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January 2026, 2015

Sports

Page 9

@DUSportsDesk

& RECREATION

Football from an alternate universe:

What if Taysom never went down?
By ALEX CLARK
Quantum physicist theorize about
infinite alternative universes existing
in time and space. If thats true, then
somewhere deep in the abyss of a different dimension lies a universe slightly
different from ours. For our purposes
here, lets say its course became altered
from ours on one football play.
What would a universe look like
where Taysom Hill didnt break his leg
on a two-yard run against Utah State,
the Cougars didnt implode during the
middle four-game stretch, and the college football playoff committee was
forced to take an undefeated BYU into
consideration when choosing teams for
the playoff field?
Would the 2014 team have gone undefeated even if Hill had remained healthy
(or Jamaal Williams, or Alani Fua, or
Adam Hine, for that matter)? Putting up
big yards and scoring points wasnt the
problem, nor was Christian Stewarts
play at quarterback. Its tough to think
that even an otherworldly performance
from Hill could make up for, say, the 55
points scored on the Cougar defense at
Boise State. But were operating with
rules from a parallel universe, so lets
say he did. How would the season have
turned out?

Oct. 3, 2014BYU 38, Utah State 28

The Aggies take a 21-14 second-quarter lead following a mishandled HillWilliams handoff. Hill responds by
driving the Cougars to the Utah State
47-yard line, where nothing of consequence happens. Hill then throws a
strike to Jordan Leslie to set up a Cougar field goal, which Trevor Samson
knocks through as the first half expires.
Following a defensive stop, Hill
drives the offense to the eight-yard line
before calling his own number for the
score to take the lead. Nick Vigil and

the Aggies respond late in

the third with a touchdown of their own to
go back up 28-24, but
Hill engineers two
four th- quar ter
touchdown drives
to ultimately put
the game out of
reach.
BYU AP
rank:14

Miffed at being dropped

two spots in the committees rankings,
the Cougars put on
a show in Tennessee. Hills Heisman
campaign begins
to seriously heat
up behind his
300 yards passing and 150
yards rushing.
The committee
remains rather
unimpressed
with a win
over lowly Middle Tennessee.
C om mit tee
rank:11

Oct. 9,
2014BYU
34, UCF 17
The Cougars
overcome a slow
start to beat the
Knights; even a
slew of controversial pass-interference penalties isnt
enough to keep UCF
in the game for long.
BYU AP rank: 11

Nov. 8,
2014BYE
Couga r
fans
are delighted to see
Auburn, Kansas State,
Michigan State and
Notre Dame all go down.
Committee rank: 9

Oct. 18, 2014BYU

49, Nevada 35

Nov. 15, 2014

BYU 49, UNLV 23

Wolfpack quarterback Cody

Fajardo begins to heat up in the
third quarter, but a steady dose of readoption runs from Hill and Williams
makes it too little, too late for Nevada.
BYU AP rank: 10

Oct. 24, 2014BYU 56,

Boise State 55
Hill and the Cougars head to Boise in
what is by far their toughest test of the
season. A wild shootout ensues on the
blue turf with each team trading touchdown after touchdown. A third-quarter
Fred Warner pick-six shifts the momentum in BYUs favor.
Down 48-55 and 54 seconds remaining: Hill scrambles his way into the end
zone from four yards out. Rather than
kick the extra point and go to overtime,

Ari Davis

Fans pack LaVell Edwards Stadium

even in spite of the chilly 30-degree temperature at kickoff. The Cougars cruise,
while Auburn and Arizona State go
down.
Committee rank: 7

Bronco decides to go for two and the

win. Hill rolls right and finds wideout
Terren Houk in the corner of the end
zone for an exhilarating finish.
Despite the impressive win, the
Cougars are disappointed with
the playoff committees inaugural
playoffrankings.
Committee rank: 12

Nov. 22, 2014BYU 64,

Savannah State 0

Nov. 1, 2014BYU 45,

Middle Tennessee 7

Nov. 29, 2014BYU 49, Cal 28

This game has very little difference

from our universes version. Committee
members dont see this game as improving the Cougars overall body of work
and move them down a spot.
Committee rank: 8
Trying to make one last push for a

Final Four spot, the Cougars maul the

Bears in War Memorial Stadium. ESPN
First Take hosts have a segment the
following Monday where they debate
whether the Cougars belong in the
playoffs.
Committee rank: 6

Dec. 22, 2014Idle

This is where BYU really screwed
up with its scheduling. While everyone
else ranked in the top ten is playing conference championship games (and TCU
and Baylor are at least playing), BYU
can do nothing but sit at home waiting
for everything to unfold. The final rankings are revealed, and
Final Committee rank: 7

Dec. 31, 2014 Fiesta Bowl

BYU 38, Arizona 30
Though disappointed in being shut
out of the college football playoff, the
Cougars take pride in playing in a New
Years Day bowl. Hill shows a national
audience why he finished third in Heisman voting by bringing BYU back from
an early 20-7 deficit. Down 38-30, quarterback Anu Solomon drives the Wildcats down to the eight-yard line with
14 seconds remaining. On the ensuing
play, Solomon rolls right and is sacked
by Alani Fua, sealing a perfect 13-0
season.
Noticing BYUs magical run is Big12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby. With
Baylor and TCU snubbed from playoffs, Bowlsby decides to officially invite
BYU and Cincinnati to the conference
in order to stage a Big-12 championship
game the following year. With a perfect
record and a returning Heisman favorite, BYU makes it on everyones short
list as a national championship contender in2015.
Editors Note: Alex Clark is a sports
editor with The Universe. While theoretical physics is not his full-time passion,
he applied the interest to the 2014 football
season for reflection.

BYU Athletics: The world is our playing field

BYUs away
Best road wins of 2014
crowd rivals other

team love at football games all over the

country this fall, from Texas where
BYU cruised to an early 417 win to
California and even Connecticut.
Alisa said the loyal and consistent
showing of BYU fans outside of Utah
has helped him realize the scope of
BYUs influence. I remember realizBy JENNIFER JOHNSON
ing that, OK, were playing for more
than just this game and for ourselves;
BYU football players jogged along were playing for Cougar Nation.
the front of the stadium bleachers at
The fans of Cougar Nation are so
Johnny Red Floyd Stadium in Mur- consistent and widespread that alumni
freesboro, Tennessee, high fiving with tailgate parties attract droves of them.
fans and stopping to autograph little Roy Brinkerhoff, BYU Alumni assisboys hats and take pictures with the tant director of chapters and grants,
Cougar faithful.
said these tailgate parties usually have
The Cougars had just snapped a four- more than 300 fans in attendance.
game losing streak, routing Middle
This year our crowds have ranged
Tennessee State 277 to secure a win from 150 to 2,500, he said in an email.
they desperately needed.
Generally, I think BYUs alumni and
Earlier that day, they had entered Cougar fans simply want to feel cona stadium at least halfway filled with nected to the school, the team and each
Cougar blue. Fans had shown up en other.
masse, driving for hours and bringing
According to alumni.byu.edu, there
their children out on a frigid Novem- are 100 BYU Alumni Association chapber night to see their
ters in more than 30
team.
states throughout the
BYU was plagued
country, so BYU fans
with injuries and
are organized in their
h ad ju st ex p er iefforts to support the
enced disappointing
traveling Cougars.
losses first to Utah
Someti mes BY U
State, then to Central
draws more fans to
Florida, Nevada and
away games than the
finally Boise State.
home team opponent
does, and Alisa said
What might normally
theyre high-caliber
have been taken for
fans too. Ive been
granted as an easy
at a few games where
victory over MTSU
Morgan Bailey
BY U actually had
became a momentumSenior basketball player
more fans than the
changing conquest.
home team, he said.
Senior linebacker
( Even at) games
Michael Alisa said
BYU supporters who traveled across where theres a lot of home team supstates to the game had a profound effect port, there would still be a huge sea
on him. That Middle Tennessee State of BYU blue. And theyre loud and
game happened right after a four-game extremely supportive.
losing streak, so BYU was not doing
And its not just football, either. The
well at all, and they all showed up to womens soccer, womens volleyball
support us, he said. So that was a and womens basketball teams all rousurge of passion to go and play really tinely have more fans than their oppohard. It showed us some love that we nents on the opponents home turf.
We probably have more crowd than
had been craving over the past couple
weeks.
the opposite team, freshman volleyCougar fans have been showing their ball player Jaiden Achermann said.

home crowds

We get a good amount

of fans coming to our

home games, but away
games sometimes we
have more fans than
the other schools do.

W. Soccer vs. Pacific

Nov. 1, Stockton, CA
4-0

M. Basketball vs. USU

Dec. 2, Logan, UT
91-81

W. Basketball vs. Utah

Dec. 13, SLC, UT
60-56

Football vs. Texas

Sept. 6, Austin, TX
41-7
W. Volleyball vs. Arizona
Dec. 5, Tucson, AZ
3-1
Jennifer Johnson

BYU athletic teams have gone to away games across the West and still found fans to support them because of BYUs loyal and
widespread alumni.
Its good to know that we have lots of
support wherever we go.
Niki Fernandes, a senior forward on
the soccer team, transferred from San
Diego State after her freshman year.
She described the stark difference
between the Aztec and Cougar away
fans.
At San Diego State, pretty much
the only fans we had at away games
were a couple of the parents that would
travel, she said. BYU had more fans
at San Diegos home game when I was
there than we did. It was crazy. . . Thats
whats so cool about this program, that
we have so many fans all around, so its
really fun.
Senior basketball player Morgan
Bailey has become accustomed to Cougar fans outnumbering the opposing
home teams supporters. We get a good

amount of fans coming to our home

games, but away games sometimes we
have more fans than the other schools
do, she said.
BYU alumni and supporters from all
over the country travel long distances
to cheer on all of BYUs teams as they
compete. Fans seem grateful for the
opportunity, but the athletes are also
grateful for the fans.
It is just amazing, Fernandes said.
Everywhere we go we have a fan section. Its so cool Having our fans
there being loud is so great, and it definitely helps our team and the energy of
our team. I know that sounds silly, but
it really is so true.
Bailey agreed that BYU fans at away
games contribute to a friendlier environment for the team. Its nice, she
said. Especially when were away its

hard to play in other peoples territory,

but when we have fans that come out
and support us its awesome.
Alisa has been giving high fives
to kids and posing for pictures with
fans after games for a long time now.
Theres no school like BYU with our
fan base that after a four-game losing
streak can have more BYU fans at a
game than the home team, he said.
Were already highly motivated
its not like our only motivation comes
from the crowd but it definitely
helps. So when youre tired or feeling
down, you hear the crowd start going
wild, and it gets you going.
The world is BYUs campus, and
for Cougar athletes, playing facilities
around the country become temporary
homes, thanks to the national fan base
thats always there to support them.