Comments about ‘Brad Rock: BYU football's Clay Brown changed team history’

Don't forget to keep recruiting those Catholics, BYU!

I'm bored with the constant BYU memory lane gig. How many times are we going to read the stories of yesteryear. Even Vai as a columnist shows a certain hanging on to many BYU fans suffer with. Granted, this has not been the start we Cougar fans had hoped for, but you can't tell me there isn't a current story within the BYU program that could have filled this space. And going back for advice from former players, etc. Let's let go of the past Cougars. Here's hoping for something exciting and fresh to write about.

Of all the Desnews "Glory Days" recountings (maybe it's because Dick and Rock are getting old ?) - this is the one I never tire of hearing. That comeback is one for the ages, particularly because it came against the really annoyingly smug Pony Express... Clay Brown was as decent a guy as I met at BYU and I knew a lot of the athletes during my 7 years in Provo. Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy to have this be his claim to fame.

We are going to keep reading about the glory days as long as there is someone interested. And,it doesn't matter where he came from, if he is playing for the team then support the team and the individual. That last pass in the last three seconds was one of the best of all time. If it's too much for you then go find something else to spend your time with.

Now that was a team that played with heart! Sadly, those days are long gone. I am sure McMahon and company were stunned to see the Cougars lay down like dogs when they got down by 20 last Saturday.

I'm not really a BYU fan but in all of Utah college football there has never been anything as exciting to match that come-from-behind effort culminating with "The Catch." It's worth a reminder now and then. If you don't agree than you were probably not there.

I remember the caffeine-free cola called The Catch, in coca-cola script, sold on campus for awhile after The Miracle Bowl.

Hands down, the greatest BYU football game ever played. It comes on the heels of one the worst defeats in history, so I guess its good to reflect on why we play the game, for the good and the bad.

These were the days before ESPN, HD, Internet, and broad media coverage. I was in the midwest trying to position my radio just perfectly to hear KSL. The best place was in the kitchen. The signal would fade in and out. It was getting very late because of the 3 hour time difference. I thought BYU would come back so I kept listening. Then with just minutes to go, SMU scored. It was late, we were down quite a bit and I thought I had better go to bed. The next morning on the half hour drive to Church, I listened for the score. How bad was it? BYU won...wow...why didn't I say up just a little longer.

I was living in Long Beach, CA at the time and a lot of members of the ward went to the game and left early without listening to the radio on the way home they were so discouraged. I watched the game on TV, and at church in the morning those that went to the game would not believe me that BYU had won. They were there and missed the greatest come back in college football history. Thank goodness I did not turn off the TV. My friend Lennon Ledbetter was a receiver on that team and was ready to catch the ball if tipped to him. He has given some amazing insites about that game and Jim McMahon.

@just-a-fan

I agree with you but it's all they have left. Let them enjoy it.

It must be really frustrating for these fans to look back at what they once had and then see their team not live up to the preseason hype year after year after year. Coming into the BCS era they should have been the premier non-AQ program with the best chance of busting into a BCS bowl. Instead they get off to these 1-2 starts (losing at least one of them in embarrassing fashion) and then watch schools like TCU, Boise St, Utah, and even Hawaii make it. To make matters worse, Utah gets invited to the PAC-12 and then destroys them on national television. It has to sting. A trip down memory lane relieves a little bit of that pain, and I say let the healing begin. I want to see them all recovered and over-confident for next year.

I was 10 years old when this game took place and I'll never forget watching that 4th quarter comeback. Go to youtube and search for the 1980 Holiday Bowl to re-live it. I especially love that Cosmo rushes into the end zone to celebrate while Clay Brown is still at the bottom of the pile. The announcer says that it was the greatest comeback he ever saw. I'll second that.

I saw the game on TV at my home in West Bountiful, UT. I was 15. I remember telling my dad what the score was with 4 or 5 minutes left and he said "We'll never win it" and walked back out of the room.

When Clay Brown caught that ball I LITERALLY went outside and screamed at the top of my lungs (it was at least 11 PM) for almost a minute "WE WON! WE WON!")

Makes me smile now just thinking about it.

Thank you, Clay. The unsung hero of the greatest comeback in college football.

Go Cougars!

Clay Brown was also a very good punter. I am surprised he did not punt in the NFL. In that same game he caught a touchdown pass with one hand and his thigh.

I watched this Bowl Game...ALL of it, and it was very exciting. Something that hasn't been mentioned in the comments: McMahon to Brown TIED the game. The PAT by Kurt Gunther WON the game. From Wikipedia: "Smothered by four SMU defenders, BYU tight end Clay Brown somehow managed to leap above them and haul in the football, scoring one of the most miraculous touchdowns in college football history. With the score tied, BYU's Kurt Gunther kicked the extra point to give the Cougars a "miracle" 46-45 victory." It was a wonderful victory, especially because BYU had come from so far behind in such a short time. Just don't forget Gunther's winning kick!