Friday Night Fandemonium: BYU @ Texas, 1987

*Cougar Center is starting a weekly Friday Night feature throughout the Summer recapping some historic wins in BYU Football history.  Friday Night Fandemonium was a popular source of programming in the 90s and early 2000s on KBYU & BYU-TV.  We want to honor the tradition of that program with this weekly feature.

The 2011 BYU Football schedule has many high-profile games.  One of which is in Week Two down in Austin, Texas against the Texas Longhorns.  When the Cougars travel to Darryl K. Royal Memorial Stadium on September 10th, it won’t be the first time the Cougars have played in that venue.

September 12th, 1987 was the day BYU first landed upon the eyes of Texas to face the Longhorns.  It was the first matchup between the two schools, and the first of a two-game series that was scheduled shortly after BYU won the National Championship in 1984.

Coming into this game BYU was 0-1.  Lost 27-17 in the season-opener, in front of a nationally-televised ESPN audience at home to the Pitt Panthers.  Pitt was led by eventual 1st-Round NFL Draft pick, Craig Heyward at Running Back.  Heyward had 230 all-purpose yards in that game against BYU.  It was a big win for Pitt, because they had revenge on their mind from their lost to the Cougars in 1984, at Pittsburgh.

Texas was coming into the game 0-1 as well.  They had lost the previous week at Auburn, 31-3.

The Longhorns had another imposing Running Back for the Cougar Defense to try and stop in Junior Eric Metcalf.  Metcalfe is wearing #2 on the Game Program Cover pictured at the top of the article.

In this era during the 80’s, Texas had no where near the success they’ve experienced in the current tenure under Mack Brown.  Members of the Southwest Conference, the Longhorns were coming off a 5-win season in 1986.

Head Coach for the Longhorns in 1987 was David McWilliams (pictured above).

Since Robbie Bosco graduated from BYU in 1985, BYU had inconsistent Quarterback play.  In 1986, rotated between Bob Jensen and Steve Lindsley.  Lindsley eventually won out as starter and threw for over 2,200 yards in 1986.  The same QB questions remained in 1987 as Lindsley graduated.

Bob Jensen won the starting job for the 1987 season over Sean Covey due to his previous in-game experience.  Jensen threw for 317 yards in the loss against Pitt.  Despite the loss against the Panthers, Jensen and the Cougar offense were coming into Austin feeling confident about what they had going on.

The confidence didn’t carry over early in the game.  BYU struggled offensively.  Jensen had two early interceptions, one of which led to Texas getting good field position and putting them in prime position to strike first.  The Longhorns capitalized and scored first in the game going up 7-0 in the 1st Quarter.

BYU’s offense was able to find it’s rhythm in the second quarter, with the BYU forcing some Texas fumbles.  Jensen threw touchdown passes to David Miles and Chuck Cutler to give BYU a 14-3 lead with less than two minutes to go in the first half.

Texas then had a 40-yard kick return from Tony Jones to give the Longhorns a shot to cut the deficit before the half.  Texas tacked on a field goal as the half expired and the two teams went into the locker with BYU holding down a four-point lead, 14-10.

At the beginning of the second half, BYU regained the momentum back from Texas forcing a Longhorn three-and-out.  The Cougar Special Teams had the play of the game as reserve Cougar Linebacker, Richard Hobbs blocked Texas Punter Alex Waite’ punt forcing a Safety.  Adding to BYU’s lead 16-10, and the Cougars never looked back from there.

The second half, there was a lot of three-and-outs and turnovers as both teams continued to have miscues.  Quarterback Bob Jensen was the only effective rusher BYU had against the stout Longhorn defense.  Jensen scrambled for 50 yards in the game, most of which keeping BYU drives alive.  BYU had four turnovers on the game, but forced five takeaways.

Cougar Kicker Leonard Chitty was the last of the scoring for BYU in the game by adding two Field Goals in the third quarter giving BYU a 22-10 lead heading into the fourth.

Texas couldn’t make a comeback in the fourth early enough to give the Cougars a scare.  Texas scored with a little over a minute left in the ballgame on a Darron Norris three yard run.  The Longhorns attempted an on-side kick, but couldn’t recover.  Ball game.

BYU came away victorious from Austin, 22-17, despite being outgained by the Longhorns in total offense by nearly 100 yards.  BYU’s record in 1987 improved to 1-1 after the win.

Bob Jensen ended up throwing for 199 passing yards in the win.  Texas Running Back Eric Metcalfe ended up with 121 all-purpose yards.

This victory over Texas in 1987 is the last time BYU faced a member of the current Big XII in their home venue.  BYU faced Oklahoma in 2009, but it was a neutral site (Dallas Cowboys Stadium; Arlington).  That drought will finally come to an end in 2011.

*****

BYU ended up the 1987 season going 9-4, 7-1 in WAC play.  The lone loss in WAC play came against the WAC Champion in Paul Roach’s Wyoming Cowboys that year who went undefeated in league play.

BYU lost in the All-American Bowl against Virginia to cap off the season, 22-16.

Quarterback Stephen Covey took over for Bob Jensen mid-way through the season after a close victory at Hawaii.

*****

The 1987 Texas Longhorns ended the season 7-5, capping off their year with a bowl win over the same Pitt team BYU faced at the beginning of the year in the Bluebonnett Bowl.

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