BYU Football: They Helped Make Missouri Football History

By Jacob Sorenson

Steve Young in Historical win vs. Missouri

I often wonder what it would be like to make history. Every day we live our lives looking to be examples to others, and to change the world. We have icons right around us who get to make it every day. The truth is we all make our own history. We choose what defines us and our destiny.

This year BYU football has been in a similar place. They made history in the first game of the year in the miracle at memorial with Mitch Mathews' hail mary touchdown catch to win the game. They made history one week later in Lavell Edwards Stadium where the term, Lavell Lob was keyed as the future of Tanner Mangums BYU football career. Then came week three and a heartbreaking loss to none other than UCLA. The kings of taking BYU to the wire at home, and beating them by one point.

We take a flashback, history again, September 8, 2007. UCLA takes a 20-17 lead into the fourth quarter. The Cougars had just scored 14 points in the third to close the deficit. after only one touchdwon and some sloppy football, UCLA took the 27-17 victory in 2007. Luckily in 2007 the cougars had the opportunity for revenge in the Vegas Bowl with a 17-16 win following a field goal block. History was yet again made for BYU football.

We continue on, week four of this season the cougars head to Michigan. Another opportunity for history to be made and the cougars stumble to the 31-0 loss. All is not lost at this point for BYU. They still have a lot to fight for, and a lot of history to be made. They roll off resounding victories like 30-13 against UCONN, a thriller 45-38 against East Carolina, down to the wire against Cincinnati as well 38-24, a blowout to Wagner, and then a near upset by San Jose State in a nail biter where BYU looked to be on their heels. They pulled out the 17-16 victory thanks to a failed two point conversion and onside kick.

We finally get to last Saturday. BYU has been preparing, wether vocally or in silence for their prime time SEC opponent all year. Missouri is next on the blocks. The only issue is, the week prior news had broken that a graduate student had felt marginalized, discriminated, and mistreated. The news begins to spread that there are many others and the name Jonathan Butler surfaces. This is the graduate student who now declares he has been on a hunger strike for multiple days now until university president Tim Wolfe steps down.

ESPN starts to break the story as the Missouri football team has staged a walk-out. Supported by Gary Pinkel the players have voluntarily chosen to support their fellow student and not play until Tim Wolfe steps down. There is a few day period where turmoil amounts and the BYU vs. Missouri game at a neutral site of Arrowhead Stadium Kansas City, Missouri may not be played.

Not playing the game would cost Missouri one million dollars, but it's a price they are willing to pay. The story breaks Saturday night and into Sunday. By Monday morning Tim Wolfe resigns his position and the school Chancellor is also relocated in responsibilities.

All seems calm at Missouri at least for the night. BYU does its regular tuesday press conference and the cougars are already in full preparation for Missouri. Then late Wednesday afternoon the story is released to the public that football Coach Gary Pinkel will be retiring at the end of the year. He has been battling lymphoma since May.

Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel

The community by this point is in utter shock and surprise. The Missouri football team has been through its most emotional week in maybe history. The intersection between sports and academics has become paper thin and the university is all supporting one another. Coach Pinkel announces that he will finish out the remainder of the season.

This takes us to the history yet again. Gary Pinkel, the winningest coach in Missouri football history has orchestrated 15 miraculous seasons for the Tigers. Their defense is nationally acknowledged and Gary Pinkel's expertise is to credit. He inspires his team, and his team answers the call with a full regement of practice, film study, and preparation.

BYU has not lacked in preparation, and they have plenty to play for as well as game time approaches. The cougars had arrived early to Arrowhead to take it all in, and settle down in a way. Arrowhead will be the most iconic venue that many of these players have ever or will ever play in.

Game time nears and the game is defensive. BYU ties the score at 3-3 at the beginning of the second quarter. The Tigers scored again with about a minute left in the half to make it 6-3. The Cougars attempt a drive in one minute with no timeouts, and although their trick play was memorable, it did not render any points.

Nick Kurtz attempts one handed catch

BYU comes out in the second half firing. Their defense is warm and playing well. The offense orchestrates a beautiful drive. Aided by penalties the cougars score the go-ahead touchdown as Algae Brown takes it in on third down. 10-6 is the score heading in to the fourth quarter. BYU with the lead is holding well on defense. 

The Tigers had driven all the way down to the red zone and were stopped. BYU however, undisciplined commits a major penalty in the endzone that negates an interception. Missouri is given three more downs. The cougars again stop them and take them to a third down play which resulted in a short pass over the middle for 6 yards. The play is over, until the flag is noticed on the field again. Sae Tautu, starting linebacker for the cougars gave a nice shove to Missouri's Drew Lock which would be a roughing the passer call.

Missouri Wide Receiver J'mon Moore makes a
 touchdown catch in the win over BYU

This time the Tigers would not let points stay off the board. A touchdown was scored and BYU seemed deflated. The errors had given the tigers offense life. Taking the ball back BYU quarterback Tanner Mangum fumbles on the next drive and the Tigers score yet another touchdown. 20-10 Missouri.

BYU had not come all this way to lose, a beautiful drive led by Tanner Mangum results in a touchdown but the PAT was blocked, 20-16 BYU. There is still life. With seven minutes left in the game, Missouri drives but is stopped and the ball is returned to the Cougars. BYU gets the first down, but then they gain nothing and had an incomplete pass. 

BYU wide receiver Mitch Mathews drops the ball
 as his facemask is turned around by the defender,
 there was no call on the play and BYU punted the ball.

On third down, the cougars throw a deep bomb over the middle to Mitch Mathews. He comes back to the ball, has it in his hands, and drops the ball while having his helmet relocated due to a facemask. No penalty is called and BYU is too far out to go for it on fourth down. They retained hope to be able to stop and get the ball back, but after accumulating another 30 or more yards they kneeled out the clock and the Tigers won.

BYU had opportunities to write its very own history that day. They gave up major opportunites to score and to play stellar defense. Errors had put the game where it was, and they could only blame themselves.

The real history that BYU helped write that day was the history for Missouri Football. The Tigers had struggled all season offensively. Then, out of nowhere their offense emerged for over 400 yards of total offense against BYU. The team was playing inspired football. The signs read, "Coach Pinkel, Cancer is not a solo battle, we fight together", another read, "Coach Pinkel, Thank You", and others read "United We Stand" in wake of the Paris attacks.

An emotional week for the state of Missouri but most of all for the University of Missouri had just concluded with the best of endings. Jonathan Butler had ended his hunger strike. Coach Pinkel was now one win closer to becoming bowl eligible again. The 5-5 Tigers had renewed hope in themselves, and their potential as a football team. BYU was just a pit stop along the way.