Ex-QB Sheide recalls injury in BYU’s first bowl in 1974

Stay healthy.

That's the sensible advice Brigham Young quarterback Riley Nelson is getting from former Cougars QB Gary Sheide, who led BYU in its first bowl game more than three decades ago.

The Cougars (9-3) kick off against Tulsa (8-4) in the Armed Forces Bowl at 9 a.m. today in Dallas. The game will be broadcast on ESPN (Cable 30) and KSHP-AM (1400).

"I remember it all like it was yesterday," Sheide said of the 1974 Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma State. "I remember the pass routes and the plays. I can still see the defensive coverage and my guys open."

Despite a seven-game winning streak to end the regular season, Sheide and the Western Athletic Conference champion Cougars (7-3-1) rolled into Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz., as the underdog against the Cowboys (6-5).

This was during a time when there were only eight bowl games, so the significance of being invited was not lost on the Cougars or the Mormon Church.

"Before we walked out on the field, church president Spencer W. Kimball greeted each one of us and shook our hands," Sheide said. "It was the first time this had happened to BYU and it was a big deal."

The Cougars and coach LaVell Edwards, then in his third season, were eager to challenge Oklahoma State's seldom-tested pass defense.

"Their defense was geared to stop the run, but not the pass," the All-WAC quarterback recalled. "We felt confident that we could run just about any of our routes. I could hardly wait to get out there."

BYU kicked a pair of field goals in the first quarter and led, 6-0.

"You could feel (Oklahoma State) was panicked a bit and knew it couldn't stop us," Sheide said. "We called a play-action pass. One of their big defensive ends came in and got a clean shot at me and drove me into the ground on my shoulder. I knew immediately that something was wrong."

The hit dislocated Sheide's shoulder and knocked him out of the game. Oklahoma State went on to win, 16-6. A few weeks later, with his arm in a sling, Sheide accepted the Sammy Baugh Trophy as the nation's best quarterback.

As Nelson prepares to lead BYU today in the school's 30th bowl game, Sheide is free with his advice.

"Stay healthy. You have an untested backup (James Lark)," he said, reflecting on his own bowl misfortune. "Riley is crazy. He's gonna take chances, but if he stays healthy, he will make plays and put points on the board."

■ RETURN TO TEXAS -- Today's game is BYU's third in Texas this season but its first bowl in the Lone Star State since the 1997 Cotton Bowl. The Cougars beat Kansas State 19-15 in front of 71,928 fans to finish 14-1 and ranked No. 5.

"It was unbelievable," former Cougars tight end Chad Lewis said. "We went down there with the team on a mission. It was the first time we had played in a New Year's Day bowl. We wanted to win it for LaVell (Edwards). That was a big, big game for us."

Lewis caught a touchdown in the WAC championship game at Sam Boyd Stadium to lead BYU past Wyoming and secure the invite to the Cotton Bowl.

■ CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON -- Of BYU's previous 29 bowl appearances -- the Cougars are 11-17-1 -- only one carried national title implications. The unbeaten Cougars rallied to beat Michigan in the 1984 Holiday Bowl in San Diego to win the program's first national championship.

"When we ran out onto the field there was so much commotion, so much energy built up for the game and for what was about to happen," former Cougars quarterback Robbie Bosco recalled. "We knew a lot was riding on the game. Everyone felt that pressure that we could do something here that may not happen again."

Bosco threw two fourth-quarter touchdowns, including the winner with 1:23 remaining, to give BYU a 24-17 victory.

"It was surreal. It was amazing," Bosco said. "We felt all along that if we did win we should be national champs. But it didn't guarantee anything and we knew that. We felt we did everything in our power to deserve (the national title)."

Two weeks later, after the bowl season was over, BYU was voted as the national champion by The Associated Press.

■ LAS VEGAS BOWL -- Five of the last six bowl games for the Cougars have been in Las Vegas, and despite being an independent in football, BYU would like to return to Southern Nevada.

"We would love to get back to Las Vegas," athletic director Tom Holmoe said. "There are going to be a lot of changes coming with the bowl contracts. We are hoping to slide back in there. It's a great place for so many of our fans to get to."

The MAACO Bowl Las Vegas did not sell out this year for the first time in seven games.

Dave McCann is a morning news anchor on KLAS-TV (Channel 8). He hosts "True Blue" at 5 p.m. Monday on BYUtv and is the play-by-play voice for BYUtv. He can be reached at dmccann@8newsnow.com and on twitter @davemccann8.