Big 12 Stage For BYU, Kansas State Was Created By Two Iconic Coaches
Sep 17, 2024, 11:55 AM | Updated: 11:56 am
Looking back at the history of BYU/Kansas State and two legendary head coaches. (Photos courtesy of Getty Images)
(Photos courtesy of Getty Images)
PROVO, Utah – In August 1992, Sports Illustrated rolled out its annual College Football Preview magazine, featuring BYU and Kansas State.
The cover had lines about two programs that, 20 years prior, would have never registered a thought nationally.
“BYU is hated.”
“Kansas State is reborn.”
Those statements in the nation’s most popular sports magazine at the time are because of the legendary coaches LaVell Edwards and Bill Snyder, who built up BYU and Kansas State football.
“I have a lot of respect for that program. You look at the connections between BYU and Kansas State; BYU has LaVell Edwards, and Kansas State has Bill Snyder,” said current BYU head coach Kalani Sitake. “So you look at the programs and the history behind both programs, I think it’s a really cool story.”
LaVell Edwards turned BYU into a winner
LaVell Edwards took over as BYU’s head coach in 1972. Oddly enough, Edwards’ first win as head coach was against Kansas State. A 32-9 victory in Provo.
In the 50 years before Edwards took over as head coach, BYU won one conference championship (1965 — BYU faced K-State that year in non-conference play and won). However, they had only 16 seasons with a record above .500. BYU’s best record was an 8-1 season in 1932.
Before Edwards became the head coach, BYU never played in a bowl game.
Fast-forward to modern day. BYU is ninth in wins over the last 50 years in college football. They have appeared in 40 bowl games. Plus, they were the outright National Champions in 1984 and, in the process, were revolutionary in passing the football.
The Cougars would not be in a power conference without LaVell Edwards and his success overseeing BYU football.
Very few programs can compare with BYU’s turnaround. One is Kansas State.
Bill Snyder put together one of the greatest turnarounds in college football history
Bill Snyder, a former Iowa Offensive Coordinator, took over as Kansas State’s head coach in 1989
Entering the 1989 season, three years before Sports Illustrated called K-State “reborn,” SI dubbed the Wildcats “Futility U.”
Before Snyder took the job, the Wildcats were on a 26-game losing streak.
Entering Snyder’s first season, K-State had two winning seasons in the previous 20 years with one bowl appearance (1981).
Kansas State’s last conference championship when Snyder arrived was 1934 in the Big 6.
Snyder’s transformation took time, but he established “The Foundation” with only 47 scholarship players in 1989. They won one game their first year, but quickly, the Wildcats became a tough out in the Big 8.
It was the perfect time to elevate K-State football as the Wildcats were able to then move with their Big 8 peers into the Big 12 when it was established in 1996.
And by Snyder’s fifth season in 1993, he had Kansas State in a bowl game that started 11 consecutive years in the postseason.
One of those bowl appearances featured BYU and Kansas State squaring off in the 1997 Cotton Bowl.
LaVell vs. Snyder: Cotton Bowl
It was the first New Year’s Day bowl game for both programs.
BYU won that game 19-15, capping off a memorable 14-1 season led by quarterback Steve Sarkisian, culminating in a No. 5 ranking in the final polls.
Who remembers @BYUfootball’s win in the @CottonBowlGame? 🤙 🏈
This New Year’s marks the 25th anniversary of that memorable game to cap off the 1996 season.#BYU #GoCougs
➡️: https://t.co/sAEMfFh8r9 pic.twitter.com/NIxN50hUqg
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) December 31, 2021
That was the last time these two programs have met.
Now they square off on Saturday night as Big 12 opponents, with Kalani Sitake and Chris Klieman as the two coaches in the game.
LaVell Edwards coached at BYU for 29 seasons, putting together a record of 257-101-3 from 1972-2000.
Edwards passed away in 2016 at the age of 86.
Bill Snyder oversaw the K-State program for two tenures, from 1989 to 2005 and 2009 to 2018. He coached 27 seasons, with a total record of 215-117-1.
Looking back at the history of BYU vs. K-State
The 2024 campaign marks the 100th season of BYU football. We will review BYU’s history against its 2024 opponents weekly throughout the season.
RELATED: “A Century of Cougar Football:” Looking at the history of BYU Football
1996: No. 5 BYU 19, No. 14 Kansas State 15 (1997 Southwestern Bell Cotton Bowl)
BYU was disappointed to be in the Cotton Bowl as the Alliance Bowl Committee shunned them from getting a chance to play in the Fiesta Bowl. The crowd turnout in Dallas reflected that as BYU took down the Wildcats amidst a “Sea of Purple.”
BYU linebacker Shay Muirbrook had six sacks in the game, later earning him a spot in the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame.
The BYU offense came alive in the fourth quarter, down 15-5. Sarkisian tossed touchdown passes to James Dye and K.O. Kealaluhi to put the Cougars back in front.
25 years ago, this was your source for what was on TV this week.#BYU #BYUFootball @kslsports @TVGuide pic.twitter.com/dqLrUxSy4d
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) December 29, 2021
Then Omarr “The Blanket” Morgan finished the job by intercepting Brian Kavanagh to give BYU the 19-15 win.
1977: BYU 39, K-State 0 in Provo
The last time K-State was in Provo. Gifford Nielsen passed for 318 yards as BYU rolled to a blowout win.
1976: K-State 13, BYU 3 in Manhattan
Kansas State’s only win in 1976 was against BYU.
1972: BYU 32, K-State 9 in Provo
LaVell Edwards’ first win as head coach at BYU. Quarterback Dave Terry scored two touchdowns to give BYU the victory in LaVell’s debut as head coach.
1971: K-State 23, BYU 7 in Manhattan
BYU entered the game riding high after a 2-0 start before coming back down to earth to the Wildcats.
1965: BYU 21, K-State 3 in Provo
BYU’s first conference championship team defeated K-State in the non-conference portion of the schedule. Phil Odle had three touchdown receptions from Virgil Carter.
1963: K-State 24, BYU 7 in Manhattan
BYU finished the 1963 season with a 2-8 record.
1957: K-State 36, BYU 7 in Manhattan
The Wildcats rushed for 345 yards on BYU in the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
