BYU Lets Record Do the Talking

DALLAS — With more victories in a single season than any team in NCAA Division I-A history, Brigham Young figures it has nothing left to prove.

The Cougars insist they’re not even mad at the Bowl Alliance that snubbed them--despite their record and their ranking--and forced them into the less-lucrative Cotton Bowl.

“All I know is we’re 14-1 and we’re going to finish in the top five in the country,” said BYU quarterback Steve Sarkisian, who completed 21 of 36 passes for 291 yards and two touchdowns as the fifth-ranked Cougars came back to beat No. 14 Kansas State, 19-15.

“That’s something any team should be proud of.”

For the first three quarters, it looked as though Kansas State (9-3) would prove the alliance right, and at the same time reach the highest point in Kansas State’s 101 years of college football.

With about 40,000 Kansas State fans hoping to see their first victory over a team ranked in the top five, the Wildcats took a 15-5 lead.

Sarkisian, who tied a Cotton Bowl record for completions and fell one yard short of the record for yardage, was harried all day and the Wildcats scored on a 72-yard play and the wildest ending to a first half in the 61-year history of the Cotton Bowl.

But Sarkisian, taking advantage of the absence of All-American cornerback Chris Canty, connected with K.O. Kealaluhi on a 28-yard touchdown pass play with 3:39 remaining to take the lead.

Kealaluhi beat freshman Lamar Chapman, Canty’s backup, as Canty was on the sideline being treated for cramps.

Kansas State drove to the BYU 12, twice converting on fourth down. But Omarr Morgan intercepted Brian Kavanagh’s pass to Jimmy Dean on the three with 55 seconds to go, giving the Cougars the victory.

BYU pulled to within 15-12 with 10:55 left when Sarkisian and James Dye hooked up for a 32-yard touchdown play.

With five seconds remaining in the first half and Kansas State on the BYU 41, Kavanagh scrambled and heaved the ball. A pack of would-be receivers and defenders waited in the end zone for the ball, which bounced off a BYU defender and settled into Andre Anderson’s arms as the Kansas State junior fell to the ground.

With no time left on the clock, Jamie Rheem kicked the extra point. BYU was flagged for offside on the conversion, but everybody except Kansas State Coach Bill Snyder ignored the flag and disappeared into the tunnel.

A moment later, the teams were ordered to return, because the penalty had moved the ball to the two. Mike Lawrence took a pitch from Kavanagh on the eight and vaulted into the end zone for a two-point conversion.