# 1973 BYU Cougars football team

The 1973 BYU Cougars football team represented Brigham Young University during the 1973 NCAA Division I football season. The Cougars were led by second-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, finishing tied for fourth with a conference record of 3–4.

## Schedule

| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 15 | Colorado State | Cougar StadiumProvo, UT | L 13–21 | 28,255 |
| September 29 | Oregon State* | Cougar StadiumProvo, UT | W 37–14 | 27,434 |
| October 6 | at Utah State* | Romney StadiumLogan, UT (Beehive Boot) | L 7–13 | 15,046 |
| October 13 | Iowa State* | Cougar StadiumProvo, UT | L 24–26 | 25,580 |
| October 20 | at No. 12 Arizona State | Sun Devil StadiumTempe, AZ | L 12–52 | 47,137 |
| October 27 | at Wyoming | War Memorial StadiumLaramie, WY | L 21–41 | 18,746 |
| November 3 | New Mexico | Cougar StadiumProvo, UT | W 56–21 | 11,412 |
| November 10 | Arizona | Cougar StadiumProvo, UT | L 10–24 | 19,597 |
| November 17 | Weber State* | Cougar StadiumProvo, UT | W 45–14 | 14,548 |
| November 24 | at Utah | Robert Rice StadiumSalt Lake City, UT (rivalry) | W 46–22 | 18,243 |
| December 1 | at UTEP | Sun BowlEl Paso, TX | W 63–0 | 6,100 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the game ||||||

## Game summaries
### Colorado State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rams | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 21 |
| Cougars | 0 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 13 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Colorado State | Passing | Jan Stuebbe | 15/34, 211 yards, INT |
| Colorado State | Rushing | Scot MacLachlan | 23 rushes, 54 yards, 2 TD |
| Colorado State | Receiving | Willie Miller | 4 receptions, 89 yards |
| BYU | Passing | Randy Litchfield | 12/22, 135 yards, 3 INT |
| BYU | Rushing | Randy Litchfield | 11 rushes, 32 yards, TD |
| BYU | Receiving | Jay Miller | 6 receptions, 63 yards |

### Oregon State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Beavers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Cougars | 14 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 37 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Oregon State | Passing | Alvin White | 15/41, 193 yards, INT |
| Oregon State | Rushing | Ray Taroli | 13 rushes, 70 yards |
| Oregon State | Receiving | Dick Maurer | 3 receptions, 50 yards |
| BYU | Passing | Randy Litchfield | 12/23, 118 yards, TD |
| BYU | Rushing | Gil Gillenwater | 30 rushes, 136 yards, 2 TD |
| BYU | Receiving | Sam LoBue | 1 reception, 68 yards, TD |

### At Utah State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cougars | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Aggies | 7 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| BYU | Passing | Randy Litchfield | 8/17, 91 yards, 3 INT |
| BYU | Rushing | Mark Terranova | 15 rushes, 76 yards, TD |
| BYU | Receiving | Jay Miller | 8 receptions, 99 yards |
| Utah State | Passing | Tom Wilson | 3/6, 22 yards |
| Utah State | Rushing | Archie Gibson | 22 rushes, 143 yards, TD |
| Utah State | Receiving | Kelley Deist | 1 reception, 12 yards |

### Iowa State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cyclones | 10 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 26 |
| Cougars | 7 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 24 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Iowa State | Passing | Buddy Hardeman | 9/18, 123 yards |
| Iowa State | Rushing | Buddy Hardeman | 16 rushes, 88 yards |
| Iowa State | Receiving | Keith Krepfle | 4 receptions, 95 yards |
| BYU | Passing | Gary Sheide | 30/47, 445 yards, 3 TD, 4 INT |
| BYU | Rushing | Mark Terranova | 20 rushes, 111 yards |
| BYU | Receiving | Jay Miller | 13 receptions, 193 yards, TD |

### At No. 12 Arizona State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cougars | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 12 |
| No. 12 Sun Devils | 16 | 13 | 16 | 7 | 52 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| BYU | Passing | Gary Sheide | 22/39, 169 yards, TD, INT |
| BYU | Rushing | Mark Terranova | 13 rushes, 74 yards |
| BYU | Receiving | Jay Miller | 14 receptions, 95 yards, TD |
| Arizona State | Passing | Danny White | 17/25, 303 yards, 3 TD |
| Arizona State | Rushing | Woody Green | 17 rushes, 128 yards |
| Arizona State | Receiving | Morris Owens | 6 receptions, 173 yards, TD |

### At Wyoming

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cougars | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 21 |
| Cowboys | 0 | 10 | 21 | 10 | 41 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| BYU | Passing | Gary Sheide | 18/39, 317 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| BYU | Rushing | David Coon | 17 rushes, 51 yards |
| BYU | Receiving | Jay Miller | 7 receptions, 117 yards |
| Wyoming | Passing | Steve Cockreham | 13/24, 208 yards, 3 TD |
| Wyoming | Rushing | Bruce Williams | 17 rushes, 67 yards, TD |
| Wyoming | Receiving | Archie Gray | 6 receptions, 112 yards, TD |

### New Mexico

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lobos | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
| Cougars | 12 | 21 | 0 | 23 | 56 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| New Mexico | Passing | Troy Williams | 8/21, 142 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT |
| New Mexico | Rushing | Cliff Crenshaw | 12 rushes, 34 yards |
| New Mexico | Receiving | Paul Labarrere | 2 receptions, 80 yards, TD |
| BYU | Passing | Gary Sheide | 32/50, 402 yards, 6 TD, INT |
| BYU | Rushing | Mark Terranova | 14 rushes, 46 yards |
| BYU | Receiving | Jay Miller | 22 receptions, 263 yards, 3 TD |

### Arizona

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Wildcats | 0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
| Cougars | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Arizona | Passing | Bruce Hill | 5/17, 72 yards, INT |
| Arizona | Rushing | Jim Upchurch | 17 rushes, 146 yards, TD |
| Arizona | Receiving | Mark Neal | 2 receptions, 50 yards |
| BYU | Passing | Gary Sheide | 10/19, 82 yards, 2 INT |
| BYU | Rushing | Mark Terranova | 12 rushes, 55 yards |
| BYU | Receiving | Jay Miller | 7 receptions, 50 yards |

### Weber State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Wildcats | 0 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 14 |
| Cougars | 14 | 10 | 14 | 7 | 45 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Weber State | Passing | Rob Bockwoldt | 4/14, 62 yards |
| Weber State | Rushing | Blaine Church | 12 rushes, 51 yards |
| Weber State | Receiving | Gary Childress | 6 receptions, 126 yards, TD |
| BYU | Passing | Gary Sheide | 20/32, 244 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT |
| BYU | Rushing | Jeff Blanc | 17 rushes, 90 yards |
| BYU | Receiving | Jay Miller | 10 receptions, 155 yards, 3 TD |

### At Utah

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Cougars | 3 | 27 | 16 | 0 | 46 |
| Utes | 0 | 3 | 6 | 13 | 22 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| BYU | Passing | Gary Sheide | 22/34, 349 yards, 4 TD |
| BYU | Rushing | Steve Stratton | 18 rushes, 121 yards |
| BYU | Receiving | John Betham | 3 receptions, 126 yards, 2 TD |
| Utah | Passing | Don Van Galder | 12/38, 224 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT |
| Utah | Rushing | Hutch Roosevelt | 10 rushes, 69 yards |
| Utah | Receiving | Hutch Roosevelt | 3 receptions, 77 yards, TD |
The first half was played in a blinding snowstorm. Gary Sheide tied the WAC single-season touchdown record of 21 in the third quarter shared by Virgil Carter (1966) and Danny White (1972). It was the most points BYU had scored against Utah to date.

### At UTEP

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cougars | 6 | 30 | 7 | 20 | 63 |
| Miners | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| BYU | Passing | Gary Sheide | 17/28, 219 yards, TD, INT |
| BYU | Rushing | Jeff Blanc | 17 rushes, 96 yards, TD |
| BYU | Receiving | Mike Pistorius | 5 receptions, 68 yards |
| UTEP | Passing | Frank Duncan | 3/10, 51 yards, 4 INT |
| UTEP | Rushing | Don Willis | 15 rushes, 93 yards |
| UTEP | Receiving | Lonn Crittenden | 2 receptions, 32 yards |

## Personnel
### Coaching staff

* Head coach: LaVell Edwards
* Assistants: Dave Kragthorpe (OC/OL), Dick Felt (DB), J.D. Helm (RB), Mel Olson (JV), Tom Ramage (DL), Dewey Warren (QB/WR), Fred Whittingham (LB)

## Awards

* All-WAC: DT Paul Linford (1st), SE Jay Miller (1st)