankingSlightedByu Author:LaVell Edwards
“Late in the third quarter the Cougars were behind 12-0. Duva had completed 5 out of 20 passes. Edwards looked at Gifford Nielsen. Giff had never done a thing, in practice or anywhere else, to give us confidence in him. . . . . . . the coach said later. He sent him into the game anyway. First play was a 19-yard completion. Second was a 6-yard run. He threw again on the third play to running back Dave Lowry who ran 37 yards for a touchdown.” GivingFirstsSaidDonePlayRunningGamesBehindsPracticeLateThirdsCoachesRanQuartersYardsCompletionDaveRunning BackTouchdownsCougars Author:LaVell Edwards
“Looking at the championship-winning quarterbacks, Edwards remembered their particular talents: Gary Sheide: The image of Joe Namath. He even had Joe's number. Had just a great feel and touch for the game. A great athlete who could play all the sports. He was more of a streak guy than any of them. He could miss two or three passes and then get hot and hit ten straight. He was the one who got it all started.” FeelsTwoPlayGuyThreeGamesWinningSportsJusticeNumbersTalentMissingParticularTenHotAthleteRememberedChampionshipQuarterbackStreaksGaryGreat Athlete Author:LaVell Edwards
