Cougar Kickoff Countdown: 21 Days

In 2009 the #20 BYU Cougars played the #3 Oklahoma Sooners, and Heisman Trophy winner QB Sam Bradford, for the first collegiate game in the cavernous Cowboys Stadium. On the sidelines players gawked at the massive big screen hanging above the field, but on the field the Cougars were all business.

The stout BYU defensive prevented the vaunted Oklahoma offense from getting a first down in their first six possessions of the game. Despite the defense's best efforts, turnovers put the Sooners on the BYU 35-yard line and set up the subsequent touchdown. A 49-yard pass from Max Hall to Brian Kariya set up the five-yard touchdown pass to Andrew George. After another turnover by BYU the Sooners marched down the field and kicked a field goal to go up 10-7 at the half. That series came at the season altering consequence of losing Bradford to an injury due to a hit from BYU linebacker Colby Clawson.

As the teams cleared the field for half-time, the cameras captured Max Hall yelling at the crowd, "We're going to win! We're going to win!" Going into the half the Cougars had 249-yards total offense and had held the Sooners to a stifling 164-yards total offense.

Once again the stellar defense smothered the Sooner offense, helped by big plays from Jordan Pendelton, Romney Fuga, and Brett Denney. Forced to settle for a field goal, the Sooners went up 13-7 early in the fourth quarter. Max Hall and the offense chewed up close to nine minutes of clock on their game winning drive. With 3:03 left on the clock, Hall found sophomore McKay Jacobson alone in the back of the end zone for the go ahead touchdown. The Cougar defense held strong and forced a 54-yard field goal attempt that was short and went wide left. The Cougars beat the Sooners 14-13.