# 1974 BYU Cougars football team

The 1974 BYU Cougars football team represented Brigham Young University during the 1974 NCAA Division I football season. The Cougars were led by third-year head coach LaVell Edwards and played their home games at Cougar Stadium in Provo, Utah. The team competed as a member of the Western Athletic Conference, winning the conference for the first time since 1965 with an undefeated conference record of 6–0–1. BYU was invited to the 1974 Fiesta Bowl, where they lost to Oklahoma State.

## Schedule

| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 14 | at Hawaii* | | Honolulu StadiumHonolulu, HI | L 13–15 | 23,000 |
| September 21 | Utah State* | | Cougar StadiumProvo, UT | L 6–9 | 34,555 |
| September 28 | at Iowa State* | | Clyde Williams FieldAmes, IA | L 7–34 | 29,419–32,000 |
| October 5 | at Colorado State | | Hughes StadiumFort Collins, CO | T 33–33 | 17,458 |
| October 12 | Wyoming | | Cougar StadiumProvo, UT | W 38–7 | 29,555 |
| October 19 | UTEP | | Cougar StadiumProvo, UT | W 45–21 | 19,628 |
| October 26 | at No. 16 Arizona | | Arizona StadiumTucson, AZ | W 37–13 | 34,116 |
| November 2 | at Air Force* | | Falcon StadiumColorado Springs, CO | W 12–10 | 24,204 |
| November 9 | No. 16 Arizona State | | Cougar StadiumProvo, UT | W 21–18 | 26,922 |
| November 16 | at New Mexico | | University StadiumAlbuquerque, NM | W 36–3 | 12,672 |
| November 23 | Utah | | Cougar StadiumProvo, UT (Holy War) | W 48–20 | 30,978 |
| December 28 | vs. Oklahoma State* | No. 17 | Sun Devil StadiumTempe, AZ (Fiesta Bowl) | L 6–16 | 50,878 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the game |||||||

## Game summaries
### At Hawaii

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cougars | 0 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 13 |
| Rainbow Warriors | 3 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 15 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| BYU | Passing | Gary Sheide | 13/22, 154 yards, TD, 4 INT |
| BYU | Rushing | Jeff Blanc | 31 rushes, 165 yards |
| BYU | Receiving | Craig Van Leeuwen | 3 receptions, 62 yards |
| Hawaii | Passing | Alex Cloi | 13/21, 167 yards, INT |
| Hawaii | Rushing | Arnold Morgado | 19 rushes, 45 yards |
| Hawaii | Receiving | Mel de Lora | 10 receptions, 143 yards |

### Utah State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Aggies | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 9 |
| Cougars | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Utah State | Passing | Tom Wilson | 10/16, 106 yards |
| Utah State | Rushing | Louie Giammona | 21 rushes, 59 yards |
| Utah State | Receiving | Jerry Cox | 4 receptions, 44 yards |
| BYU | Passing | Gary Sheide | 18/28, 170 yards, 4 INT |
| BYU | Rushing | Jeff Blanc | 22 rushes, 104 yards |
| BYU | Receiving | Tom Toolson | 5 receptions, 58 yards |

### At Iowa State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cougars | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Cyclones | 5 | 10 | 7 | 12 | 34 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| BYU | Passing | Mark Giles | 2/6, 31 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| BYU | Rushing | Mark Giles | 6 rushes, 26 yards |
| BYU | Receiving | John Betham | 2 receptions, 31 yards, TD |
| Iowa State | Passing | Wayne Stanley | 4/16, 53 yards, 2 INT |
| Iowa State | Rushing | Steve Wilson | 22 rushes, 107 yards |
| Iowa State | Receiving | Luther Blue | 2 receptions, 26 yards |

### At Colorado State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cougars | 7 | 13 | 6 | 7 | 33 |
| Rams | 0 | 6 | 14 | 13 | 33 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| BYU | Passing | Gary Sheide | 10/13, 123 yards, 3 TD |
| BYU | Rushing | Charley Ah You | 13 rushes, 72 yards, TD |
| BYU | Receiving | Jeff Blanc | 2 receptions, 43 yards |
| Colorado State | Passing | Jack Graham | 22/46, 305 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT |
| Colorado State | Rushing | Jim McKenzie | 11 rushes, 40 yards |
| Colorado State | Receiving | Willie Miller | 6 receptions, 157 yards, TD |
The game ended in controversy as Colorado State scored on the game's final play but the ensuing extra point from the 35-yard line, due to an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, was missed although one official ruled that the attempt was good.

### Wyoming

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Cougars | 3 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 38 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Wyoming | Passing | Rick Costello | 8/17, 85 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| Wyoming | Rushing | Charlie Shaw | 7 rushes, 20 yards |
| Wyoming | Receiving | Archie Gray | 3 receptions, 55 yards |
| BYU | Passing | Gary Sheide | 20/27, 263 yards, 2 TD |
| BYU | Rushing | Jeff Blanc | 24 rushes, 74 yards, 2 TD |
| BYU | Receiving | John Betham | 4 receptions, 69 yards, 2 TD |

### UTEP

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Miners | 7 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| Cougars | 21 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 45 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| UTEP | Passing | Bob McKinley | 7/16, 121 yards, 2 TD |
| UTEP | Rushing | Bob McKinley | 15 rushes, 103 yards, TD |
| UTEP | Receiving | Flash Collins | 2 receptions, 67 yards, TD |
| BYU | Passing | Gary Sheide | 27/40, 387 yards, 6 TD, INT |
| BYU | Rushing | Jeff Blanc | 22 rushes, 90 yards, TD |
| BYU | Receiving | Jeff Nilsson | 9 receptions, 176 yards, 3 TD |

### At No. 16 Arizona

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cougars | 21 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 37 |
| No. 16 Wildcats | 7 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 13 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| BYU | Passing | Gary Sheide | 20/35, 268 yards, 5 TD |
| BYU | Rushing | Charley Ah You | 22 rushes, 69 yards |
| BYU | Receiving | John Betham | 10 receptions, 144 yards, 3 TD |
| Arizona | Passing | Bruce Hill | 9/29, 200 yards, 2 TD, 5 INT |
| Arizona | Rushing | Jim Upchurch | 21 rushes, 108 yards |
| Arizona | Receiving | Willie Hamilton | 2 receptions, 83 yards, TD |

### At Air Force

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cougars | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 12 |
| Falcons | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| BYU | Passing | Gary Sheide | 18/30, 215 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT |
| BYU | Rushing | Charley Ah You | 30 rushes, 87 yards |
| BYU | Receiving | Sam LoBue | 7 receptions, 109 yards |
| Air Force | Passing | Rob Shaw | 16/28, 226 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| Air Force | Rushing | Ken Wood | 15 rushes, 56 yards |
| Air Force | Receiving | Bob Farr | 10 receptions, 117 yards, TD |

### No. 16 Arizona State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 16 Sun Devils | 6 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 18 |
| Cougars | 2 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 21 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Arizona State | Passing | Ray Alexander | 8/20, 148 yards, TD, 3 INT |
| Arizona State | Rushing | Fred Williams | 14 rushes, 48 yards |
| Arizona State | Receiving | John Washington | 7 receptions, 110 yards |
| BYU | Passing | Gary Sheide | 24/41, 224 yards, 2 TD, 5 INT |
| BYU | Rushing | Jeff Blanc | 30 rushes, 77 yards, TD |
| BYU | Receiving | Jeff Blanc | 6 receptions, 61 yards |

### At New Mexico

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cougars | 7 | 13 | 6 | 10 | 36 |
| Lobos | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| BYU | Passing | Gary Sheide | 15/29, 244 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| BYU | Rushing | Jeff Blanc | 24 rushes, 74 yards |
| BYU | Receiving | Jeff Blanc | 3 receptions, 94 yards, TD |
| New Mexico | Passing | Ken Bryant | 9/30, 66 yards, 2 INT |
| New Mexico | Rushing | Ken Bryant | 20 rushes, 42 yards |
| New Mexico | Receiving | Preston Dennard | 2 receptions, 20 yards |

### Utah

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Utes | 0 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 20 |
| Cougars | 14 | 7 | 14 | 13 | 48 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Utah | Passing | Homer Warner | 7/14, 103 yards, TD, INT |
| Utah | Rushing | Ike Spencer | 6 rushes, 31 yards |
| Utah | Receiving | Mike Cordy | 4 receptions, 60 yards |
| BYU | Passing | Gary Sheide | 11/22, 104 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| BYU | Rushing | Jeff Blanc | 20 rushes, 122 yards, 2 TD |
| BYU | Receiving | John Betham | 2 receptions, 40 yards |

### Vs. Oklahoma State (Fiesta Bowl)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 0 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 16 |
| No. 17 Cougars | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Oklahoma State | Passing | Charlie Weatherbie | 6/16, 64 yards, TD |
| Oklahoma State | Rushing | Kenny Walker | 6 rushes, 34 yards, TD |
| Oklahoma State | Receiving | Leonard Thompson | 3 receptions, 42 yards, TD |
| BYU | Passing | Mark Giles | 12/27, 138 yards, 3 INT |
| BYU | Rushing | Jeff Blanc | 19 rushes, 53 yards |
| BYU | Receiving | Sam LoBue | 3 receptions, 50 yards |