On September 8, 1990, the defending National Champions (they also had won in 1987) and #1 team in the country Miami Hurricanes made a visit to Provo, Utah. The BYU Cougars, #16 in the country, were underdogs. Miami were a 13 1/2-point favorite. However, college football fans around the country were looking forward to the game as both teams had a similar style of exciting offense led by their star QBs.
The Deseret News' Lee Benson wrote before the clash of the teams, "Today's BYU vs. Miami football matchup in Cougar Stadium features the two best friends the forward pass ever had.