WESTERN ATHLETIC ROUNDUP : Detmer Passes BYU to Fourth Consecutive Title

Ty Detmer was choked up after playing his final regular-season game for Brigham Young.

Detmer, last season’s Heisman Trophy winner and the only collegian to throw for more than 15,000 yards in a career, bade farewell to 66,000 fans at Cougar Stadium by passing for five touchdowns, running for another and setting NCAA career and passing efficiency marks in a 48-17 Western Athletic Conference victory over Utah.

“It’s an emotional time,” Detmer said. “I hate to see it end, but every year it ends for someone else.”

The victory gave BYU its fourth consecutive WAC title and 15th overall, and sent the Cougars into their 10th Holiday Bowl Dec. 30 in San Diego against ninth-ranked Iowa. It will be BYU’s 14th consecutive bowl appearance.

Detmer’s career passing efficiency of 162.7 broke the NCAA record of 156.9 set by former BYU quarterback Jim McMahon. Detmer finished with season and career passing marks of 4,031 and 15,031 yards.

“Fifteen thousand? I was fortunate to play with some great players,” said Detmer, who in four years as a starter was 28-9-1.

Detmer passed for more than 4,000 yards for the third consecutive season. He had 1,252 passing as a part-time starter his freshman year, 4,560 the next year and 5,188 yards in 1990, when he won the Heisman Trophy.

BYU, 8-3-1 overall and 7-0-1 in the WAC, opened with season with losses to Florida State, UCLA and Penn State.

“It’s been a great turnaround,” Detmer said. “I always knew it was there, but I didn’t know how long it would take.”

Detmer, who completed 18 of 29 passes for 378 yards against Utah, broke open the game with consecutive touchdown passes in the second quarter that gave BYU a 27-17 halftime lead.

Detmer added one each in the third and fourth quarters. He had two passes intercepted and had a 14-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.

Utah, finishing the season at 7-5 and 4-4, was plagued by five interceptions and one fumble.

Utah took a 10-0 lead in the first four minutes when Mike Richmond connected with Brian Rowley on a 19-yard touchdown pass play and Chris Yergensen kicked a 28-yard field goal.

Louisiana Tech 21, Texas El Paso 17--Jason Davis rushed for 203 yards and three touchdowns, including one from 14 yards out with 2:55 remaining, to give Louisiana Tech a nonconference victory at El Paso.

It was the seventh consecutive time Davis had rushed for more than 100 yards. He set a school record with 1,351 yards for the season.

The winning drive covered 55 yards and began when Louisiana Tech (8-1-2) held UTEP (4-7-1) at its 11 with 4:32 left. Following Davis’ touchdown, UTEP got the ball back but was stopped on fourth and one at the Tech 37 with 27 seconds remaining.