LAS VEGAS — Exactly 35 years ago this Saturday, BYU made history by winning its first bowl game. It was an extraordinary night, by any measure. You can find it in the thesaurus alongside the words “ridiculous,” “fantastical” and “improbable.”
By national standards, the 1980 Holiday Bowl wasn’t much. The Cougars were still a fairly unknown team from a mostly insignificant conference. Southern Methodist was a well-publicized operation, with its “Pony Express” offense featuring Eric Dickerson and Craig James. But the Mustangs were on a path leading to the first and only NCAA football “Death Penalty.