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This week on Cougar Classic, we continue our countdown of the 13 most important wins in BYU history. No. 10 as decided by KSL viewers was a 1979 victory over Texas A&M.
BYU had never defeated a ranked non-conference opponent before September 8, 1979. That all changed with a trip to the Lone Star State and a season opener against the very talented Aggies of Texas A&M.
"They had a lot of players who went on and played in the pros," said BYU senior quarterback Marc Wilson. "And they had two or three first round draft picks... and were justifiably ranked very high."
To be specific, the Aggies had the 5th and 10th picks of the 1980 NFL draft in running back Curtis Dickey and defensive end Jacob Green. They entered the game as the 14th ranked team in the nation.
BYU was armed with their own 1980 first round draft pick. Despite being only days removed from an appendectomy, Wilson led the Cougars in a literal "last-minute" come-from-behind victory. With only 52 seconds left, Wilson polished off a game-winning drive with a touchdown pass to all-conference wide receiver Danny Plater.
Then, down by one point, the Cougars gambled with a two point conversion. It paid off giving them an 18-17 edge in a victory that would kick off the first undefeated regular season in school history and propel BYU into national prominence.
E-mail: jjensen@ksl.com
