Looking Back at BYU's 1984 National Championship Season
By Jake Olsen
It was a cool night at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, California. Christmas was coming and the 12-0 Cougars were looking to bring home a large Christmas present: the National Championship. Legendary coach LaVell Edwards had led BYU to their best season in history and was determined to get the Cougars a trophy.
BYU faced the 6-5 Michigan Wolverines, led by Bo Schembechler. The game was played at Jack Murphy Stadium where BYU had won the Miracle Bowl four years earlier. BYU was the only undefeated team in College Football and they were looking to make history as the first team from a non-major conference to win the National Championship.
The Cougars were ready to go. They were the unlikeliest contenders, pulling off big moments such as beating the Pittsburgh Panthers 20-14 and in-state rival Utah 24-14. Quarterback Robbie Bosco was completing passes and running back Lakei Heimuli was running rampant. LaVell Edwards found success in a pass-heavy offense, throwing the ball two-thirds of the time. Outscoring opponents by an average of 22.2 points per game, BYU had an all-around good team. A powerful offense mixed with a tight defense made the Cougars a tough opponent.
The Cougars were set up nicely to be the first non power conference team to win the National Championship. The title of Champion was not guaranteed, however, the Cougars still needed to beat Michigan, their Holiday Bowl opponent. The 6-5 Wolverines were not the most flashy Michigan team, struggling to find consistency. The Wolverines were hungry and wanted to beat BYU to prove themselves.
The game started with BYU kicking off to Michigan. The Wolverines and Cougars traded the football, with BYU throwing an interception that ended with a Michigan punt. The first quarter was a slow one, ending without a score. Robbie Bosco left the first quarter with an injury and backup quarterback Blaine Fowler replaced him. It was later announced that Robbie had a sprained ankle.
Robbie returned in the second quarter and led the Cougars down the field, ending with BYU scoring first with a 5-yard touchdown run by Kelly Smith. On the Wolverines' next possession, the Cougars shut down a fleeing punter, getting the ball inside Michigan's ten-yard line. They then fumbled the ball near the goal line, and the Wolverines got it back. The Wolverines would then score a touchdown to tie the game. The half would end with BYU kicking a field goal.
BYU would get the ball to start the second half, driving down the field and then throwing another interception. It would not result in anything. BYU would then fumble the ball and Michigan would punt it away again. The Cougars would have a field goal attempt blocked and it would result in a Michigan touchdown to take the lead 14-10. BYU would then fumble the football inside their own 15, leading to a Wolverine field goal to make the score 17-10.
BYU would drive down the field with Robbie Bosco throwing a risky pass into coverage. Kozlowski would come down with it for the touchdown to make it 17-17. Michigan punted and BYU threw another interception. After a massive sack, BYU would force the Wolverines to punt. BYU would put together another long drive, ending with a Robbie Bosco touchdown pass to Kelly Smith to take the lead. BYU would then catch the game-sealing interception to win 24-17.
Shortly after the win, BYU would be voted National Champions. Controversy followed, with one prominent journalist saying that BYU had played a "Bo Diddly Tech" schedule, meaning BYU had an easier-than-average schedule. However you look at it, BYU was the 1984 National Champions outright. This is one of the biggest moments in Cougar Football History and deserves to be celebrated every season. Never forget Robbie Bosco, who played through injury to give us the title. This BYU team was special and the 2024 team looks very similar. Let's hope that history can repeat itself.
Bring the energy Cougar Nation!
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