Conjuring up 1996

How long ago was fall, 1996? The Summer Olympics in Atlanta had just finished. Incumbent President Bill Clinton was on his way to a landslide victory over Republican challenger Bob Dole. The Mountain West Conference (let alone the Mtn. TV network) had not yet been conceived. BYU was part of a zany, 16-team Western Athletic Conference along with teams like SMU and San Jose State. LaVell Edwards was the coach and few people outside of American Fork High School and Snow Junior College had heard the name Bronco Mendenhall. Freshman receiver O’Neill Chambers was six years old.
On Sept. 14, 1996, No. 14 BYU traveled to Washington with a 2-0 record, poised to make another statement (to go along with its upset victory of nationally ranked Texas A&M in week one) to the nation. The Cougars lost that day, 29-17, and it was the only blemish on what ended up being a 14-1 season. Some argue that ’96 BYU team was the best in school history.
Washington put up a pair of quick touchdowns in the first quarter and BYU spent the rest of the day trying to catch up. After the game, in the locker room, the players and coaches were disconsolate. I can’t remember many other losses since then that BYU took harder than that one. The Cougars were crushed, knowing that their dreams of a national championship or a Bowl Alliance (the precursor of the BCS) berth were all but shattered.

Now, as the Cougars return to Seattle this weekend, the circumstances are eerily similar. BYU is looking to go undefeated and get into a BCS bowl. Once again, Washington is one of the obstacles standing in the Cougars’ way.

How many of you were at that ’96 game at Washington? What are your memories of that one? And what do you think is going to happen this Saturday at Husky Stadium?