During his 17 years as head football coach at BYU, LaVell Edwards has seen more than his share of victories - 155 of them in all, not to mention a national championship. And yet, BYU's 20-17 victory over Colorado in the fifth annual Freedom Bowl was something special for the veteran coach.

In the predictably loud, boisterous locker room following the game, even the normally mild, sedate Edwards couldn't resist the celebration - or gushing on about his team.Shouting above the din, Edwards told his players, "I'm proud of this team, and the way you hung in there and came back. It's the old BYU!" Which, of course, brought more whoops and hollers.

With that, Edwards went to a knee in the middle of the locker room, as did his players, and led them in prayer.

Afterward, Edwards told the team, "It's been a marvelous year. It couldn't have been a more fitting end. It's been one of the greatest experiences I've had."

Marvelous year? Fitting end? Indeed, with a single victory, the Cougars, who finished with a 9-4 record, seemed to put behind them a most difficult season. Virtually forgotten now was a season-long quarterback controversy; a late-season slump in which BYU, once 7-1 and nationally ranked, had lost three of its final four regular-season games; a three-game losing streak in bowl games; and weeks of racial accusations that raged late in the season.

"This is one of the most important games I've ever had," said Edwards, who was haunted by the team's poor finish and feared it might carry over into next season. "It was really important to me."

"This sets us up for next year," said junior fullback Fred Whittingham. "We have a lot of good prospects coming up, especially Ty."

That would be Ty Detmer, the team's second-year freshman quarterback. He spent much of the season standing on the sidelines, although in seven different games he relieved starter Sean Covey, either because of injuries or ineffectiveness. Still, he had been unable to beat out Covey for the starting job, and, thus, he spent the first half of the Freedom Bowl on the sidelines while the Cougars fell behind 14-7.

At halftime Edwards decided to switch quarterbacks. Covey had completed just 4 of 10 passes for 37 yards and, after driving BYU to the 5-yard line, was intercepted by Colorado's Dave McCloughan in the end zone. Now it was Detmer's turn. And he directed three Cougar scoring drives - one ending in a touchdown and two ending in field goals by Jason Chaffetz.

Chaffetz' two field goals were big plays, but, to no one's surprise, the game's Most Valuable Player trophy went to Detmer, who, in half a game, completed 11 of 17 passes for 129 yards, 1 touchdown and 0 interceptions and rallied BYU to victory.

"They had to give it to somebody, I guess," Detmer told a national TV audience. "It seemed like the running backs did most of the work."

Not to be forgotten, either, was the defense, which produced several big plays.

During the week leading up to the game, firesides were held in Anaheim and nearby Irving. At Anaheim, All-WAC receiver Chuck Cutler, Edwards and John Stohlton of the BYU administration spoke. At Irving, defensive lineman Tim Clark, BYU Athletic Director Glen Tuckett and Pres. Jeffrey Holland spoke.

Team members also visited the Orangewood Home for Abused Children near Anaheim. It was one of the highlights of the trip, Tuckett said.

"Our players didn't want to go home, and the children didn't want us to go," Tuckett said. "It was a really great experience."