BYU Classic Football Face-off: BYU/Texas A&M (1996) vs. BYU/USU (2012)

It's time to determine the greatest BYU football game ever ? and it's all up to you.

This matchup features the No. 2 and No. 7 seeds in the Home Games region, a contrast in contests as one was an offensive shootout and the other was a defensive battle.

(Click here to see the entire bracket)

Which one will move on and which one will be eliminated? Be sure to cast your vote in the poll on the right side of the screen to decide which of these was the greater moment for BYU football.

Here is a look at today's matchup:

No. 2 seed

BYU 41, Texas A&M 37 (1996)

Records and AP ranking (entering the game): BYU 0-0 (NR), Texas A&M 0-0 (No. 13)

What happened: The Aggies came to Provo for the Pigskin Classic with quite a bit of hype, while the Cougars were barely a blip on the national radar. Texas A&M came out strong as it took at 20-6 lead midway through the second quarter, but BYU quarterback Steve Sarkisian tossed two touchdown passes to tie the game at the half. The two teams went back and forth in the second half with the Aggies edging out to a late lead on a 52-yard field goal. The Cougars went back in front on another Sarkisian TD pass, then a fumbled snap allowed BYU to secure the win.

Signature play: With just over a minute to play, Sarkisian dropped back and fired deep to K.O. Kealaluhi down the left sideline. Kealaluhi hauled it in behind the Texas A&M defense and took it in for the 45-yard touchdown. After crossing the goal line, he slid to the ground with the ball held above him in celebration as his teammates mobbed him.

What it meant: The win over the Aggies propelled the Cougars into the Top 25 and on their way to another phenomenal season, one in which they would win a school-record 14 games and end up as the No. 5-ranked team in the country.

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No. 7 seed

BYU 6, Utah State 3 (2012)

Records and AP ranking (entering the game): BYU 3-2 (NR), Utah State 8-3 (No. 20/NR)

What happened: The Cougars entered the in-state rivalry contest after a pair of heartbreaking defeats to Utah and at Boise State, while the Aggies were one missed chip-shot field goal at Wisconsin away from being undefeated. Both defenses dominated although BYU tallied nearly 150 more total yards. The Cougars scored the only touchdown but missed the extra point, while USU made one field goal but missed a 37-yarder that would?ve tied the score.

Signature play: With only 28 seconds left in the first half, BYU quarterback Taysom Hill threw three straight passes to Cody Hoffman to gain 58 yards, then connected with JD Falslev from three yards out for the touchdown with just three seconds on the clock.

What it meant: The Cougars went on to lose three more disappointing games while Utah State didn?t lose the rest of the year and ended up ranked No. 16 in the AP poll. The defensive performance that gave BYU the win represented how impressive the Cougars were on that side of the ball.?

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Jared Lloyd's Take

The 2012 BYU defense deserved to hold a higher place in Cougar history books but the offense wasn't quite good enough. Although the victory over Utah State was the signature victory of the season, it's the 1996 defeat of Texas A&M that gets my vote since that was a great game with a classic finish. It kickstarted one of the great seasons in BYU history.

The Pick: BYU 41, Texas A&M 37 (1985)

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cougarupdate/news/sports/~3/GICzJiaxMZ0/article_link.html

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